PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES ΟΡ THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES, AT THE FIRST SESSION OF THE ELEVENTH CONGRESS, BEGUN AT THE CITY OF WASHINGTON, MONDAY, MAY 22, 1809. MONDAY, May 22, 1809. choose, provided that the same be furnished at the Conformably to the act passed at the last ses-usual rate for the annual charge of such papers: sion, entitled "An act to alter the time for the next meeting of Congress," the first session of the eleventh Congress commenced this day, and the Senate assembled in their Chamber, at the City of Washington. PRESENT: GEORGE CLINTON, Vice President of the United States, and President of the Senate. NICHOLAS GILMAN and NAHUM PARKER, from New Hampshire. TIMOTHY PICKERING, from Massachusetts. JAMES HILLHOUSE and CHAUNCEY GOODRICH, from Connecticut. ELISHA MATHEWSON and FRANCIS MALBONE, from Rhode Island. JONATHAN ROBINSON, from Vermont. and, provided, also, that if any Senator shall choose to take any newspapers other than daily papers, he shall be supplied with as many such papers as shall not exceed the price of three daily papers. Resolved, That James Mathers, Sergeant-atArms and Doorkeeper to the Senate, be, and he is hereby, authorized to employ one assistant and two horses, for the purpose of performing such services as are usually required by the Doorkeeper to the Senate; and that the sum of twenty-eight dollars be allowed him weekly for that purpose, to commence with, and remain during the session, and for twenty days after. Messrs. ANDERSON and GILMAN were appointed a committee on the part of the Senate, together with such committee as may be appointed by the House of Representatives on their part, to wait on the President of the United States and notify ANDREW GREGG and MICHAEL LEIB, from him that a quorum of the two Houses is assembled Pennsylvania. SAMUEL WHITE, from Delaware. JOHN GAILLARD, from South Carolina. and ready to receive any communications that he may be pleased to make to them. A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate that a quorum of the House is assembled, and that the House have elected JOSEPH B. VARNUM, Esq. one of the Representatives for the State of Massachusetts, their Speaker, and are ready to proceed to business. The House of Representatives have appointed a committee on their part, jointly, with the committee on the part of the Senate, to wait on the President of the United States and notify him that a quorum of the two Houses is assembed and ready to receive any communications that he may be pleased to make to them. TUESDAY, May 23. Mr. ANDERSON reported, from the joint commitOrdered, That the Secretary acquaint the tee, that they had waited on the President of the House of Representatives that a quorum of the United States, and that the President of the UniSenate is assembled and ready to proceed to bu-ted States informed the committee that he would siness. make a communication to the two Houses at 12 o'clock this day. Resolved, That each Senator be supplied, during the present session, with three such newspapers, printed in any of the States, as he may JAMES LLOYD, jr., appointed a Senator by the Legislature of the State of Massachusetts, for six AT THE FIRST SESSION OF THE ELEVENTH CONGRESS, BEGUN AT THE CITY OF WASHINGTON, MONDAY, MAY 22, 1809. MONDAY, May 22, 1809. choose, provided that the same be furnished at the Conformably to the act passed at the last ses-usual rate for the annual charge of such papers: sion, entitled "An act to alter the time for the next meeting of Congress," the first session of the eleventh Congress commenced this day, and the Senate assembled in their Chamber, at the City of Washington. PRESENT: GEORGE CLINTON, Vice President of the United States, and President of the Senate. NICHOLAS GILMAN and NAHUM PARKER, from New Hampshire. TIMOTHY PICKERING, from Massachusetts. JAMES HILLHOUSE and CHAUNCEY GOODRICH, from Connecticut. ELISHA MATHEWSON and FRANCIS MALBONE, from Rhode Island. JONATHAN ROBINSON, from Vermont. and, provided, also, that if any Senator shall choose to take any newspapers other than daily papers, he shall be supplied with as many such papers as shall not exceed the price of three daily papers. Resolved, That James Mathers, Sergeant-atArms and Doorkeeper to the Senate, be, and he is hereby, authorized to employ one assistant and two horses, for the purpose of performing such services as are usually required by the Doorkeeper to the Senate; and that the sum of twenty-eight dollars be allowed him weekly for that purpose, to commence with, and remain during the session, and for twenty days after. Messrs. ANDERSON and GILMAN were appointed a committee on the part of the Senate, together with such committee as may be appointed by the House of Representatives on their part, to wait on the President of the United States and notify ANDREW GREGG and MICHAEL LEIB, from him that a quorum of the two Houses is assembled Pennsylvania. SAMUEL WHITE, from Delaware. JOHN GAILLARD, from South Carolina. Ordered, That the Secretary acquaint the House of Representatives that a quorum of the Senate is assembled and ready to proceed to business. Resolved, That each Senator be supplied, during the present session, with three such newspapers, printed in any of the States, as he may and ready to receive any communications that he may be pleased to make to them. A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate that a quorum of the House is assembled, and that the House have elected JOSEPH B. VARNUM, Esq. one of the Representatives for the State of Massachusetts, their Speaker, and are ready to proceed to business. The House of Representatives have appointed a committee on their part, jointly, with the committee on the part of the Senate, to wait on the President of the United States and notify him that a quorum of the two Houses is assembed and ready to receive any communications that he may be pleased to make to them. TUESDAY, May 23. Mr. ANDERSON reported, from the joint committee, that they had waited on the President of the United States, and that the President of the United States informed the committee that he would make a communication to the two Houses at 12 o'clock this day. JAMES LLOYD, jr., appointed a Senator by the Legislature of the State of Massachusetts, for six to. MAY, 1809. British Orders, have substituted the amicable course which has issued thus happily, I cannot do less than refer to the proposal heretofore made on the part of the United States, embracing a like restoration of the suspended commerce, as a proof of the spirit of accommodation which has at no time been intermitted, and to the result which now calls for our congratulations, as corroborating the principles by which the public Councils have been guided during a period of the most trying embarrassments. The discontinuance of the British Orders, as they re Mr. LEIB presented the petition of Edward Pennington and others, sugar refiners in the city of Philadelphia, praying that a law may be passed granting a drawback on refined sugar exported, equal to the duties paid on the importation of brown sugar, for reasons mentioned in the petition; which was read, and ordered to lie for conside-portant addition thereby made to the considerations ration. On motion, by Mr. WHITE, Resolved, That two Chaplains, of different denominations, be appointed to Congress during the present session, one by each House, who shall interchange weekly. Ordered, That the Secretary request the concurrence of the House of Representatives in this resolution. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE. spect the United States, having been thus arranged, a communication of the event has been forwarded in one of our public vessels to our Minister Plenipotentiary at Paris, with instructions to avail himself of the im which press on the justice of the French Government a revocation of its decrees, or such a modification of them as that they shall cease to violate the neutral commerce of the United States. The revision of our commercial laws, proper to adapt them to the arrangement which has taken place with Great Britain, will doubtless engage the early attention of Congress. It will be worthy, at the same time, of their just and provident care, to make such further alterations in the laws as will more especially protect and foster the several branches of manufacture, which have The following Message was received from the been recently instituted or extended by the laudable PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Fellow-citizens of the Senate and House of Representatives : exertions of our citizens. Under the existing aspect of our affairs, I have thought it not inconsistent with a just precaution, to have the On this first occasion of meeting you, it affords me gunboats, with the exception of those at New Orleans, much satisfaction to be able to communicate the com- placed in a situation incurring no expense beyond that mencement of a favorable change in our foreign rela-requisite for their preservation and conveniency for tions, the critical state of which induced a session of future service, and to have the crews of those at New Orleans reduced to the number required for their navCongress at this early period. In consequence of the provisions of the act interdict-igation and safety. ing commercial intercourse with Great Britain and France, our Ministers at London and Paris were, without delay, instructed to let it be understood by the French and British Governments that the authority vested in the Executive to renew commercial intercourse with their respective nations would be exercised in the case specified by that act. Soon after these instructions were dispatched, it was found that the British Government, anticipating from early proceedings of Congress, at their last session, the state of our laws, which has had the effect of placing the two belligerent Powers on a footing of equal restrictions, and, relying on the conciliatory disposition of the United States, had transmitted to their Legation here provisional instructions, not only to offer satisfaction for the attack on the frigate Chesapeake, and to make known the determination of His Britannic Majesty to send an Envoy Extraordinary, with powers to conclude a treaty on all the points between the two countries; but, moreover, to signify his willingness, in the mean time, to withdraw his Orders in Council, in the persuasion that the intercourse with Great Britain would be renewed on the part of the United States. These steps of the British Government led to the correspondence and the proclamation now laid before you, by virtue of which the commerce between the two countries will be renewable after the 10th day of June next. Whilst I take pleasure in doing justice to the Councils of His Britannic Majesty, which, no longer adhering to the policy which made an abandonment by France of her decrees a prerequisite to a revocation of the I have thought, also, that our citizens, detached in quotas of militia, amounting to one hundred thousand, under the act of March, one thousand eight hundred and eight, might not improperly be relieved from the state in which they were held for immediate service. A discharge of them has been accordingly directed. The progress made in raising and organizing the additional military force, for which provision was made by the act of April, one thousand eight hundred and eight, together with the disposition of the troops, will appear by a report which the Secretary of War is preparing, and which will be laid before you. Of the additional frigates required by an act of the last session to be fitted for actual service, two are in readiness, one nearly so, and the fourth is expected to be ready in the month of July. A report which the Secretary of the Navy is preparing on the subject, to be laid before Congress, will show, at the same time, the progress made in officering and manning these ships. It will show, also, the degree in which the provisions of the act relating to the other public armed ships have been carried into execution. It will rest with the judgment of Congress to decide how far the change in our external prospects may authorize any modifications of the laws relating to the Army and Navy Establishments. The works of defence for our seaport towns and harbors have proceeded with as much activity as the season of the year and other circumstances would admit. It is necessary, however, to state that the appropriations hitherto made being found to be deficient, a further provision will claim the early consideration of Congress. |