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1 ' J - - - - - i J . J. 4
- - - - 1 1 fc . I
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( Vox- . . lJlLi2ii-i
5ntf rcstfnff tetter.
: TII2LCLOSE OF THE SESSION.
Tfc following extract of a letter from W h.
. ington, dttrd the 3d inttiut, cotbe Editor of
the Richmond Enquirer, affords to complete
. aid interesting a view of the proceeding! of
Congress, for a few of the list days of the
; Sesiion, that granfied in being able to pre
- aent it to our readers.
"The Bank has gone to its Monfc
home." You arc aware, perhaps, that
the Petition of its Directors to coniinur
its corporate ftoam fdf certain purposes
(fnr a short period) wa referred in the
H. of R. to a'cnmmittee of 9, The
same subject was likewise mnved and
referred to a committee of the Sente.
The Uu hate not yet met on it but it
seem that there is no doubt of their rt
porting against the petition. The Com
mittee of the H of R. had a meeinrv
yesterday, and there vrcrc 5 aRainst. amf
3 in faTor of it-i-amor the former is
the chairman (Mi. Porter of N. York)
-who delivered that very luminous speech,
which has been some time since pub
lished, against th- constitutionality of
the Bank. The petition, then-fore, will
not fail to be rejected. Af'er all, where
are those frightful consequences thst
were predicted f om the downfall ntibr
bank; the- low i( credit, and the ruin of
the merchants and ct the State Bunk ?
Not a single bank has been shaken as
yet ; and as to the merchants a few of
them hare perhaps availed themselves
of this very ronventert pretext, for de
daring bankruptcy, springing from very
different cause ; but the injuiy to so-
cie y rsi finitely les than was predictec
by the advocates of the institution. lt
ters hre brent hi day received from
Baltimore and Philade'phi dtchritij?'
that the State Banks rtand on as firm
foundations as.ever ; and that a rery in
coosiderf ble inconvenience has been ex
perienced by the mercantile class. Why
then were thee frightful anticipations
of distress; these terrifio spectacles of
bankruptcy and ruin exhibited to ur
view ? The motive is obvious ostrikf
a panic intr the breast of Ongress and
conjure tbera into a renovation of the
Chaner. On this point it must be con
fessed, that the late lan to the U. S.
which operand as an inducement up n
the government to continue the B- k.
subn acted from the presfU'e upon indi
viduals The more the U. S. had, the
less individual could have. The sum
of S2, 750 000 which was loaned to th
Treasury-of the U. S would have been
otherwisr distributed amotigst the indi
viduals (by discounts) and consequent!?
increased the number of the importu
nate petitioners for the renewal of the
charter. This consequence was no cer
tainly foreseen by thr Secretary of thr
Trea.Miry; nor docs it contribu'e to re
concile u at all tn the loan;" but it un
questionably produced its cfTect on thr
fa'c of the Bank
The Committee, appointed on the
subject, have made thtir Resort to the
H. of 11. on the affair or Gen. Wiik:n
son. The Report and Doruments have
been ordered to be printed ; and a mo
tion was made by Mr. Pearson (thr
Chairman) that they should b trans
mitted to the President of thr U. S.
Jlr. Eppes opposed this morion with
considerable force. He demanded why
the ffruse should shrirk from the n
sponifibility which th y had courted--whv
thev did not exprrss their own opi
nions, and come at least to some sort of
Resolution on the facts leported to
them? Why tey had not the inde
pendence lc firmness to speak for them
selves ? Were they to serteiy the mere
capacity of a Committee or Court of
Erquhy for the PresKJcnt f When tne
subject was first moved in the House,
it bad been urged that thry had aright
to enquire into it fo- thtir own satisfac
tioa and use and.a-Av did they now
ah rip k from - it ? For his own part he
moved, thaf the Report should be refer
red to a committee of the whole bouse
which motion, however, was lost
.And, bya subsequentidecision, the pa
pers were ordered to be trans milted to
the President. The Committee ap
pointed to enquire into the causes of the
mortality at Terre au Boeuf presented
likewise their Report, which was ordered
-to take 'tjeT same direction. There is
. certainlyiRreat justness in the reasons
asstgricrJ'by?Mr. Eppes-and besides
let iiS ask, in what an aukward situation
docs' this co'irs? place "the President of
the U.Statci? The. wWe responsibility
is adioitly sHfted to his shoulders. . He
is to collate the evidence he is to draw
the inferences -he is to act on them
Suppose the President is seriously ofo-
pinion, thai tms eviuence nas oecn in
correctly stated ; that Gen. XV. has not
had a fair opportunity of rt butting it be
fore' the Committee; Ny, suppose
variety of circumstances which .might
ender a President conscientiously in
disposed to come to any decision at all,
cither for or against Gen. W. upon the
rv dence thus laid before him ; vha
hen? Although be may, for these rca
sons, suppose that the Rtport isuferly
irrelevant to prove the ginitortne inno
cence of Gen. Wi kmson, yet his failing
o act upon it will be tortured by the
very liberal opponents, either into a dis
resnett for the anneal of Congress, his
g- - - - - r i wt
apprthension to meet the responsibility
ofadecisif n,or his determination to take
Vidcs with Grn. W. Without meaning
to express any opinion on the points at
issue, it must be confi ssed that the per
sonal enemies of Gen. W. have flown to
ihe most ungenerous means ot prrj"
dicing the minds of the members. A
gainst him Mr. Darnel Cvxe, a partner
in he house of Daniel Clarke, to. k care
to disoerse among them the pamphlet
of which Clarke has been the u'ative
faihrr but which Coxc declared before
thr committee had been written by him
clf, Edward Livingston end ttvoo'hir
peroi'8. frnm the notes and matter fur
nished by Mr. Cla kc. The indication
of Gen. W which has been t ooken of
in the public prints, has not yet appeared
entire from the Press. I have Sten the
2d volume, which scans the charge of
his connexion with A. Burr, the Appen
dix to the 4th Vol. (containing merely
j'-mc documents cn the causes of thi
mortality at Tfrre au Bceuf) and
pamphlet entitled " A brief examina
tion of Testimony to vindicate the cha
racter of General James Wilkinson, a-
Zinst the imputation of a sinister con
r cxion with the Spanish govemroem
for purposes hostile to hii own country ;
wi h a glance of several topics of-Mincr
Import. i hesc, I suspect are aluhe
nans which have issued from the Press
they have been confined, as yet, to a
very small circle indeed ; and I have not
nad any opportunity of examining them
with attention.
Joel Barlow,. Esq. has been appointed
Mi ister to France.
What miser bte tales have been in
circulation in the federal papers, respect
ing certain accompts of this gentlemao
with the United Statts and the balances
which it was srwd still remained due to
rht Government. The fact is, that Mr.
B. has never drawn himself vrry large,
urns from the Ticasury of the United
States. He was indeed the agent of
Messrs. Humphries and J, L. Donald
son, for disbursing considerable sums,
under the treaty with Algiers ; but his
accompts with these 'persons have been
srttled and their own accompts with
ihe treasury have been closed, except,
perhaps a comparatively small sum
which remain due from the Estate of
Mr. D. The Comptroller has given
,etuficateon this subject, which is said
to h ve been completely Satisfactory
h it Mr. B did not appear indebted ont
stiver to the U States. On this sub
ject I will barely say thst many mis
takes seem to prevail in the public
mind, with regard to balances, which
may appear out-s'anding on the books
of; the Treasu'y. The accompts may
be settled in fact by the agents of the
government yet it will sometimes oc
cur, that from the absence of Vouchers,
which are to be strictly executed accord
ing to the forms cf the office) the ac
count is not closed on the Treasury
Book, and the balance still appears to be
due.
i The case of Mr. Timothy Pickering
ought at least to have furnished an in
structive lesson to the Federalists on
this subject, though the case of Mi.
Bat low is a much more favorable one
than his. Barlow is a man ofne.and
liberal talents his letters to the Privi
ledged Orders, to the People of Pred
mont, and to the Citizens of the United
States, exhibit a large fund bf ideas on
the principles of government y the bene
fits of our confederated republic, and the
rights and law of neutrals his attach
ments too, to the United States and his
knowledge of the situation and manners
of France will conspire to gjve him the
disposition and the means, of furthering
the views and supporting the rights ot
his country. ' This subject is an inte-
resting one but rnavc timcDareiy to
touch it at present. ' ' "... y.
1 The defalcation' which has been char
ged to" Mr. B affow, recalls to my mind 11
a Bill which has been introduced by Mrv.T
Ep pes. and is now pending before. the
House of Representatives for increasing
:hc i accountability ,of public agents
The Officers within the . U. Stares; are
to make QuMteily Returns, and tf they
fail to adjust their accounts within three
month thereaftr, the Comptroller w
'i direct suits to be instituted; and
whether the officer gains or loses; his
suit, He is to he cast in the Costs. Suth
as are not within the U. StLes, are, of
course, to be entitled to longer indul
genceThe Bill hay still be tnken up
and passed, during the present session.
George Jeffet son, Esq. (of Richmond)
a worthy and an honorable man, has.
been nominated our Consul to Lisbon
he richest consulate p rhaps in Europe.
David Balie Wden, Eq. has be-n no
minated as Consul-General to Frances
As returns bf the Census 'have not been
ecciv-d from some of the States, on ac
count of there not being time enough it
is said for the Marshals 'Assistants to
make them 3 bill has passe d both hou
srs, of Congiess, allowing the Assistants
3-months l nger to make their returns",
uhd to the Marshals 4 mon hs. This bill
nasstd the Striate only last night.
But I now approach a topic, to which
it is in possible for nif t do adequate
justice In what way shall I xprtsmy
own fctlings, or the sensation it has dif
fused around me.? Those at a distance
vair have no idea of it had any ore
h ve predicti d to me that I should have
w.tnecsed such srenes,' I should have
hughed at the folly of th prophet.
The collective wisdom of the nation,"
ssome have fondly termed theCongress
or the U.S. d generating in'o a spoutiog
club or a Bar-garden ! The spectacle
has been distrcssingbeyond any descrip
tion. I have seen men whose locks wert
bleached by the hand of time, and wh'se
names arc enrolled Upon the revolution,
denouncing these proceedings with a'l
the fire and vivacity of youthful feeling !
I have seen the first v men of the nation
lift up their hands in astonishment and
wonder Go to the opposition and ask
frrn for the cause-osk them why thty
hve disgraced their country. They are
the sole authors of the, scenes which I
am about to lay before you. The sub
ject is by far the most important one,
which has occurred on the theatre of
Congress during the present winter ; but
I must attempt to reduce it into as small
a compass as is consistent with the due
comprehension of it.-
On Friday (the 22d ult.) the bill from
the Commit'ee of Foreign Rela.ions,
was taken up in the Iuse of Represen
tatives in the Committee of the Whole.
This bill originally consisted of but one
section : exemntine such Vessels and
1 i 9 j
property as belonged to American citi
zens, from the operation of iJk Non-Intercourse
system, as might leave a Bri
tish port, prior to the 2d of February.
Mr. Eppes moved the committee to add
two new sections ; the object of which
was, to declare the Non Importation
system really in force on the 2dofTe
bruary, to give it efficacy by making a
proclamation of the President the only
evidence of the cessation of British Vio
lation on our neutral rights, and to 6ptn
the door of conciliation to G. Britain,
after the 2d of February. These two
new sections were agreed to by the
committee. The first '.section, I have
uniformly thought erroneous, as being
likely to break up -the whole engage
ment and thus putting us once more at
sea embarrassed between two bellige
rents, and plundered and insulted by
both and as likely to prevent an ar
rangement wih G. Britain by thus pre
venting one taking place with France.
It is moreover obvious, that this-sec
tion will increase the 'difficulty of pre
venting smuggling and that the col
lectors must keep a very good look out,
lest vessels which had left a British port
long after the 2d of February, should
come into our ports under the pretence
of being blown bffby a head wind for a
considerable time,;orof coming last,
from some other than a British port, as
for instance, the Brazils, though they
may 'say they had sailed. from G. Bri
tain prior to the 2d Tebruary. Much,
however, has been said on the other side.
44 We do not wish'to relax the system in
favor of G. Britain but of our own ci
tizens, hohave vested their property
in Great-Britain.-' Abd:woUld it not be
a peculiar hardship on'Ojemj to snatch
this property from them, without having
given them notice of the . risks which
they ran and : the penalties which they;
incurred ? They were unapprised-tsf the
proclamation when thcir goods' were
shipped. And,- besides, is
it not, imporiarrt fof u$ to draw home b
t
tween Q and 50 millions of American
I . n . '.T-L Jr. J1 "' ' " J
piupcrij . wiiicn in ine oistam event oi
a wari may jbe-necessary to.fucnish the
resourcei for carrying, it on The re
laxation: is io breach t f the faith, vwe
have pledged tov France ; because as the
go"ods are aire idy expbt ted, the market
for British manufactures is hot thereby
extended not an. atom of goods more
tx dr iwn frtm the wpre-houses. But
who sees notthat the two last sections
of "the bill are of vijta) importance ?
What a disgraceful spectacle should we
have exhibited . without - them ? A law
upon our statute -book, -lumbering like
a dead carcase, wi hout spirit or efficient
cy, imexecuted and deipisecl-.a whole
.j-yaff m which we have artoptedas af
temporary, refuse fot our rights, sstat
n itglK for lawyers of. eminence hav
pronounced, that: the lw does not take
effect till May next and at all events,!
tne tangs ot the lawyers would have torn
it to pieces ; its ambiguities would have
been ued fojdeslroy it, and the courts
by pronouncing different decisions or
no decisions at aH, would dncmoVtf have
exposed us to the mtost dis.ressing si
tuation in which any nation can stands
a. nation wi hout ther spirit to execute
i'.f most reasonable (aivs iThe finger
of scorn, would have jbeen pointed at os
ficrn all din e ions. I Fiom the weak
ness and thejwant of faith, which would
hivt grown but of this humiliating si-
tuaiion the republican party were anx
ious to rid u$, TheyJ $aw,the necessity
of acting lut they werek met in the
teth by a party, who read in'his system,
the mtans of opposition to British en
croachmentj and who, tather than pufj
forth a finger against; her, would cancel
contracts :'ntT relax the majesty of the
laws. Th6 tricks' lancl expedients to
hich they j have resorted, to thwart
them, were po less disgraceful than the
er.ds which they contempU'ed.
On Monday, when the Hr use met,
after trcnsabtingsome business of rni
ooi importance, they tock up this bill
supplemental to the law of May, with
those amendments which had been re
ported footrilthe committee of the whole,
The two first sections passed off with
out much deb ite; j some amendments
were propoajedbiit miscarried." The 3d
section being before the House, Mr.
Quincy rosd to address the chair. Il is
an unusual i ing ta speak to the merits
of the bill on in insulated section but
the plan of the gentlemen was fixed.
They were determined to oppose it at
eVery step of (he progress ; that they
might spin putj the time and finally de
lay the passage -of the bill. Mr. Quincy
is by no means an qrator. He is a slow
man. over his speeches wi'h
alK'the assiduy of a school boy- and
when he chain escapes him, he pauses
and repeats tand labours to get hold a
gain ol he thread he has lost. Hence
he is a very hesitating speaker a qua.
lity, bye thebye,wriich Mr, Fox thought
is the very death of eloquence. Even
if such a man Could conceive easily e
nough, he is alw"ays delivered, as a wiuy
Physician said of Mr. Quincy, with a
fvps The embargo i? ci ushtd iti the
veryr act of producing it into the world
Ye. M r. Q'lincyy must?p)ay the orator,
because it b his taste, but in truth his
flounces and; futbeloes ' are so' much
Pressed up, and starched that they, lork
as stiff an formal as the ruffs-that col
lared the necks in! the good old days qf
Quetn liess- And when, thelimagina
tion labors things workbackwards, and
ai prodigy! is produced to exercise our
disgust. : Yet it was in t his; strain of e
laboratc parturition, that the Hon. Jo
siah Quinsy addressed US; for a- conside
rable tim-4he burthen of his' song
was, thatj Napoleon Bonaparte was a
dishonest j tyrant, who had broken his
faith with us; that! we wereiJiot bound by
the engagement, and thatj he restrictive
system wJjs far more - injurious" to. our
selves than to Great -Britain. " As to the
Proclamation of November why the
President) was ixtuseable merely, for is
suing it, rather ia djffererit language,
from. that sti ongf sense of appcobation
and vote qf thanks which was exoressed
by : these jGentlemen, on the rrauge
Iment with Mr,rskine '1$ A
! Let Mr. Kiiincy however pass off the stage.
On the next day (Tuesday) ttte pert and fl.p
btnt Barerif Cardeiiier comes before xxzA He is !
an easf -spealcerjone -of .? those exteinpore
Gentlemen hO can jmake ly pjuiaa good i a
sneecli vfF-hattd: k f he werefto think a wmI :
It Is a light and erode , sort of syllabub and
trwn. fic wm a wnoie aay oy ir.er
Shrewsbury Clockf he lautthea forth into
very Volt h diresdn. ifd put i the satneemp' 1
i; W; tt8 STB Yriy ioxxa)! SMlCS a
bought and
njan
when
game
while he is spin nine cut his own threads."; Af
ter Mr. ,Gart?en?er had beeivlMiffing aflf.an hour '
or jwo,: oncsor jtaa federal firrieridr arose and ;
garivedlf A ; fewmOinents after,' tkej motion
was repeated- ;hrnoleaiivfakraS
rip .fahtly .disclosed-'; The Hcjsera rib ad 1
jourai MrijGardentef vWas' to cbntiRuethe
nekt daywasting the time; ofthe-Mouse.
Seme of the other long widded 'partiza'ns- were
to take pp the CudgeU. astand was to fee! made
at every-, step4-amendment after ahiendment
was to 54 movel,r and Ipeech after speech was
to be uttered, untUthe time of the sesli6niwis; i
nearly csustecl. , Wheri then b'tr should piss
the.Hjpuse of Representatives ir was tQ - rb to
the Senate t and it Is a rule m th?s body,.hat.
every bill is to be ;-reason ;lrWwccee days, '
unless this rule should be susperlJed by ai una
nirrwus vote.. The- Renublicans beean -to see'
ihf plan of operations, 'they caw u spU rrfere .
jf umment aanrinnalfjelssed upon them, wteii
uiot.ttiv.Livj wiicii iucviuui u iuc inuiiuiiriur w ..
tney saw the lamps or the House lighted ' '',
jand Garenier at fast condudineiaf an fadvace v J
ed hcur o the cighr with reading a siring of
amendments, which he said it Was hiS resohv
tion to mcjve," in. succession. 'The Republkians
felt the 'necessity of firmness j" they saw; that ."'
the honor of the nation anld the jnaiesty of the
law hung upon , them, and that they could not .
be foiled, without inflicting . a.vitaV'wbjtPd on
' - .... "r- j ' ' ! ' " ... ,
ine prosperity, pernaps tne taitp 01 tne; rax ion j .
they therefore resisted verV mot?6Ti for, ad-
j ournment, though they ntirtued ,to it in'si-
ience, permitting the storm of debate to rage r
aroumfthpm; , ..;, ViVj'ilj'-i"
The "storm was soon converted into' peal of
lauihter,Vhen Mr KrJckermGkerta'youcg fe
deral member .from-JMew iitk) arbs)feevi
iyr under the strong , imprssiorf ofahSis or ;
3 randy - H i express ens we;e so ludicrous
his arguments were, so queer that sleep" she" ok :
her leade-h wing and the whole house .except- .;
in? the arrave mcu.ers ori the federal berch.
were cor Viilsed wi Slaughter. - Yet xnustI do ;
the Orator justice.v;yrhere was an honest. fer
Vf ur'in fiis manner, a simplicity of.
which charmed" roev . ftvery time he;
put .jus
hand to h is heart, he touched mine.f
I wciald-;
vouch for the hosesty. of ,t6or mem, aril wclald
irrciy injsi my uic iu un Keeping, jvnu HOS
fat.gue you. by erumerating the names of '.the .
fede ral orators who- succeeded, for 'Hike the
humble .eroes whose deahs are recorded in
the Unes of Hemer and Virgil, I: remember
scarcely more lhan their names . Nor will I
dwtll Jojjger on the incidents of that "nighb
Most of the fede;.:aists:sece$;from't ae;h use;
A few only remained to spin Out the time,
and delay the question . Qver, and often w&s it
announced from the chair,., thai 'there was no
quoiuni (r2) and then,' the few straggling ,
members; in the iebby, ' were on the watch for
an adjournment puldj5 bet draggepllir to eke
ut the jnumber, the federalists faking lt
the while to" the clocks nb ;to tlieajrs f the?;
House, At length . the;quonihS , pised.-a ,
motion- was made tp request the attefla&c o i
the absent members, someiof theteleadfeal in-,
disposition, 'some positively reJuieooedtece ,
to the rple, a few attended, but at iast aboutK
half after 4o'ciock in the morning, ihe quarum
was gone and the Hruse were PbliKedrto rise.V
1 lett theriouse wundugsta. thassatd I
the Congress of the United States; I A these
the successors of thf'se ilbistrirus roenj, who de-"
dared the Independence of the United States
they wish ktoplayfctberorainfir ' -K'mtl
the very wheels of the gcyerninehr to orote ' ' j
their W-n little purpws 1 ' The Congress' of V;
tne,unuep states, a mere aetoanrig; rattitiing
dub ! wWe a Jow, little opposition jean eyer "
throw-the gran' prt' ciple. of the pr irpublic-
Thar the majority ShajtdeeidaJ govern 5. ! ' ,r
?:.-;The"next day . the sirraceriealf. :
untiratjut:4, - the': honsj?-f.niieei at - i
6 iri;th(ejevening.:Wben the Vowseassem bled; - .?
MrDpn. Randolph, who had takt rio sharer u '.ii
in the debated arose torr ove the sjjtonetnent l .
of the question ttlljthe'next dailtVasleatr ;
tha;hvsl motives and yiewsre thelsime as H ,
those pfj-tke. federalist sKewjibed -i
delaywas destruction h'
was oTOcsed byLJbhnsbn'Xnlu
Eppes j I shall pass 6ver thinlich, Vnv; If
sued between RandolpbndEpjl ; t
lat' thlsHmeforbio an
dwell on thC6uct of MrvardofplT' tttwardS ;'
the Houseffw'hVabuie " t-i
wherijlje; .call4ipo!i; the .Spker.iaf ileatft ths ' ; j
chair, as thHpuse jtadi abdN3neuil'itsho. P
nor; hefrl exptessions Vbf indJgfiatioTtb it .' v?
would ill befir trie tpdescribe-f iTlieihba
rerbrted the ns.niiation. andhe bid Rfr,lutin.
nary Heroes despised Ahe em
eclaftsation-
Towards dav? $owWer,
of,
everyanety os nue haci beeti peredridde .',jk
rosf tOpbateapoinrpJfiwder H
whethfcr theje; could, be ?a debiB iThe Spea-
was ofp)iaronlhat$ba ''cfa-ljmpi-''
tfote COTftPtV'.: irm.iIf ''hnrirVn'" hv
i'Kjw vam. st iuc - noose, umii oiervcite
jtutrutxfd .iafasj taen'to
jthef House ,4nd theV decided hat , debate
"otLiptaKe, place. wTiejfn question was ?d
put without furiher debatende--1ilrwai X?2
ordered td ahd teadingit was according . 5 ;J
aajoynst pj nejvieciioi pi $mfncwc,--.rtetf.
about .5 in the njowiittg-eaoNay
.lV&jaltVi Huse a'erobielaV
bout 1(oVodfJahr-RahdoUhTObved tbamend "PO 'n
he Jour. ral by ipstrt pg Debate be ng pre " 7 f
clude y itbe decfiip&M Hevsa!d,vhei'-rii:
ed.v$tatt that thejfreedQrA ef debite had bjeeiK :
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