A desultory debate of two hours took place on it, in the course of
which a motion was made by Mr. GRUNDY to lay the resolution on the
table, and negatived--60 to 45.
The following was the course of the debate, which was of too irregular
a nature to be reported entire:
Mr. GRUNDY opposed the motion, because it had already been declared
impracticable, by the Committee of Ways and Means, to act properly on
the subject at the present session.
Mr. LITTLE supported it, on the ground of his opposition to a
suspension of the non-importation act, a measure which he reprobated
as injurious to the manufactures of our country, and weakening
our measures against Great Britain, of which he considered the
non-importation act to be as powerful as any.
Mr. STOW advocated the motion, because he wished the House to redeem
the pledge given at the last session, that taxes would be laid at this,
and to observe something like consistency in their proceedings.
Mr. WEIGHT was also warmly in favor of the measure, and rather imputed
blame to the Committee of Ways and Means for not having before acted on
this subject, without waiting for instructions from the House.
Mr. BIBB replied to the remarks which had been made in favor of the
resolution. At the last session it was presumed that it would be
necessary to lay taxes at this session; but the revenue accruing in the
intermediate time had swelled so far beyond its anticipated amount as
to render it unnecessary to levy taxes for the service of the ensuing
year.
Mr. WRIGHT again spoke in favor of the motion.
Mr. RICHARDSON was decidedly in favor of a repeal or modification of
the non-importation act, though he believed both that measure and the
imposition of taxes would be necessary to supply the revenue.
Mr. MCKIM was in favor of the motion, because he was opposed to the
suspension or weakening of the non-importation act.
Mr. CHEVES spoke at length in defence of the Committee of Ways and
Means, and in demonstration of the impracticability of acting on the
subject properly at the present session. Sitting day and night, and
passing by all other business, a proper system of taxation could not be
digested and put into the form of law before the end of the session.
Two only out of fourteen of the bills it would be necessary to pass
to carry the system proposed at the last session into effect, would
require the whole of the present session to perfect them. The passage
of a system of taxation, besides, would not obviate the necessity of
the passage of the law suspending partially the non-importation act. It
would require both. The taxes, he agreed, must be laid, but could not
at the present session.
Mr. WRIGHT replied.
Mr. STOW again spoke. He would, if all the tax bills could not be
passed, at least pass one, and break the charm which seemed to withhold
the House from touching the subject.
Mr. ARCHER moved to strike out the whole of the resolution, for the
purpose of inserting an instruction to the Committee of Ways and Means
to report a bill or bills, pursuant to the report of the Committee of
Ways and Means on this subject, which passed the House on the 4th day
of March, 1812.
This modification of the motion was accepted by Mr. LITTLE.
Mr. CHEVES then withdrew his objection to the motion, as it contained
a definite instruction, and he felt a delicacy as a member of the
Committee of Ways and Means in opposing it, though he was convinced it
would be impracticable to pass the bills at the present session.
Mr. ROBERTS opposed the motion, and expressed his regret that the
discussion, which was fixed for to-morrow, should be forestalled by
this resolution.
Mr. JOHNSON warmly opposed the motion, as going to cast censure on
a committee which had labored day and night in its vocation, and
requiring them to originate measures which they had already declared it
impracticable to act on at the present session, &c.
Mr. WIDGERY also spoke against the motion, decidedly.
The question on the adoption of the resolution as modified by Mr.
ARCHER, was decided in the negative--yeas 47, nays 69.
THURSDAY, February 18.
_Encouragement to Privateering._
On motion of Mr. LITTLE, the House resolved itself into a Committee
of the Whole, on the bill remitting the claim of the United States to
certain goods, wares, &c., captured by the private armed vessels of the
United States.
Mr. MCKIM, under the belief that the bill as it now stands does not
place privateers on a better footing than before, and does not answer
the object intended by the resolution which produced it, proposed the
following substitute by way of amendment:
"That all right and claim of the United States to British
property, which may have been captured by American privateers,
arising from forfeiture under any provision of the act entitled
'An act to prohibit commercial intercourse between the United
States and Great Britain and France and their dependencies, and
for other purposes,' and an act entitled 'An act concerning
the commercial intercourse between Great Britain and France
and their dependencies, and for other purposes,' and an act
supplementary to the last mentioned act, be, and the same is
hereby relinquished for the benefit of the owners, officers,
and crews of the privateers respectively that may have captured
the same."
This amendment produced some discussion, in which Messrs. MCKIM and
WRIGHT advocated the motion, and Messrs. ROBERTS and FISK opposed it;
when the question was taken and lost, without a division.
Mr. ROBERTS moved to amend the bill, so as to include captures made of
goods which were shipped anterior to as well as since the declaration
of war was known in England. This amendment was adopted, 46 to 32.
The committee then rose, reported the bill to the House, as amended;
the amendments were concurred in, and the bill ordered to be engrossed
and read a third time to-morrow, 47 to 39.
FRIDAY, February 19.
Another member, to wit, from New Hampshire, GEORGE SULLIVAN, appeared,
and took his seat.
_Encouragement of Private Armed Privateering._
The engrossed bill to release the claims of the United States on
certain goods, wares, and merchandise, captured by private armed
vessels, was read a third time, and debated.
The bill was passed by the vote, by yeas and nays--for the bill 52,
against it 38:
_Capture of the Java._
The following Message was received from the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES:
_To the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States_:
I lay before Congress a letter, with accompanying documents,
from Captain Bainbridge, now commanding the United
States frigate "the Constitution," reporting his capture
and destruction of the British frigate "the Java." The
circumstances and the issue of this combat afford another
example of the professional skill and heroic spirit which
prevail in our naval service. The signal display of both by
Captain Bainbridge, his officers, and crew, command the highest
praise.
This being a second instance in which the condition of the
captured ship, by rendering it impossible to get her into
port, has barred a contemplated reward of successful valor,
I recommend to the consideration of Congress the equity and
propriety of a general provision, allowing, in such cases, both
past and future, a fair proportion of the value which would
accrue to the captors on the safe arrival and sale of the prize.