The Senate returned to their Chamber.
MONDAY, November 12.
SAMUEL JOHNSTON, from the State of North Carolina, and JOSEPH STANTON,
from the State of Rhode Island, attended.
WEDNESDAY, November 14.
The petition of William Dunbar, executor of the last will and testament
of George Galphin, deceased, late a Commissioner of Indian affairs, was
presented and read, praying in behalf of the children of the said George
Galphin, that the compensation allowed to the other Commissioners of
Indian affairs may be extended to them, the legal representatives of
their late father.
On motion that this petition be referred to a committee, it passed in
the negative.
FRIDAY, November 23.
RICHARD BASSETT, from the State of Delaware, attended and took his
seat.
THURSDAY, January 3, 1793.
A motion was made and seconded that the Senate adopt the following
resolutions, to wit:
"_Resolved_, That the Senate of the United States are
individually responsible for their conduct to their
constituents, who are entitled to such information as will
enable them to form a just estimate thereof.
"_Resolved_, That the journals are too voluminous and
expensive to circulate generally; and, if it were
otherwise, that the information they contain, as to the
principles, motives, and designs of individual members, is
inadequate.
"_Resolved_, That this information, defective as it is,
becomes more nugatory and delusive, in proportion as the
occasion for it increases, since the Senate make their own
Journals.
"_Resolved_, That the conducting of the Legislative and
Judicial powers of the Senate in public, and suffering an
account of their measures and deliberations to be published
in the newspapers, is the best means of diffusing general
information concerning the principles, motives, and conduct
of individual members; and that, by withholding this
information, responsibility becomes unavailing, the
influence of their constituents over one branch of the
Legislature, in a great measure, annihilated, and the best
security which experience has devised against the abuse of
power and a maladministration abandoned.
"_Resolved_, _therefore_, That it be a standing rule that
the doors of the Senate Chamber remain open whilst the
Senate shall be sitting in a Legislative and Judicative
capacity, except on such occasions as, in their judgment,
may require secrecy; and that this rule shall commence and
be in force on the first day of the next session of
Congress.
"_Resolved_, That the Secretary of the Senate request the
Commissioners of the city and county of Philadelphia to
cause a proper gallery to be erected for the accommodation
of an audience."
On motion that the resolves now proposed be printed for the use of the
Senate, it passed in the negative.
_Ordered_, That they lie on the table, and that the consideration
thereof be the order of the day for the first Monday in February next.
FRIDAY, January 4.
The Senate resumed the second reading of the bill respecting fugitives
from justice, and persons escaping from the service of their masters,
and the report of the committee thereon; and, after debate, the
consideration thereof was further postponed.
FRIDAY, January 18.
The bill respecting fugitives from justice and persons escaping from the
service of their masters, was read the third time, and being further
amended, on a motion to strike out "five hundred dollars," for the
purpose of inserting a less sum in section 4th, the penalty on "any
person who shall knowingly and willingly obstruct or hinder such
claimant, his agent or attorney, in so seizing or arresting such
fugitive from labor, or shall rescue such fugitive from such claimant,
his agent, or attorney, when so arrested, pursuant to the authority
herein given or declared, or shall harbor or conceal such person, after
notice that he or she was a fugitive from labor as aforesaid;" it passed
in the negative.
_Resolved_, that this bill pass, that it be engrossed, and that the
title thereof be, "An act respecting fugitives from justice, and persons
escaping from the service of their masters."
MONDAY, February 4.
RICHARD POTTS, from the State of Maryland, appointed in place of CHARLES
CARROLL, resigned, produced his credentials, and took his seat.
Agreeably to the order of the day, the Senate proceeded to consider the
motion made the 3d of January, 1793, "That the doors of the Senate
Chamber remain open whilst the Senate shall be sitting in their
Legislative and Judicative capacity."
On motion for the previous question, to wit: Shall the question be now
put on the following preliminary resolutions?
"_Resolved_, That the Senate of the States are,
individually, responsible for their conduct to their
constituents, who are entitled to such information as will
enable them to form a just estimate thereof:
"_Resolved_, That the journals are too voluminous and
expensive to circulate generally; and, if it were
otherwise, that the information they contain, as to the
principles, motives, and designs, of individual members, is
inadequate:
"_Resolved_, That this information, defective as it is,
becomes more nugatory and delusive, in proportion as the
occasion for it increases, since the Senate make their own
journals:
"_Resolved_, That the conducting of the Legislative and
Judicial powers of the Senate in public, and suffering an
account of their measures and deliberations to be published
in the newspapers, is the best means of diffusing general
information concerning the principles, motives, and
conduct, of individual members: and that, by withholding
this information, responsibility becomes unavailing, the
influence of their constituents over one branch of the
Legislature in a great measure annihilated, and the best
security which experience has devised against the abuse of
power and a maladministration abandoned:"
It passed in the negative--yeas 7, nays 21, as follows:
YEAS.--Messrs. Burr, Butler, Edwards, Gunn, Monroe, Potts,
and Taylor.
NAYS.--Messrs. Bassett, Bradley, Brown, Cabot, Dickinson,
Ellsworth, Foster, Hawkins, Henry, Johnston, Izard, King,
Langdon, Morris, Read, Robinson, Rutherford, Stanton,
Sherman, Strong, and Wingate.
And on motion to agree to the main question, to wit:
"that the doors of the Senate Chamber remain open whilst
the Senate shall be sitting in a Legislative and Judicative
capacity, except on such occasions as, in their judgment,
may require secrecy; and that this rule shall commence and
be in force on the first day of the next session of
Congress."
It passed in the negative--yeas 10, nays 18, as follows:
YEAS.--Messrs. Brown, Burr, Butler, Edwards, Gunn, Hawkins,
King, Monroe, Potts, and Taylor.
NAYS.--Messrs. Bassett, Bradley, Cabot, Dickinson,
Ellsworth, Foster, Henry, Johnston, Izard, Langdon, Morris,
Read, Robinson, Rutherford, Sherman, Stanton, Strong, and
Wingate.
On the question to agree to the last resolution moved for on this
subject, it passed in the negative.
TUESDAY, February 5.
A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate, that
the House of Representatives have resolved, that a committee be
appointed to join such committee as may be appointed by the Senate to
ascertain and report a mode of examining the votes for PRESIDENT and
VICE PRESIDENT, and of notifying the persons who shall be elected of
their election; and for regulating the time, place, and manner, of
administering the oath of office to the PRESIDENT; and have appointed a
committee on their part.
This resolution of the House was read.
_Ordered_, That the consideration thereof be postponed until to-morrow.
The Senate proceeded to consider the amendment of the House of
Representatives to the bill sent from the Senate for concurrence,
entitled, "An act respecting fugitives from justice, and persons
escaping from the service of their masters," and agreed to the
amendment, to wit: To strike out the word "deemed," in section first.
_Ordered_, That the Secretary acquaint the House of Representatives
therewith.
WEDNESDAY, February 6.
The Senate proceeded to consider the resolution of the House of
Representatives, that a committee be appointed, to join such committee
as may be appointed by the Senate, to ascertain and report a mode of
examining the votes for PRESIDENT and VICE PRESIDENT, and of notifying
the persons who shall be elected of their election, and for regulating
the time, place and manner of administering the oath of office to the
PRESIDENT.
_Resolved_, That the Senate concur in this resolution, and that Messrs.
KING, IZARD, and STRONG be the committee on the part of the Senate.
MONDAY, February 11.
Mr. KING, from the joint committee, appointed the 6th February, instant,
reported that the two Houses should assemble in the Senate Chamber on
Wednesday next, at twelve o'clock; that one person be appointed a
teller, on the part of the Senate, to make a list of the votes as they
shall be declared; that the result shall be delivered to the PRESIDENT
of the Senate, who shall announce the state of the vote, and the persons
elected, to the two Houses assembled as aforesaid; which shall be deemed
a declaration of the persons elected PRESIDENT and VICE PRESIDENT, and,
together with a list of the votes, be entered on the journals of the two
Houses, and the report was agreed to.
TUESDAY, February 12.
A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate, that
the House of Representatives agree to the report of the joint committee
appointed the 6th of February, instant, respecting the manner of
counting the votes for PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
_Ordered_, That Mr. KING be appointed, on the part of the Senate, a
teller of the votes for PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES, conformably to the report of the joint committee, agreed to the
11th instant.
WEDNESDAY, February 13.
_Ordered_, That the Secretary notify the House of Representatives that
the Senate are ready to meet them in the Senate Chamber, to attend the
opening and counting the vote for PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES, as the constitution provides.
The two Houses having accordingly assembled, the certificates of the
Electors of the fifteen States in the Union, which came by express,
were, by the VICE PRESIDENT, opened, read, and delivered to the tellers
appointed for the purpose, who, having examined and ascertained the
votes, presented a list of them to the VICE PRESIDENT; which list was
read to the two Houses, and is as follows: