Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-01-15
behalf: The House wanted to hear no lokg

| speeches.
or; Miiir' affirmed, that the people had not
| seat tueir DELEGATES here TO put any man into
custody until he had opportunity TO be
heard IN hls dcience.-Mr. Page needed no
compuis,on 10 ;ake him: lie had never re- fused
to come before the house he nnyv so,,yl,i thar
opportunity he had meant no 5isrespcci To
| tht delegates of tlie people he had only stool
up IN defence OF his own rights a. an American
citizen.-H onld the house however send their
sergeant tn arrest him. without giving hlm an
| opportunity 10 defend his liberty He ,l,nied
! there was siniiiiiude between the present
| case and that OF lDau who is charged before a
SINGLE magistrate the object ofthiS Warrant is
| 10 biing Tie man before INN 10 answer 60 the
| aceusaii0n.--But MIR. Page is willing 10 come
before you without any warrant.-lf YOU do
pui ms inan INTO custody, without permitting
| nun 10 he heard by his counsel, YOU violate
all the fundamental principles al oar co..sti,r.
| tion founded as IT has been by your iie,,rvs.
your Masons, and the ablt>t aud rnrost men
who ever adorned the coiulnOmw ealtli
ar BOrycr made point oil oi isr-cOuli the
question suggested by the gentleman from
Powbaian (Mr. Mier,) be put. when pro
position was airead, made 10 las tie original
resolution onii.c table!
The Speaker said no such proposition ha9
been made.
Jr. Dtris was in favor oft'e motion made
| by the gentleman frUm r0whaian.--i hi case
| had been asSiniilated 90 that of a single n,aeis
| irate.-bnf even IN that case AN individual mas
atight 10 go Ptri i'asSs with Tie ADMINISTRATION
OF the law, and To gu at once before the nlasis.
| Udic. to prove 10 MN fnlt he lat he
arrested Mr.. -. was opposed TO Tie iinpris
onment of MIR. Page ior a sins lc n,Oneat That
gentieman had rig ht 10 anticipate the assume,
OF warrant, and to demonstrate at once
against ii.
Hr. SuEaD,Srs expressed himself surprised at
the reasons which mad been advanced against
| the motion. lie had always understood thar
before the liberty OF a citizen was invaded. he
| had Il right 10 Oe heard-ind Nv The I'VE (sajd
! Mr.. s. when we assume Tie functions o.. tn.
| judiciary, we oughtto be governed by lis rules
| Mr.. =. cited the case OF Aaron Burr which
! had 0nvc heen dgitated within these walls he
| wished TO go before and interrogate the grand
| Jnry-the attorney oftle u. ;. had told him he
must be arraigued first, before he mad the uri
yiIeSe OF being heard. But. what saii the emit
| nent Judge who presided Oh that occasion that
| the moment the liberty of citizen W as threat
ened, he mad ight 10 be heard. hIr. s. said.
! ms was question OF deep Importance to eve
! ny ciiizen OF inns commonwealth. God forbid
! that he should lay his hands on the liberty o.
any citizen without giving him a chance of be.
| ing heard in his defence
! Mr.. AdgW hoped the house would assent To
| TIE mouon-thISis indeed question of prilna
| ~ importance-we are about going into the
| Underlined field of privilege; aud of our own
| privilege too. In our courts, a nIan has "A rio hi
10 be heard III his own defence aud shall we
| deny the right here Pit has been said that
ms motion was premature /; but is il not tin,
| OBJECT oi the resolution before the house. ,o
take man into custody to invade his liber-
y oa%nt not every ray of light they could
hud, ne shed on such subject WilI Won
| not give the individual himselfa chance Off
dressing you Does not the constitution rna
rantee everyman liberty For his own Part.
\ he should thank any man for eniiChle,lu has
mind on this great question
dir. Btdch6Hrn had already told the horse
una, ne wished tue resolution to lay upon the
,dD'e 10 give illm time TO make up his own
mind on the su5iect-aud now the gentleman
from Powllatan had brought up another ones
| ton not less important than the first one He
was disposed to think that this individual
| ought not TO have counsel introduced at This
| stage OF the business; bnt he wanted time TO
| make up an opinion. Did the gentleman from,
hanawha Mr.. Summers) say, that the moment
| any man is accused, lie has right TO be heard
! Dy counseis Has man then a right to 70
before grand jury MIR. b. said. he did no,
wish to put the man to the trouble and ev.
| pence OF getting counsel, before il was kno,yn
whether he wonId be in want OF it. Perhaps,
| the COMMITTEES might be discharged altogether
from this business.-Mr. Il. asked only mill
| tomorrow to consider the sublect-He moved
| 10 lay the resolution upon the table
Mr. Robertson (of K. was opposed 10 tbis NM,
ton mtilihe resolution of tie enilefSs1,, tioo,
Powhatan had been decided Whai was ti,a
/ question: that man should be arfaitened wills
] out allowing him 10 be heard by counsel For
| bis own part, he did not think the individra,
needed much counsel to defend him J'bat
man stands on the basis of the constitution m
| winch the legislature dare not attack MIN Tn
! has been sait indeed, that the rishts Of the
| legislature we're sovereign; bur away ,,itI,
| such privileges, drawn as they were from, rho
| precedent Of British parliamenf The oues-
| ton was this: Should the House seize a nan
! and Imprson him from his wife and .fan,iIy
| without permitting linn to be heard in his de-
! tence yesterday, the gentleman from Batb
| hadno sort of doubt about the correctness n;
| the proceedings OF the cosgm.tice; but he WIS
| nOwteiad TO discover tiiai that eenilem,i he
! ganto entertain some doubts-let him examine
| and lie Will find that the committee had com
| pietely tramsgressed the laws of the land.
Mr. Chamoertdyne said that if this business
mr. rTD.C "A Ifta Il.
| al concerned would have had a right AT some
| subsequent stage oft to be heard by counsel
| but until the resolution he had submitted md
been decided no counselwould be necessary.
lie said the anaiO " stated BY the gentleman
fro0, YORK was correct. Ii followed from that
analogy that II warrant should be issued ami
| the man taken, the House might then allow him
counsel. Bul sRpp0se the sIIbStit,,te =, MI 81
| understood would be- offered ShonId he adant
| ed, and the committee DISCHARGED fren an
TURNER cOnslderdtIon of the business there
would be 40 necessity to consider whether
| counsel should be allowed him
| Mr. Lane moved to postpone the whole matter
| III the 3iSt OF Aarch.-Fhy pursue it5 The
| only object originally in view. was to obtain
Information To guide tile executive in their
| choice of dircctoIS-bnt agreeablv to the cj,,,r
| ter of the bank the Directors must be appoiut
| ca by Saturday next. Why then pO,tnoue the
| business till to morrow There win nor he
tme enough TO bring 1T to any practical result
/ before saturday. Now unless the House mean
! to amuse themselves by chasing some abstract
| proposition, by ehquiring, for instance. Who
! were Shavers aud who were nor, there would
| ne no use IN pursuing their Investigation. The
| time Is TOO short, to bring it TO any practical
conclusion and he should therefore move to
| postpone ille whole question, original resolu-
! ton and all, till ths3ist OF March
Mr. Riactburh enquired If MIR. Page had any
] friends IN this housef For, if he we're limo.
| cent, (and every man Should be presumed sn
| TIL he we're found guilty)he ought TO be the
| last mdn To wish to get clear Of this business
| ny evadng an enquiry.-lf the house wished
TO get to the bottom Of this business he himself
| Wnnln will file fThnr LII g.. l-.--..I