Mr. MCKIM offered to the House the following resolution, premising
that he had been particularly induced to offer it, by considerations
resulting from the present state of things in the State of New York,
arising from the disability of the District Judge, by which upwards
of seven hundred suits were kept in suspense, to the great injury of
individuals and prejudice of the Government. In order to remedy that
difficulty, a bill had passed both Houses, which had been returned by
the President as objectionable on constitutional grounds. It had been
pronounced on this floor, by a respectable law authority, that if that
bill was rejected there was no other remedy. He, therefore, had been
induced to offer the following resolution:
_Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled_: (two-thirds
of both Houses concurring,) That the following section
be submitted to the Legislatures of the several States,
which, when ratified by the Legislatures of three-fourths
of the States, shall be valid and binding as a part of the
Constitution of the United States:
"_Resolved_, That the Judges of the Supreme and Inferior Courts
may be removed from office, on the joint address of the Senate
and House of Representatives of the United States."
The resolution was ordered to lie on the table, and to be printed--44
to 33.
_Louisiana Lead Company._
The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole, on the bill
to incorporate Moses Austin, Henry Austin, John R. Jones and others,
in the Territory of Louisiana, by the name of the Lead Company of
Louisiana. After considerable debate, the first section of the bill was
stricken out, on motion of Mr. TROUP. The question on concurrence with
the committee was decided by yeas and nays. For concurrence 46, against
concurrence 43.
And so the said bill was rejected.
TUESDAY, April 14.
_Cumberland Road._
Mr. MORROW, from the committee to whom was referred the Message of
the President of the United States, of the 1st ultimo, transmitting a
report and letter concerning the proceedings under the act, entitled
"An act to regulate the laying out and making a road from Cumberland,
in the State of Maryland, to the State of Ohio," and also a petition
from a number of the inhabitants of the western counties of the State
of Pennsylvania, praying that an appropriation may be made for the
purpose of erecting a bridge over the Youghiogany at the place where
the new road crosses the said river, made the following report:
That two subjects are suggested by the said Message, which
require Legislative provision, viz: the appropriation of
$30,000 for completing the said road to Tomlinson's, where the
old and new roads meet, and the granting authority to levy toll
sufficient to keep the said road in repair.
The reasons assigned in favor of such provisions, by the report
and letter communicated by the Message, are, in the opinion
of the committee, sufficient to show the expediency of the
measure; they therefore refer the House to these documents.
It is proper, however, to state that the appropriations already
made for the objects have exceeded the moneys produced by the
fund pledged to defray the expense of the said road, which will
appear by a letter from the Treasury Department, accompanying
this report. That circumstance, as also the present state of
the public finances, the necessity arising out of the existing
crisis in the national concerns, for applying the public
resources to objects of security and defence, have been duly
considered; and whatever ground of objection to the proposed
measure these considerations may afford, the committee are of
opinion, nevertheless, that the advantages the public would
derive from an immediate extension of the new road to where
it will intersect with the old, are sufficient to justify the
appropriation.
They are of opinion, that an appropriation for erecting a
bridge over the Youghiogany River would be improper at this
time, because, by law, the superintendent, in making the road,
has power to deviate from the original survey, only that the
road shall pass through the principal points established. If,
then, a bridge should be erected over the said river, that
place must necessarily become fixed as a point to which the
road must lead, and being many miles in advance of the parts
of the road contracted for, might prove inconvenient in the
further prosecution of the work.
The committee respectfully submit the following resolutions:
_Resolved_, That $30,000, in addition to the sums heretofore
appropriated, and reimbursable by the same fund, shall be
appropriated for making the road leading from Cumberland to
Brownsville.
_Resolved_, That provision be made for the levying of toll
sufficient to keep the same in repair.
_Resolved_, That it is inexpedient to appropriate money for
erecting a bridge over Youghiogany River on the said road.
The report was referred to a Committee of the Whole on Thursday next.
MONDAY, April 20.
_Death of the Vice President._
A message was received from the Senate, announcing the death of the
Vice President of the United States, and the resolution they had
adopted.
The House agreed to consider the joint resolution as above stated.
Mr. TALLMADGE said, it was assuredly not from any want of respect to
the memory of the patriot deceased, that some member from the State of
New York did not on this occasion address the Chair. At their request,
and being himself a native citizen of the State of New York, and having
served particularly and on honorable occasions in the Revolutionary war
with the gentleman whose death was now announced; having long known his
services and merits as a soldier and statesman, he took the liberty, in
behalf of the delegation from New York, to move a concurrence in the
resolution of the Senate.
The House unanimously concurred; and Messrs. TALLMADGE, MITCHILL, GOLD,
STOW, and MACON, were appointed a committee on their part to act with
the committee of the Senate.
And the House adjourned, to meet at nine o'clock to-morrow, to receive
the report of the joint committee on the subject.
TUESDAY, April 21.
On motion of Mr. TALLMADGE,
_Resolved, unanimously_, That from an unfeigned respect to the late
GEORGE CLINTON, Vice President of the United States, and President
of the Senate, the Speaker's chair be shrouded with black during the
present session: And, as a further testimony of respect for the memory
of the deceased, the members will go into mourning, and wear black
crape on the left arm for thirty days.
On motion of Mr. TALLMADGE,
_Resolved, unanimously_, That the members of this House will attend the
funeral of GEORGE CLINTON, deceased, the Vice President of the United
States, to-day at four o'clock.