Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-03-20
Congress Of tho Y. States
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

lRIPoErEp ron rmE n. INrrLLlaENcEn.
WfDNks DAY, MARCu II

Mr.. KHgA deprccatcd the latitude by Which
the ciscuSSioa had been mark ed and called
the'attention the House 10 the true question
which waSsmply, whether this renionstrance
from the aseni OF certain foreign authorities
should OF should not he received. las,
he said. was u Cnsstie W iCh had i,ohi-, IL
ts do with inn eaching the President. with
piracy on the hlsh seas. He knew nothing oi
the persons whnse agent the petitioner was
as far as he had heard any thing OF them, he
respected their Characters; but lhey were
stated 10 he agents eta government yet unac-
knowledged by the United States, a,sd under
such circumstances, he did rot thIuk this
House ought TO recognize them. As TO tins
being question of property, he sad, hc did
not view il in that lt.hl but conceived that.
property had been introduced into the Mcnlp-
rial only to give a co.or 10 the other objects II
had in view. This whole business was one, he
thought, which II was for the Executive part
of the government alone TO act on. The House
ofRepresentatiyes have not becn in the habit
Ofrcceivipg foreign ministers, ambassadors.
said Mr.. Ril.a. If We are TO undertake this
business, let MS see The commission OF the
Agent, aud ascertain whether he be dutS
authorized or not whethcr he be what lie
states himself TO he. Without such preimi-
mary, any proceedings OF the Hou>e wOull be
IiiiiSory The previous question must i've the
Feco gnltlon OF tie independence oithe covein.
nents whom lie represents; unG dat WAS
decided, all other propositions must Ne foreign
80 The subject. As 10 this question OF property,
which was said TO he embraced in the memo
rial. how long Nlr. r. asked lead thc Govern.
men, of the United States been endeAvoriug
by reclamation To get from the governments
olSpain and France pt urertY captured by
their national vessels from our rtileuss But
had our applications not aiwa Us been addressed
30 the Executive authorities OF those nations
Had this H0nse right, lie asked, to receive
an agent from these new governments or from
any government? The constitution had given
this business TO the Executive this House
had nothing TO do with it-and he did not wish
10 encourage appeals, either 90 the People. or
tgflgn tssfn flan
foreign agent. The constitution had assigned
10 each department Of the government its
particular duties; and, for his part he would
NOT Tor q moment listen 10 memorial which
vas In The nature OF an appeal iromone Branch
a the goNeInmeBt "a tlie other. In The mean
time, however, lie would treat this memorial
win all due respect, aud would not certainly
besfow on il harsh names The best wav
y ould be 10 suffer il 10 be V Withdrawn But to
this course il had been objected that this
foreign government would moi know irhy the
memorial was not received. The very face of
II, he SAID, wonId sui1lcIcntly shew WHY il was
not received, ncr even suffered TO lie or the
table, because 10 lay il on the table would
imply that the subject was one which might lie
acted Oh at future time. Every government
must Know that ~ * the President v no is TO
receive all communications from foreign gov
ernments, and that the Legislature has no
concern with them. This, Pr. *. repeated
was not to he REGARDED as "a memorial respect
lpe property the trHth was, and it was OF no
use to conceal il, that this Agent shed TO
have the authorities whom he represented
recognized as asovereigu state. THIS asihe
main object OF the application, and it was
proper il should be understood when that
Question was properly presented, Mr.. X. said
Ie lfad no Objection TO act OMIT but not in
rms way lie cOHciHded ny SAYING, lie hoped
re Hemai.H wor'dnot be received.
Mr.. STRoTHER rose to enquire whether
yr0fiOn 10 10y tie memorial on the table would
ne 70 order. lie considered this an important
questi0ii, involving great difficulty: and not
beng gluCll OF a politician, lie was avcrse 10
acting hastily omit. Ii this waste be regarded
AZ petition OF an individual for property, IL
ought to be received but how far this h0nse
had rght to listen To apappeal from a foreign
agent. he was not repaired to saw II lie
question 'nrned on this point, il was one off
hrst magnitude, and required the mOstmature
reileciion aHd the most severe Investigations
lt;ier Intimating that he had not been in the
house when The petition was read, Mr.. s. said
81 IL was from individuals whose property had
heeu seized by the forces of the United States
at Amelia island they were, having been de.
Prived Of the protection OF their own govern.
Dient, empha tlcaiiy entitled 10 the protection
OF that government V blch had Obtrudcd on the
management oftheir affairs and taken posses
sion OF their property. If this petition were
considered as that Of an individual CHARGING
car government with oppTesSiOn he was disp0.
SEQ TO give 1t cOunteDauce for there was
other government 10 whom application could
I've made for redress Of such gri eVauce j.,
such memorial were not accepted here, there
was no tribunal on this side the grave TO
which an appeal could be made This was a
strong reason, Mr.. $. said, to induce him to
vote to lay this memorial on tie table IT,
However, the memorial was considered as
Gmanatng from person assuming tine rharac.
tcr at an agent from foreign government, lie
was decidedly opposed TO receiving OF consIi-
efiugit: because the constitution had provided
department authorized to accept or reject
all applications OF HAT descriptiOn aud ID did
not become tie lioase, by transgressing the
bounds Of It's constitutional authority, TO inter
tere with the rights Of those inhabitants of
North America more dear TO us ihautliu n.iXcd
population Of S0nth America. II IL were
proper for this house 10 interfere AT all, either
m recognizing the Independence Of the South
American provinces, or in protecting them
from the acts Of the Executive, Mr. y. said he
any other authority: 10 iulluence which could
be employed should turn him aside from Tie
pail Of duty prescribed by the constitution
oil the aud, and by his own cOnScicuce-at The
same time that lie was inclined % treat with
respect every department IT the government.
On this matter, said he, let us act dispassion.
Ateiy. In this country. where liberty is SO
dearly cherished, that the very sound Of the
word comes home 10 every bosom, we are
bound 10 presunic that the Executive organ
icair With natural paftiGlity 10 cause 10
which rs attached tho idea OF liberty Of a strng.
gle for the right OF seiEgOyeriimcnt Bnt
VIZ. >. said. he shoaid not al this time commit
himself, 90 relation 10 The Patriots % Old
SFMn, on tp ihe Executive of his own govern
mcut - was time enough when tie dmestiou
Presenled itself, Bni lie said his friend from
hcuiucky (fir. Johnson whose sentiments be
always respected, whose noble animation, in
TIE GAUGE % liberty and humanity s,iuck him
With admiration. had lac thought Mpfopctlv
isitiIcd u the conduct 81 ihe Executive oi