"_Resolved_, That the President of the United States be
requested to communicate (in such manner as he shall judge
most proper) to the person elected Vice President of the
United States, for the term of four years, to commence 4th
day of March next, information of his said election:"
It passed in the negative.
_Ordered_, That the resolution this day agreed to by the House of
Representatives, relative to the notification of the election of the
VICE PRESIDENT elect, be referred to Messrs. MASON, HILLHOUSE, and
SEDGWICK, to consider and report thereon to the Senate.
Mr. MASON reported, from the committee last appointed; and, the report
being read, was amended and adopted as follows:
_Resolved_, That the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES be requested to
cause to be transmitted to THOMAS JEFFERSON, Esq., of Virginia, VICE
PRESIDENT elect of the United States, notification of his election to
that office; and that the PRESIDENT of the Senate do make out and sign a
certificate in the words following:
Be it known, that the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States of America, being convened in the city
of Philadelphia, on the second Wednesday in February, in
the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and
ninety-seven, the underwritten Vice President of the United
States and President of the Senate did, in the presence of
the said Senate and House of Representatives, open all the
certificates and count all the votes of the Electors for a
President and for a Vice President; by which it appears
that THOMAS JEFFERSON, Esquire, was duly elected, agreeably
to the constitution, Vice President of the United States of
America.
"In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this 10th day of February, 1797."
_Ordered_, That the Secretary lay this resolution before the PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES.
MONDAY, February 13.
On request, the VICE PRESIDENT was excused from further attendance in
the Senate after Wednesday next.
WEDNESDAY, February 15.
_Withdrawal of the Vice-President, (now President elect of
the United States,) and his Valedictory to the Senate._
After the consideration of the Executive business, a motion was made
that the Senate now adjourn; when the VICE-PRESIDENT addressed them as
follows:
_Gentlemen of the Senate_:
If, in the general apprehension of an intention to retire
in that most eminent citizen, to whom all eyes had been
directed, and all hearts attracted, as the centre of our
Union, for so long a period, the public opinion had
exhibited any clear indication of another, in whom our
fellow-citizens could have generally united, as soon as I
read that excellent Address, which announced the necessity
of deliberation in the choice of a President, I should have
imitated the example of a character with which I have
co-operated, though in less conspicuous and important
stations, and maintained an uninterrupted friendship for
two and twenty years. But, as a number of characters
appeared to stand in the general estimation so nearly on a
level, as to render it difficult to conjecture on which the
majority would fall; considering the relation in which I
stood to the people of America, I thought it most
respectful to them, and most conducive to the tranquillity
of the public mind, to resign myself, with others, a silent
spectator of the general deliberation, and a passive
subject of public discussions.
Deeply penetrated with gratitude to my countrymen in
general, for their long continued kindness to me, and for
that steady and affecting confidence, with which those who
have most intimately known me, from early life, have, on so
many great occasions, intrusted to me the care of their
dearest interests; since a majority of their Electors,
though a very small one, have declared in my favor, and
since, in a Republican Government, the majority, though
ever so small, must of necessity decide, I have determined,
at every hazard of a high but just responsibility, though
with much anxiety and diffidence, once more to engage in
their service. Their confidence, which has been the chief
consolation of my life, is too precious and sacred a
deposit ever to be considered lightly; as it has been
founded only on the qualities of the heart, it never has
been, it never can be, deceived, betrayed, or forfeited by
me.
It is with reluctance, and with all those emotions of
gratitude and affection, which a long experience of your
goodness ought to inspire, that I now retire from my seat
in this House, and take my leave of the members of the
Senate.
I ought not to declare, for the last time, your
adjournment, before I have presented to every Senator
present, and to every citizen who has ever been a Senator
of the United States, my thanks, for the candor and favor
invariably received from them all. It is a recollection of
which nothing can ever deprive me, and it will be a source
of comfort to me, through the remainder of my life, that
as, on the one hand, in a government constituted like ours,
I have for eight years held the second situation under the
Constitution of the United States, in perfect and
uninterrupted harmony with the first, without envy in one,
or jealousy in the other; so, on the other hand, I have
never had the smallest misunderstanding with any member of
the Senate. In all the abstruse questions, difficult
conjectures, dangerous emergencies, and animated debates,
upon the great interests of our country, which have so
often and so deeply impressed all our minds, and interested
the strongest feelings of the heart, I have experienced a
uniform politeness and respect from every quarter of the
House. When questions of no less importance than difficulty
have produced a difference of sentiment, (and difference of
opinion will always be found in free assemblies of men, and
probably the greatest diversities upon the greatest
questions,) when the Senators have been equally divided,
and my opinion has been demanded according to the
constitution, I have constantly found, in that moiety of
the Senators from whose judgment I have been obliged to
dissent, a disposition to allow me the same freedom of
deliberation, and independence of judgment, which they
asserted for themselves.
Within these walls, for a course of years, I have been an
admiring witness of a succession of information, eloquence,
patriotism, and independence, which, as they would have
done honor to any Senate in any age, afford a consolatory
hope, (if the Legislatures of the States are equally
careful in their future selections, which there is no
reason to distrust,) that no council more permanent than
this, as a branch of the Legislature, will be necessary, to
defend the rights, liberties, and properties of the people,
and to protect the Constitution of the United States, as
well as the constitutions and rights of the individual
States, against errors of judgment, irregularities of the
passions, or other encroachments of human infirmity, or
more reprehensible enterprise, in the Executive on one
hand, or the more immediate representatives of the people
on the other.
These considerations will all conspire to animate me in my
future course, with a confident reliance, that as far as my
conduct shall be uniformly measured by the Constitution of
the United States, and faithfully directed to the public
good, I shall be supported by the Senate, as well as by the
House of Representatives, and the people at large; and on
no other conditions ought any support at all to be expected
or desired.
With cordial wishes for your honor, health, and happiness,
and fervent prayers for a continuation of the virtues,
liberties, prosperity, and peace, of our beloved country, I
avail myself of your leave of absence for the remainder of
the session.
THURSDAY, February 16.
The VICE-PRESIDENT being absent, the Senate proceeded to the choice of a
PRESIDENT _pro tempore_, as the constitution provides, and the
honorable WILLIAM BINGHAM was duly elected.
_Ordered_, That the Secretary wait on the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES, and notify him of the election of the Honorable WILLIAM BINGHAM,
to be PRESIDENT of the Senate _pro tempore_.
_Ordered_, That the Secretary notify the House of Representatives of
this election.
On motion,
_Ordered_, That Messrs. SEDGWICK, BURR, and TRACY, be a committee to
prepare and report the draft of an answer to the Address delivered
yesterday to the Senate, by the VICE PRESIDENT of the United States.
TUESDAY, February 21.
The bill to accommodate the PRESIDENT was read the third time; and,
being further amended,
On motion that it be _Resolved_, That this bill pass, it was decided in
the affirmative--yeas 28, nays 3, as follows:
YEAS.--Messrs. Bingham, Bloodworth, Blount, Bradford,
Brown, Foster, Goodhue, Gunn, Henry, Hillhouse, Howard,
Langdon, Latimer, Laurance, Livermore, Marshall, Martin,
Pain, Read, Ross, Rutherford, Sedgwick, Stockton, Tattnall,
Tazewell, Tichenor, Tracy, and Vining.
NAYS.--Messrs. Cocke, Hunter, and Mason.
So it was _Resolved_, That this bill pass; that it be engrossed; and
that the title thereof be, "An act to accommodate the PRESIDENT."
Mr. SEDGWICK reported from the committee appointed for the purpose, the
draft of an answer to the Address of the VICE PRESIDENT of the United
States, on his retiring from the Senate; which was read.
On motion, that it be printed for the use of the Senate, it was
disagreed to.
_Ordered_, That the report lie for consideration.
WEDNESDAY, February 22.
The Senate took into consideration the report of the committee, in
answer to the Address of the VICE PRESIDENT of the United States, on his
retiring from the Senate.
On motion to recommit the report, it passed in the negative: and the
report being amended, was adopted, as follows:
SIR: The Senate of the United States would be unjust to
their own feelings, and deficient in the performance of a
duty their relation to the Government of their country
imposes, should they fail to express their regard for your
person, and their respect for your character, in answer to
the Address you presented to them, on your leaving a
station which you have so long and so honorably filled as
their President.
The motives you have been pleased to disclose which induced
you not to withdraw from the public service, at a time when
your experience, talents, and virtues, were peculiarly
desirable, are as honorable for yourself, as, from our
confidence in you, sir, we trust the result will be
beneficial to our beloved country.
When you retired from your dignified seat in this House,
and took your leave of the members of the Senate, we felt
all those emotions of gratitude and affection, which our
knowledge and experience of your abilities and undeviating
impartiality ought to inspire; and we should, with painful
reluctance, endure the separation, but for the consoling
reflection, that the same qualities which have rendered you
useful, as the President of this branch of the Legislature,
will enable you to be still more so, in the exalted station
to which you have been called.
From you, sir, in whom your country have for a long period
placed a steady confidence, which has never been betrayed
or forfeited, and to whom they have on so many occasions
intrusted the care of their dearest interests, which have
never been abused; from you, who, holding the second
situation under the Constitution of the United States, have
lived in uninterrupted harmony with him who has held the
first; from you we receive, with much satisfaction, the
declaration which you are pleased to make of the opinion
you entertain of the character of the present Senators, and
of that of those citizens who have been heretofore
Senators. This declaration, were other motives wanting,
would afford them an incentive to a virtuous perseverance
in the line of conduct which has been honored with your
approbation.
In your future course, we entertain no doubt that your
official conduct will be measured by the constitution, and
directed to the public good; you have, therefore, a right
to entertain a confident reliance, that you will be
supported, as well by the people at large as by their
constituted authorities.
We cordially reciprocate the wishes which you express for
our honor, health, and happiness; we join with yours our
fervent prayers for the continuation of the virtues and
liberties of our fellow-citizens, for the public prosperity
and peace; and for you we implore the best reward of
virtuous deeds--the grateful approbation of your
constituents, and the smiles of Heaven.
WILLIAM BINGHAM,
_President of the Senate pro tempore_.
_Ordered_, That the committee who drafted the Address wait on the VICE
PRESIDENT, with the Answer of the Senate.
THURSDAY, February 23.
Mr. SEDGWICK reported, from the committee, that, agreeably to order,
they had waited on the VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, with the
answer to his Address, on retiring from the Senate--to which the VICE
PRESIDENT was pleased to make the following Reply:
An Address so respectful and affectionate as this, from
gentlemen of such experience and established character in
public affairs, high stations in the Government of their
country, and great consideration, in their several States,
as Senators of the United States, will do me great honor,
and afford me a firm support, wherever it shall be known,
both at home and abroad. Their generous approbation of my
conduct, in general, and liberal testimony to the
undeviating impartiality of it, in my peculiar relation to
their body, a character which, in every scene and
employment of life, I should wish above all others to
cultivate and merit, has a tendency to soften asperities,
and conciliate animosities, wherever such may unhappily
exist; an effect at all times to be desired, and in the
present situation of our country, ardently to be promoted
by all good citizens.