MONDAY, December 2, 1793.
This being the day appointed by the constitution for the meeting of the
present Congress, the following members appeared and took their seats:
_From New Hampshire._--NICHOLAS GILMAN, JOHN S. SHERBURNE, JEREMIAH
SMITH, and PAINE WINGATE.
_From Massachusetts._--SHEARJASHUB BOURNE, DAVID COBB, HENRY DEARBORN,
BENJAMIN GOODHUE, SAMUEL HOLTEN, WILLIAM LYMAN, THEODORE SEDGWICK,
GEORGE THATCHER, and ARTEMAS WARD.
_From Connecticut._--AMASA LEARNED, URIAH TRACEY, JONATHAN TRUMBULL, and
JEREMIAH WADSWORTH.
_From Vermont._--ISRAEL SMITH.
_From New York._--THEODORUS BAILEY, EZEKIEL GILBERT, HENRY GLENN, JAMES
GORDON, SILAS TALBOT, JOHN E. VAN ALLEN, PHILIP VAN CORTLANDT, PETER VAN
GAASBECK, and JOHN WATTS.
_From New Jersey._--JOHN BEATTY, ELIAS BOUDINOT, LAMBERT CADWALADER,
ABRAHAM CLARK, and JONATHAN DAYTON.
_From Pennsylvania._--JAMES ARMSTRONG, WILLIAM FINDLAY, THOMAS
FITZSIMONS, ANDREW GREGG, THOMAS HARTLEY, WILLIAM IRVINE, JOHN WILKES
KITTERA, FREDERICK AUGUSTUS MUHLENBERG, PETER MUHLENBERG, THOMAS SCOTT,
and JOHN SMILIE.
_From Maryland._--GEORGE DENT and SAMUEL SMITH.
_From Virginia._--WILLIAM B. GILES, CARTER B. HARRISON, JOHN HEATH,
RICHARD BLAND LEE, JAMES MADISON, ANDREW MOORE, ANTHONY NEW, JOHN
NICHOLAS, FRANCIS PRESTON, ROBERT RUTHERFORD, ABRAHAM VENABLE, and
FRANCIS WALKER.
_From Kentucky._--CHRISTOPHER GREENUP.
_From North Carolina._--THOMAS BLOUNT, WILLIAM JOHNSON DAWSON, MATTHEW
LOOKE, NATHANIEL MACON, and ALEXANDER MEBANE.
_From South Carolina._--WILLIAM SMITH.
_From Georgia._--ABRAHAM BALDWIN and THOMAS P. CARNES.
A quorum of the members being present, the House proceeded to ballot for
a Speaker, when it appeared that FREDERICK A. MUHLENBERG, one of the
members from Pennsylvania, was elected; whereupon he was conducted to
the chair; and made his acknowledgments to the House.[47]
The House then proceeded, in the same manner, to the appointment of a
Clerk, when JOHN BECKLEY was appointed.
The usual oath was then administered to the members.
Messages were interchanged between the two Houses, announcing their
formation and readiness to proceed to business.
Joseph Wheaton was appointed Sergeant-at-Arms, Gifford Dally as
Doorkeeper, and Thomas Claxton as Assistant Doorkeeper.
A joint committee was appointed by the two Houses to wait on the
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, to inform him that a quorum of the two
Houses is assembled, and ready to receive any communication that he may
think proper to make to them.
_Resolved_, That two Chaplains, of different denominations, be
appointed, one by each House, to interchange weekly.
_Resolved_, That a standing Committee of Elections be appointed; also a
committee to report rules and orders of proceeding.
TUESDAY, December 3.
JOSEPH MCDOWELL and BENJAMIN WILLIAMS, from North Carolina, appeared,
and took their seats.
A message from the Senate announced their readiness to receive the
communication from the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. The SPEAKER and
members withdrew to the Senate Chamber, where the PRESIDENT attended,
and delivered his Speech to the two Houses, which will be found in the
proceedings of the Senate.
On the return of the members, the Speech was committed to a Committee of
the Whole.
WEDNESDAY, December 4.
PELEG COFFIN, Jr., from Massachusetts, WILLIAM MONTGOMERY, from
Pennsylvania, and WILLIAM VANS MURRAY, from Maryland, appeared, produced
their credentials, and took their seats in the House; the oath to
support the Constitution of the United States being first administered
to them by the SPEAKER, according to law.
The House resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House on the
Speech of the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES to both Houses of Congress;
and, after some time spent therein, the Chairman reported that the
committee had had the said Speech under consideration, and come to a
resolution thereupon; which was twice read, and agreed to by the House,
as follows:
_Resolved_, That it is the opinion of this committee that a respectful
Address ought to be presented by the House of Representatives to the
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, in answer to his Speech to both Houses
of Congress, at the commencement of this session, containing assurances
that this House will take into consideration the various and important
matters recommended to their attention.
_Ordered_, That Messrs. MADISON, SEDGWICK, WATTS, HARTLEY, and SAMUEL
SMITH, be appointed a committee to prepare an Address pursuant to the
said resolution.
THURSDAY, December 5.
Mr. MADISON, from the committee appointed, presented an Address to the
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, in answer to his Speech to both Houses
of Congress; which was read, and ordered to be committed to a Committee
of the whole House to-morrow.
FRIDAY, December 6.
JAMES HILLHOUSE, from Connecticut, and JOSIAH PARKER, from Virginia,
appeared, and took their seats.
Mr. WILLIAM SMITH, from the Standing Committee of Elections, reported
that the committee had, in part, examined the certificates and other
credentials of the members returned to serve in this House, and had
agreed upon a report; which was read, and is as follows:
"It appears to your committee, that the credentials of the
following members are sufficient to entitle them to take
their seats in the House, to wit:"
[After enumerating the names of the members whose credentials were
examined, the report concludes:]
"Your committee further report that, in the case of JOHN
PATTON, returned as a member for the State of Delaware, the
Executive of the said State have, together with the return,
transmitted a protest, made to them by Henry Latimer, of
the said State, against the return of the said JOHN
PATTON."
_Ordered_, That the said report do lie on the table.
The House resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House on the
Address to the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, in answer to his Speech
to both Houses of Congress; and, after some time spent therein, the
Chairman reported that the committee had had the said Address under
consideration, and made no amendment thereto.
_Resolved, unanimously_, That this House doth agree to the said Address,
in the words following:
SIR: The Representatives of the people of the United
States, in meeting you for the first time since you have
been again called, by a unanimous suffrage, to your present
station, find an occasion, which they embrace with no less
sincerity than promptitude, for expressing to you their
congratulations on so distinguished a testimony of public
approbation, and their entire confidence in the purity and
patriotism of the motives which have produced this
obedience to the voice of your country. It is to virtues
which have commanded long and universal reverence, and
services from which have flowed great and lasting benefits,
that the tribute of praise may be paid without the reproach
of flattery; and it is from the same sources that the
fairest anticipations may be derived in favor of the public
happiness.
The United States having taken no part in the war which had
embraced in Europe the Powers with whom they have the most
extensive relations, the maintenance of peace was justly to
be regarded as one of the most important duties of the
Magistrate charged with the faithful execution of the laws.
We accordingly witness, with approbation and pleasure, the
vigilance with which you have guarded against an
interruption of that blessing, by your Proclamation,
admonishing our citizens of the consequences of illicit or
hostile acts towards the belligerent parties; and
promoting, by a declaration of the existing legal state of
things, an easier admission of our right to the immunities
belonging to our situation.
The connection of the United States with Europe has
evidently become extremely interesting. The communications
which remain to be exhibited to us will, no doubt, assist
in giving us a fuller view of the subject, and in guiding
our deliberations to such results as may comport with the
rights and true interests of our country.
We learn, with deep regret, that the measures, dictated by
a love of peace, for obtaining an amicable termination of
the afflicting war on our frontiers, have been frustrated,
and that a resort to offensive measures should have again
become necessary. As the latter, however, must be rendered
more satisfactory, in proportion to the solicitude for
peace, manifested by the former, it is to be hoped they
will be pursued under the better auspices, on that account,
and be finally crowned with more happy success.
In relation to the particular tribe of Indians against whom
offensive measures have been prohibited, as well as on all
the other important subjects which you have presented to
our view, we shall bestow the attention which they claim.
We cannot, however, refrain, at this time, from
particularly expressing our concurrence in your anxiety for
the regular discharge of the public debts, as fast as
circumstances and events will permit, and, in the policy of
removing any impediments that may be found in the way of a
faithful representation of public proceedings throughout
the United States, being persuaded, with you, that on no
subject more than the former can delay be more injurious,
or an economy of time more valuable; and that, with respect
to the latter, no resource is so firm for the Government of
the United States as the affections of the people, guided
by an enlightened policy.
Throughout our deliberations we shall endeavor to cherish
every sentiment which may contribute to render them
conducive to the dignity as well as to the welfare of the
United States. And we join with you in imploring that
Being, on whose will the fate of nations depends, to crown
with success our mutual endeavors.
_Resolved_, That Mr. SPEAKER, attended by the House, do present the said
Address, and that Mr. MADISON, Mr. SEDGWICK, and Mr. HARTLEY, be a
committee to wait on the PRESIDENT, to know when and where it will be
convenient for him to receive the same.
Mr. MADISON, from the committee appointed to wait on the PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES, to know when and where it will be convenient for him
to receive the Address of this House, in answer to his Speech to both
Houses of Congress, reported that the committee had waited on the
PRESIDENT, who signified to them that it would be convenient to him to
receive the said Address at 12 o'clock, to-morrow, at his own house.
SATURDAY, December 7.
PELEG WADSWORTH, from Massachusetts, and JOSEPH NEVILLE, from Virginia,
appeared, produced their credentials, and took their seats.
The SPEAKER, attended by the House, then withdrew to the house of the
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, and there presented to him the Address
of this House, in answer to his Speech to both Houses of Congress; to
which the PRESIDENT made the following reply:
GENTLEMEN: I shall not affect to conceal the cordial
satisfaction which I derive from the Address of the House
of Representatives. Whatsoever those services may be which
you have sanctioned by your favor, it is a sufficient
reward that they have been accepted as they were meant. For
the fulfilment of your anticipations of the future, I can
give no other assurance than that the motives which you
approve shall continue unchanged.
It is truly gratifying to me to learn that the Proclamation
has been considered as a seasonable guard against the
interruption of the public peace. Nor can I doubt that the
subjects which I have recommended to your attention as
depending on Legislative provisions, will receive a
discussion suited to their importance. With every reason,
then, it may be expected that your deliberations, under the
Divine blessing, will be matured to the honor and happiness
of the United States.