The Message and documents therein referred to were read, and ordered to
lie for consideration,
And on motion, the House adjourned.
TUESDAY, January 14.
_Inhabitants of Galliopolis._
Mr. WORTHINGTON presented the petition of a number of French settlers
of Galliopolis, grantees, on the 3d of March, 1795, of 20,000 acres of
land, situated on the Ohio River, and nearly opposite the mouth of Little
Sandusky, on condition that they settle the same within five years from
the date of the letters patent, and stating that they, being ignorant
of this condition, are liable to lose their lands, although for the
space of four years they have paid the taxes thereon, and praying the
interposition of Congress in their behalf; and the petition was read
and referred to Messrs. WORTHINGTON, SMITH of Tennessee, and ADAIR, to
consider and report thereon.
FRIDAY, January 17.
_Aggressions on Commerce._
On motion, the galleries were cleared, and the doors of the Senate
Chamber were closed; and, after the considerations of the confidential
business,
The following Message was received from the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES:
_To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States_:
In my Message to both Houses of Congress at the opening of
their present session, I submitted to their attention, among
other subjects, the oppression of our commerce and navigation
by the irregular practices of armed vessels, public and
private; and by the introduction of new principles, derogatory
of the rights of neutrals, and unacknowledged by the usages of
nations.
The memorials of several bodies of merchants of the United
States are now communicated, and will develop these principles
and practices, which are producing the most ruinous effects on
our lawful commerce and navigation.
The right of a neutral to carry on commercial intercourse with
every part of the dominions of a belligerent, permitted by the
laws of the country, (with the exception of blockaded ports and
contraband of war,) was believed to have been decided between
Great Britain and the United States, by the sentence of their
commissioners mutually appointed to decide on that and other
questions of difference between the two nations, and by the
actual payment of the damages awarded by them against Great
Britain for the infractions of that right. When, therefore, it
was perceived that the same principle was revived, with others
more novel, and extending the injury, instructions were given
to the Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States at the
Court of London, and remonstrances duly made by him on the
subject, as will appear by documents transmitted herewith.
These were followed by a partial and temporary suspension only,
without any disavowal of the principle. He has, therefore,
been instructed to urge this subject anew, to bring it more
fully to the bar of reason, and to insist on rights too evident
and too important to be surrendered. In the mean time the evil
is proceeding, under adjudications founded on the principle
which is denied. Under these circumstances the subject presents
itself for the consideration of Congress.
On the impressment of our seamen, our remonstrances have
never been intermitted. A hope existed at one moment of an
arrangement which might have been submitted to, but it soon
passed away, and the practice, though relaxed at times in
the distant seas, had been constantly pursued in those in
our neighborhood. The grounds on which the reclamations on
this subject have been urged, will appear in an extract from
instructions to our minister at London now communicated.