JAMES MADISON.
The President of the United States.
The Message and papers were read, and ordered to lie for consideration.
Friday, April 1.
Case of John Smith.
This being the day assigned for hearing counsel, the President said the Senate were ready to hear the counsel of John Smith, in any thing they had to offer why the resolution (for expelling him) should not be adopted.
Mr. Adams submitted it to the Senate, whether it was not most proper that the counsel should be permitted to show cause why the report should not be adopted. He remarked that in like cases the whole report, comprising the grounds on which the final resolution was founded, had been the subject of discussion, and of approbation or rejection. He considered this the correct course, that the world and posterity might know the grounds on which the Senate acted.
A short conversation ensued on this suggestion of Mr. Adams, in which the principles of the report were incidentally noticed. In reply to Mr. Adams’ remarks, it was said that it could not be expected that a deliberative body, however agreed in the guilt or innocence of the accused, would be able to unite in their agreement to a complicated report, embracing a variety of abstract and disputable principles.
Mr. Giles intimated the idea that this discussion was premature; that, as the Senate had by their vote determined to hear counsel on the report, it was proper that this course should, in the present stage of the business, be pursued. After having heard counsel, it would be for the Senate, as they then should see fit, either to decide on the resolution alone, or on the report connected with it.
This suggestion having been acquiesced in, without any vote,