Penalty re

mitted in the

case of William W.

America, in Congress assembled, That the penalty incurred some time in the month of March last, by William W. Weymouth, master of the schooner Weymouth, for not Weymouth. complying with the injunctions of the ninth section of the act, entitled, "An act to prohibit the importation of slaves into any port or place within the jurisdiction of the United States, from and after the first day of January, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and eight," previous to his leaving the port of New York with a fugitive slave on board, named Oliver, belonging to the estate of James Redford, deceased, late of Richmond in the state of Virginia, be and the same is hereby remitted; any law or laws to the contrary notwithstanding.

Penalty re

case of Jo

seph P.

Weeks.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the penalty incurred some time in the month mitted in the of July last, by Joseph P. Weeks, master of the schooner Ceres, and also the forfeiture of said schooner, incurred for not complying with the injunctions of the said ninth section of said act, previous to his leaving the port of New York with a fugitive slave on board, named Lige, belonging to Isaac Entwisle of Alexandria in the district of Columbia, be and the same are also hereby remitted.

J. B. VARNUM,

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

JOHN GAILLARD,

President of the Senate, pro tempore.

May, 1, 1810.

APPROVED,

JAMES MADISON.

CHAPTER LXVII.

AN ACT in addition to an act, entitled, "An act concerning the Library for the use of both Houses of Congress."

B

E it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives, for the time being, be, and they are hereby authorised to grant the use of the books in the Library of Congress, to the agent of the joint committee of Congress appointed in relation to the Library, on the same terms, conditions and restrictions as members of Congress are allowed to use said books, any thing contained in any former law to the contrary notwithstanding.

J. B. VARNUM,

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

JOHN GAILLARD,

President of the Senate, pro tempore.

May 1, 1810.

APPROVED,

JAMES MADISON.

RESOLUTION

RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the expressions contained in the official letter of Francis J. Jackson, minister plenipotentiary of his Britannic majesty near the United States, dated the 23d day of October, 1809, and ad dressed to Mr. Smith, secretary of state, conveying the idea that the executive government of the United States had a knowledge, that the arrangement lately made by Mr. Erskine, his predecessor, in behalf of his government, with the government of the United States, was entered into without competent powers on the part of Mr. Erskine for that purpose, were highly indecorous and insolent: That the repetition of the same intimation in his official letter dated the 4th of November, 1809, after he was apprised by the asseveration of the secretary of state, that the executive government had no such knowledge, and that if it had possessed such knowledge, such arrangement would not have been entered into on the part of the United States; and after also being officially apprised, that such inti. mation was inadmissible, was still more insolent and affronting; and that in refusing to receive any further communications from him, in consequence of these outrageous and premeditated insults, the executive government has manifested a just regard to its own dignity and honor, as well as to the character and interest of the American people: That the letter, signed Francis J. Jackson, headed "Cir

cular," dated 13th November, 1809, and published and circulated through the country, is a still more direct and aggravated insult and affront to the American people and their government, as it is evidently an insidious attempt to excite their resentments and distrusts against their own government, by appealing to them, through false or fallacious disguises, against some of its acts; and to excite resentments and divisions amongst the people, themselves, which can only be dishonorable to their own characters and ruinous to their own interests: And the Congress of the United States do hereby solemnly pledge them. selves to the American people, and to the world, to stand by and support the executive government in its refusal to receive any further communications from the said Francis J. Jackson, and to call into action the whole force of the nation, if it should become necessary, in consequence of the conduct of the executive government in this respect, to repel such insults, and to assert and maintain the rights, the honor and the interests of the United States.

J. B. VARNUN,

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

GEO: CLINTON,

January 12, 1810.

President of the Senate.

APPROVED,

JAMES MADISON.

RESOLUTION proposing an amendment to the constitution of the United States.

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 lelgislatures 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.

If any citizen of the United States shall ac. cept, claim, receive or retain any title of nobility or honor, or shall, without the consent of Congress, accept and retain any present, pension, office or emolument of any kind whatever, from any emperor, king, prince or foreign power, such person shall cease to be a citizen of the United States, and shall be incapable of holding any office of trust or profit under them, or either of them.

J. B. VARNUM,

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

JOHN GAILLARD,

President of the Senate, pro tempore.