MONDAY, November 17, 1800.
This being the day appointed by law for the commencement of the second
session of the sixth Congress, the following members of the House of
Representatives appeared, and took their seats in the House, to wit:
_From New Hampshire._--ABIEL FOSTER, and JONATHAN FREEMAN.
_From Massachusetts._--WILLIAM SHEPARD, JNO. READ, JOSEPH B. VARNUM,
THEODORE SEDGWICK, (_Speaker_,) PELEG WADSWORTH, SILAS LEE, and LEMUEL
WILLIAMS.
_From Connecticut._--JOHN DAVENPORT.
_From New York._--JOHN SMITH, PHILIP VAN CORTLANDT, JONAS PLATT, HENRY
GLEN, JOHN THOMPSON, and THEODORUS BAILEY.
_From Pennsylvania._--MICHAEL LEIB, RICHARD THOMAS, JOSEPH HEISTER,
ROBERT BROWN, PETER MUHLENBERG, HENRY WOODS, and JOHN SMILIE.
_From Maryland._--GEORGE DENT, GEO. BAER, WILLIAM CRAIK, GABRIEL
CHRISTIE, JOHN C. THOMAS, and JOSEPH H. NICHOLSON.
_From Virginia._--LEVEN POWELL, JOHN NICHOLAS, ROBERT PAGE, JOHN DAWSON,
ANTHONY NEW, GEORGE JACKSON, and DAVID HOLMES.
_From North Carolina._--NATHANIEL MACON, RICHARD STANFORD, and WILLIS
ALSTON.
_From South Carolina._--THOMAS SUMTER, and BENJAMIN HUGER.
_From Tennessee._--WILLIAM C. C. CLAIBORNE.
A new member, to wit, JOHN C. SMITH, returned to serve as a member of
this House, from the State of Connecticut, in the room of Jonathan
Brace, who has resigned his seat, appeared and produced his credentials.
The SPEAKER observed that it had heretofore been the invariable practice
of the House to admit new members to take their seats previously to
being sworn, though the constitution directed directly the reverse. As
there was a new member present, he suggested the propriety of
administering the oath to him before he took his seat.
Mr. MACON thought such a step premature. He was of opinion that no
inconvenience would arise from delaying to administer the oath until a
House was formed, and he thought great caution should attend an
innovation opposed to all precedent.
Mr. NICHOLAS asked whether it had heretofore been usual, in the case of
a new House, to swear the members before the choice of a Speaker?
The SPEAKER replied that it had not.
Mr. NICHOLAS said, that though, on first thought, he was favorable to
administering the oath at the present time, yet this precedent inclined
him to think such a step improper.
The SPEAKER waived the question.
The members present not being sufficient to form a quorum, the SPEAKER
adjourned the body till to-morrow.
TUESDAY, November 18.
Several other members, to wit: from Connecticut, ELIZUR GOODRICH,
WILLIAM EDMOND, and ROGER GRISWOLD; from New York, WILLIAM COOPER and
LUCAS ELMENDORPH; from New Jersey, JAMES H. IMLAY and FRANKLIN
DAVENPORT; from Pennsylvania, ROBERT WALN; from Maryland, SAMUEL SMITH;
from Virginia, HENRY LEE, THOMAS EVANS, and JOHN TRIGG; from North
Carolina, RICHARD DOBBS SPAIGHT, and JOSEPH DICKSON; and from Georgia,
BENJAMIN TALIAFERRO, appeared and took their seats in the House.
And a quorum, consisting of a majority of the whole number, being
present,
The oath to support the Constitution of the United States, as prescribed
by the act, entitled "An act to regulate the time and manner of
administering certain oaths," was administered by the SPEAKER to JOHN C.
SMITH, a new member, who appeared and took his seat in the House
yesterday.
_Ordered_, That a message be sent to the Senate to inform them that a
quorum of this House is assembled, and ready to proceed to business; and
that the Clerk of this House do go with said message.
WEDNESDAY, November 19.
Several other members, to wit: from Vermont, LEWIS R. MORRIS, and from
Virginia, JOSIAH PARKER and JOHN RANDOLPH, appeared, and took their
seats in the House.
THURSDAY, November 20.
Two other members, to wit: from Virginia, ABRAM TRIGG, and from
Pennsylvania, ANDREW GREGG, appeared, and took their seats in the House.
FRIDAY, November 21.
Several other members, to wit, from Massachusetts, GEORGE THATCHER; from
New Jersey, JOHN CONDIT, AARON KITCHELL, and JAMES LINN; from
Pennsylvania, JOHN A. HANNA; and from South Carolina, ROBERT GOODLOE
HARPER, appeared, and took their seats in the House.
A message from the Senate informed the House that a quorum of the Senate
is assembled, and ready to proceed to business, and that, in the absence
of the VICE PRESIDENT, they have elected the Hon. JOHN HOWARD, President
of the Senate, _pro tempore_.
_Resolved_, That Mr. GRISWOLD, Mr. SAMUEL SMITH, and Mr. CRAIK, be a
committee, on the part of this House, jointly, with such committee as
may be appointed on the part of the Senate, to wait on the PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES, and notify him that a quorum of the two Houses is
assembled, and ready to receive any communications he may think proper
to make to them.
_Ordered_, That the Clerk of this House do acquaint the Senate
therewith.
A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate have
appointed a committee jointly, with the committee appointed by this
House, to wait on the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, and notify him
that a quorum of the two Houses is assembled, and ready to receive any
communications he may think proper to make to them.
Mr. GRISWOLD, from the joint committee appointed to wait on the
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, and notify him that a quorum of the two
Houses is assembled, and ready to receive any communications he may
think proper to make to them, reported that the committee had performed
that service, and that the PRESIDENT signified to them he would make a
communication to both Houses to-morrow at twelve o'clock, in the Senate
Chamber.
SATURDAY, November 22.
Two other members, to wit: from North Carolina, ARCHIBALD HENDERSON; and
from Virginia, EDWIN GRAY, appeared, and took their seats in the House.
_President's Speech._
A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate are now
ready, in the Senate Chamber, to attend this House in receiving the
communication from the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, agreeably to his
notification to both Houses yesterday.
Mr. SPEAKER, attended by the members of this House, then withdrew to the
Senate Chamber, for the purpose stated in the Senate's message; and,
being returned, Mr. SPEAKER laid before the House a copy of the speech
delivered by the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES to both Houses of
Congress, in the Senate Chamber. [See Senate proceedings of this date,
_ante_, page 482.]
_Ordered_, That the said speech be committed to a Committee of the whole
House immediately.
The House, accordingly, resolved itself into the said committee; and,
after some time spent therein, Mr. SPEAKER resumed the chair, and Mr.
HARPER 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 the present session, containing assurances
that this House will duly attend to the important objects
recommended by him to their consideration.
_Ordered_, That Mr. GRISWOLD, Mr. MACON, Mr. CRAIK, Mr. HENDERSON, and
Mr. NICHOLAS, be appointed a committee to prepare an address, pursuant
to the said resolution.
_Ordered_, That the Speech of the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES be
committed to the Committee of the whole House on the state of the Union.
And then the House adjourned.
MONDAY, November 24.
Several other members, to wit: from Massachusetts, HARRISON G. OTIS, and
PHANUEL BISHOP; from Virginia, MATTHEW CLAY; and from North Carolina,
DAVID STONE, appeared, and took their seats in the House.
WILLIAM M'MILLAN, returned to serve as a Representative for the
Territory of the United States north-west of the Ohio, in the room of
William Henry Harrison, who has resigned his seat, appeared, produced
his credentials, was qualified, and took his seat in the House.
TUESDAY, November 25.
Another member, to wit, JOHN WILKES KITTERA, from Pennsylvania,
appeared, was qualified, and took his seat in the House.
A new member, to wit, NATHAN READ, returned to serve as a member of this
House from the State of Massachusetts, in the room of Samuel Sewall, who
has resigned his seat, appeared, produced his credentials, and took his
seat in the House.
WEDNESDAY, November 26.
A new member, to wit, LYTTLETON W. TAZEWELL, returned to serve as a
member of the House for the State of Virginia, in the room of John
Marshall, who has resigned his seat, appeared, produced his credentials,
was qualified, and took his seat in the House.
_Address to the President._
The House went into a Committee of the Whole on the reply to the
PRESIDENT'S Speech, which was read by paragraphs, and reported to the
House without any amendments, as follows:
To JOHN ADAMS, _President of the United States_:
SIR: The House of Representatives have received with great
respect the communication which you have been pleased to
make to the two Houses of Congress, at the commencement of
the present session.
The final establishment of the seat of National Government
which has now taken place within the District of Columbia,
is an event of no small importance in the political
transactions of our country: and we cordially unite our
wishes with yours, that this territory may be the residence
of happiness and virtue.
Nor can we, on this occasion, omit to express a hope, that
the spirit which animated the great founder of this city,
may descend to future generations, and that the wisdom,
magnanimity, and steadiness, which marked the events of his
public life, may be imitated in all succeeding ages.
A consideration of those powers which have been vested in
Congress over the District of Columbia will not escape our
attention; nor shall we forget that, in exercising these
powers, a regard must be had to those events which will
necessarily attend the Capital of America.
The cheerfulness and regularity with which the officers and
soldiers of the temporary army have returned to the
condition of private citizens, is a testimony clear and
conclusive of the purity of those motives which induced
them to engage in the public service; and will remain a
proof, on all future occasions, that an army of soldiers
drawn from the citizens of our country, deserve our
confidence and respect.
No subject can be more important than that of the
Judiciary, which you have again recommended to our
consideration, and it shall receive our early and
deliberate attention.
The Constitution of the United States having confided the
management of our foreign negotiations to the control of
the Executive power, we cheerfully submit to its decisions
on this important subject. And in respect to the
negotiations now pending with France, we sincerely hope
that the final result may prove as fortunate to our
country, as the most ardent mind can wish.
So long as a predatory war is carried on against our
commerce, we should sacrifice the interests and disappoint
the expectations of our constituents, should we, for a
moment, relax that system of maritime defence, which has
resulted in such beneficial effects. At this period, it is
confidently believed that few persons can be found within
the United States, who do not admit that a Navy, well
organized, must constitute the natural and efficient
defence of this country against all foreign hostility.
The progress which has been made in the manufacture of
arms, leaves no doubt that the public patronage has already
placed this country beyond all necessary dependence on
foreign markets for an article so indispensable for
defence; and gives us assurances that, under the
encouragement which government will continue to extend to
this important object, we shall soon rival foreign
countries, not only in the number, but in the quality of
arms completed from our own manufactories.
Few events could have been more pleasing to our
constituents, than that great and rapid increase of revenue
which has arisen from permanent taxes. Whilst this event
explains the great and increasing resources of our country,
it carries along with it a proof which cannot be resisted,
that those measures of maritime defence which were
calculated to meet our enemy upon the ocean, and which have
produced such extensive protection to our commerce, were
founded in wisdom and policy. The mind must, in our
opinion, be insensible to the plainest truths, which cannot
discern the elevated ground on which this policy has placed
our country. That national spirit, which alone could
vindicate our common rights, has been roused, and those
latent energies, which had not been fully known, were
unfolded and brought into view, and our fellow-citizens
were prepared to meet every event which national honor or
national security could render necessary. Nor have its
effects been much less important in other respects.
Whilst many of the nations of the earth have been
impoverished and depopulated by internal commotions and
national contests, our internal peace has not been
materially impaired; our commerce has extended, under the
protection of our infant Navy, to every part of the globe;
wealth has flowed without intermission into our seaports,
and the labors of the husbandman have been rewarded by a
ready market for the productions of the soil.
Be assured, sir, that the various, and important subjects
recommended to our consideration, shall receive our early
and deliberate attention; and, confident of your
co-operation in every measure which may be calculated to
promote the general interests, we shall endeavor, on our
part, to testify, by our industry and despatch, the zeal
and sincerity with which we regard the public good.
The report of the committee was immediately taken up, and, on the
question to agree to the Address,
Mr. NICHOLAS rose and observed that he regretted the introduction of
political matter, calculated to produce discord and division. He was
averse to the House spending time in propounding political theories, as
no good, but much mischief, might flow from such a procedure. Had no
other topics or sentiments been alluded to than those contained in the
President's Speech, there would have been much less division in the
House than was to be expected from the insertion of extraneous ideas. He
had no intention, however, to enter into a detail of the objections he
entertained to the Address. For the reasons he had assigned, and others
which he felt, he thought the style of the Address not only unnecessary,
but worse than useless. He concluded by desiring the yeas and nays to be
taken.
The question, being taken, was carried in the affirmative--yeas 36, nays
32, as follows:
YEAS.--Bailey Bartlett, William Cooper, Wm. Craik, John
Davenport, Franklin Davenport, George Dent, Joseph Dickson,
William Edmond, Thomas Evans, Abiel Foster, Jonathan
Freeman, Elizur Goodrich, Roger Griswold, Archibald
Henderson, Benjamin Huger, Jas. H. Imlay, Henry Lee, Silas
Lee, James Linn, Lewis R. Morris, Harrison G. Otis, Robert
Page, Josiah Parker, Jonas Platt, Leven Powell, John Read,
Nathan Read, Wm. Shepard, John C. Smith, Richard Dobbs
Spaight, George Thatcher, Richard Thomas, Peleg Wadsworth,
Robert Waln, Lemuel Williams, and Henry Woods.
NAYS.--Phanuel Bishop, Robert Brown, Gabriel Christie,
Matthew Clay, William C. C. Claiborne, John Condit, John
Dawson, Lucas Elmendorph, Edwin Gray, Andrew Gregg, John A.
Hanna, Joseph Heister, David Holmes, George Jackson, Aaron
Kitchell, Michael Leib, Nathaniel Macon, Peter Muhlenberg,
Anthony New, John Nicholas, John Randolph, John Smilie,
John Smith, Richard Stanford, David Stone, Thomas Sumter,
Benjamin Taliaferro, John Thompson, Abram Trigg, John
Trigg, Philip Van Cortlandt, and Jos. B. Varnum.
_Resolved_, That Mr. SPEAKER, attended by the House, do present the said
Address; and that Mr. GRISWOLD, Mr. MACON, and Mr. CRAIK, be a committee
to wait on the PRESIDENT to know when and where it will be convenient
for him to receive the same.
_Credentials of Members._
Mr. DENT, from the Committee of Elections, to whom were referred the
certificates and other credentials of the members returned to serve in
this House, made a report, in part, which was read as follows:
"That they have examined the credentials of several
members, claiming seats in the House, in consequence of
resignations which have taken place, and find that, by the
certificate of the Governor of Massachusetts, dated the
eleventh day of November, eighteen hundred, under the seal
of the State, Nathan Read (of Danvers) is duly elected, in
the place of Samuel Sewall; that by the certificate of the
Governor of Connecticut, bearing date twentieth day of
October, eighteen hundred, with the seal of the State
annexed, John Cotton Smith is duly elected, in the place of
Jonathan Brace; and that, by the certificate of the Deputy
Sheriff of Henrico, the Sheriff of Hanover, the Sheriff of
New Kent, the Deputy Sheriff of Charles City, and the
Sheriff of James City Counties, composing one entire
district in the Commonwealth of Virginia, under their
respective seals, Lyttleton Waller Tazewell is duly
elected, in the place of John Marshall.[58]
"The committee also find, by an authenticated certificate
signed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and
the President of the Legislative Council of the Territory
north-west of the river Ohio, dated the seventh day of
November, eighteen hundred, that Wm. McMillan is duly
elected to represent the said Territory, in the place of
William Henry Harrison.
"Whereupon, the committee are of opinion that Nathan Read,
(of Danvers,) John Cotton Smith, and Lyttleton Waller
Tazewell, are entitled to take their seats in the House in
the place of Samuel Sewall, Jonathan Brace, and John
Marshall, who have resigned; and that William McMillan is
entitled to take his seat therein, with the right of
debating, but not of voting, in the place of William Henry
Harrison, who has resigned."
_Ordered_, That the said report do lie on the table.
THURSDAY, November 27.
Another member, to wit, JOHN BIRD, from New York, appeared, and took his
seat in the House.
_Answer to the Address._
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:
_Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the House of
Representatives_:
Compelled by the habits of a long life, as well as by all
the principles of society and government which I could ever
understand and believe, to consider the great body of the
people as the source of all legitimate authority, no less
than all efficient power, it is impossible for me to
receive this Address from the immediate Representatives of
the American people, at this time, and in this place,
without emotions which it would be improper to express, if
any language could convey them.
May the spirit which animated the great founder of this
city descend to future generations; and may the wisdom,
magnanimity, and steadiness, which marked the events of his
public life, be imitated in all succeeding ages.
I thank you, gentlemen, for your assurance that the
Judiciary System shall receive your deliberate attention.
With you, gentlemen, I sincerely hope that the final result
of the negotiations now pending with France, may prove as
fortunate to our country, as they have been commenced with
sincerity, and prosecuted with deliberation and caution.
With you, I cordially agree, that so long as a predatory
war is carried on against our commerce, we should sacrifice
the interests and disappoint the expectations of our
constituents, should we for a moment relax that system of
maritime defence, which has resulted in such beneficial
effects. With you, I confidently believe that few persons
can be found within the United States, who do not admit
that a Navy, well organized, must constitute the natural
and efficient defence of this country, against all foreign
hostility.
Those who recollect the distress and danger to this
country, in former periods, from the want of arms, must
exult in the assurance, from their Representatives, that we
shall soon rival foreign countries, not only in the number,
but in the quality of arms, completed from our own
manufactories.
With you, gentlemen, I fully agree, that the great increase
of revenue is a proof that the measures of maritime defence
were founded in wisdom. This policy has raised us in the
esteem of foreign nations. That national spirit and those
latent energies which had not been and are not yet fully
known to any, were not entirely forgotten by those who had
lived long enough to see, in former times, their operation,
and some of their effects. Our fellow-citizens were
undoubtedly prepared to meet every event which national
honor or national security could render necessary. These,
it is to be hoped, are secured at the cheapest and easiest
rate: if not, they will be secured at more expense.
I thank you, gentlemen, for your assurance that the various
subjects recommended to your consideration, shall receive
your deliberate attention. No further evidence is wanting
to convince me of the zeal and sincerity with which the
House of Representatives regard the public good.
I pray you, gentlemen, to accept of my best wishes for your
health and happiness.