WASHINGTON, _January 3, 1811_.
The Message was read.
On motion by Mr. CLAY,
_Resolved_, That the Message from the President of the United States,
of this day, which has been just read, be referred to a committee, with
leave to report by bill or otherwise.
Mr. CLAY, Mr. CRAWFORD, Mr. BRADLEY, Mr. SMITH of Maryland, and Mr.
ANDERSON, were appointed the committee.
MONDAY, January 7.
Mr. CLAY, from the committee, appointed the 3d instant, on the
confidential Message of the President of the United States, reported a
declaration and bill to enable the President of the United States to
take possession of the country lying east of the Perdido, and south
of the State of Georgia and the Mississippi Territory, and for other
purposes; which were read, and passed to a second reading.
TUESDAY, January 8.
The bill to enable the President of the United States to take
possession of the country lying east of the Perdido, and south of the
State of Georgia and the Mississippi Territory, and for other purposes,
was read the second time; and, on motion by Mr. CLAY, it was considered
as in Committee of the Whole.
On motion, by Mr. BAYARD, to amend the bill, by striking out of the
first section thereof the words, "In the event of such arrangement for
that purpose as shall have been made with the local authority which
may then exist;" and, in lieu thereof, to insert the words, "In case
an arrangement has been or shall be made with the local authority of
the said territory for delivering up the possession of the same to the
United States:"
On motion, by Mr. GILMAN, a division of the question was called for:
and the question being put on striking out, it was determined in the
affirmative.
The question was then taken upon inserting the proposed amendment, and
determined in the affirmative--yeas 20, nays 12, as follows:
YEAS.--Messrs. Anderson, Bayard, Brent, Campbell, Condit,
Crawford, Franklin, German, Gregg, Lambert, Lloyd, Mathewson,
Pickering, Pope, Reed, Smith of Maryland, Smith of New York,
Tait, Taylor, and Worthington.
NAYS.--Messrs. Bradley, Champlin, Clay, Cutts, Dana, Gaillard,
Gilman, Goodrich, Horsey, Leib, Robinson, and Whiteside.
On motion, by Mr. BAYARD, it was agreed to amend the fourth section of
the bill, by inserting, after the word "enacted," the words, "That in
case possession of the territory aforesaid shall be obtained by the
United States, as aforesaid."
WEDNESDAY, January 9.
The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the bill to enable
the President of the United States to take possession of the territory
lying east of the Perdido, and south of the State of Georgia and the
Mississippi Territory, and for other purposes.
On motion, by Mr. CLAY, it was agreed further to amend the bill, by
adding to the first section the remainder of the original second
section; and by adopting the original third and fourth sections, as
the second and third sections of the bill; and having gone through the
amendments, the President reported the bill to the House accordingly.
On the question, "Shall this bill be engrossed and read a third time,
as amended?" it was determined in the affirmative.
Mr. ANDERSON submitted the following motion:
_Resolved_, That the subject-matter of the bill, entitled
"An act to enable the President of the United States to take
possession of the country lying east of the Perdido, and south
of the State of Georgia and the Mississippi Territory, and for
other purposes," be kept inviolably secret by the members of
the Senate, until the Senate shall, by their resolution, take
off the injunction of secrecy.
Which was read; and on the question to agree thereto, it was determined
in the affirmative--yeas 20, nays 6, as follows:
YEAS.--Messrs. Anderson, Bradley, Brent, Clay, Crawford, Cutts,
Franklin, Gaillard, Gilman, Gregg, Lambert, Leib, Pope, Reed,
Robinson, Smith of Maryland, Tait, Taylor, Whiteside, and
Worthington.
NAYS.--Messrs. Bayard, Champlin, Dana, Goodrich, Lloyd, and
Pickering.
Mr. CUTTS, from the committee, reported the bill last mentioned,
correctly engrossed.
A confidential message was received from the House of Representatives,
by Mr. MONTGOMERY and Mr. CUTTS, two members of that body, with the
following resolution, in which they ask the concurrence of the Senate: