Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1835-02-17
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, FEE IA.
After the reading of the Journal

of the House to say few words not connected
with any motion or petition, but uy way Of eX-
PLANTATION. In this request he had two objects in
view: the one of personal nature, the other OF
considerable interest to the community. 1t
would probably be recollected that on this day
week he had offered a resolution in relation to
certain documents which he had moved for,
and which, when obtained from the Executive,
had been referred to the COMMITTEE on Foreign
Affairs. His resolution had proposed that this
reference be accom- panied with instructions to
that Committee to report forthwith, on that part
of the annual message OF the President OF the
United States TO Congress, at the commence
ment Of this session, which relates TO the state
of our affairs with France.
In the course of the observations he had sub.
mitted on that occasion, the expression had cs-
capped him that the other branch of the Legisla-
ture, after celebrating fully and thoroughly on
the subject matter Of the Presidents communi-
cation, had come unanimously 10 determine
ton "tO dodge the question:" 1t would be re-
membered that the Speaker of the House had
arrested him at the moment, referring to that
rule of the House which lorbids any reference
to proceedings in the other House OF Congress.
BY thus arresting him, the Speaker without
any such intention, no doubt had deprived him
OF the means OF explaining. MIR. A. had sub
mltted and taken his seat IN silence: but il had
! struck him as very hard that he should have
| been arrested on mere formal rule Of order,
d rule which was violated every day by every
member of the House, for a mere reference to
! the proceedings of the other branch of the Lee
glslature He had, consequently, inquired pri-
vateIy Of the Speaker why he had been thus
called TO order for doing what was allowed to
! other members every day. The Speaker had
replied, that it had not been on the ground Of a
reference to what had been done in the Senate;
but of the manner oftEat reference; because the
word he had employed was understood by the
Speaker us disrespectful to that body. Mr.. A.
had replied to this, that it had seemed to him pc
culiary unfortunate when it had been merely
his manner, and not the allusioE he had made,
on which he had been arrested and called to or
der, and thus precluded from making an cxpla.
nation That explanation he now wished to
make, publicly disclaiming all intention of any
thing dlsreSpeltlul to the Senate. He disclaim-
ed in the most explicit manner ard had the de-
bate proceeded, Il had been his intention uti-
malely to recommend that the same course
should be taken by the House. He should have
recommended the House to dodge the ques-
ton" for the present in the existing safe of our
information. Mr.. a. expressed his regret TO
learn that some of the members of the Senate
had ielt hurt at the expression he had used. He
now. in the most public and explicit manner,
declared that it had been far, very far from his
intention 10 inflct any wound upon their feel
| ingS. He thought that the Senate had acted as
! ii was their dnty to do, and the conclusion to
which they had unanimously arrived, was the
conclusion which lie should have been DESTROYS
| that the House should adopt. But the Senate
had acted; they had not gone to sleep on the
state OF our relations with France; and he want
ed the House to shew, by requiring its commit
tee to do what every committee ought tu do,
that they were not sleeping over the rights ho-
nor and dignity of the country. This was the
explanation he had desired to make on this part
of the subject.
| But there was another subject far more i'm
| portant. He had been advised by information
| from the great emporium of commerce, the Ci.
! ty ofNew York, that considerable commercial!
excitement had been caused there, not by the
action of this House, but by the remarks made
| by himself, or by what was called the stand he
| had TAKEN and he had seen paragraphs in
newspapers representing that such had been the
effect that the holders of French goods, as well
| in New DIRK as in Philadelphia, had advanced
the prices of those goods in consequence. He
regretted exceedingly any such effect He
should scarcely have believed il possible that
such an effect could have followed from what
took place in the House on that occasion. He
should have supposed that the merchants Of
| New Y DIRK and Philadelphia would have drawn
| their differences not from what had been said in
| the House by any member. much less bv him
| SELF but rather from the action Of the House it.
| sell; and whatever may, on the other day, have
been his martial propensities, or however they
may have been most enormously miSrepresent-
ed, he should suppose that reference would IA
ther have been had to what the House did than
to what had been said by him. Now the fact
had been, as the Speaker and the House would
recoect, that Mr.. A. had not been supported in
his motion by anv one party in the House. The
House, so far from agreeing to his motion, had
rejected IT by large majority, and had dccn-
ed even to indulge him in his request for the
yeas and nays.
This had been published to all the world: il
was universally known; and he could not there
fore have conceived it possible that such an eff
feet conld have been produced by any remarks
under such circumstances by him. But, in con-
clusion, Mr.. A. wished to give notice Gf such a
notice could be necessary to all merchants of
the U. States, that there was not the slightest
danger that any thing which might by possibi-
lily lead to war, should proceed either from that
House or from the other Branch Of the Legisia-
ture. He now said, upon his responsibility to
the Nation, that there was no danger Of any
thing being done by either House, which might
by possibility, lead to war with France.
He therefore trusted that the merchants would
consent to reduce to their former level the