Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-02-24

he moved.
Mr.. Cannon and Mr.. Stevens opposed the
motion to lay the resolution on the table,
because should the resolution repeat any
call here fore made. the Secretary would
report such information only as should not
have been previously required and render
ed. &c.
The question TO lay the resolution on the
table was agreed TO 81 to AZ.
NEW STATES BILL.
The House took up the amendments Of the
Senate to the bill for the admission of Maine,
which amendments propose to authorize by
the same bill. the people of Missouri to form
a state government (without the slave restric-,
tion, but containing clause to exclude sla.
very from all the territory west Of the Mis-
sissippi, which lies north Of 363 degrees OF
north latitude, except the proposed state OF
Missouri.
Mr.. Taylor moved that the amendments OF
the Senate be disagreed to by the House
Mr.. Scott of Missouri moved that they be
committed to the committee of the whole,
which at present has under consideration the
Missouri bill of this House (Which motion
had precedence OF the motion to disagree.)
On these motions, and those that are SUBJ
sequently mentioned, a long and animated
discussion took place, of which (from the
want of room for fuller report, and the diff
hcu!ty of hearing several of the speakers
fron the reporters seat) the following is
scarcely more than an enumeration of the
gentlemen who spoke, and an indication of
the sides they respectively took.
MIR. Holmes hoped the amendments would
mol be committed. lfthey were il would be
some time before they could be acted on, as
there were, he believed, at least thirty
speeches yet to be delivered on the restric-
tive proposition now before that committee !;
and until that proposition was decided, the
committee of the whole would not take up
the amendments If the Senate in the mean
time, the period allowed by the law of Mas.
sachusetts (the Sd of March) tor the consent
of Congress TO the admission of Maine, would
arrive and all that had been done would
be lost. He hoped therefore that the House
would act promptly on these amendments,
separate the two subjects and give its con-
sent to the admission of Maine TO which no
one had objected or could object, sc.
Mr.. Culpepper was willing to admit Maine
unconnected with Missouri; but as they had
been united by the other branch of the Le-
gislature, the amendments ought to take the
usual course, and be treated with that cour.
tesy and respect which the source Of the a.
mendments entitled them TO, &c.
Mr.. Smyth, DIVA for the purpose of al
lowing time for the debate on the restriction
TO be broughtto close, before the amend
ments of the Senate should be taken up,
moved, that they be postponed to next Mon
day week; which motion was lost by large
majority.
Mr.. S. then moved their postponement to
next Monday which was also negatived.
Mr.. Strother was against an immediate de-
cisIon on the amendments, and in favor of
their commitment. The amendments con.
tanned new features, which required refec-
ton that proposing compromise, for in
stance these questions the House could not
be prepared to decide at once, because its
attention had been taken up in consi-
deripg the restrictive question. 1t was not
proper that the House should be driven INFO
the instant decision of questions of such i'm
mense magnitude. He wished not any long
period of postponement but was averse to
acting hastily and without deliberation. Mr..
S. spoke at Some length to enforce and illus
trate the opinions stated here in substance
only.
Mr.. Liye,tnore strongly disarproved OF
the connection of the bills as they came
,from the Senate but he saw something in
the amendments which seemed likely to
put an end to the disagreeable subject which
now occupied the house. He wished the
subjects separated, and then some course
might be adopted similar to the compromise
proposed by the Senate, and the matter end
ed happily and tremendously. He argued
earnestly in favor of tie claims which Maine
Ia ~ od,o;ccion without deiav and AGAINST