The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1822-03-06

addition to an act, entitled an act to provide
for certain persons engaged in the land and
naval services Of the United States in the rev.
dictionary war, "passed May l, 1890; or
where upon any schedule exhibited, or here
after 70 be exhibited to him, under the said
act, he shall have stricken, or shall hereafter
strike, the applicant from the list OF pension
ers, TO receive a new schedule or schedules,
supplying any such defect, or exhibiting new
or additional evidence and if, upon the ex-
hibition OF such schedule, the Secretary of
War shall be satisfied that the pensioner ought
to be restored, he shall be, and hereby is, au-
thorized and required to restore him; or, in
place of an original application, to place him
on the pension roll.n
Whereupon, the committee rose and obtain
ed leave to sit again and the amendment
was ordered to be printed.
SATURDAY, FEB. 23.-Mr. Eustis, from the
Committee on naval affairs, requested to be
discharged from the further consideration of
the petitions of Marcos de Villiers and Arnald
Guillemard, (who pray the interposition of
Congress to release them from prison in Pensa-
COLA where they are confined by the acting
GOVERNOR of West-Florida , and moved
also that the petition, together with the &C
companying documents, be referred to the
treSlUenL OF the CuIleu States.
Mr.. Cooke wished the petitions referred to
Committee of the whole House.
Mr.. Lowndes wished them to lie on the table.
Mr.. Trimble inquired if the petitioners were
under military arrest if so, he presumed the
President could liberate them. If confined
under civil process, he has no power over
them, having invested the GOVERNOR of
Florida with plenary authority in such mat
tiers.
Biessrs. Golden, Eustis, and Floyd, sever
orally took part in the discussion, the latter
being opposed to any delay, and thinking the
House ought Immediately to interfere for the
Liberation of thepetitioners.
Mr.. Randolph thought this House could
not, without a gross violation of its duty, turn
deaf ear to any man who says he is in bonds
against law, and under our authority. 1t was
not for US to sit here with stoick apathy under
circumstances like the present. 1t was worse
than mockery to turn over the subject to the
President OF the United States, who is known,
if not to approve, yet not to disapprove of the
conduct of the Captain-General of Florida
The Congress sat here as the guardians of law
and liberty. Were we asked whether we
could not yield our confidence to the execu-
tive? He answered, no for that parsonage
was surrounded by multitude Of Counsellors,
in whom there could not be wisdom-for,
like lshmaelites, the hand of each was raised
against his brother. He disclaimed any per-
sonal hostility to any of the members of the
cabinet-of one of whom he knew nothing.
and for Others Of them he entertained per-
sonal respect-but he repealed that, with
such competitions and divisions as existed
there, he should vote for no such reference.
Mr.. Wright thought it was not PREFER to re-
fuse reference of subjects that constitutions
ally belonged to the executive departmerr> on
| the ground of the want of personal confidence.
He believed it was inexpedient to travel or
of the road, and get into field not our own,
when we had so much business of an ordinary
Goa ee f 6ddEsee Sr w. expressed his de
cided appreciation of the conduct of the late
GOVERNOR of Florida, whose conduct, he
| thought, entitled him to the warmest graft
tude and admiration of his country.
After some conversation on points of order,
and motion by Mr.. Cordict, in order to get
rid of the subject, to proceed to the day,
! which was negatiyed,
Mr.. Golden addressed the House to free
himself from any imputation of being actuat-
ed by a feeling of hostility towards General
| jackson for Mr. c. remembered too we'll
what this country owed TO the gallantry of
that man to feel any such sentiment. Mr.
G.. proceeded then to argue that the House
could not dispense with inquiry in any case in
which complaint was made to it that, by the
| document produced, enough was exhibited to
establish probability that violation of per-
sonal rights had taken place, and to justify
an exercise of ihquisitorial power of the. House.
| He argued that these men had, by the treaty,
Become Invested of their military character !;
| that, if So, General jackson had no right
under the treaty to Danish them from the
province. If they chose to remain in the ter
ritory, to select our institutions and soil, and
| forego their military character, could the trea-
ty receive such an instruction ass to enable the
GOVERNOR to say to them, no, you shall not
become American citizens-you shall be ban
| ished. hence This proclamation was not
| justified by any law, nor by the treaty it
was an exercise of power without right
| But there was another feature in the case,
Mr.. c. said, SO gross that he should forfeit his
| character of a Representative of the people
not co express his dissent from it, both for him
self and colleagues. These banished men
come back--they are imprisoned, and when
they ask to be liberated, the acting GOVERNOR
says to them, you ought to be liberated-if
GOVERNOR Jackson was here, he would liber-
ate you--but | cannot--thera is no remedy
| for you. Could this be the fact, asked Mr.
c. that there was no remedy for case SO OPP
pressive? 1t seemed that the GOVERNOR. in
his parting orders to GOVERNOR Walton, says
to him, you must obey no laws and no orders
other than those coming through me and de-
iegated by me. How, asked Mr.. C.. could this
injunction be reconciled with his character as
acting Govemour, by which all the powers of