THE DEBATES AND PROCEEDINGS IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES; WITH AN APPENDIX, CONTAINING IMPORTANT STATE PAPERS AND PUBLIC DOCUMENTS, AL THE LAWS OF A PUBLIC NATURE; WITH A COPIOUS INDEX. FOURTEENTH CONGRESS-SECOND SESSION: COMPILED FROM AUTHENTIC MATERIALS. WASHINGTON: PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GALES AND SEATON. 1854. PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES, AT THE SECOND SESSION OF THE FOURTEENTH CONGRESS, BEGUN AT THE CITY OF WASHINGTON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1816. MONDAY, December 2, 1816. The second session of the Fourteenth Congress, conformably to the Constitution of the United States, commenced this day at the City of Washington; and the Senate assembled. PRESENT: JEREMIAH MASON and THOMAS W. THOMPSON, from the State of New Hampshire. JOSEPH B. VARNUM and ELI P. ASHMUN, from Massachusetts. JEREMIAH B. HOWELL, from Rhode Island. ISAAC TICHENOR, from Vermont. DAVID DAGGETT, from Connecticut. NATHAN SANFORD, from New York. On motion by Mr. MORROW, the credentials of the appointment of JAMES NOBLE and Waller TAYLOR, as Senators to represent the said State of Indiana in the Senate of the United States, were referred to the said committee, to consider and report thereon. On motion by Mr. TAIT, the Secretary was directed to acquaint the House of Representatives that a quorum of the Senate is assembled, and ready to proceed to business. Mr. VARNUM submitted the following motion for consideration: Resolved, That it is expedient to repeal a law passed the last session of Congress, entitled "An act to change the mode of compensation to the members of the Sen JOHN CONDIT and JAMES J. WILSON, from New ate and House of Representatives, and the Delegates Jersey. ABNER LACOCK, from Pennsylvania. NATHANIEL MACON, from North Carolina. ELIGIUS FROMENTIN, from Louisiana. ELI P. ASHMUN, appointed a Senator by the Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in the room of Christopher Gore, resigned, produced his credentials, was qualified, and he took his seat in the Senate. The PRESIDENT communicated the credentials of the appointment of JAMES NOBLE and WALLER TAYLOR, as Senators, by the Legislature of the State of Indiana, which were read. Whereupon, on motion by Mr. MORROW, Resolved, That a committee be appointed to inquire whether any, and if any, what, legislative measures may be necessary for admitting the State of Indiana into the Union, or for extending to that State the laws of the United States. Messrs. MORROW, DAGGETT, and BARBOUR, were appointed the committee. from Territories," and that a committee be appointed to prepare and report a bill for that purpose. On motion by Mr. LACOCK, Resolved That each Senator be supplied, during the present session, with three such newspapers, printed in the United States, as he may choose, provided the same be furnished at the usual rate for the annual charge of such papers; 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. On motion by Mr. HOWELL, a committee was appointed agreeably to the forty-second rule for conducting business in the Senate, and Messrs. HOWELL, LACOCK, and THOMPSON, were appointed the committee. Mr. HOWELL submitted the following motion for consideration, which was read, and passed to the second reading: Resolved, That two Chaplains of different denominations be appointed to Congress, during the present session, one by each House, who shall interchange weekly. A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate that a quorum of the House of Representatives is assembled, and ready to proceed to business. They have appointed a committee on their part, jointly with such committee as may be appointed 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 assembled, and ready to receive any communications that he may be pleased to make to them; in which resolution they request the concurrence of the Senate. The Senate concurred in the appointment of a joint committee on their part, agreeably to the resolution last mentioned; and Messrs. BARBOUR and MACON were appointed the committee. On motion by Mr. WILSON, a committee was appointed, agreeably to the twenty-second rule, for conducting business in the Senate. Messrs. WILSON, FROMENTIN, and ASHMUN, were appointed the committee. Mr. FROMENTIN submitted the following motion for consideration, which was read, and passed to the second reading: Resolved, That a committee of three members be appointed, who, with three members of the House of Representatives, to be appointed by that House, shall have the direction of the money appropriated to the purchase of books, and maps, for the use of the two Houses of Congress. On motion by Mr. FROMENTIN, it was read a second time, and considered as in Committee of the Whole: and no amendment having been proposed, it was reported to the House, read the third time by unanimous consent, and passed. Messrs. FROMENTIN, GOLDSBOROUGH, and HUNTER, were appointed the committee. TUESDAY, December 3. Mr. BARBOUR reported from the joint committee, that they had waited on the President of the United States, and that the President had informed the committee that he would make a communication to the two Houses this day at 12 o'clock. Mr. LACOCK submitted the following motion for consideration; which was read, and passed to the second reading: Resolved, That Mountjoy Bayly, Doorkeeper and Sergeant-at-Arms to the Senate, be, and he hereby is, authorized to employ one assistant and two horses, for the purpose of performing such services as are usually required by the Doorkeeper of the Senate, which expense should be paid out of the contingent fund. The Senate resumed the consideration of the motion made yesterday, relative to the repeal of the compensation law; and the further consideration thereof was postponed until Monday next. The resolution for the appointment of Chap: lains was read the second time, and considered as in Committee of the Whole; and no amendment having been proposed, the PRESIDENT ported it to the House; and it was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time. SENATE. by peculiar seasons, which have very generally impaired the annual gifts of the earth, and threatened scarcity in particular districts. Such, however, is the variety of soils, of climates, and of products, within our extensive limits, that the aggregate resources for subsistence are more than sufficient for the aggregate wants. And as far as an economy of consumption, more than usual, may be necessary, our thankfulness is due to Providence for what is far more than a compensation, in the remarkable health which has distinguished the present year. Amidst the advantages which have succeeded the peace of Europe, and that of the United States with among us, and in the extension of our commerce, the Great Britain, in a general invigoration of industry commercial nations, it is to be regretted that a depresvalue of which is more and more disclosing itself to sion is experienced by particular branches of our manfirst proceeds, in an essential degree, from an excess ufactures, and by a portion of our navigation. As the of imported merchandise, which carries a check in its be of very long duration. The evil will not, however, own tendency, the cause, in its present extent, cannot be viewed by Congress, without a recollection, that manufacturing establishments, if suffered to sink too low, or languish too long, may not revive, after the causes shall have ceased; and that, in the vicissitudes of human affairs, situations may recur, in which a dependence on foreign sources, for indispensable supplies, may be among the most serious embarrassments. The depressed state of our navigation is to be ascribed, in a material degree, to its exclusion from the colonial ports of the nation most extensively connected with us in commerce, and from the indirect operation of that exclusion. Previous to the late convention at London, between the United States and Great Britain, the relative state of the navigation laws of the two countries, growing out of the Treaty of 1794, had given to the British navigation a material advantage over the American, in the intercourse between the American ports and British ports in Europe. The convention of London equalized the laws of the two countries, relating to those ports; leaving the intercourse between our ports and the ports of the British colonies subject, as before, to the respective regulations of the parties. The British Government enforcing, now, regulations which prohibit a trade between its colonies and the United States, in American vessels, whilst they permit a trade in British vessels, the American navigation loses accordingly; and the loss is augmented by the advantage which is given to the British competition ports and British ports in Europe, by the circuitous over the American, in the navigation between our voyages, enjoyed by the one and not enjoyed by the other. to one branch of the commercial intercourse, has been The reasonableness of the rule of reciprocity, applied re-pressed on our part as equally applicable to both branches; but it is ascertained that the British Cabinet declines all negotiation on the subject, with a disavowal, however, of any disposition to view, in an unUnited States may oppose to the regulations of which friendly light, whatever countervailing regulations the they complain. The wisdom of the Legislature will decide on the course which, under these circumstances, is prescribed by a joint regard to the amicable relations between the two nations and to the just interests of the United States. PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL MESSAGE. and of the House of Representatives: In reviewing the present state of our country, our attention cannot be withheld from the effect produced |