he was in favor of filling tip tlie blank with the Secretary of State He chiefly rested his opinion on the idea, that if the constitution had siot intended that the vacancy should be fil led by fonie officer not there mentioned, they would have determined who it fliould be. Mr. Sedgwick was sorry that the bafinefs had been brought forward, and more so that gentle men ihould discover a zeal on the occalion, which indicated too much of taking a personal iu;.erell in the question. He did not apprehend the consequences which would follow, if the accident Ihould occur, would be so dreadful as the gentleman la.lt up appeared to think. There was more danger, he conceived, in ruffling men's tempers now, by de signating one officer heir apparent (if he might be allowed the expreflion) to the office of chief magistrate. He objected to filling up the blank with the. Secretary of State ; it would be putting in the hands of the President (orof the Vice-President) a power of appointing his fuccefi'or. The au thority with which the Chief Justice is veiled, the refpe<fl which his station commands, and his independence, induced hini, he said, at firfl to think him the most proper person to be at the head of affairs in cafe of vacancy in the chief magistracy.—However, if it could not be agreed to postpone the business, he should now vote for the President of the Senate pro tern. Mr. Benfon said that an honorable gentleman (Mr. Smith) hadremarked, that he had not at tempted to anfvver the objections which were made to the Chief Justice's being designated to fill the vacancy, and had drawn the conclusion that the objections were unanfvverable. He was sensible that there might and would be objec tions to any officer that could be mentioned ; but those against the Chief Justice he did not think unanswerable. It had been objedted that there would be an impropriety in his condemn ing as Chief Justice, and pardoning as President. But something like this is frequently the cafe. He supposed that whoever exercised the office of Chief Magistrate, would for the time resign his firft office. He only mentionedthis to ftiew that the obje<slions made to the Chief Justice had not been answered not because they were deemed ■unanswerable ; But his wish was to fee the va fcancy filled by an independent officer ; he had no objection to the President of the Senate pro tern. Mr. Jackson moved that the consideration of this business be postponed, which was agreed to. The committeerofe and reported. WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26. Sundry petitions were read and referred to the heads of departments. Mr. Sedgwick, ffrom the committee appoint ed for that purpose, reported a bill, providing compeni'ations for infpe&ors and officers by them appointed, which was read the fir 11 time. The bill providing for the renewal of loft cer tificates, was read the f'econd time, and referred ro a committee of the whole, on Tliurfday the 3d of February. A message was received from the President of United States, accompanied with the following copies of a letter, addressed to him by the Presi dent of the National Assembly of France, and of a decree of that Aflembly, transmitted with it. Mr. President, The National Assembly has worn, during three days, mourning for Benjamin Franklin,your fel low citizen, your friend, and one of the most ufeful of your co-operators in the eftablifhinent of American Liberty. They charge me to com municate their resolution to the Congress of the United States. In consequence, I have the honor to address to you, Mr. President, theextracft from the proceedings of their felfion of the nth, which contains the deliberation. The National Aflembly have not been Hopped in their decree by the consideration that Frank lin was a llranger men are the fathers of universal humanity their loss ought to be felt, as a common misfortune, by all the tribes of the great human family ; and it belongs, with out doubt, to a nation still affected by all the sen timents, which accompany the, achievement of their liberty, and which owesirs.enfranchifement effimuall'y to the progress of the public reason, to be the firft to give the exafllgle of the filial gratitude of the people towards "their true b'ene fa<ftors besides that these ideas, iand this exam ple, are lb proper to difleminate a happy emula tion of patrotifm, and thus to extend more and more the empire of reason and virtue, \vhich could not fail promptly to determine a body, de voted to the most important legislative combina tions ; charged with assuring to the French the rights of men, Sindcitizens ; it has believed, with out doubt, that fruitful and great truths were likewise numbered among the rights of man. i he name of Benjamin Franklin will be im mortal in the records of freedom and philofopliy : but it is more particularly dear to a country, where, conducted by the most sublime million, this venerable man knew very soon to acquire an infinite numbo- of friends and admirers, as well by the fimpliity and sweetness ot his manners, as by the puriy of his principles, t le exten o his knowledge and the charms of his mind. It will be remembered, that every success, which he obt:ined in his important negociation, was applauded a:«d celebrated ;fo to expie s it . all over France, as so many crowds conferred on genius and virtue. , Even then the sentiment of our rights exiited in the bottom of our fouls. It was ealily P el^ e . 1N ed, that it feelingly mingled in the inte) elt w 111 we took in behalf of America, and in the public vows, which we preferred for your liberty. At lalt the hour of the French lias an ived - we love to think, that the citizens ofthe Unite States have not regarded with indifference out steps towards liberty. Twenty-fix millions ol men, breaking their chains, and seriously occupi ed in giving themselves a durable conititution, are not unworthy theefteem ot a generous people who have preceded them in that noble careei. We hope, they will learn, with interest, the funeral homage, which we have rendered to the Nestor of America. May this solemn aift of fra ternal friendfliip serve more and more to bind the tie, which ought to unite two free nations ! May the common enjoyment of liberty shed itfelf over the whole globe, and become an indillolu ble chain of connexion among all the people of the earth ! For ought they not to perceive, that they will inarch more ftedfaftly and more cer tainly to their true happiness, in understanding and loving each other, than in being jealous and fighting ? May the Congress of the United States, and the National Aflembly of France, be the firft to furnifh this fine fpe(ftacle to the world ! and may the individuals of the two nations connect them selves by a mutual affetflion, worthy ofthe friend fhip which unites the two men, at this day most illustrious by their exertions for liberty—lVASh- JNGTONand LA FAYETTE ! Permit me, Mr. Prefidcnt, to offer, 011 this oc casion, my particular homage of esteem and ad miration. I have the honor to be, With refpe<ftful confidpration, Mr-. I'refident, Your rnoft humble And Mod obedient servant, S 1 E T E S, Prejident. Paris, 20th June, 1790. Decree of ths National Assembly,»J the nth of June, i 790. The National AHembly decree, that tlieir Mem bers {hall wear, during three days, mourning for Benjamin Franklin, to coramencc on Mon day next, —that the discourse, pronounced on this occasion, be printed ; and that the President write| to the American Congress, in the name of the National Aflembly. Compared with the original, by us, President and Secretaries of the National Aflembly, at Pa ris, 10th June, 1 790. SIEYES, President. GOURDAU, Sec. FELIX DE PARDIEU, Sec. (L.S.) The House then proceeded to the considerati on of certain papers, transmitted to them by the President on Monday last ; which being of a se cret nature, the doors were ordered to be ftiut. THURSDAY, Jan. 27 The bill providing compensation to the inspec tors, and officers by them appointed pursuant to the ast laying duties on distilled spirits ; and for other purpofes,was read the second time, and re ferred to a committee of the whole lioufe, and made theoi der of the day for to morrow week. Mr. Bourne, presented the address and memo rial of the people called Quakers, in the (tate of Rhode-Island, refpeiting certain parts ofthe mi litia bill. Sundry petitions were read and referred Mr. Gerry presented a memorial from the Ma rine Society of Boston—proposing the eftablilh ment of an Hospital, for the benefit ot sick and disabled feamen—tobedivided intothree depart ments—one for the Southern—one for the Cen tral, and one for the Eastern states—being read —Mr. Gerry moved that this memorial lhould be reported to the committee already appointed on the memorials ofthe merchants and others of the town of Baltimore—this motion subsided, and it was ordeied that the memorial iliould lie on the table Mr. Parker gave notice, that he ftiould to mor row move that a committee be appointed to bring in a bill for the general eftablilhuient of marine Hospitals in the United States. A njeflage was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Secretary Lear, in the following words : United States, Jan. 27, 1791 Gentlemen of the Senate, and House of Representatives, IN order that you may be fully informed of the lunation of the frontiers, and the profpedts of hostility in that quarter ; I lay before you the 722 DUMOUCHET, Sec intelligence of some recent depredations, recei» ed since my nieflage to you upon this f«bje<ft 0 the 24th instant. G. WASHINGTON Mr. Secretary informed the Speaker that t hi papers were sent to the Senate. A nieflage from the Senate was received j,. Mr. Otis, their Secretary, informing the hoiii that they have pafl'ed a bill concerning Cou fills and Vice-Consuls ; also communicarim sundry papers, referred to in the meflkge 01 the Prelideut of the United States.—- flu papers were read—viz a letter from Genera Putnam to the Prefidentof the United Statu, da ted at Marietta, Jan. 8, containing an account ol an attack, the 3d inft. on Big Bottom, a fettle, nient about 40 miles up the river, in which i< persons were killed, and three taken pi'ifoneri< a letter from fame person to Gen. Knox, and a letter from Capt. David Zeigler, to Gov. St.Clair corroborative of the above account. These pa! pers were referred to the committee appointed yesterday on the mefiage from the Prefide ntQ | the United States. The engrofled bill, repealing, after the lift day of June next, the duties heretofore laid *n dif tilled spirits imported from abroad, and faying others in their stead, and also upon spirits distil. led within the United States, and for appropria ting the fame, was patted by a majority of fonr. teen. The yeas and nays being called for, weri as follow : YEAS. Messrs. Atlies, B&nfon, Bouiinot, Bourns, CaJ vjallader, Carroll, Clymsr, Fitzjimons, Floydjijlcr Gerry, Gilman, Goodhue, Griffin, Grout, Hunt:npn : La-wrance, Lee, Leottard, Livermorc, Dladiftju, p Jr tridgc, Schureman, Sedgttiick, Sherman, Sylve/ftrfiin nickfon, Smith, (S.C.) Sturges, Thatcher, TruvAuli Vini/ig, Wads-worth, White, Wynkoop. Total 3;, NAYS. Mefjrs. A/he,Bald-win,Blood-worth,Brown,Burt; Giles, Hartley, Hathorn, HsiJ!er,Jackfon, Matkni Moore, Muhlenberg, Parker, Van Ranfellatr, Stmj Smith, (M.J Steele, Stone, Tucker, WiUiamfon. it FRIDAY, Jan. 28. , The Consul Bill received ycfterday from thi Senate, was read the firft and second time, anc made the order of the day for Wednesday next Ordered that 100 copies be printed for the use 0) the house. Mr. Heifter presented a memorial and peiiiiot of a number of the public creditors holding Loat Office Certificates, received in the years 1777 am I 773, for money lent, far carrying 011 the late war, read and laid on the table. This petition refpec r ts Certificates received so! loans of paper money, on the nominal ainountoi which, interest, at 6 percent, per ann. had been paid. Mr. Ames laid the following motion on the ta ble, That the Secretary of the Treasury be di retfied to report, whether it is necefiary thatanj provision should be made by law refpe&ing the new emission money. Mr. Smith (S. C.) brought in a report on the petition of Henry Lauiens, which was against granting the prayer of the petition ; laid on the table. Mr. Sturges brought in a report on the memo rial of the inhabitants of Albany and Wafhingtbn counties, refpetfiingthe pension granted to John Younglove—which in substance was, that laid pension appeared to have been improperly obtain ed ; the committee proposed that the bnfinefs should be referred to the Secretary of war to in veltigate the fame and report. Mr. Lawrance presented a memorial and pe tition from the iufpeiftors of the city of New-York, praying an encreafe of their compensation. The report on the petition of John Church man was taken into consideration ; the firft par' of the report refpedted furnifliing him with mo ney to prosecute his discoveries by a voyage t# Baffin's Bay—on this part of the memorial tW comnutttee offered no opinion. A motion made to take the sense of the house, whether h should be furniflied with a sum of money for t purpose ; the question being put, it palled 1 the negative. . e At On the other part of the report which relft the" enhancement of the penalty for counterie ing or copying original charts—a committee appointed to bring in a bill to make pioviioij for that purpose. The committee 011 the petition of George ' son, brought 111 a report, which was in favor 0 the prayer of said petition. j The Speaker communicated to the houle,® port of the Secretary of the Treasury, on the u je<£l of the eftabliihnient of a Mint. Or e that 200 copies be printed for the use at On motion of Mr. Browrt, the h° u^e J re '' o ! r itfelf into a committee of the whole, and too to consideration the bill providing for the million of Kentucky into the Union. Mr. Boudinot in the chair. The Chairman reported the bill to the hoM without amendment —on motion the bill was r j the third time, and pafl'ed.
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