82/111 The first of these was the Sedition Bill, which Jefferson believed to be aimed at Gallatin in person. Mr.Gallatin met it at its inception with a statement of the constitutional objections, viz., 1st, that there was no power to make such a law, and 2d, the special provision in the Constitution that the writ of _habeas corpus_ shall not be suspended except in cases of rebellion and invasion. The second, the Alien Bill, gave the President power to expel from the country all aliens. Over this measure Gallatin and Harper had hot words. |