Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1834-06-19

faith OF the county, to interpolate new u
oppressive conditions into the contract
The undersigned, therefore, maintain, that
a resolution of one house of congress, pas.
sed in virtue of IFS general power Of in.
QUESTION, cannot enlarge the specific pro-
visions of the law. Bat they do not there
fore hold, that this committee could not, I'M
der the authority of the resolution of the
house, inquire into any other matters than
breaches Of the charter. They maintain
only that this is power to be exercised
agreeably to law and justice. That it is
not an absolute inquisitoriaI power; that it
does not authorize a committee of either
house to prosecute secret enquiry Of in
definite character, after any and every
abuse, probable or possible. 1t does not
extend the right of inspecting the books,
granted for one purpose alone, so as to au-
thorize their inspection for purposes totally
different. 1t does not put it i'll the power
OF a committee to issue warrants of generJ
al search, end compel the appearance Of
citizens, an4the production Of papers, not
in proof or disproof Of charges against
third persons, by evidence, which they are
the legal deposilaries, but in order to ena-
Bile such committee to find out by these
papers, whether those who bring them are
not themselves guilty of misdemeanors =
Such a power as this, the Undersigned
wholly reject as abhorrent to reason and
Justice; unknown to the constitution of this
country; at war with its spirit and its let
ter; and utterly repugnant to the public
sentiment of the people. To claim such
power, is TO claim for either house Of con-
gress the right, in virtue of resolution, of
sending to the remotest corners Of the Uni
ion for any number of persons, compelling
them to attend committee, with all their
papers, to submit to be examined on oath;
to exhibit these papers for inspection; and
thus to enable such committee to find mat
ter OF fixing on such individuals the charge
OF gross, but previously unspccified, mis-
demeanors and corruptions.
1t is not necessary for the undersign-
ed to endeavor to define what are the
limits of the power of inquiry possessed
by either house of congress. It's suffi
clent for their present purpose 10 have
shown, (and the proposition is proved in
It's enurmeration) what they are not and
cannot be. 1t cannot be within the
competency ola committee ofthe house
to institute general search, and COM
pei the citizens on oath to purge them
selves if innocent, and eliminate them
selves If guilty; and bring with them
their papers to be ransacked in row.
ing hunt for unspeci6ed crimes. The
constitution reserves 10 the people the
right, ia right lnviolable without the re-
servation) "to be secure in their persons.
houses, papers, and effects, against I'M
reasonable searches and seizures" OF
all unreasonable searches that can be
imagined, none is more signally so than
general search into the papers posses
sed by person, whether individual or
corporate, with view to find (if it
should haPpen.to EXIST matter of Grim,
nation against that person. A general
search for any purpose is unreasonable;
Tor the object of eliminating the indi-
Evldual searched, it would be at war with
the first principles of justice, and, as
exercised by committee Of the house
OF representatives, one branch of "A lie.
glslaturc of limited constitutional iuris-
d'ctlon, an enormous assumption of pow
er. 1t would ne unreasonable. because
as no man is beyond the possibility of
doing wrong, the right to institute a
general search, if it existed, would be
a right OF inquisition into the affairs of
every individual in the community: a
right too extravagant to be claimed by
any government pretending to be limi +
ed by law. and never exercised BY. any.
nut those odious and arbitrary tribunals
which are handed down to the undyinp
execration of mankind. 1t would be at
war with the first principles of Justice.
which, as general rule, compel no man
to criminate himself, directly nor indi-
rectly, nor to furnish the means of
his own elimination. It would be
f|an enormous assumption of power on
the part of either house Of congress: a
body whose jurisdiction does not extend
to any considerable portion Of the con.
Icelvable crimes and misdemeanors.
which such search might, if they had
been committed, bring out; and who
lean surely lay claim 10 no power Of
searching out matters, which, if the
search besuccessful, are without its pro,
Vince, both of legislation and punish.
ment. :.