Page:Debates in the Several State Conventions, v5.djvu/106

80 , And that, in fact, the balance of trade formerly was much more against the Southern States than the others.

On the main question, New Hampshire, ay; Massachusetts, no; Rhode Island, no; Connecticut, no; New York, (Mr. Floyd, ay;) New Jersey, ay; Delaware, no; Maryland, ay; Virginia, ay; North Carolina, ay; South Carolina, no.

, March 29.

The objections urged against the motion of Mr. LEE, on the Journal, calling for a specific report of the superintendent of finance as to moneys passing through his hands, were, that the information demanded from the office of finance had, during a great part of the period, been laid before Congress, and was then actually on the table; that the term application of money was too indefinite, no two friends of the motion agreeing in the meaning of it; and that if it meant no more than immediate payments, under the warrants of the superintendent, to those who were to expend the money, it was unnecessary, the superintendent being already impressed with his duty on that subject; that if it meant the ultimate payment for articles or services for the public, it imposed a task that would be impracticable to the superintendent, and useless to Congress, who could no otherwise examine them than through the department of accounts, and the committees appointed half-yearly for inquiring into the whole proceedings; and that, if the motion were free from those objections, it ought to be so varied as to oblige the office of finance to report the information periodically; since it would otherwise depend on the memory or vigilance of members, and would, moreover, have the aspect of suspicion towards the officer called upon.

N. B. As the motion was made at first, the word "immediately" was used; which was changed for the words "as soon as may be," at the instance of Mr. HOLTEN.

The object of the motion of Mr. MADISON was to define and comprehend every information practicable and necessary for Congress to know, and to enable them to judge of the fidelity of their minister, and to make it a permanent part of his duty to afford it. The clause respecting copies of receipts was found, on discussion, not to accord with the mode of conducting business, and to be too voluminous a task; but the question was taken without a convenient opportunity of correcting it. The motion was negatived.$21$

, March 31.

A letter was received from the governor of Rhode Island, with resolutions of the legislature of that state, justifying the conduct of Mr. Howell.$22$

On the arrival of the French cutter with the account of the signing of the general preliminaries, it was thought fit by Congress to hasten the effect of them by calling in the American cruisers. It was also thought by all not amiss to notify simply the intelligence to the British commanders at New York. In addition to this, it was proposed by the secretary of foreign affairs, and urged by the delegates of Pennsylvania, by Mr. LEE, Mr. RUTLEDGE, and others, that Congress should signify their desire and expectation that hostilities should be suspended at sea on the part of the enemy. The arguments urged were, that the effusion of blood might be immediately stopped, and the trade of the country rescued from depredation. It was observed, on the other side, that such a proposition derogated from the dignity of Congress; showed an undue precipitancy; that the intelligence was not authentic enough to justify the British commanders in complying with such an overture; and, therefore, that Congress would be exposed to the mortification of a refusal. The former consideration prevailed, and a verbal sanction was given to Mr. Livingston's expressing to the said commanders the expectation of Congress. This day their answers were received, addressed to Robert R. Livingston, Esq., &c. &c. &c., declining to accede to the stopping of hostilities at sea, and urging the necessity of authentic orders from Great Britain for that purpose. With their letters, Mr. Livingston communicated resolutions proposed from his office, "that, in consequence of these letters, the orders to the American cruisers should be revoked; and that the executives should be requested to embargo all vessels." Congress were generally sensible, after the receipt of these papers, that they had committed themselves in proposing to the British commanders, at New York, a stop to naval hostilities, and were exceedingly at a loss to extricate themselves. On one side, they were unwilling to publish to the world the affront they had received, especially as no written order had been given for the