Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-01-09

the mark in matters upon when ! nope l" = no
no, be divided by party lines. We are nearing, l iear'
a state of things, wheni it will hardly do TO reject proPo'
sitions upon matters, because they do not coiic from a
particular side of this body.
The question for US 10 consider now is, whether lhese
amendments of my friend from N. York and myself are
proper, in the present state Of things, 10 be adopted: and
not from what quarter Of the House Iley may come
The resolution Of The Committee on Foreign Affairs al
ludes to a single act OF hostility on The part OF ar ulflcrr
of our own Government against tic Mexican Govern
menl, acanow lodged afterwards 10 have been such by tue
subsequent conduct Of that officer. wish, 1nd The gen
l!einan from New York wishes, TO 90 n lIi;!c further III
this inquiry for information. We desIre 10 obtain from
The President Of the United States al! the Information
in his possession as 10 the differences existing between
Mexico and this Government. and between Gfea- Dti
tain and this Government; inlornn'iun, Without WhI"'
tie House cannot possibly act advlsedly and rltectVey'
Re had (he con,inued) offered his proposition peiote
the Message Of The President had been tEaH'sn'ittro 10
the House, hecause he saw the necessity oil oolain'
ing all The information in possession OF Tie hSec".'e
in relation 10 The differences existing between inns VA
tim and Mexico on the one side, aud Great britain on
the other. This message had come in MS 4 continuation
of the prnpricty aad necessity III That slcp OF his, REFER
ring. as the House would perceive ii does. rs well 10 our
relations with Mexico, as 10 those Win ofcat ptita'",
and touched upon our Northern as well as southern
tanrers. And now all he asked was, that the hcpIesen-
,a,ivrs Of the People should request ni the PRESIDENT Oh
the u. States what is The actual situation OF Inc country;
what had been done, what was proposed 10 oc uohe III
relation 10 i what was demanded on the one size, ana
what claimed on the other. He had hoped that a pro.
pcsiliun So reasonable would have been permitted 10 pass
without opposition. Some other rule should be oosrry'
cd, he remarked, in matters 50 mumenlnnS, liian y" loe
The MARK The divisions OF party should be broken up
upon questions like these, and they who are moi III the
confidence Of the Executive, should be permitted To
have an opportunity Of doing their daty by their COIN
man country, as well as The chosen sect.
The chairman Of The Committee on Foreign Affairs,
continued Mir. Adams, tells the gentleman from New
York that it he will, for the present, purge his amend
ment Of 81 much as relates 10 the suhj"ct matters alrca-
dy treated OF by the President of The United States, IN
tie Message just read to The House, lie would have no
objection 10 il as it now stands, at the proper time, ard
in a distinct form. Now, docs not that gentleman 6no'o
that if The member from New York and myself were 10
forego this inquiry, upon that SUGGESTION, ana The reso'
luton were then to pass, the time would never come
when VIC might bring up our proportions: Would we
not both BIZ declared out Of order. were wc To make sucn
an attempt And SO We should be put off I'LL, perhaps,
some time in June next, while, in the midst OF 4 war,
with the candle burning al both ends, when our resolu-
tiois Of inquiry might be, at least, Sin order: Tie IN
formation We demand is asked not alone for The Commit
tee on Foreign Affairs, but for the members OF this body
for their consideration aud the basis OF their action.
This Message, continued Mr.. Adams, is a very import
ant one. It demands mcn-it calls Tor The expenditure
of money-ior millions more 10 be added TO The millions
already lavished in the attempt 10 check Indian hosilll'
ties, and for i purpose rather more deeply Important, lie
would remark, than the pre- venlion of aEy Indian hos.
thilies. A great increase Of the army would become ne
cessary 10 carry out The suggestions OF the PRESIDENT
How great an increase, and how large an expenditure,
he could not say probably all this would be known
when the desired Information shall cone from the Ike
cutIve.
This Message CONTINUED Mr. Adams) says nothing on
the suhjc OF any violation of neutrality on the Canada
side. Yet, such a violation, and one OF the glossest cha
rRcier, had actually taken place on that side, and admit
ted, as it appears, 10 be such, by The British officer HIM
self.
Mr.. Adams said he thought it probaUc that this Mes
sage was prepared before The information which had just
been laid before the House was received. Whether tins
be so or not, this House as well as The Executive, have q
part to take in the malter-a highly responsible and i'm
porlant part: a duty To perform, in seeing that a strict
neutrality is observed on the part of this Government,
and also that that neutrality be not violated on the other
side to the extent OF a single hair, without demanding
and insisting upon The most perfect and full satisfaction.
He hoped that, if the Chairman of The Committee on
Foreign Affairs does not feel himself authorised TO ac-
cede 10 the proposed amendments Of his resolution, III"
House will feel otherwise disposed, and take such order
in relation TO the subject, as will mol postpone The con-
sideration Of questions so important until II shall be loo
late for any practical good purposes.
After making such a II modification of his amendment,
as TO make it consistent with the original resolution
Mr.. Fillmore said he could not conceive how his pro-
position could possibly tend to emharTass the action OF
the House upon the resolution offered by the Com.
Inillee on Foreign Affairs. II was certainly very easy
for The President TO distinguish between the different
kinds Of information sought for by the different PROPOSE
tons. He had tried every other way to bring his pro-
position before the House, and he could not rresentit IN
any form which would secure its immediate consIdera.
lion, excepting mat IN winch IL now Stoou. TOT, III IL
were offered AZ an indie pendent resolution, 1t would take
its place behind all others now on the Speaker table
lis great importance would not permit him TO expose It to
such q risk, and he had, therefore, offered 1t in The form
Of an amendment to the original resolution OF the Com.
miltee on Foreign Affairs, in which shape he hoped 1t
would pass.
As 10 the expression which he had used in relation TO
the Disturbances on the Niagara frontier, that this coun-
try was on the eve of n war with Great Britain, perhaps
it was Too strong an expression. But certainly oil the
Enc,S demonstrated that there was imminent danger OF
such a result. The citizens Of The U. States, while IN the
peaceful pursuit Of their business, had been attacked oy
an armed force from a foreign nation, and a portion OF the
militia of the country is even now ordered out to rePel
such hostility.
He well knew that the spirit Of the People on the U.
States side Of that frontier would not permit them TO
stand tamely by, and witness such assaults. These were
facts, vouched for by respectable citizens as true, aud
authentic and he must ask if they were not such as TO
warrant the Offering o! such 4 proposition as he had
moved. 1t makes no difference, he commended, whether
one OF one hundred miles Of the territory oil tile Y. >.
has been invaded by The arms OF a foreign nallon Tie
jurisdiction of this country is coextensive with The ut.
most limits of her territory. Even If the vessel which
was attacked had been carrying munitions oil war 10 The
rcyolutionists on Navy Island, she was only linble, he
commended, to be attacked while within the British lines.
AS it was, he agreed with the gentleman from Massa-
chusetts, (Alr. Adams,) that there was scarcely a parallel
to this act upon the pages of our history as nation; and
it was to suppose nm absolute impossibility, Tor q mo
ment to imagine that The People on that frontier VIII
ever submit TO The occurrence of such acts without com
plant and redress. 1t was. therefore, in any view, nigh
" important that the House should obtain all possible
information upon a subject so important.
Mr.. Hamcr did not rise 10 discuss the subject at length,
and should moi have opened his lips, had not sentiments
been expressed which demanded some notice. u sound
ed strangely 10 his ears, 10 hear gentlemen declaring
upon that floor, when any opposition, however slight,
is made to their measures, that such opposition proceeds
from n majority Of that House who are always required
to 'loc the mark" upon every question that is presented:
while they, who make this complaint, do not act at all
from party motives, and are not Influenced by party feel
ings. Now, he could easily conceive that gentlemen
who really thought thus, would he very apt 10 give ut
trrance to such sentiments; but he should think that
they might sometimes expect TO- meet with opposition
from the other side, grounded upon motives more pure
and disinleres,ed. Mr.. Hamer then vindicated the obiec: