The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States, Thirteenth Congress, First and Second Sessions Page: 1,471

                                
1471
HISTORY OF CONGRESS.
1472
H. ofR.
The Loan Bill.
February, 1814,
Thursday, February 17.
Mr. Lewis presented a petition of the congre-
gation of Trinity Church, in Georgetown, in the
District of Columbia, praying to be authorized to
raise money by means of a lottery, to be applied
to the erection of a church for said congregation.
—Referred to the Committee for the District of
Columbia.
On motion of Mr. Ingham, the Committee on
Pensions and Revolutionary Claims were dis-
charged from the petitions of A. J. Chevallie,
agent for Amelie Eugenie de Beaumarchais ;
and the said petitions, together with all papers
relating to the claim of the said Beaumarchais,
were referred to Mr. Lowndes, Mr. Burwell,
\ Mr. Grundy, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Stockton, Mr.
\ Gaston, and Mr. Oakley.
^ Mr. Ingehsoll, from the committee appointed
on the petition of Oliver Evans, reported a bill to
extend the time of Oliver Evans's patent for steam
engines; which was read twice, and committed
to a Committee of the Whole.
Mr. Lowndes, from the Committee on Naval
Affairs, reported the bill from the Senate "au-
thorizing the President of the United States to
cause to be built, equipped, and employed, one or
more floating batteries for the defence of the wa-
ters of the United States;" and the bill was com-
mitted to a Committee of the Whole.
The amendments of the Senate to the bill "to
authorize the President to retain in service cer-
tain volunteer corps" were read, and concurred
in by the House.
On motion of Mr. Desha, of Kentucky, the
resolution of the Legislature of Kentucky, pre-
sented yesterday, relating to the establishment of
some manner of deciding State controversies, was
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
CONTESTED ELECTION.
On motion of Mr. Hungerford, of Virginia,
the House resumed the consideration of the report
of the Committee of the Whole, on the 1st instant,
on the report of the Committee of Elections on
the petition of John Taliaferro, contesting the
election of said John P. Hungerford. The House
concurred with the Committee of the Whole in
rejecting that report, which was favorable to Mr.
Taliaferro, by a vote of 67 to 38.
A motion was then made by Mr. Sheffey, that
the House do come to the following resolution :
Resolved, That John P. Hungerford is entitled to a
seat in this House.
The Speaker decided, that, inasmuch as the
House had decided to overrule the resolution sub-
mitted by the Committee of Elections, " that
John P. Hungerford is not entitled to a seat in
this House," it was his opinion it had expressed
finally its determination that Mr. Hungerford is
entitled to his seat in this House ; and that, con-
sequently, the motion of Mr. Sheffey was not in
order.
THE LOAN BILL.
The House again went into Committee of the
Whole on the Loan bill.
Mr. Jackson spoke as follows: Mr. Chairman,
it seems agreed on all sides that this shall be a
continuation of the debate on the Army bills—
that the discussion shall be conducted upon the
scale then assumed; in that vast extent the in-
vestigation will be legitimate.
Although it be true that the province of the
majority is to act, and of the minority to speak,
it is sometimes equally so that the majority should
give the reasons for their measures, and above all
they should place in a just view the specious and
fallacious ones of their opponents. This nation
is progressing in intellectual acquirements as rap-
idly as its unprecedented increase of numbers and
the development of its vast internal resources;
and it is due to ourselves, to the politician of to-
day who was not on the stage yesterday, and to
the advancement of truth, to venture occasionally
upon a larger view of our affairs than would be
strictly admissible, if the argument were to be
solely intended for this House, and did not find
its way to the nation. These considerations have
guided me in the investigation I have made, and
which 1 shall claim the indulgence of the House
in communicating upon the present occasion.
The minority urge upon this bill—contemplat-
ing a provision of the ways and means for carry-
ing on the war—the same objections relied on by
them when the Army bills were before us. These
objections may be resolved under three heads—
1st. The justice of the war in its origin.
2d. The justice of its continuance.
3d. The mode of waging it.
First—It is unjust, say they, in its origin, be-
cause there was no real cause of war; and the
pretences for it might have been avoided if the
treaty of 1806 had been accepted.
In discussing this point I shall purposely pass
over many, very many, minor injuries inflicted
by the lawless violence of Great Britain—which,
though constituting cause of war, according to
the best established opinions of intelligent jurists,
this nation devoted to peace, and anxious to avoid
all collisions whatever, has not made the ground
of the war, or a condition of its termination.
In 1806, in consequence of the piratical seizure
of many merchant vessels engaged in the colo-
nial trade, the Government were called upon by
the united mercantile interest of this country to
put on the armor and assume the attitude of re-
sistance. These merchants in their memorable
memorials, &c., announced the seizure of their
vessels by Great Britain as lawless and piratical;
they showed incontestably that the trade had been
carried on in express conformity with the rules
prescribed by the British Admiralty, and the de-
cision of Sir William Scott, the Judge of their
highest Court having maritime jurisdiction; in
fine, that, by these fraudulent deceptions, they
were decoyed upon the ocean to the prosecution
of a trade lawful according to the settled princi-
ples of national law, and lawful according to the
decisions of the British Government; and were
awakened from their delusion, which reposed on
the honor and faith of that nation, by a fraudu-
lent concealed order, under which their vessels