Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-12-09
CONGRESS.
..'...
MONDAY. DECEMBER 4.
IN SENATE.
MIR. Pisckney appeared to-day and took
his srat

6ou,. on Friday lasl, was taken np, and
having been modified by HE mover, so as
IN direct an enquiry inio The cxpe,liemcy
OF auihorising the President of the u.
States To Commute the capital punish
meni OF Piracy by confinement in peni-
Tertiary houses, in snch cases as he MAY
deem erpsdicnt-
| MI Baroonr proceeded to give, al con
siderable length, his views in support OF
The object OF his motion. He entered in
| TO a general defence or the superiority of
me peniientiary system al punishment
over The old code, contrasting the mild
ness and good effects oi the, one. with The
! cruelty, yei Intellectual operation, at the
| other- maintaining The great superiority
OF The former, not only in lis humanity,
bui M his salutary effects on the subject
OF the punishment, "a well AZ in lis ex
ample on socieiy-and rersrring to facts
ana experience in some of the siaies, Vir-
| gina particularly, compared with tile ,f-
iecfs oil The bloody code in England and
| 'his country. 10 sustain his opinions.
he resolution WAS agreed 10 wiihOut
| objection.
CONSTITUTION OF MISSOURI.
Ihe Senate, according 10 the order of
the day, proceeded TO the consideration
OF the resolution declaring The admission
OF the State Oi Missouri into the Union
on unequal footing With the original states.
Mr.. Smith, OF s. G. (cliairmaa of the
select committee which reported tho re-
SolnflOn,) observed that the resolution
was conformabie 10 those adopted on ST.
milar occasions heretofore, aud he hoped
there would he 10 difficulty or delay in
lis passage. The constitution ofi,ir new
state was republican, and no objection lie
presumed, could arise to il: il was mun,.
| cessary 10 detaiu. the SenaIe will, any re.
marks on the subject, unless any expla.
nations we're desired by gentlemen, which
he would with pleasure afford, as far as
'e Was able. He trusted the resolution
| would now be acted on, and the mcn,Lers
from The new state, who had brrn waiting
Tor considerable time, be admitted to
their seats in the national councils.
MIR. Eaton, of Tennessee, disclaimcd
any disposition 10 creaie DELAY on this
subject but u was proper. Mr.. f. said
thal me MIND OF every member s!onld be
satisfied on question of so much i'm.
poifance before he vas called on 10 give
| bis vote. HIS own mind, lie confessed.
was not saiislisd and, TO obtain time for
reflection. and 10 mature his opin;an on
1t, he should move Ia posinoue the re.o,
luton 10 future day. AT present, h.
repeated. be was nor prepared 10 vote
either IN The affirmative or negative. will,
lie conviction ot being right. There were
con'roVer'ed points In the constitution
presented by the new siair, and he wished
10 see whether il Was in all respects con-
tormable TO The constitution IF The Unif, i
States. Another reas on whicI, Mr. oC
tered III favor Of a posiponemeni Of The
| question here, was, tina, the House of
! Representatives ut he might refer 10 lis
proceedings without being out Of order)
had liked on "Wednesday next for going
| INTO the consideration of the suleci' and
hedid not consider il expedien, or proper
Tor both houses 10 be discussing The same
question coniemporaueously. He deem
ed u more eligible course tina, the sui,
Ject should be acted on in one house
first, and then be taken up in the other.
10 OBTAIN time for himself, however. as
ne al first animated, he should ask the
S'natetO postpone The resolution 10 We'd
nesday mex, only, and accordingly made
motion to that effect.
Mr.. Smith would not oppose the mo.
non, hui lie objected TO that reason of The
gentleman, for pOstpODem,ni, which re.
terred to the purposes Of lie ether House.
There vas no such comfy due Ia iba,
Honse i,om this, az TO wait until ID had
! deeided a question before il should be IA
ken up here. This opinion was NOT in
compatible with perfect respect for Tie
oiber House; and suc!Ia AN argument ought
mol to govern the Senate or any other
| body. This question:, MIR. s. remarked.
had, IN another shape, az The last session
| occupied vast portion OF ihaiime of The
Senate, and there Vas no authority fer
believing That The present would he a dc.
baied question. If gentlemen had any
objections TO the constitution, LIT them
slate them al once, and it would then be
known whether any discussion was 10 eu>
sue. Heretofore, states had come into
Tue Union without being stopped al the
threshold. lie referred 10 the case o, In.
| diana, III 1916 while the resolution for
the admission Of Indiana was under pro,
| gross in the SeUste, the Hoase OF Repre-
| s"Btatives had the member from that
state in his seat debating and voting
| There was no reason Why the Ssnalr, IN
The present case, should wait for The other
| House; let tins branch go on and decide
| whether The new members have q right 10
their scale. II was only when this III.Iai
ed Missouri presented itself Tor admission,
that desire was expressed for pTocTasii-
nation and delay. lie hoped tile Senate
would not agree 10 the motion, nnlrss
divesicd of The reason evenly The mover
III relation 10 The other House.
Mr.. Eaton replied, that The argument
objected To by The gentleman from South
Carolina, had been merely thrown oni by
him from an impression that il was moi
proper for both Houses 10 be acting on
tie subject ar one and the same momeEi
], was strange, however, I've thought, thai
tie gentleman should object 10 The mo
ton solely because in lis opinion one bad
argument Was offered in its favor. IL was
singular that propositions admitted To