_For President of the United States._
JAMES MADISON, of Virginia, 128
DE WITT CLINTON, of New York, 89
---
217
_For Vice President of the United States._
ELBRIDGE GERRY, of Massachusetts, 131
JARED INGERSOLL, of Pennsylvania, 86
---
217
The President of the Senate, in pursuance of the joint resolutions of
the two Houses, then announced the state of the votes to both Houses of
Congress, and declared "That JAMES MADISON, of the State of Virginia,
was duly elected President of the United States, for four years, to
commence on the fourth day of March next; and that ELBRIDGE GERRY was
duly elected Vice President of the United States, for the like term of
four years, to commence on the said fourth day of March next."
The two Houses then separated, and the Senate returned to their Chamber.
THURSDAY, February 11.
A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate have
appointed a committee, on their part, to join such committee as this
House may appoint on their part, to wait upon the President of the
United States, and to inform him of his re-election, for four years, to
commence on the fourth day of March next.
_Regulation of Seamen._
The House resumed the consideration of the bill excluding foreign
seamen from the service of the United States.
Mr. PITKIN'S motion to strike out the first section of the bill, for
the purpose of inserting a proposed amendment, being still under
consideration, considerable discussion took place on it, but it was
eventually withdrawn to give way to the following motion.
Mr. RIDGELY moved to strike out of the first section all the words in
brackets, as follows:
SEC. 1. _Be it enacted, &c._, That from and after the
termination, by a treaty of peace, of the war in which the
United States are now engaged with Great Britain, it shall not
be lawful to employ as seamen, or otherwise, on board of any
public vessel of the United States, or of any vessel owned by
citizens of the United States, or sailing under their flag,
any person or persons, except natural born citizens of the
United States, or citizens of the United States at the time of
such treaty being made and concluded, [or persons who, being
resident within the United States at the time of such treaty,
and having previously declared, agreeably to existing laws,
their intention to become citizens of the United States, shall
be admitted as such within five years thereafter in the manner
prescribed by law.]
After some conversation, the motion was negatived by yeas and nays--for
it 40, against it 80.
SATURDAY, February 13.
_Encouragement for Privateering--Bounty for
Prisoners._
Mr. BASSETT, from the Committee on the Naval Establishment, made a
report relative to the expediency of affording greater encouragement to
privateering. The report is as follows:--
That, in relation to the first inquiry, they find that, by the
British statutes of the 13th and 27th of George the Second,
the whole prize of each and every public armed vessel is given
to the officers and crews making the capture; and they find
this principle published by British proclamation, in relation
to the present war with the United States. The laws of the
United States, vol. 3, page 360, direct that, if a capture be
made by an American public armed vessel, of equal or superior
force, the capturing vessel shall have the whole; in all other
cases of capture, one-half is distributed to the officers,
and the other half is paid to the Commissioners of the Navy
Pension Fund, pledged, first, for the payment of pensions,
and the surplus to be disbursed for the comfort and benefit
of seamen. This fund for Navy pensions amounts to something
more than two hundred thousand dollars, yielding an annual
interest of fifteen thousand dollars; and the amount of
pensions is from seven to eight thousand dollars; leaving a
yearly balance of seventeen thousand dollars in favor of the
fund, and this without the addition of the prizes made this
war, which are known to exceed one hundred thousand dollars,
and will probably amount to two hundred thousand dollars, so
as to double the fund; while only four persons have been added
to the list by the war, to receive twenty-one dollars. From
the above it appears, that, from the old pension list, the
amount of pensions is little more than three per centum on the
amount of prizes. Were five per cent. from the future prizes,
to be added to this fund, on past experience it would promise
an adequate sum for the payment of pensions. Your committee,
however, concluded that it would not do to rely conclusively
on past experience, and, on the ground of certainty, deemed
it best for the fund to remain as established for another
year, when more experience would give more confidence to the
decision. As this report is intended to bring the subject under
the view of the House, with the hope that it will not be lost
sight of at the next session, it will be proper here to add,
that, with some of the committee, the idea was entertained
that ten per cent. should be withheld from distribution, viz.:
five per cent. for the pension, and five for the navy hospital
fund; in which not only the imbecility of decrepitude, but the
imbecility of infancy should always find an asylum. On the
other branch of the inquiry, your committee give their fullest
attestation to the utility and importance of privateers. If, at
other times and in other countries, the effect of individual
exertion has been distrusted, the unexampled gallantry of our
citizens, in that way, since the declaration of war, assures
us that, with Americans, even the individual arm can make an
efficient impression on the foe. The mode, however, of giving
encouragement, they found not free from difficulty. As least
liable to objection, they recommend that a bounty be paid for
every prisoner brought in; and, that this proposition may be
regularly before the House, they report a bill.
Mr. BASSETT, from the Naval Committee, then reported a bill allowing
a bounty to privateers. [Allowing a bounty of ---- dollars for each
person they bring in.] Twice read and committed.
_Additional General Officers._
On motion of Mr. WILLIAMS, the House resolved itself into a Committee
of the Whole on the bill authorizing the appointment of additional
general officers in the Army of the United States.
[The bill provides for the appointment of ---- additional Major
Generals, and ---- Brigadier Generals.]
The following letters from the Secretary of War were read: