_December 12, 1798._
The Senate returned to their own Chamber, and proceeded to the
consideration of Executive business.
FRIDAY, December 14.
JOHN E. HOWARD, from the State of Maryland, attended.
MONDAY, December 17.
ALEXANDER MARTIN, from the State of North Carolina, and JAMES HILLHOUSE,
from the State of Connecticut, severally attended.
WEDNESDAY, December 19.
FRANKLIN DAVENPORT, appointed a Senator by the Executive of the State of
New Jersey, in the recess of the Legislature, in the place of John
Rutherford, resigned, produced his credentials; which were read, and,
the oath of office being administered to him as the law provides, he
took his seat in the Senate.
WEDNESDAY, December 26.
JAMES LLOYD, from the State of Maryland, attended.
THURSDAY, December 27.
THOMAS JEFFERSON, Vice President of the United States and President of
the Senate, attended.
MONDAY, December 31.
The VICE PRESIDENT laid before the Senate a letter from JOHN HUNTER,
notifying his resignation of his seat in the Senate.
MONDAY, January 7, 1799.
JOHN BROWN, from the State of Kentucky, and THEODORE SEDGWICK, from the
State of Massachusetts, severally attended.
TUESDAY, January 8.
STEPHENS T. MASON, from the State of Virginia, attended.
MONDAY, January 21.
HENRY TAZEWELL, from the State of Virginia, attended.
THURSDAY, January 24.
The Senate being informed that HENRY TAZEWELL, one of the members from
the State of Virginia, died this morning,
_Resolved_, That a committee be appointed to take order for
superintending the funeral of the said HENRY TAZEWELL, Esq., and that
the Senate will attend the same, and that notice of the event be given
to the House of Representatives, and that this committee consist of
Messrs. MASON, BROWN, and MARSHALL.
_Resolved, unanimously_, That the members of the Senate, from a sincere
desire of showing every mark of respect due to the memory of HENRY
TAZEWELL, deceased, late a member thereof, will go into mourning for him
one month, by the usual mode of wearing a crape round the left arm.
_Resolved_, That the President of the Senate notify the Executive of
Virginia of the death of HENRY TAZEWELL, late Senator of that State for
the United States.
FRIDAY, January 25.
The VICE PRESIDENT communicated the credentials of WILLIAM HILL WELLS,
elected a Senator for the State of Delaware, in the place of Joshua
Clayton, deceased.
WEDNESDAY, January 30.
JOSIAH TATTNALL, from the State of Georgia, attended.
MONDAY, February 4.
WILLIAM HILL WELLS, appointed a Senator by the Legislature of the State
of Delaware, in place of Joshua Clayton, deceased, attended; and his
credentials being read, and the oath required by law administered to
him, he took his seat in the Senate.
WEDNESDAY, February 6.
The bill sent from the House of Representatives, entitled "An act
further to suspend the commercial intercourse between the United States
and France, and the dependencies thereof, and for other purposes," was
read a third time.
On motion to add the following proviso to the fourth section:
"_Provided_, That a notice of not less than nineteen days
of the opening commerce with the French Republic, or any
port or place under the Government thereof, by authority of
this act, and of not less than thirty days of the
revocation of any order issued by the PRESIDENT, by virtue
of this act, shall be given:"
It was determined in the negative--yeas 13, nays 14, as follows:
YEAS.--Messrs. Anderson, Bloodworth, Brown, Chipman, Gunn,
Langdon, Livermore, Lloyd, Marshall, Martin, Mason, Read,
and Tattnall.
NAYS.--Messrs. Bingham, Davenport, Foster, Goodhue, Greene,
Hillhouse, Latimer, Paine, Ross, Sedgwick, Stockton, Tracy,
Watson, and Wells.
On motion to amend the motion, to be read as follows:
"_Provided_, That notice shall be given, of not less than
thirty days, of the revocation of any order issued by the
PRESIDENT, by virtue of this act:"
It was determined in the affirmative--yeas 18, nays 10, as follows:
YEAS.--Messrs. Bingham, Chipman, Davenport, Foster,
Goodhue, Greene, Hillhouse, Howard, Latimer, Livermore,
Lloyd, Marshall, Paine, Sedgwick, Stockton, Tracy, Watson,
and Wells.
NAYS.--Messrs. Anderson, Bloodworth, Brown, Langdon,
Martin, Mason, Read, Ross, and Tattnall.
And on the question to agree to the motion thus amended, it was
determined in the negative.
And having agreed to several amendments to the bill, the question on the
final passage thereof, as amended, it was determined in the
affirmative--yeas 18, nays 10, as follows:
YEAS.--Messrs. Bingham, Chipman, Davenport, Foster,
Goodhue, Greene, Hillhouse, Howard, Latimer, Livermore,
Lloyd, Paine, Ross, Sedgwick, Tracy, Watson, and Wells.
NAYS.--Messrs. Anderson, Bloodworth, Brown, Gunn, Langdon,
Marshall, Martin, Mason, Read, and Tattnall.
SATURDAY, February 9.
The Senate resumed the second reading of the bill to amend the act,
entitled "An act providing for the sale of the lands of the United
States in the territory north-west of the river Ohio, and above the
mouth of Kentucky River."
On motion to strike out the 8th section of the bill as follows:
"SEC. 8. _And be it further enacted_, That aliens residing
within the United States or elsewhere, shall be capable of
purchasing and holding lands in the territory of the United
States north-west of the river Ohio, and their heirs may
succeed to them _ab intestato_, in the same manner as if
they were citizens; and they may grant, sell, and devise
the same to whom they may please, whether citizens or
aliens; and that neither they, their heirs, or assigns,
shall, so far as may respect the said lands, and the legal
remedies incident thereto, be regarded as aliens."
It was determined in the affirmative--yeas 13, nays 11, as follows:
YEAS.--Messrs. Chipman, Foster, Goodhue, Greene, Hillhouse,
Howard, Martin, Read, Sedgwick, Stockton, Tracy, Watson,
and Wells.
NAYS.--Messrs. Anderson, Bingham, Bloodworth, Brown, Gunn,
Langdon, Livermore, Marshall, Mason, Ross, and Tattnall.
TUESDAY, February 12.
The bill vesting the power of retaliation, in certain cases, in the
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, was read the third time; and, being
amended, the question on the final passage thereof was determined in the
affirmative--yeas 22, nays 2, as follows:
YEAS.--Messrs. Anderson, Bloodworth, Chipman, Davenport,
Foster, Goodhue, Greene, Gunn, Hillhouse, Latimer,
Livermore, Lloyd, Marshall, Martin, Paine, Ross, Sedgwick,
Stockton, Tattnall, Tracy, Watson, and Wells.
NAYS.--Messrs. Howard and Langdon.
So it was _Resolved_, That this bill pass, that it be engrossed, and
that the title thereof be "An act vesting the power of retaliation, in
certain cases, in the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES."
WEDNESDAY, February 13.
The VICE PRESIDENT communicated a letter from the Executive of the State
of Virginia, in answer to his of the 24th ultimo, stating that an
appointment to fill the vacancy in the Senate, occasioned by the decease
of Henry Tazewell, would, probably, be deferred to the meeting of their
Legislature.
SATURDAY, February 16.
CHARLES PINCKNEY, elected a Senator by the Legislature of the State of
South Carolina, in place of John Hunter, resigned, produced his
credentials, and the oath prescribed by law being administered to him,
he took his seat in the Senate.
The Senate proceeded to consider the amendments reported by the
committee to the bill giving eventual authority to the PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES to augment the Army.
On motion, to agree to the amendment reported to the 7th section, to
read as follows:
"SEC. 7. _Be it further enacted_, That it shall be lawful
for the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES to call forth and
employ the said volunteers in all cases, and to effect all
the purposes for which he is authorized to call forth and
employ the militia, by the act, entitled 'An act to provide
for the calling forth the militia to execute the laws of
the Union, suppress insurrections, and repel invasions, and
to repeal the act now in force for these purposes:'"
It passed in the affirmative, as follows:
YEAS.--Messrs. Bingham, Chipman, Foster, Goodhue, Greene,
Gunn, Howard, Laurance, Livermore, Lloyd, Marshall, Paine,
Ross, Sedgwick, Tracy, Watson, and Wells.
NAYS.--Messrs. Anderson, Bloodworth, Langdon, Martin,
Mason, Pinckney, and Tattnall.
SATURDAY, February 23.
The bill, sent from the House of Representatives, entitled "An act to
grant an additional compensation from the year one thousand seven
hundred and ninety-nine, to certain officers of the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States," was read the second time.
_Ordered_, That it be referred to Messrs. LIVERMORE, PAINE, and WELLS,
to consider and report thereon to the Senate.
The Senate proceeded to consider the report of the committee to whom was
referred the bill to augment the salaries of the principal officers of
the Executive Departments, which was adopted; and
The question to agree to the third reading of the bill as amended, was
determined in the affirmative--yeas 22, nays 3, as follows:
YEAS.--Messrs. Bingham, Bloodworth, Chipman, Davenport,
Foster, Goodhue, Greene, Hillhouse, Howard, Laurance,
Lloyd, Marshall, Martin, Paine, Pinckney, Read, Sedgwick,
Stockton, Tattnall, Tracy, Watson, and Wells.
NAYS.--Messrs. Langdon, Livermore, and Mason.
MONDAY, February 25.
The Senate resumed the third reading of the bill, authorizing the
acceptance, from the State of Connecticut, of a cession of jurisdiction
of the territory west of Pennsylvania, commonly called the Western
Reserve of Connecticut; and the question on the final passage of the
bill was determined in the affirmative--yeas 16, nays 12, as follows:
YEAS.--Messrs. Chipman, Davenport, Foster, Goodhue, Greene,
Gunn, Hillhouse, Livermore, Lloyd, Marshall, Paine, Read,
Sedgwick, Stockton, Tracy, and Wells.
NAYS.--Messrs. Bingham, Bloodworth, Brown, Howard, Langdon,
Latimer, Laurance, Martin, Mason, Pinckney, Ross, and
Watson.
FRIDAY, March 1.
The Senate resumed the third reading of the bill, sent from the House of
Representatives, entitled "An act to establish the Post Office of the
United States."
On motion, to add the following to the amendment of the 17th section:
"_And, provided_, That all the letters and packets franked
by any one member, in any one week, shall not exceed thirty
ounces; and such privilege shall continue:"
It was determined in the negative--yeas 13, nays 17, as follows:
YEAS.--Messrs. Bingham, Davenport, Goodhue, Hillhouse;
Howard, Livermore, Lloyd, Paine, Ross, Sedgwick, Stockton,
Watson, and Wells.
NAYS.--Messrs. Anderson, Bloodworth, Brown, Chipman,
Foster, Greene, Gunn, Langdon, Latimer, Laurance, Marshall,
Martin, Mason, Pinckney, Read, Tattnall, and Tracy.
SATURDAY, March 2.
The bill, sent from the House of Representatives, entitled "An act
authorizing a detachment from the militia of the United States," was
read the second time.
On the question to agree to the third reading of the bill, it was
determined in the affirmative--yeas 17, nays 12, as follows:
YEAS.--Messrs. Bloodworth, Brown, Foster, Goodhue, Greene,
Gunn, Howard, Langdon, Laurance, Lloyd, Marshall, Martin,
Mason, Pinckney, Ross, Tattnall, and Watson.
NAYS.--Messrs. Bingham, Chipman, Davenport, Hillhouse,
Latimer, Livermore, Paine, Read, Sedgwick, Stockton, Tracy,
and Wells.
SATURDAY EVENING, March 2.
A message from the House of Representatives, informed the Senate that
the House, having finished the business before them, are about to
adjourn without day.
The Senate then proceeded to the consideration of Executive business.
The Senate, then, resuming Legislative business, adjourned without day.