_Resolved_, That a committee be appointed on the part of this House, to
join such committee as may be appointed on the part of the Senate, to
ascertain and report a mode of examining the votes for President and Vice
President, and of notifying the persons who shall be elected, of their
election; and to regulate the time, place, and manner of administering
the oath of office to the President.
_Ordered_, That Mr. JOSEPH CLAY, Mr. VARNUM, Mr. DENNIS, Mr. THOMAS
MOORE, and Mr. DICKSON, be appointed a committee, pursuant to said
resolution; and that the Clerk of this House do carry the resolution to
the Senate, and desire their concurrence.
A message from the Senate notified the House that the Senate will be
ready to receive the House of Representatives in the Senate Chamber, on
Wednesday, the thirteenth of February, at noon, for the purpose of being
present at the opening and counting the votes for President and Vice
President of the United States: That one person be appointed a teller on
the part of the Senate to make a list of votes for President and Vice
President of the United States, as they shall be declared, and that the
result shall be delivered to the President of the Senate, who shall
announce the state of the vote, which shall be entered on the Journals,
and if it shall appear that a choice had been made agreeably to the
constitution, such entry on the Journals shall be deemed a sufficient
declaration thereof.
_Amy Dardin._
Mr. CLAIBORNE, from the committee appointed yesterday, presented a bill
for the relief of Amy Dardin, and the legal representatives of David
Dardin, deceased; which was read twice, and committed to a Committee of
the whole House to-morrow.
WEDNESDAY, February 13.
_Counting Electoral Votes._
A message was received from the Senate informing the House that Mr.
SMITH of Maryland has been appointed a teller of the votes of President
and Vice President of the United States, on the part of the Senate,
conformably with their vote of the twelfth instant, and are now ready,
in the Senate Chamber, to proceed therein: Whereupon, Mr. SPEAKER,
attended by the House, proceeded to the Senate Chamber, and took seats
therein; when, both Houses being assembled, the PRESIDENT of the Senate,
in the presence of both Houses, proceeded to open the certificates of
the Electors of the several States, beginning with the State of New
Hampshire; and as the votes were read, the tellers on the part of each
House counted and took lists of the same; which, being compared, were
delivered to the President of the Senate, and are as follows:
[Given in the Senate proceedings of the same day.]
The PRESIDENT of the Senate, in pursuance of the duty enjoined upon him,
announced the state of the votes to both Houses, and declared that THOMAS
JEFFERSON, of Virginia, having the greatest number, and a majority of the
votes of the Electors appointed, was duly elected President of the United
States, for the term commencing on the fourth day of March next; and
that GEORGE CLINTON, of New York, having also the greatest number, and
a majority of the votes of all the Electors appointed, was duly elected
Vice President of the United States, for the term commencing on the
fourth day of March next.
The two Houses then separated, and the House of Representatives being
returned to their Chamber, Mr. SPEAKER resumed the Chair.
The list of the votes of the Electors for President and Vice President of
the United States, as declared by the PRESIDENT of the Senate, and herein
before recited, was read at the Clerk’s table.
THURSDAY, February 14.
A new member, to wit, GEORGE CLINTON, jr., returned to serve as a member
of this House, for the State of New York, in the place of Samuel L.
Mitchill, appointed a Senator of the United States, appeared, produced
his credentials, was qualified, and took his seat in the House.
MONDAY, February 18.
_Ordered_, That Mr. ROGER GRISWOLD, Mr. J. CLAY, Mr. BLACKLEDGE, Mr.
HUGER, and Mr. NICHOLAS R. MOORE, be appointed of the said committee, on
the part of this House; and that the Clerk of this House do carry the
said resolution to the Senate, and desire their concurrence.
The House proceeded to the further consideration of the bill authorizing
the Secretary of War to issue military land warrants, and for other
purposes, to which the Committee of the whole House, to whom it had been
committed, reported no amendment, on the thirteenth instant; and the said
bill being twice read and amended at the Clerk’s table, was, together
with the amendments, ordered to be engrossed, and read the third time
to-morrow.
The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the bill for
the relief of Philip Nicklin and Robert Eaglesfield Griffith; and, after
some time spent therein, the committee rose, reported progress, and were
discharged from the further consideration thereof, and the bill was
recommitted to the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures.
TUESDAY, February 19.
_Richard Taylor._
The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the report of
the Committee of Claims, of the thirteenth instant, to whom was referred
the memorial of Richard Taylor, of the State of Kentucky; and, after
some time spent therein, the committee rose and reported a resolution
thereupon; which was twice read, and agreed to by the House, as follows:
_Resolved_, That the prayer of the memorial of Richard Taylor
is reasonable, and ought to be granted.
_Ordered_, That a bill, or bills, be brought in, pursuant to the said
resolution; and that the Committee of Claims do prepare and bring in the
same.
FRIDAY, March 1.
_Presidential Oath of Office._
The SPEAKER laid before the House a letter addressed to him signed,
“Th. Jefferson,” notifying, that “he shall take the oath which the
constitution prescribes to the President of the United States, before he
enters on the execution of his office, on Monday, the fourth instant, at
twelve o’clock, in the Senate Chamber.”
Ordered to lie on the table.
_Eodem Die, 4 o’clock, P. M._
_Removal of Federal Judges._
On a motion made by Mr. JOHN RANDOLPH, that the House do come to 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 article
be submitted to the Legislatures of the several States,
which, when ratified and confirmed by the Legislatures of
three-fourths of the said States, shall be valid and binding,
as a part of the Constitution of the United States:
The judges of the Supreme and all other Courts of the United
States, shall be removed by the President, on the joint address
of both Houses of Congress, requesting the same, any thing
in the Constitution of the United States to the contrary
notwithstanding:
A motion was made and seconded that the said proposed resolution be
referred to the consideration of a Committee of the whole House; and the
question being taken thereupon, it was resolved in the affirmative--yeas
68, nays 33, as follows:
YEAS.--Willis Alston, jr., Isaac Anderson, David Bard, William
Blackledge, Walter Bowie, Adam Boyd, Robert Brown, Joseph
Bryan, William Butler, Levi Casey, Thomas Claiborne, Joseph
Clay, George Clinton, jun., John Clopton, Frederick Conrad,
Jacob Crowninshield, Richard Cutts, John Dawson, John B.
Earle, Peter Early, John W. Eppes, William Findlay, John
Fowler, Peterson Goodwyn, Andrew Gregg, John A. Hanna, Josiah
Hasbrouck, Jas. Holland, David Holmes, John G. Jackson, Walter
Jones, Nehemiah Knight, Michael Leib, J. B. C. Lucas, Andrew
McCord, William McCreery, Nicholas R. Moore, Thomas Moore,
Jeremiah Morrow, Roger Nelson, Thomas Newton, jun., Joseph H.
Nicholson, Gideon Olin, Beriah Palmer, Oliver Phelps, John
Randolph, John Rea of Pennsylvania, John Rhea of Tennessee,
Jacob Richards, Samuel Riker, Cæsar A. Rodney, Thomas Sammons,
Ebenezer Seaver, James Sloan, John Smilie, Henry Southard,
Richard Stanford, Joseph Stanton, John Stewart, David Thomas,
Philip R. Thompson, Isaac Van Horne, Joseph B. Varnum, Matthew
Walton, John Whitehill, Alexander Wilson, Richard Wynn, and
Thomas Wynns.
NAYS.--Nathaniel Alexander, Simeon Baldwin, Silas Betton,
William Chamberlin, Martin Chittenden, Clifton Claggett,
Manasseh Cutler, Samuel W. Dana, John Davenport, Thomas Dwight,
James Elliot, Ebenezer Elmer, Calvin Goddard, Gaylord Griswold,
Roger Griswold, Seth Hastings, William Helms, John Hoge, Benj.
Huger, Simon Larned, Thomas Lowndes, Nahum Mitchell, Erastus
Root, William Stedman, Samuel Taggart, Benjamin Tallmadge,
Samuel Tenney, Samuel Thatcher, George Tibbits, Killian K. Van
Rensselaer, Peleg Wadsworth, Lemuel Williams, and Marmaduke
Williams.
Another motion was made, and the question being put, that the said
resolution be the order of the day for the first Monday in December next,
it was resolved in the affirmative.
_Recall of Senators._
On a motion made by Mr. NICHOLSON,
_Resolved_, That the following article, when adopted by
two-thirds of both Houses of Congress, and by the Legislatures
of three-fourths of the respective States, shall become a part
of the Constitution of the United States, viz:
That the Legislature of any State may, whenever the said
Legislature shall think proper, recall, at any period whatever,
any Senator of the United States, who may have been elected
by them; and whenever a vote of the Legislature of any State,
vacating the seat of any Senator of the United States, who may
have been elected by the said State, shall be made known to the
Senate of the United States, the seat of such Senator shall
thenceforth be vacated:
A motion was made and seconded, that the said proposed resolution be
referred to the consideration of a Committee of the whole House; and the
question being taken thereupon, it was resolved in the affirmative--yeas,
53, nays 46, as follows:
YEAS.--Willis Alston, junior, Isaac Anderson, David Bard,
Walter Bowie, Robert Brown, Joseph Bryan, William Butler, Levi
Casey, Thomas Claiborne, Joseph Clay, George Clinton, jun.,
John Clopton, Frederick Conrad, John Dawson, John B. Earle,
Peter Early, J. W. Eppes, Peterson Goodwyn, Andrew Gregg, John
A. Hanna, Josiah Hasbrouck, Joseph Heister, James Holland,
David Holmes, Nehemiah Knight, Michael Leib, Andrew McCord,
William McCreery, Nicholas R. Moore, Thomas Moore, Jeremiah
Morrow, Roger Nelson, Anthony New, Thomas Newton, jun., Joseph
H. Nicholson, Gideon Olin, Beriah Palmer, John Randolph, John
Rea of Pennsylvania, John Rhea of Tennessee, Jacob Richards,
Thomas Sammons, Ebenezer Seaver, James Sloan, Richard Stanford,
Joseph Stanton, John Stewart, Philip R. Thompson, Abram Trigg,
John Whitehill, Alexander Wilson, Richard Wynn, and Thomas
Wynns.
NAYS.--Nathaniel Alexander, Simeon Baldwin, Silas Betton,
William Blackledge, Adam Boyd, William Chamberlin, Martin
Chittenden, Clifton Claggett, Jacob Crowninshield, Manasseh
Cutler, Richard Cutts, John Davenport, Thomas Dwight, James
Elliot, Ebenezer Elmer, William Findlay, John Fowler, Gaylord
Griswold, Roger Griswold, Seth Hastings, William Helms, David
Hough, Benjamin Huger, John G. Jackson, William Kennedy, Simon
Larned, Thomas Lowndes, John B. C. Lucas, Nahum Mitchell,
Oliver Phelps, Erastus Root, John Smilie, Henry Southard,
William Stedman, Samuel Taggart, Benjamin Tallmadge, Samuel
Tenney, Samuel Thatcher, David Thomas, George Tibbits, Killian
K. Van Rensselaer, Joseph B. Varnum, Peleg Wadsworth, Lemuel
Williams, and Marmaduke Williams.
Another motion was then made, and the question being put, that the said
resolution be the order of the day for the first Monday in December next,
it was resolved in the affirmative--yeas 70, nays 28.
SATURDAY, March 2.
The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the bill, sent
from the Senate, entitled “An act to amend an act, entitled ‘An act for
imposing more specific duties on the importation of certain articles;
and, also, for levying and collecting light money on foreign ships or
vessels,’” to which the Committee of Ways and Means, to whom it had been
referred, reported no amendment, on the eighteenth of January last; and,
after some time spent therein, the Committee reported the same to the
House without amendment.
The House then proceeded to consider the said bill: Whereupon a motion
was made and seconded that the further consideration thereof be postponed
until the first Monday in December next, and the question being put
thereon, it passed in the negative--yeas 43, nays 46, as follows:
YEAS.--David Bard, Silas Betton, Adam Boyd, William Butler,
John Campbell, William Chamberlin, Martin Chittenden, Clifton
Claggett, Frederick Conrad, Samuel W. Dana, John Davenport,
Thomas Dwight, James Elliot, Ebenezer Elmer, John W. Eppes,
Calvin Goddard, Peterson Goodwyn, Andrew Gregg, Gaylord
Griswold, Roger Griswold, John Hoge, David Hough, Benjamin
Huger, Samuel Hunt, John G. Jackson, Thomas Lowndes, John B. C.
Lucas, Nahum Mitchell, Beriah Palmer, Thomas Plater, John Rea
of Pennsylvania, John Rhea of Tennessee, Thomas Sammons, Thomas
Sanford, Henry Southard, Richard Stanford, William Stedman,
John Stewart, Samuel Taggart, Benj. Tallmadge, Samuel Tenney,
Samuel Thatcher, and George Tibbits.
NAYS.--Willis Alston, jun., Nathaniel Alexander, Isaac
Anderson, William Blackledge, Walter Bowie, Robert Brown,
Joseph Clay, Matthew Clay, John Clopton, Jacob Crowninshield,
John Dawson, John Fowler, Josiah Hasbrouck, James Holland,
David Holmes, William Kennedy, Nehemiah Knight, Simon Larned,
Michael Leib, Matthew Lyon, Andrew McCord, William McCreery,
Nicholas R. Moore, Thomas Moore, Jeremiah Morrow, Roger Nelson,
Anthony New, Thomas Newton, jr., Joseph H. Nicholson, Gideon
Olin, John Randolph, Thomas Mann Randolph, Jacob Richards,
James Sloan, John Smilie, Joseph Stanton, Philip R. Thompson,
Abram Trigg, Joseph B. Varnum, John Whitehill, Lemuel Williams,
Alexander Wilson, Richard Wynn, Joseph Winston, and Thomas
Wynns.
And then the main question being taken, that the said bill do pass, it
was resolved in the affirmative.
An engrossed bill further to provide for the accommodation of the
President of the United States, was read the third time, and passed.
A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate have passed
a bill, entitled “An act supplementary to an act, entitled ‘An act
making an appropriation for carrying into effect the Convention between
the United States of America and His Britannic Majesty;’” to which they
desire the concurrence of this House.
_Eodem Die, 5 o’clock, P. M._
A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate have passed
the bill, entitled “An act supplementary to the act, entitled ‘An act
making provision for the disposal of the public lands in the Indiana
Territory, and for other purposes,’” with an amendment; to which they
desire the concurrence of this House; also, the bill, entitled “An
act further to alter and establish certain post roads, and for other
purposes,” with several amendments; to which they desire the concurrence
of this House.
The House proceeded to consider the amendment proposed by the Senate to
the bill, entitled “An act supplementary to the act, entitled ‘An act
making provision for the disposal of the public lands in the Indiana
Territory and for other purposes:’” Whereupon,
_Resolved_, That this House doth agree to the said amendment.
SUNDAY, March 3.
_Importation of Slaves._
Mr. VARNUM, one of the members for the State of Massachusetts, presented
to the House a letter from the Governor of the said State, enclosing an
attested copy of two concurrent resolutions of the Senate and House of
Representatives of the State of Massachusetts, passed the fifteenth of
February in the present year, “instructing the Senators and requesting
the Representatives in Congress, from the said State, to take all legal
and necessary steps, to use their utmost exertions, as soon as the same
is practicable, to obtain an amendment to the Federal Constitution, so as
to authorize and empower the Congress of the United States to pass a law,
whenever they may deem it expedient, to prevent the further importation
of slaves from any of the West India islands, from the coast of Africa,
or elsewhere, into the United States, or any part thereof:” Whereupon,
a motion was made and seconded, that the House do come to 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 article be proposed
to the Legislatures of the several States, as an amendment to
the Constitution of the United States, which, when ratified by
three-fourths of the said Legislatures, shall be valid to all
intents and purposes, as a part of the said constitution, to
wit:
“That the Congress of the United States shall have power to
prevent the further importation of slaves into the United
States and the Territories thereof.”
The said proposed resolution was read, and ordered to lie on the table.
_Commodore Preble._
The resolutions sent from the Senate, “expressive of the sense of
Congress of the gallant conduct of Commodore Edward Preble, the officers,
seamen, and marines, of his squadron,” together with the amendments
agreed to this day, were read the third time; and on the question that
the same do pass, it was unanimously resolved in the affirmative.
_Eodem Die, 5 o’clock, P. M._
A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate insist on
their amendments disagreed to by this House to the bill, entitled “An act
making an appropriation for the payment of witnesses summoned on the part
of the United States, in support of the impeachment of Samuel Chase,” and
desire a conference with this House on the subject-matter of the said
amendments; to which conference the Senate have appointed managers, on
their part.
The Senate have agreed to the amendments proposed by this House to the
resolutions “expressive of the sense of Congress of the gallant conduct
of Commodore Edward Preble, the officers, seamen, and marines, of his
squadron,” with amendments; to which they desire the concurrence of this
House.
_Divorces._
The order of the day for the House to resolve itself into a Committee of
the Whole on the bill to authorize the Circuit Court of the District of
Columbia to decree divorces in certain cases, being called for, a motion
was made, and the question being put, that the said order of the day be
postponed until the first Monday in December next, it was resolved in the
affirmative.
A motion was then made and seconded, that the House do come to the
following resolutions:
_Resolved_, That the Clerk of this House be, and he is
hereby, directed to pay out of the contingent fund of this
House, to every witness summoned on behalf of the House of
Representatives, to attend the Senate in support of the
impeachment of Samuel Chase, for every day’s attendance, the
sum of three dollars, and the further sum of twenty cents for
each mile in coming from and returning to his place of abode.
_Resolved_, That the Clerk be likewise directed to pay, out
of the said fund, any other expense incurred by order of the
managers of the said impeachment, and certified by their
chairman.
On which motion, various efforts were made to obtain a decision of
the House on the previous question, “that the House do now proceed to
consider the said motion;” but no result could, in any instance, be
obtained for the want of a quorum.
_Adjournment._
After which, a quorum being present,
A message from the Senate informed the House, that the Senate have
appointed a committee, on their part, jointly with such committee as may
be appointed on the part of this House, to wait on the President of the
United States, and notify him of the proposed recess of Congress.