The time agreed upon by the last-mentioned vote being expired, the
States proceeded in manner aforesaid to the thirty-fifth ballot; and,
upon examination thereof, the result was declared to be the same.
_Ordered_, That the ballot be repeated at one o'clock.
The time agreed upon by the last-mentioned vote being expired, the
States proceeded in manner aforesaid to the thirty-sixth ballot; and,
upon examination thereof, and the result being reported by the tellers
to the SPEAKER, the SPEAKER declared to the House that the votes of ten
States had been given for THOMAS JEFFERSON, of Virginia; the votes of
four States for AARON BURR, of New York; and that the votes of two
States had been given in blank; and, that, consequently, THOMAS
JEFFERSON, of Virginia, had been, agreeably to the constitution, elected
President of the United States, for the term of four years, commencing
on the fourth day of March next.[60]
_Ordered_, That Mr. PINCKNEY, Mr. TAZEWELL, and Mr. BAYARD, be appointed
a committee to wait on the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, and notify
him that THOMAS JEFFERSON is elected President of the United States, for
the term commencing on the fourth day of March next.
_Ordered_, That a message be sent to the Senate to inform them that
THOMAS JEFFERSON has been duly elected President of the United States,
for the term of four years commencing on the fourth day of March next;
and that the Clerk of this House do go with the said message.
THURSDAY, February 19.
_State Balances._
Mr. HILL, from the committee appointed to inquire into the expediency of
extinguishing the claims of the United States for certain balances
which, by the Commissioners appointed to settle the accounts between the
United States and the several States, were reported to be due from
several of the States to the United States, now made a report,
accompanied by a bill to extinguish the claims of the United States, for
certain balances reported to be due from several of the States to the
United States; which was read, and the consideration of the said report
and bill postponed until the third day of March next.
The report is as follows:
The committee appointed to inquire into the expediency of
extinguishing the claims of the United States for certain
balances which, by the Commissioners appointed to settle
the accounts between the United States and the several
States, were reported to be due from several of the States
to the United States, report--
That the Commissioners aforesaid, on the liquidation of the
accounts, reported that there were due from several of the
States certain balances, that is to say:
New York $2,074,846
Pennsylvania 76,709
Delaware 612,428
Maryland 151,430
Virginia 100,879
North Carolina 501,082
That Congress by an act passed the 15th February, 1799,
engaged that any State so reported against might discharge
itself from the claim, by an engagement in the form of a
legislative act, to be passed before the first of April,
1800, to pay at the Treasury of the United States, within
five years, the amount of the sum assumed by the United
States in the debt of such State; or by expending moneys to
the like amount within the time aforesaid in the erection
of fortifications. And the said act of Congress provides
further, that any payment or expenditure aforesaid shall be
credited at the Treasury to the amount of stock which said
payment or expenditure is equal to the purchase of at the
market prices of stock. That the State of New York passed,
within the time limited, the Legislative act required by
the act of Congress aforesaid, and has already received
credit at the Treasury for the sum of $222,810 06, for
having previously expended in fortifications the sum of
$136,533 82. That no other State has acceded to the terms
offered by the said act of Congress.
The committee further report, that, by the immediate
operation of the said act of Congress, and of the
Legislature of the State of New York, that State was
exonerated and released from a very considerable part of
the balance reported, to wit, the sum of $891,129 31, the
balance reported against the State being to that amount
more than the sum subscribed on the assumption of the
United States in the debt of that State, the sum so
subscribed amounts to $1,183,716 69; that the sum of
$891,129 31, exceeds the whole amount of the balance
reported to be due from any one of the States, and the
aggregate amount of the whole of the balances, with the
exception of the balance reported to be due from the State
of Delaware.
The committee, without entering into a discussion of the
principles whereon the settlement of the accounts by the
Commissioners was founded, remark, that as none of the
States but the State of New York have manifested any
disposition to pay the balances reported against them,
whether the terms offered by the said act of Congress
operate favorably or not, and none of them have assented to
the justice or equity of the claim of the United States,
and no means exist of exacting payment, it seems unwise to
keep alive a claim which cannot be enforced, and may have
the effect of producing irritation and exciting discontent;
and as the act of Congress has already released the State
of New York from so large an amount and enabled that State,
with ease and advantage, to discharge the residue of the
balance reported to be due from that State, the committee
are of opinion that a release of the balances due from the
other States is expedient, and for this purpose report a
bill, which is submitted.
SATURDAY, February 21.
_President Elect._
Mr. PINCKNEY, from the committee instructed on the eighteenth instant to
wait on the PRESIDENT elect, to notify him of his election, reported
that the committee had performed that service, and addressed the
PRESIDENT elect in the following words, to wit:
"The committee beg leave to express their wishes for the
prosperity of your Administration; and their sincere desire
that it may promote your own happiness and the welfare of
our country."
To which the PRESIDENT elect was pleased to make the following reply:
"I receive, gentlemen, with profound thankfulness, this
testimony of confidence from the great Representative
Council of our nation: it fills up the measure of that
grateful satisfaction which had already been derived from
the suffrages of my fellow-citizens themselves, designating
me as one of those to whom they were willing to commit this
charge, the most important of all others to them. In
deciding between the candidates, whom their equal vote
presented to your choice, I am sensible that age has been
respected rather than more active and useful
qualifications.
"I know the difficulties of the station to which I am
called, and feel, and acknowledge, my incompetence to them:
But, whatsoever of understanding, whatsoever of diligence,
whatsoever of justice, or of affectionate concern for the
happiness of man, it has pleased Providence to place within
the compass of my faculties, shall be called forth for the
discharge of the duties confided to me, and for procuring
to my fellow-citizens all the benefits which our
constitution has placed under the guardianship of the
General Government.
"Guided by the wisdom and patriotism of those to whom it
belongs to express the Legislative will of the nation, I
will give to that will a faithful execution.
"I pray you, gentlemen, to convey to the honorable body
from which you are deputed, the homage of my humble
acknowledgments, and the sentiments of zeal and fidelity by
which I shall endeavor to merit these proofs of confidence
from the nation, and its representatives; and accept,
yourselves, my particular thanks for the obliging terms in
which you have been pleased to communicate their will.
"THOMAS JEFFERSON.
"FEBRUARY 20, 1801."
_Sedition Act._
The House then went into a Committee of the Whole, on the bill to repeal
part of an act, entitled "An act in addition to the act, entitled 'An
act for the punishment of certain crimes against the United States,'"
and to continue in force the residue of the same.