Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-01-08

r or some one OF them, might be proved TO
have been in the wrong. He recollected, ht,
SAID, hundreds OF cases-he had almost said
thousands--in which motions had been made
IN the British House of Commons, by Mr..
, FOX, for the purpose Of putting in the wrong
whom The country No; the Ministry
Inc ministry was one thing-the country
another. In England he knew that 10 be the
case, and he hoped it might yet be the case
here 1t is proper, il we are in the wrong
SAID Mr.. X. that it be told to the American
people. But suppose that we should chuse
to cover mp this thng-to put our light under
bushels there any obligation on the part
of Spain to do the same Will not her d.
piomatsts endeavor to put as in the wrong
Is 1t not our duty to spread this matter before
the country in its true light ? And God grant
TO all concerned Il safe deIiverance, Mr. II.
SAID, was his prayer from the bottom of his
heart. There was another view of this subject,
which he wished to present. Standing here,
utterly indifferent, not as between his country
and Spain, hut between the individuals
whose conduct is embraced by this inquiry
in the capacity of a Representative of the
Ame'lcan people, he was DESTROYS to have
THIS matter inquired into, and to have all the
information which the public safety and in
terest do not forbid laid before the American
people, and before this House. You are gravoly
told, said he, that the officers in question are
now .fhnct, obictfs; that they are no longer
executing the duties with which they were
charged, and that it would be idle and rdi-
cuous to impeach them when out ef office.
But, does not the House perceive that we
owe 1t even to the Executive government to
inquire into the matter? Is it only Mr.. Jack
son, who is understood now to have retired
from olhce-is it only Mr. Fromentin, who
are interested in the proposed inquiry With
ont reference to either, or tn the Spanish com
nIssleners, or whatever else they may he
put, IN reference to our own people, and our
own affairs, in which no foreign nation has
right to intermediate, Mr.. II. said, if there
mad been maliaisance on the part of one or of
me other-and there was strong evidence that
there had been malfaisance ewhere-did
not the House see that the inquiry was due
TO the Executive, that its conduct in regard
to the act or acts, and to the agent or agents
too, should be made known to this House !?
Mr.. X said he was no Phariser in politics, any
more than in religion his inclination was IA
tRer the other way, 10 too great laXiiy-he
was always disposed 10 give to the Executive
any reasonable confidence and he did not now
wish to slew a want oft; but, if this inquiry
were now refused, the inference would br
irresistible, and TO the manifest prejudice of the
Executive government Ofthis land Wishing
w SSS eiihI p'htOt government SttIlu as
every other part of it should, he was in favor
of this resolution, and opposed to the amend
ment proposed to it, which, he trusted, on this
view OF the subject, the gentleman from Ten
nesSee would consent to withdraw Mr. r.
concluded by expressing his hope that he had
, not, by the slightest shade of insinuation, init
mated his opinion on the merits of the parties
concerned in this nquiry-for, he said, he had
, made upno opinion upon it, and felt himself
qualified to act in the capacity of juror he
tween them. The subject having been stirred,
said he, we cannot in deceacy, or with any
sort of delicacy to the Executive government
d to say nothing of the other considerations
which have urged, refuse the inquiry that has
: been moved.
MIR. CANNON replied. He could not accedt
to the proposition of the gentleman from Vir.
e ginla, MIR. Randolph to withdraw the amend
II ment. Entertaining the opinions he did, anC
o believing that the case could not properly
come before this house, it W ould be an aban-
donment of the dictates of his better judg.
u nent, were he to agree to the proposal. Il
+. was subject as he believed peculiarly with
: IN Executive cognizance. Ii had been the
, tendency OF this government, for many year:
: past, To take from the Executive its responsible
r lily. For his part, he would put responsible
: ty where the constitution had placed it.
u was the duty of the Executive to make the in
n curry, and To decide upon 1T also and he wa
u unwilling that this house should assume til,
it Executive responsibility. In relation to tina
n part of the resolution which requested infor-
0 nation respecting the delivery of Florida, Mr.
q Z. had no objection that it should be adopted
e 1t was not perhaps improper but for th
d house to settle the quarrels of individuals, wa
: not course either dgnfcd or expcdient
al Mr.. ARCHER, of Virginia, briefly rcyewet
J. tnp grounds nf
81 posed in the resolution. The principal arSu
III ment, he said, amounted to no more than tina
, no inquiry ought to be made lest it might cn
+ In the elimination Of some officer of the g0
y vernment. What was the nature of the trans
action sand to have occurred in Pensacola du
3 ring the last summer? Would any man deny
ID that, if what was said was true, acts of tin
D. most despotic nature have been COMMITTEE
IT, In that territory ? Would any man deny tia
r IT had been asserted that an officer appolnte
J by his government, under the authority of law
~ has exercised the powers of despot-- pow
e. ers more extensive even than ever was eXeI
n cised by any Governor Of Spain in the co
lonies of that country? Mr.. A. adverted TO III
"a lnquisitoria character coustitutionaily belong
10 Ing to this house, and asked whether whe
ID an officer or officers of this government wei
ry charged with gross nlalversatiun in Office eve
ut inquiry was to be denied, for the reason whiC
e had been assigned, namely, that the uquir
- might rebound to the prejudice Of that officer
tn Some ofthe occurrences reported To- have (;
nj ken place at Pensacola were, ne said, merel
r. matters Of curiosity but some Of them we
rs, of great importance. IT facts were correct
~ reported, these two extraordinary things h;
II occurred the Spanish population of Forid
% fter itbccane territory Of the United Stats
re- lost part Of the civil liberty they had pre-,
lnslX eninXed and ciiiznns nj fh.. LIMIT