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■
CONGRESS.
PHILADELPHIA
THE following communications, from the Pre
sident of the United States, were read in the
House of ReprefentatiTes on Friday the 13th inib.
Gentlemen of the Senate, and
House oj Representatives,
I HAVE thought it proper to lay before you,
a communication of the 1 ith inll. from the mi
nister plenipotentiary of Great-Britain, to the
secretary of state, relative to the commerce of
the two countries ; together with their explana
tory correspondence, and the secretary of state's
letter to me on the fub}e<S.
April 13, T792.
SIR,
I HAVE the honor to lay before you a com
munication from Mr. Hammond, minister pleni
potentiary of his Britannic majesty, covering a
clause of a statute of that country relative to its
commerce with this ; and notifying a detertni
nation to carry it into execution henceforward.—
Conceiving that the determination announced
could not be really meant as extensively as the
words import, I asked and received an explana
tion from the minister, as exprafled in the letter
and answer herein enclosed ; and, on considera
tion of all circumstances, 1 cannot but confide in
the opinion exprefled by him, that its sole ohje(ft
is to exclude foreign veflels froin the iflatids of
Jersey and Guernsey.
The want of proportion between the motives
exprefled and the measure, its magnitude and
consequences, total tilence as to the proclamati
on on which the intercourse between the two
countries has hitherto hung, and of which, in
this broad sense, it would be a revocation, and
the recent manifeftations of the disposition of
that government, to concur with this in mutual
offices of friendfhip and good will, support his
conftrmfiion.
The minister moreover aflured me verbally,
that he would immediately write to his court for
an explanation, and in the mean time is of opi
nion, that the usual intercourse of commerce be
tween the two countries (Jersey and Guernsey
excepted) need not be suspended.
I have the honor to be, with sentiments of the
nioft profound relpedt and attachment, Sir,
Your nioft obedient and most humble servant,
TH. JEFFERSON.
The President of the United States.
Sir,
I HAVE received by a circular dispatch from
my court, directions to inform this government,
that, conlklerablc inconveniencies having arisen
from the importation of tobacco in foreign ves
sels into the ports of his majesty's dominions,
contrary to the a<a of the 12th Charles 2. chap.
tB. l'ecfl. 3. (commonly called the navigation adt)
it has been determined in future (Vrictly to en
force this clause, of which 1 take the liberty of
enclosing to you a copy ; and 1 have the honor
to be, with perfect esteem and respect, Sir,
Your molt obedient humble servant,
(Signed) GEO. HAMMOND.
12 Char. 2. Chap. 18. Sect. 3.
AND it is further enacted by the authority a
foicfaid, That no goods or commodities whatfo-
C p ei L^e growth, production, or manufacture
ps Africa, Alia, or America, or of any pari there
of, which are described or laid down in the nfu
al maps or charts of tbofe places, be imported
into England, Ireland, or Wales, islands of
Guernsey and Jersey, or town of Berwick upon
Tweed, in any other ship or ships, vellel or ves
sels, vvhatfoever, but in such as do truly and with
out fraud, belong only to the people of England
or Ireland, Dominion of Wales, or town of Ber
wick upon Tweed, or of the lands, islands, plan
tations or territories in Asia, Africa or America
to his majesty belonging, as the proprietors and
right owners thereof, and whereof the matter
and three-fourths at least of the mariners are
hngl.fl!, under the penalty of the forfeiture of
all inch goods and commodities, and of the fhi»
or vellel in which they were imported, with all
ler guns, tackle, furniture, ammunition and ap
parel one moiety to his majefly, his heirs and
fucceilbrs, and the other moiety to him or then,
who (hall seize, inform, or sue for the fame in
any court of record, by bill, information, plaint
01 othei action, wherein no eflbine, protection
or wager of law shall be allowed. '
GEO. WASHINGTON
Philadelphia, j4pril 13, 1792
Phihddphia, April ir, 1792
Sir,
I AM this moment favored with theletteryou
did me the honor of writing yesterday, covering
the extract of a 3riiifh llatute forbidding the ad
niifiiun of foreign vefl'els into any ports ot che Bri
tifli dominions,with goods or commodities of the
growth, production, or manufacture of America.
The effect of this appears to me so extensive,
as to induce a don be whether I un<lerftand right
ly the determination to enforce it, which yon no
tify, and to oblige me to alfc of you, whether we
are to consider it a 9 so far a revocation of the
proclamation of yonr government, regulating
the commerce between the two countries, and
that henceforth no articles of the growth, pro
du<siion, or manufacture of the United States,
are to be received in the ports of Great-Britain,
or Ireland, in veflels belonging to the citizens of
the United States ?
I have the honor to be, with fentiinents of the
most perfe<fl esteem and refpeft, Sir,
Your mod obedient fcid inoft humble servant,
TH. JEFFERSON.
The minister plenipotentiary of Great-Britain.
Sir,
IN answer to your letter of this day, I have the
honor of observing, that I have no other instruc
tions upon the (übjetfl of my communication, than
such as are contained in the circular dispatch, of
which I Hated the purport in my letter dated
yesterday. I have, however, 110 difficulty in as
suring you, that the result of my personal con
vitftion is, that the determination of his majesty's
government to enforce the clause of the at'i of
navigation (a copy of which I transmitted to you)
with refpetft to the importation of commodities
in foreign veflels, has originated in consequence
of the many frauds that have taken place in the
importation of tobacco into his majesty's domi
nions, in foreign veflels, and is not intended to
militate against the proclamation, or order of
the king in council, regulating the commercial
intercourse between Great-Britain and the Unit
ed States, which I have every reason to believe
(till exists in full force, as I have not had the
most distant intimation of its being revoked.
I have the honor to be, with the moll perfedi
efteein and consideration, Sir,
Your molt obedient humble servant,
(Signed) GEO. HAMMOND.
Mr. Jefferfon.
Read in the Hvufs of Representatives the i yth inft.
Report of the committee to whom were referee!
the memorials of Joseph Ceracchi, a Roman
sculptor.
THAT on examining the journals of the
late Congress they find the following resolutions
unanimously agreed to on the 7th Anguft, 1783,
to wit
" llelolved, That an Equestrian Statue of Ge
neral Walhington be ere<fted at the place where
the residence of Congress shall be eftablilhed."
" Resolved, That the Statue be of bronze—
The General to be represented in a Roman dress
holding a truncheon in his right hand, and his
head encircled with a laurel wreath ; tbe Statue
to be supported by a marble pedestal, 011 which
are to be represented, in baflb relievo the follow
ing principal events oYthe war, in which Gene
ral Wafliington commanded in p«rfon, viz. The
evacuation of Bolton—The capture of the Hefli--
ans at Trenton—The Battle of PrincetOH—The
adlion of Monmouth ; and the surrender of
York. On the upper part of the front of the
pedettal, to be engraved as follows, " The Unit
ed States in Congress aflembled ordered this sta
tue to be ereded in the year of our Lord 1781
in honor of George Wafliington, the illustrious
commander in chief of the armies of the United
States of America, during the war which vindi
cated and secured their liberty, fovereiguty and
independence.
The committee are of opinion, that the honor
and dignity of government require a speedy and
liberal execution of the said resolutions"; and
that the plan therein proposed forexpreflino- the
gratitude of our conntry for the Cervices of her
most beloved and illufhious citizen, be extended
to exhibit to pofieriry, the triumph of liberty
and virtue : The committee therefore submit
the following resolutions ;
" Kelolved, That the Secretary of State the
Secretary of the Treasury, and the Secretary at
War, for the time being, or any two of i hem, be
appointed Commiflioners, to canfe the said Mo
nument to be completed, agreeably to the said
resolutions, with fucli additional ornaments em
blematical of the virtue and heroism of the citi
zens of the United States, in effecting t l, e l at e
revolution, as may inspire reverence for repub
lican government, and cherish that union and
ove ot country, by which this great event has
been atchieved.
llcfolved, i hat Congress will provide at their
next leffion for the payment of dollars per
annum, for a term not exceeding IO years to
complete the (aid monument."
414
Philadelphia, April 12, 1792.
Philadelphia April 12, 1 792.
HOUSE OF R E PREVENTATIVE*;
SATURDAY, April si.
.The Speaker laid before the House a letter and report from
the Secretary of the Treasury, on twenty-four petitions re
specting loft or destroyed certificates, and praying a 'renewal
of them—referred to a feleft committee.
The memorial of sundry merchant! of the city of New
York, refpefting bankrupt laws, was referred to a'feleftcom
inittee.
A msffags was received from the President of the United
States, by Mr. Lear, his Secretary, notifying, that the Prefi
dent did this day approve and sign "An ast authorifin? the
grant and conveyance of a certain trad of land to Hie nh;»
Company of Associates." Utu#
The following written melpase was also delivered bv the
Secretary : United States, April 21ft, nqj
Gentlemen-os the Senate, and
House of Representatives,
I lay before you the copy of a letter, which X h? ve received
from the Judges of the Circuit Court of the United States for
the Pennfvlvania diftrift, relative to the " Ast to provide' for
the settlement of the claim* of widows and orphans barred bv
the limitations heretofore eftablidied, and to regulate the
claims to invalid pensions.
GEO. WASHINGTON
Tne letter referred to, was rend and laid on the table
Mr. Williamfon presented a bill providing for thefa'eof
land; in the territory of the United States, north-weft of the
river Ohio, which was read the firft time.
An engrofled bill for railing a further sum of money for the
protection of the frontiers, was read the third time, and the
blanks therein filled up—and upon the question that the said
bill do pass, it was lefolved in the affirmative, as follow ■
AYES.
MeflTrs. Ames, Barnwell, Benfon, Boudinot, S. Bourne B.
Bourne, Brown, Clark, Findley, Fitzfunons, Gerry, Gilinan
Goodhue, Gordon, Hartley, Hillhoufe, Huger, Key, Kitchet
Kittera, Lawrance, Learned, Livermore, Moore! Muhlen
berg, Murray, Niles, W. Smith, Staele, Sterrett, Stages.
Sylvester, Thatcher, Vining, W'adfworthi Ward, White-??
NOES. "
MelTrs. Alhe, Baldwin, Giles, Grove, Macon, Madiibn.
Mercer, Page, Parker, Sciioonmaker, Senev, Sheredine l
Smith, I. Smith, Smnpter, Treadwe'.l, Tucker, Venable.wC
liamfon, "Willis—2o. ;
On the pasTing this bill, Mr. Page made the following re
marks—lf the bill were what its title fays it is, I Ihou'ld be
the lad man in this House to vote against it—But it is so dif
ferent from what its title represents it to be, that this, added
to the o'-rjefhons which I have already made and heard a-ainft
it, I Ihall vote againfl: its paflage.—Sir, it is not a bill so? the
protection of the frontiers, but for the encouragement of cer
tain manufactures, and of the fifiieries, and for the encreafe
of the finking fund—it is a bill very different from what it
ought to be, and is about to pass, f.om what has fallen from
some gentlemen, as a compromise for the afTumption of the
Irate debts, and an encouragement to the manufactures and
nlheries Such compromise I cannot approve of m r and fucha
bill I cannot vote for—lf it he thrown 'out, I think we mav
brinir in one to answer its purpose much better—; It is improper
to entangle this hill with matter foreign to it—there is no oc
casion to repeal the a<si for eftablifiiing a permanent revenue,
to blend it with this bill.
Air. Vinin,£ laid on the table a resolution that Congref<;
mould adjourn on the sth of Mav, to meet again on the firft
Mondav of
A motion made on Wednesday last, by Mr. Gerry, being wil
ed up, and in part agreed to, a committee was, pursuant
thereto, appointed, to enquire into the itate of the recruiting
service and to report.
Mr. Boud.not moved, That a joint committee of both
Houses be directed to wait on the President of the United
States, to request he will recommend to the people of these
states a day of public humiliation and prayer, to be obfetfvdd
by fupplit ating the Almighty for the fafety, peace and welfare
of the Union. Adjourned.
MONDAY, April 23.
On motion of Mr. Dayton a committee was«p
pointed to bring in a bill to authorize the grant
and conveyance of a certain tradtof land to John
Cleves Symnies.
A bill providing for the sale of lands in the
territory of the United Stales, north weft of the
River Ohio, was read the second time, and com
mitted for to-morrow.
In committee of the whole on the bill provicl
ing for calling forth the militia to execute the
laws of the union, suppress infurrecftions, and
repel invasions Mr. W. Smith in the chair.
Various amendments were proposed foineofthem
agreed to, others rejected.
A motion was made by Mr. Page, to ftri!(eot)t
the second fediion—Another motion was offered
by IVir. Benfon to amend it, by Ajbdituting the
words of the Constitution relative to insurrec
tions, Sec.—both these motions were negatived
after some debate.
Mr. Steele moved to ft i ike out the latter part
of the fetftion, which empowers the Prefidenc °-
the United States to march the militia of one
Itate into another, to quell infurretlions, &c
---in cafe lhe militia of such ftatefhall refufe,oi be
inlufficient for the purpose.—This motion occa
sioned a lengthy debate, and was finally negs*
tived.
Mr. Steele then moved to add a clause, which
provided for the intervening of a fefiion of Con
gress previous to the exercising this power— This
was also negatived. ,
A motion, made by Mr. Madison, was »g ree
to, by which the section was modified so as to re-
Itrict the exercise of this power, to the recels 0
Congress, and till days after the next fefiion
shall commence.
Mr. Baldwin moved another amendment
this feclion, which was agreed to, providing t' l3t
information of any infurreciion or oppofijio"^ 0
the laws of the Union, which may require the
interposition of the military powe", (h.di oe com
municated to the I'refidentof the United States
by one of the Ai'fociare {apices, or the ditinU
Judge.