Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

CONGRESS

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Thursday, February 27.

Another member, to wit, John Smith, Esq. (in the room of Jonathan Nicoll Havens, Esq. deceased) from New-York, appeared this day, was qualified, and took his seat.

Mr. Page presented a petition of Samuel Craik, a soldier during the Revolutionary War, which was read and referred to the Committee of Claims.

Mr. Davis said, as the House did not think proper yesterday to indulge him in the adoption of the resolution then proposed, he hoped they would adopt the following, and enable him to obtain all the evidence upon the subject which could be had—viz.

Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to direct the proper officer to lay before this House, a copy of the proceedings of the Court held in the district court of South Carolina, in the case of Thomas Nash, calling himself Jonathan Robbins.

Messrs. Bayard, Otis, Dana, Marshall and Rutledge, spoke against it—and Messrs. Smith, Livingston, and Nicholas, in favor of it.

Mr. Otis having mentioned, that he was authorized by the Secretary of State, to say, that he had no further authenticated transcript than had been submitted to the House; Mr. Nicholas, after a few observations recommended to Mr. Davis to withdraw resolution—which having been done, Mr. N. moved the following:

Resolved, That the Speaker of the House of Representatives, be requested to procure from the Clerk of the district Court of South Carolina, copies, under seal, of the proceedings of that Court, together with the evidences produced in the case relative to the requisition for Thomas Nash, alias Jonathan Robbins, who was delivered to his Britannic Majesty's Consul.

Mr. Harper moved that the resolution be postponed till this day week—and was replied to by Messrs. Nicholas and Gallatin; when Mr. H. Lee, said, he hoped the gentleman from South Carolina would withdraw his motion for postponement—He might vote upon this subject, Mr. H. Lee, said, different from his friends—but he would do this, because he had no objection that the Speaker should write the letter which the resolution contemplated—and in the interim, the house should go into Committee of the whole upon the subject, and proceed upon the discussion as far as the President was implicated, and at a future day upon the conduct of the Judge of South Carolina.

Mr. Dana applauded the principle of the hon. gentleman last up, who like a veteran officer, boldly met his enemy without artifice or evasion; but he was not willing to concede so far: If we wanted to make further enquiry, appoint a select committee for that purpose. He never heard of the Speaker of a body like this, being instructed to enquire into facts. Mr. D. concluded with remarking on the manner in which the business was introduced; and the inability its advocates felt to maintain the ground they had taken, and by expressing a wish, the resolution would not be adopted.

Messrs. Harper and Bayard also spoke in favor of the postponement, and Messrs. Varnum, Randolph and Jones against it, when the question was taken—Yeas 32—Nays 67.

The question then recurred upon adopting the resolution. when Mr Marshall spoke at length against it.—He contended there was no prospect of coming to a decision of the original question this session if this were adopted and asked if the character of the President of the United States ought to be held up in the suspicious view in which the resolution placed it, until the next session of Congress?—He hoped not. It seemed to him that a postponement amounted to a declaration to the people of America, that there was much cause for suspicion, and that additional evidence was wanted to substantiate it.

Mr. Nicholas replied to Mr. Marshall and contended, that the whole truth of the case was to come out of the additional testimony now asked for.

An adjournment was then called for, and negatived—ayes 30.

Mr. Randolph spoke in favour of the resolution, and in answer to Mr. Marshall, when the question was taken, and negatived—Yeas 44—Noes 51.

Adjourned.