The Senate returned to the Senate Chamber.
WEDNESDAY, December 15.
JOSEPH STANTON, junior, from Rhode Island, attended.
MONDAY, January 10.
JOHN HENRY, from Maryland, attended.
MONDAY, January 17.
JAMES GUNN, from Georgia, attended.
FRIDAY, January 21.
CHARLES CARROLL, from the State of Maryland, attended.
MONDAY, February 14.
The Senate on Executive business. The following Message from the
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES was under consideration:
_Gentlemen of the Senate:_
Conceiving that in the possible event of a refusal of
justice on the part of Great Britain, we should stand less
committed should it be made to a private rather than a
public person, I employed Mr. Gouverneur Morris, who was on
the spot, and without giving him any definite character, to
enter informally into the conferences before mentioned. For
your more particular information, I lay before you the
instructions I gave him, and those parts of his
communications wherein the British ministers appear either
in conversation or by letter. These are two letters from
the Duke of Leeds to Mr. Morris, and three letters of Mr.
Morris, giving an account of two conferences with the Duke
of Leeds, and one with him, and Mr. Pitt. The sum of these
is, that they declare, without scruple, they do not mean to
fulfil what remains of the Treaty of Peace to be fulfilled
on their part, (by which we are to understand the delivery
of the posts and payment for property carried off,) till
performance on our part, and compensation where the delay
has rendered the performance now impracticable; that on the
subject of a treaty of commerce they avoided direct
answers, so as to satisfy Mr. Morris they did not mean to
enter into one unless it could be extended to a treaty of
alliance offensive and defensive, or unless in the event of
a rupture with Spain.
As to the sending a Minister here, they made excuses at the
first conference, seemed disposed to it in the second, and
in the last express an intention of so doing.
Their views being thus sufficiently ascertained, I have
directed Mr. Morris to discontinue his communications with
them. GEO. WASHINGTON.
UNITED STATES, _Feb._ 14, 1791.
_Ordered_, That this Message lie for consideration.
TUESDAY, February 15.
RICHARD HENRY LEE, from Virginia, attended.
No business of importance before the Senate to-day.
THURSDAY EVENING, March 3.
A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate that
they, having completed the Legislative business before them, intend
shortly to adjourn without day.
_Ordered_, That the Secretary acquaint the House of Representatives that
the Senate, having completed the Legislative business before them, are
about to adjourn; and having acquainted the VICE PRESIDENT that he had
delivered the message,
The Senate adjourned without day.