Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-01-18

MIR. BRENT, OF Lou. suggested, as a reason
why the message should not go TO the Commit
lee OF claims, that IT would be out of the power
OF that committee, from the pressure of business
ALREADY before 1t, 10 act u,.on the message dur
my oie present session, and it was the very OBJ
Iect OF the President, as therein expressed that
whatever investigation took place should take
place during the present session, that his s,tua
ton might enable him To facilitate the enou;ry
! MIR. MERCER, of Va. said that there was no
member OF the House who felt greater cpDti-
uence IN the Committee of Claims than he did
or entertained a higher opinion of the unwear,ed
assidui'y, talents, and integrity of the Chairman
oil that Committee, whom he might ernpIoticai
ly denominate his friend, and for whom he had
ever cherished sentiments of the hipbest res
Pect-yet he must object to giving the present
document that direction-for, i'm the first Mace
IN was not certain that any thing was due to the
PRESIDENT. For auglt that appeared, the result
Vi Tue enquiry might shew that the President
was, On The contrary, indebted to the Govern
rnent If Select Committee is Amounted i,
will be their duty to report what is the true
state of the fact. This is all that the nese,ye
asks Tor. The President asks for no billie
expressly says that he will sign no bill in his
own iaVor--and he presumes that none, intended
u orlng MN In debt TO the nation will be nre
setted TO him for his signature (tho' he did not
oouot Tor a moment, that, should such bill he
presented 10 him from this House, he would sien
IL without hesitation.) Should the select com.
nltee discover that part of the expenses to
which the message alludes, had been incurred
oy the President while in his diplomatic char
ac'er' mat part fthe accounts might afterwards
go 10 The Committee of Foreign Affairs. 1.-THE
supposed CLAIM was found to touch the Execu-
1--WE expenditures, there was standing commit
Tee TO which that part of it might go. Butbe
'"ouSnt t'at select committee would be most
proper, because they would devote their atten
tion exclusively TO the object, and would be en-
aoied TO report statement of facts during the
present session, and while the President was
sun In washington. 1t would certainly not be
treating mat venerable person with the resDect
10 winch ms years aud long services entitled
MN, to drag him from his retirement. after he
shall have left his high station, and compel him
TO cometo Washington to attend to a settlement
OF accounts; and, besides, it might then be view
cd oy INN as indicate TO apply for allowances
alter hls time of service shall have expired. II
could not be doubted that the claims of the
president were, in his own view of them, found
ed IN justice, and the investigation he had asked
ior was honorable to him, and ought not TO be
refused.
observed, that il did not appear to him to be YER,
material to what committee the document was
REFERRED If the House determine to consider the
SUBJECT now at all. But, before he voted. he
should Ike to have some information as to the
nature OF the difficulty TO which the nessa~e
seems TO aiiude. He was perfectly ready TO aid
IN any investigation which WIS requested. SO far
as his situation in the House might give him anv
facilities IN so doing; but, as a private member.
ne wished to know what is the nature of the ac-
counts alluded to- Are they accounts which
nave been settled? If they are not settled. WHY.
theh there is the most imperious obligation that
.ney shouid be settled as soon as possible; but If
they have been settled, and there is no balance
against the President, he did not clearly per-
ceiVe what was the object he had in view He
hoped the gentleman from PENNSYLVANIA ME-
lngham] would consent TO LET the paper lie nnon
me table Tor the present until some farther in
ios'fatlon Could be obtained to guide the House
as TO the proper course to be taken. For one
ne protested himself to be in utter ignorance on
the subject
Mr.. McCor, of Virginia, hoped the Message
would not be sent to the committee of claims
which was already sufficiently burthened with
business. 1t was not in the contemplation of the
president, 1t was evident, that any thing defni-
tive should be done the present session in rcla-
ton to the subject of his Message. The inves
tigatlon OF 1t would obviously be a business of
considerable labor, az it appeared that private
as well as public accounts were to be invesfi
gated, and these running back for many wears
The committee of claims was of all other stand
ing committees of this House, least able to I'M
dertale an investigation of this nature and ex
tent-and he concurred with the gentleman from
delaware (Mr. McLANE) in a wish that the
Message might lie on the table till the House
were better advised what TO do with it,
WE BARTLETT again rose, TO express a hope
mat ne had not been misunderstood in the re-
marks he had made when first up. As his mo-
tioh had been to refer so much only of the Mes
sage as relates to the private and personal claims
OF VIZ MONROE, to the committee of claims If
II should appear that there we're no claims of
this kind referred to bv the Message. then his
motion would have no effect; but if there were
any SUCH CLAIMS, then it would go to refer them
10 committee, the special object of which was
Claims OF such description. he wished TO saw
one word 10 reply to the gentleman from LOuis-
ana, VIZ BRENT,) who objected TO sending it
TO the committee of claims, because that com
mittee had already so much bushes, that If copId
not attend to this during the present session,
VII. 3. SAID, he would only observe. that if|
thIs were valid objection, it was equally valid
against SendIngany other claim whatever to that
committee from now TO the end of the session.
but tor himself such was his confidence in
tue diligence as well as the ability and fidelity Of
that committee, that with him this objection had
little weight. He denied having any other oh
lect than 20 aid the views expressed bv fine Pre-
sldent in setting a precedent which mirht be
the most proper and most salutary. He attach
Ell no suspicion whatever to any select commit
lee Of this House 10 which the subject might be
reiercd-5u hc though it was most TT in itself
that an Individual personal claim, though that of
citizen in the highest Office Of the state, should