After much preliminary skirmishing which put heavy tasks on Hamilton in
the way of getting up reports and documents, a grand attack was made on
January 23, 1793. A series of resolutions, in drafting which Madison and
Jefferson took part, was presented, calling for minute particulars of all
loans, names of all persons to whom payments had been made, statements of
semi-monthly balances between the Treasury and the Bank, and an account of
the sinking fund and of unexpended appropriations,--all from the beginning
of the government until the end of 1792. The resolution required Hamilton
to complete and state all the accounts of the Treasury Department up to a
period only a little over three weeks before the resolutions were
presented, and to give a detailed transcript of particulars. But
the Treasury accounts were in such perfect order, and so great was
Hamilton's capacity for work, that the information called for was promptly
transmitted in reports dated February 4, February 13, and February 14. At
the same time Hamilton hit back by observing that the resolutions "were
not moved without a pretty copious display of the reasons on which they
were founded," which "were of a nature to excite attention, to beget
alarm, to inspire doubts."

Giles was soon able to renew the attack. Jefferson and Madison helped him
to prepare a series of nine resolutions which were presented on February
27. They specifically charged Hamilton with violation of law, neglect of
duty, transgression of the proper limits of his authority, and indecorum
in his attitude towards the House. The series ended with a resolution that
a copy should be transmitted to the President. The proceeding was a sort
of impeachment, framed with the purpose not of bringing Hamilton to trial
but of forcing him out of the Cabinet. The charges against him were purely
technical and were actuated by malevolence. Hamilton, though not allowed
to come into the House to defend himself, nevertheless participated in the
debate indirectly by writing the speech delivered by William Smith and
credited to him in the Annals of Congress. It was so generally felt in
Congress that the resolutions were founded on nothing more substantial
than spite that Giles could not hold his forces together, and as the
debate proceeded the number of his adherents dwindled. The House began
voting at a night session on March 1st. After the third resolution had
been defeated by a vote of 40 to 12, an attempt wa