GEORGE CLINTON, Vice President of the United States, and
President of the Senate.
NICHOLAS GILMAN and NAHUM PARKER, from New Hampshire.
TIMOTHY PICKERING, from Massachusetts.
JAMES HILLHOUSE and CHAUNCEY GOODRICH, from Connecticut.
ELISHA MATHEWSON and FRANCIS MALBONE, from Rhode Island.
JONATHAN ROBINSON, from Vermont.
JOHN LAMBERT, from New Jersey.
ANDREW GREGG and MICHAEL LEIB, from Pennsylvania.
SAMUEL WHITE, from Delaware.
SAMUEL SMITH, from Maryland.
WILLIAM B. GILES, from Virginia.
JESSE FRANKLIN and JAMES TURNER, from North Carolina.
JOHN GAILLARD, from South Carolina.
BUCKNER THRUSTON, from Kentucky.
RETURN JONATHAN MEIGS, jr., from Ohio.
JOSEPH ANDERSON, appointed a Senator by the Legislature of the State of
Tennessee, for the term of six years, commencing on the fourth day of
March last; and OBADIAH GERMAN, appointed a Senator by the Legislature
of the State of New York, for the term of six years, commencing on the
fourth day of March last, severally produced their credentials, which
were read; and the oath prescribed by law having been administered to
them, they took their seats in the Senate.
_Ordered_, That the Secretary acquaint the House of Representatives
that a quorum of the Senate is assembled and ready to proceed to
business.
_Resolved_, That each Senator be supplied, during the present session,
with three such newspapers, printed in any of the States, as he may
choose, provided that the same be furnished at the usual rate for the
annual charge of such papers: and, provided also, that if any Senator
shall choose to take any newspapers other than daily papers, he shall
be supplied with as many such papers as shall not exceed the price of
three daily papers.
_Resolved_, That James Mathers, Sergeant-at-Arms and Doorkeeper to
the Senate, be, and he is hereby, authorized to employ one assistant
and two horses, for the purpose of performing such services as are
usually required by the Doorkeeper to the Senate; and that the sum
of twenty-eight dollars be allowed him weekly for that purpose, to
commence with, and remain during the session, and for twenty days after.
Messrs. ANDERSON and GILMAN were appointed a committee on the part
of the Senate, together with such committee as may be appointed by
the House of Representatives on their part, 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 that he may be
pleased to make to them.
A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate that
a quorum of the House is assembled, and that the House have elected
JOSEPH B. VARNUM, Esq., one of the Representatives for the State of
Massachusetts, their Speaker, and are ready to proceed to business.
The House of Representatives have appointed a committee on their part,
jointly with the committee 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 that he may
be pleased to make to them.
TUESDAY, May 23.
Mr. ANDERSON reported, from the joint committee, that they had waited
on the President of the United States, and that the President of the
United States informed the committee that he would make a communication
to the two Houses at 12 o'clock this day.
JAMES LLOYD, jr., appointed a Senator by the Legislature of the State
of Massachusetts, for six years, commencing on the fourth day of March
last, attended and produced his credentials; which were read.
_President's Message._
The following Message was received from the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES:
_Fellow-citizens of the Senate
and House of Representatives_:
On this first occasion of meeting you, it affords me much
satisfaction to be able to communicate the commencement of a
favorable change in our foreign relations, the critical state
of which induced a session of Congress at this early period.
In consequence of the provisions of the act interdicting
commercial intercourse with Great Britain and France, our
Ministers at London and Paris were, without delay, instructed
to let it be understood by the French and British Governments
that the authority vested in the Executive to renew commercial
intercourse with their respective nations would be exercised in
the case specified by that act.
Soon after these instructions were dispatched, it was
found that the British Government, anticipating from early
proceedings of Congress, at their last session, the state
of our laws, which has had the effect of placing the two
belligerent powers on a footing of equal restrictions,
and, relying on the conciliatory disposition of the United
States, had transmitted to their legation here provisional
instructions, not only to offer satisfaction for the attack on
the frigate Chesapeake, and to make known the determination
of His Britannic Majesty to send an Envoy Extraordinary, with
powers to conclude a treaty on all the points between the two
countries; but, moreover, to signify his willingness, in the
mean time, to withdraw his Orders in Council, in the persuasion
that the intercourse with Great Britain would be renewed on the
part of the United States.
These steps of the British Government led to the
correspondence and the proclamation now laid before you, by
virtue of which the commerce between the two countries will be
renewable after the 10th day of June next.
Whilst I take pleasure in doing justice to the councils of
His Britannic Majesty, which, no longer adhering to the
policy which made an abandonment by France of her decrees
a prerequisite to a revocation of the British orders, have
substituted the amicable course which has issued thus happily,
I cannot do less than refer to the proposal heretofore made on
the part of the United States, embracing a like restoration
of the suspended commerce, as a proof of the spirit of
accommodation which has at no time been intermitted, and
to the result which now calls for our congratulations, as
corroborating the principles by which the public councils have
been guided during a period of the most trying embarrassments.
The discontinuance of the British orders, as they respect the
United States, having been thus arranged, a communication of
the event has been forwarded in one of our public vessels
to our Minister Plenipotentiary at Paris, with instructions
to avail himself of the important addition thereby made to
the considerations which press on the justice of the French
Government a revocation of its decrees, or such a modification
of them as that they shall cease to violate the neutral
commerce of the United States.
The revision of our commercial laws, proper to adapt them to
the arrangement which has taken place with Great Britain,
will doubtless engage the early attention of Congress. It
will be worthy, at the same time, of their just and provident
care, to make such further alterations in the laws as will
more especially protect and foster the several branches of
manufacture, which have been recently instituted or extended by
the laudable exertions of our citizens.
Under the existing aspect of our affairs, I have thought
it not inconsistent with a just precaution, to have the
gunboats, with the exception of those at New Orleans, placed
in a situation incurring no expense beyond that requisite for
their preservation and conveniency for future service, and to
have the crews of those at New Orleans reduced to the number
required for their navigation and safety.
I have thought, also, that our citizens, detached in quotas
of militia, amounting to one hundred thousand, under the act
of March, one thousand eight hundred and eight, might not
improperly be relieved from the state in which they were held
for immediate service. A discharge of them has been accordingly
directed.
The progress made in raising and organizing the additional
military force, for which provision was made by the act of
April, one thousand eight hundred and eight, together with the
disposition of the troops, will appear by a report which the
Secretary of War is preparing, and which will be laid before
you.
Of the additional frigates required by an act of the last
session to be fitted for actual service, two are in readiness,
one nearly so, and the fourth is expected to be ready in the
month of July. A report which the Secretary of the Navy is
preparing on the subject, to be laid before Congress, will
show, at the same time, the progress made in officering and
manning these ships. It will show, also, the degree in which
the provisions of the act relating to the other public armed
ships have been carried into execution.
It will rest with the judgment of Congress to decide how
far the change in our external prospects may authorize any
modifications of the laws relating to the Army and Navy
Establishments.
The works of defence for our seaport towns and harbors have
proceeded with as much activity as the season of the year and
other circumstances would admit. It is necessary, however,
to state that the appropriations hitherto made being found
to be deficient, a further provision will claim the early
consideration of Congress.
The whole of the eight per cent. stock remaining due by the
United States, amounting to five millions three hundred
thousand dollars, had been reimbursed on the last day of the
year 1808. And, on the first day of April last, the sum in the
Treasury exceeded nine and a half millions of dollars. This,
together with the receipts of the current year on account
of former revenue bonds, will probably be nearly, if not
altogether, sufficient to defray the expenses of the year.
But the suspension of exports, and the consequent decrease of
importations, during the last twelve months, will necessarily
cause a great diminution in the receipts of the year one
thousand eight hundred and ten. After that year, should our
foreign relations be undisturbed, the revenue will again be
more than commensurate to all the expenditures.
Aware of the inconveniences of a protracted session, at the
present season of the year, I forbear to call the attention
of the Legislature to any matters not particularly urgent. It
remains, therefore, only to assure you of the fidelity and
alacrity with which I shall co-operate for the welfare and
happiness of our country; and to pray that it may experience
a continuance of the Divine blessings by which it has been so
signally favored.