The motion for the committee's rlffiigwas ne gatived. The motion for striking out of the proposed amendment the words " by and with the advjct and conlent of the senate," was put and c:i -^ j d in the affirmative. The question then v.-as, on the propose.l unend irienf wjriioac the vvoi Js ,'byand wirh rfte advice s»iui of the fenate/' the vote - l jrtng taken the amendment was not adopred. Mr. Lavvrance propoled an additional claufefor limitting the duration of the bill to the term of three years, and from thence to the end of the next fellion of Congress thereafter. It was moved that the clause which enjoins that the accounts of expenditures be rendered un der oath, should be struck out. Mr. Sedgwick was in favor of retaining the •words ;—there could no injury arise from their being retained in the bill ; they may conduce to the public fatisfaiftion.—ln the disposition of pub lic monies, cases will frequently occur in which a confidence in the integrity of public of ficers, may be all the fatisfad:ion the people may receive in the disposal of their money. It is not to be expetfted that the formality of an oath is to be attended to, the idea meant to be convey ed is that the accounts are rendered under the imprelfion of such a solemnity. Mr. Huntington, Mr. Wadfworth and Mr. Ames were severally in favor of the motion for striking out the words.—lt was observed that they involved an absurdity, except gentlemen supposed it neceflary that the President should take his oath of office de novo. The words refpedling the oath were struck out. A motion of Mr. Madison's, that the President cause a regular statement of the account of ex penditures to be laid before Congress, occasioned some further conversation—This motion was a dopted. The whole paragraph as thus amended, was then agreed to. The motion' for the limitation of the bill was next difcufled—lt was moved that three be struck out before " years" and two inserted—This mo tion obtained. The clause thus amended was adopted The committee then rose reported the bill with amendments—to which the House acceded—and ordered that the bill be engrofled for a third read ing to-morrow. Mr. Lee called the attention of the House to the petition of Mr.Dobbyn—and after fomeobfer vations on the policy of encouraging the emigra tion of foreigners, and the population of the un appropriated territory of the United States,mov ed that the petition of Mr. Dobbyn be referred to the Secretary of the Treasury—that he may make provision in the plan which he is directed to report to the House, for cases similar to that of the petitioner—Mr. Madison and Mr. Page supported this motion. Mr. Sherman moved that the latter part of the motion should be (truck out, and that if the pe tition is referred to the Secretary of the Treasu ry, it fliould be by way of information. It was said that there is an impropriety in re straining the Secretary to any particular obje<ft, in forming the plan in contemplation, as it must be calculated on general principles, the House having special referrence to the fubjedl of reve nue in committing the business to him—lt was further said that the propriety of the Legislature of the United States holding out encouragement to individuals of foreign States, to emigrate to this country may be doubted. Mr. Sherman's motion was adopted, and the petition referred to the Secretary of tlieTreafu ry for his information. Mr. Sherman presented a petition from the President and Fellows of Yale College, ltating that they had imported a pliilofophical apparatus for that College, the impost duties of which they had paid ; and suggested to Congress whether, as books and I'cientific instruments for the ufeof se minaries of learning could not come under the denomination of negociable articles of merchan dize, it would not tend to encourage science, were such articles exempted from duties, and praying that the amount of the duties paid on i'aid apparatus, may be remitted for the use of said college. Mr. Ames presented the petition of John Wait, praying relief under lofles sustained by taking certificates for supplies from soldiers who after wards deserted—Read and laid on the table. The House took up the resolution laid on the table yesterday by Mr. Smith (S. C.) refpefting the unfinifhed business at the end of afeffion. Some debate ensued, but the House adjourned without coining to any decision on the motion. our last, Mr Hartley's obfcrvation on Adjourn ments and Prorogations, was miftated : His ideas are exprefred in the following, viz. " After fpeakingV>f a former motion he had ottered upon this fubjeft—He made a aiftinftion between « Prorogation and Adjournment in England : The firft was the <{ ast of the fir ft Magistrate, the King, and all unfinifhed business " wai difinilTed by it. But on the last, which was fomc times the " concurrent aftof the several branches of the Legiflatuie, at other " times the ast of one or both Houses of Parliament, the business <c is preserved in the fume Rate it was left, and need not be taken t: up d-*novo." THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, The bill for making compensation to persons employed in the intercourse between the United States and foreign nations, was brought in, en- grolled, and read the third time. Mr. Sherman moved, that the bill Ihould lie on the table. He thought the sum of forty thousand dollars too much for the purposes fpecified in the bill, and that the house had no measure atprefent whereby they could ascertain the funis necefiary to be appropriated. This morion was carried in the affirmative, This being the day alfigned by the house for taking up the Report of the Secretary of the Trea sury relative to a provision for the support of the public credit—Mr. Ames introduced the buiinefs by faying, that he apprehended, fufficient time had not yet been allowed for the members to pre pare themselves for the difcuflion of a fubjed: of such intricacy and magnitude—he therefore mo ved that the order of the day be postponed to next Monday week. Mr. Jacnfon —This report, Sir, refers to mat ters of the highest importance, which ought not to be hastily taken up.—There appears tote two great objects in view—One of them is to destroy all idea of diferiinination between the original creditors, and the speculators in lecurities—the other is to make a general provision for the State debts. I was formerly in the fame opinion with the Secretary refpe<fiing the firft—but I am now almost a convert to a contrary opinion ; and this in consequence of the speculations I have seen carried on since the report made its appearance, which are now so extended as would make even a Hastings blufli.—Since the publication of thi» report three veflels have failed from this place for the southward with large sums in specie, to purchase up the public securities of the States of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.— With refpedt to the consolidation of the State debts, some of the States may be against it—at least I think it neccfl'ary that we fliould know the fen:iments of the State Legislatures, as well as those of the individual citizens on the fubjedl. Without this information we ihall be going on in the dark—and as this information cannot be gain ed by Monday week, wefhallthen be as much in the dark as at present. I therefore wish that the consideration of the business may be put off to the firft of May, by which time there is a probabi lity of our obtaining some degree of information. Mr.. Boudinot acknowledged that a great num ber of speculators were injurious to the communi ty. But the objetft of the report is to leflen the number, by appreciating and fixing the value of the public debt; therefore the sooner that is ac complished, the belter. He was not for defering it to a distant day. Mr. Stone said the business was entirely new, and that the success of it would much depend up on unanimity. He confefledhe wanted to know the opinion of the continent upon it. If it would bring money, he said, in to the treasury, helhould be for adopting it immediately ; but as he did not expert that, he should be for poltponing it for some time. Mr. Sherman made some observations on the debts of the Stales, and of the United States—as for colleifling the opinions of the people at large, there would probably be, he said, as many opini ons as persons. He wifned to take up the matter as speedily as polfible. Mr. Hartley was against poltponing. Mr. Sedgwick said, that foine delay was necef faryfor understanding the fubjedt properly. Bui to prevent speculation and a corruption of mo rals, he wiflied to enter upon it speedily. Mr. Gerry said he was in favor of a postpone ment, tho not for so long a time as the gentleman from Georgia proposed—but as the fubjedt was of such magnitude, and all the States now in the Union were so deeply iiiterefted, he supposed it bed to wait for the North Carolina delegation. With refpedt to preventing speculations in the funds, it cannot be supposed, said he, that taking up the bufinefsat the present moment will conduce to that object—and if it would I cannot fee what advantage would accrue to the public Ido not conceive that in the funds ought to be considered in an unfavorable point of While the country has a debt.it will be speculated in—l believe there never was a country which had a debt, in which speculations did not obtain and indeed they are so far from being injurious, that they prove a great convenience—by giving a cur rency to property which would otherwise lay dormant.—No debts in fliort can be contracted but upon terms that inuft prove ruinous to the debtors, except on a principle of negociation— In this view it may be faid,that the evils which would have been derived from the great debt of this country, have been in a great measure alleviated. He then adverted to the speculations of foreign ers—and, referring to the debt of Great Britain, said that in the last war the Dutch were supposed to be proprietors in the English funds, to the a mount of forty millions sterling— this was not considered as a difad vantage, on the other bandit wasluppofed tobeagreat fourceof emolument to the nation and at the moment of peace, the enor [—334-] mous debt of the nation, which had encreafedan hundred million—was one cause of the grearett influx of specie th*t had ever been known. He concluded his observations by wilhing the consi deration of the report might be postponed till the reprefentationfrom North Carolina Ihould arrive. Mr. Jackson in support of the motion forpoft ponement, enlarged fully on the pernicious con sequences of the speculation in the public secu rities and traced those consequences through a variety of channels, he pathetically defcnb ed the situation of the officers and l'oldiers of the late army, who had been obliged through necessity to part with the crtificates fora tri fling consideration. —He lamented the specu lations that had taken place in consequence of the promulgation of the Secretary's plan, & regretted that Congress was not nowfituated on the Sufque hanna or Potomack, where the deliberations on the fubjedl might have been kept secret, as he thought that the evils of speculation owed their rife in a great measure from Congress' holding their feflionsin a populous city—He thought that Congress should suspend all consideration of an afl'umptionof the State debts, jfill the fenfeofthe several Legislatures on the fubjeiA was known— and at any rate he hoped that Congress would at present confine their deliberations to that part of the debt called final fettlementsorthedoineftic debt of the United States.—He concluded by moving that the consideration of the report of the Secretary of the Treasury be postponed to April. Mr. Boudinot reprobated the idea of a post ponement to so distant a day. He touched on the fubjetft of speculation, and said, that it might be carried too far, and it might be confined to too narrow limits—but with refpedt to the idea at large, it was impossible to prevent it—that the on ly way to restrain, or bring within proper bounds this spirit, is for Congress to come to some determination refpedling the debt, by whichmeans it will acquire a permanency. The House by their resolution the last session have so lemnly pledged themselves to pay earlj attention to the bufineil, and to do foinething for the pub lic creditors. Mr. Page was for taking upthe business imme diately, and reminded the lioufe of that part of the President's speech which related to public credit. As for secrecy with regard to the report he had no idea of it. He was for openness and decision. He said, that if so distant a day ihould be fixed on, he Ihould move that the house ad journ,and the members go home. It is anillafive idea to think of deferring it—we are bound to begin the business immediately. Would the gen man from Georgia consult his constituents upon every bill that is about to be pafled Mr. Seney moved that the consideration of the report should be poftponedto the firft Monday in March. The fubje<ft, said he, is of great mag nitude—it requires time to make up a judgment upon it—The Legislature may derive informa tion from the difculfion it may receive inconver verfation, and in the public prints—The gentle man's idea of an adjournment appears quite uu neceflary—there is a great variety of business be fore the house, to employ their attention—mean time the public expectation will fufFer no disap pointment, as the business will be in train agree able to the resolution of the House thelaft feifion, on which the report of the Secretary of the Trea sury is founded—Nor do I conceive that any time will be loft, as the members will be more fully prepared to meet the business. Thequeftion was now put on the firft Monday in March, and loft. Monday week, was then proposed, which was carried. A message from the President of the United States by his Secretary, communicating the a<ft of Rhode lfland for calling a convention—also a let ter from the Governor of that State to the Presi dent, refpedling a further suspension of the col lection adt, &c. These papers were refered to a committee con sisting of Mr. Benfon, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Cole. Mr. Burke from the committee appointed, brought in a bill for securing to authors and pro prietors, the exclulive right to their writings. Mr. Burke also presented to the house a motion, that it be an inftrucftion to the committee appoint ed to bring in a bill for encouraging manufac« tures, to add a clause refpediing the securing t« inventors, the right to their discoveries. This was agreed to. Mr. Smith's motion which was under considera tion yesterday was resumed. Some observations were made relative to its be ing a joint business of both Houses.—Mr. Smith, agreeable to this suggestion proposed that the re solution should be amended so as to comprize this idea. Mr. Livermore objected to tlie resolution in its present form,he conceived that a ftridl adherence to any such rule could not be maintained, as a great variery of matters must neceflarily be con* tinned from one fefiion to another, he instanced petitions, and business referred to special com mittees, which might require a whole recess for ics consideration.—He adverted to the practice of Congress, and of other legislative bodies-^wliicli
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