The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1832-01-24

that in the mean time, the Secretary take
care that no copies be taken of said re-
port or documents, or any part thereof
Mr.. Potter said he thought it might be
improper to publish the report before il
was received by this house |; but he merely
suggested it for the consideration of the
house. lie had no objection himself
personally.
Mr.. Hazard considered thatit was not
proper to delay the publication until the
next session of the General Assembly
1t ought not to be kept back. The pub
lie expected it, and were anxious to see it.
1t had been very laborious subject foI
the committee, and could now be shortly
completed, the greater part of which was
already written, aud needed only examin-
ing by the committee and copying. Ifit
were not published the credulity of the
public will be further imposed upon, by
slanderous and yillainous reports circulat-
ed to gull and deceive.
Mr.. Burgess wished the call of the
house in taking the question on the reso-
luton.
Mr.. Hazard addcd--and that the yeas
and nays be entered on the Journal.
Mr.. Simmons made some remarks to
show the injustice to the committee in not
suffering the testimony to go to the pub
lie. They could then draw their own
conclusions and see whether the COM
mittee were not sustained in their report
by the evidence.
Mr.. Allen hoped the gentleman, Mr..
Burgess, would withdraw his motion.
He was willing the committee should
take their own way.
Messrs. Burgess, King, Potter, and
Cross, made some further remarks on the
question, and the motion to call the house
and enter the yeas and nays on the jour
nal, not being sustained by one fifth of
the house, seven only rising in favor, the
resolution was passed nearly unanimous
ly.
Mr.. Potter moved the following reso-
lution which was laid on the table. MIR.
p. said he was not anxious to act upon it
before May, when his party should be in
power. He did not wish his party to fill
their pockets from the public Golfers.
Resoiocd, That from and after the first
Wednesday of May next, that the COM
pensation ofthe Secretary of State and
the clerks of any Of the courts in this
state, shall not exceed the sum Of eight
hundred dollars as full compensation for
their services and that the surplus if any,
shall be paid into the Treasury.
Mr.. Amasa Sprague moved that the
separate report of William Sprague, Jr.
one of the committee appointed to inves-
tigate the charges against masonry and
masons, be published with the report Of
the committee and the testimony.
MIR. Simmons objected to the publica-
ton of that report in this manner. He
had no objection to its being published by
any person that wished it. He could not
consent that the committee should be
obliged by any vote of the House to give
currency and circulation to that report.
The grounds of his objections were that it
contained statements, rejecting upon the
committee, and upon individual members
of the committee, which were false, and
must, or, at least, ought to have been
known by the gentleman making the
same, to have been false. He could not
consent to publishing any thing so vile
and slanderous. 1t contains a reiteration
of the charges against masons and ma
sonry which have been retailed about by
the yilest vehicles of anti-masonry.
He went into consideration of the
origin Of the appointment ofthe commit
tee and stated it to have originated from
the presentation of II memorial from the
committee ofan anti masonic convention,
holden in December, 1929, composed of
Benjamin L. HalIett. William Sprague,
and John Brown, (of East Greenwich
This report is re-itcration oft the charges
of that memorial and from which great
part of it is copied and in which some
of our best and most virtuous citizens,
men who are endeared to society by every
moral and religious virtue, and represent
ed as being guilty of every species of
crime and taking engagements contrary
to every principle ofmorality and religion,
and every social feeling of life. 1t was
due to such men, and the public at large
that we should not give countenance and
circulation to such foul calumnies. 1t
was due to the honor and dignity of the
House that they take no step to circulate
charges SO false, which are conclusively
proved by the testimony taken, to be vile,
false and slanderous.
He said these charges were published
and circulated by designing men, men
without either property or character.
Here Mr.. Hazard interrupted Mr.. Sim
mons and said, let them live all winter
for they will surely die in the spring.
Mr.. Simmons resumed, and said he was
sorry that the gentleman, Mr.. Sprague,
had consented to play the part Of an
automaton to any other persons and os-
naciallu 10 such as lie had descrihed. lie