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WASHINGTON CITY.
CONC R E S S
OF THE UNITED STsJTES,
110 US E O F R E PRESEN 7 TATI Vf, S. !
Monday, Dec. ci.
Mr. ] )avis moved to go into I
committee of the v hole, to take
up the report of the committee
of elections, rcTpetting the cre
dentials of Mr. I funrer, as a de
legate from the Miftiflippi Ter
ritory.
Mr. Morris took the chair,
Toe report of the committee
was, that the Mifllftlppi Tcrri
tor 1 , was entitled to the right of
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lending a delegate to congrefs, j
vj o ' I
who might debate but not v* re. ,
Mr. Mi 11 edge laid, the flare
of Georgia had always claimed j
the right of fovcrcignty and foil j
O XZ> J
to that diftrld, and lie therefore j
objected if) the report of the I
committee of elections. He
called for the reading of the re
monftrance of Georgia, again ft
O 3 o
the proceedings of congrefs. It I
Was very long.
After the reading was finifli- !
etl—
Mr. Milledge faid, the (late |
had an undoubted right to the i
foil. The gentleman’s claim 1
to a feat was laid to be ground
ed on laws of congrefs, but the j
conftitution fays no new llate :
Brail be formed out of another, j
w ithout the con Tent of its legif- i
lature. He would afiert to that j
body, that the legiftarure of
Georgia never gave her con
feiit, and therefore the gchtle
could not conftitutionally
claim a feat. He ftated, that
commiflioners were appointed
by Georgia to fettle the boun-
J o
daiiesof that ft ate, and in three j
or four weeks he expected the I
bufmefs would be fettled. He !
therefore hoped and milled this '
bufmefs would not beinfiftedon
at lifts time.
* Mr. Bayard faid, the gentle
man had miftaken the projed
cf the report of the fclecft com
mittee. It was not to admit a
pew Hate into the union, or to
erect one within the limits of any
Hate ; but only co admit a mem
ber here, with the right of de
bar ing but not of voting. This i
•would not injure the ftate of
. Georgia.
The objections made by the
gentleman from Georgia, are i
directly in the teeth of the laws |
of congrefs, and cannot be fuf- j
tained in this committc. We j
are bound by the ads of con
greis, and have no dilcretion left j
us in tins bufmefs. The gentle- 1
man, to reach his objcd, fhould *
bring forward a refolucion to re- !
peal the aft eftablifning the 1
M.lhihppi 1 erritory, which I
fi} s they fhail have a right to
feed a qualified re pi (Tentative.
We are now bound by this aft,
and mull continue bound by it, 1
until it is repealed. The rights j
and privileges granted to" the
North-Weftern 'Territory, were
transferred to this Territory.
There it is clearly provided,
that a< foon as their affembly is
they may chofe a de
legate. you fay the law
is void, you cannot but concur
With the fekd-commiuce.
The United States had afled,
he faid, with moderation and
propriety. "There w’as a dif
pute with Georgia relative to
this territory. It is refeired to
cormpiftioners to fettle. ]n the
afl eftabliftiing the territory,
there is a claufc dating, that it
fhould not picjudrce the right
ofGcorgia. The report )f the
committee, Mr. B. faid, was
merely to carry into < ff-d the 1
law in conformity with which
the delegate w.u chof i ; Jr- j
claims his liar under i!a ,w° of
congrefs. ft o admit tin rm m
ber would nut, fie obhrml, |
prejudice tlie cla m of (• corgi a.
Mr. Milledge declared in ;
every ftage of the prot■■■■.‘dings
of the general govermienr,
from the fit ft to the fall, the i
ftate of Georgia had o pooled
O I J
‘hem, under a conviction that
they violated die conftiiution,
and infringed the rights of
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Georgia.
Mr. Davis followed Mr.
ißayard, and was in favour of the
report of the committee.
Mr. Randolph thought that
neither of tnc gentlemen who
had fpoken had confidered as
candidly as they ought to have
done the fituation of the gen
tleman from Georgia. That
ftate had from the beginning to
the end protefted againft: the
meafures of the general govern
ment on this fubjed ; and it
became its reprefehtatives to
continue to protcft againft them.
He perfectly agreed with gen
tlemen, that as the law ftood it
fcarcely left to that houfe a chi -
c ret ion to refute admitting
delegate from the territory to a
fear. But he differed widely
from gentlemen in the opinions
they entertained of the meafures
of the general government. —
'The United States had appoint
ed commiflioners who were to
be judges. In the aft cftablifh
ing a government they had
prejudged the point in difpute,
and had at the very moment of
prejudication declared that no
prejudice ftiould attach to the
rights of Georgia.
Mr. Randolph though* that
a mode could be purlued that
would conciliate both Tides.—
W e were told that, in obedience
to the laws, the houfe was com
pelled to admit a delegate.—
Granted.—We were told alfo
that the claims of Georgia were
in a train of amicable fetdement.
Let then the dccillon on this
point be poftponed. There
was no imergency that called
for an immediate decifion
Rather, then, than throw a Te
nons obftacle in the way of ac
commodation, let the bufmefs
be deferred for Tome time. Me
therefore, moved that the com
mittee rill*.
On this motion a debate of
confiderable length enfued.
"I hole who lupported the rl
fing of the committee were
Mefffs. Randolph, Dana, Bacon,
Milledge, Macon, and S. Smith.
I hole who oppofed it, were
Meftrs. Bayard, Grifwold, Clai
borne, and Davis.
"The general opinion ap
peared to be that the law is
dear as to the right in the legif-
Jature of the Miftiflippi Terri
tory to fend a delegate,. There
\yis ff.rre diveifity offennir/nt j
as to the manner in which they 1
fhonld exprefs their opinion of
Mr. Hunter’s being entitled to
his feat. The report of the
committee was finally agreed
to by the committee of the
I whole.
On the qnefiion for conciir
i ring with the committee in the
j relolution reported, Mr. Mil-
I ledge faid he hoped he would
be indulged with the yeas and
I nay;g that it might appear on
record that the representatives
| of rite fare of Georgia had
| faithfully difchargnl their duty.
'] he yeas and nays being ra
-1 ken, were yeas, yd—navs 8.
IJ■ f J
A letter was received bom
) the fecrerary of the treafury,
j cnclofing two llatements ref
\jccting thc internal revenue.
1. Exhibiting the names of |
the officers employed in the i
collection of the internal reve
nue, with their official i rnolu
mcr.t and expenditures from
January i, iBco, to December
ji, 1800.
2. Exhibiting the receipts
from tue internal revenue from
January’i, 1800, to December !
jl, IbOC.
Referred to the committee of
ways and means.
Another k rrer Was received i
from the fecretary of the trea- \
i fury, cnclofing a report from !
I the comm Goners ot rhe city !
of Wafhington, preknting a I
view ot all the bounds confided j
to them from the loth No vein- :
i her, tboo, to the ibth Novem
ber, I >oi.
Ihurjday , December 24.
A 'report was received from
tire fecretary of war, giving a
! flatement of the prclcnt military
eftabhihments in the United
Stares, the number or men nc
ceffary, &c. Referred to a
committee of the whole.
A report was received from
j the Poft-Mader General, giving
a ftatement of routs on whicu
j the mail is carried without fuf
-1 ficient income from pofiage to
authorise the continuance, Re
fened to the committee on poll
offices and pod roads.
Mr. Glllwold offered a refo
lution : that the fecretary of
| date be directed to lay before
J the houfc a table diewing the
comparative duties on goods
imported into Great-Britain, in
| American and other bottoms,
fo tar as they related to Ameri
can coir merce. Agreed.
Monday, December 28.
A report was received from
he fecretary of date, on tire
petition of Phillip Sloan, which
concludes with the opinion that
it is expedient to allow the pe
titioner 2,8c0 dollars in full
: compenfation for his fervices.
Referred to a committee of the
whole houfc on Wcdnefday.
Tuejday , December 29.
A report was made of rules
proper to be adopted by rhe
lioule lor the government of its
j proceedings, by the committee
1 appointed for that purpofe.
Referred to a committee of
j the whole houfe to-morrow,
j The committee of revifaland
! unfinflhed bufinefs, reported a
■ lift of adds tb.at will expire by
their own limitations during, or
1 at the expiration of the prefent
leGon.
A memorial was pre fen fe
from a number of citizens of the
territory of Columbia, pravipo
that Congrefs would take fuch
meafures as they may deem ex
pedient, to empower and aid
them to efiabl dh a company to
make a Bridge over the Poto
mac from the Man land Avenue
to the neared: point of Alexan
der’s KUnd. Referred to the
commiWe on the territory of
Columbia.
1 he houfe then went into q
committee of the whole on the
Library Bill—Mr. Rutledge m
the chair.
The bill tinderwent fvc ral
amendments, and the lad feftion
making a further appropriation
for the purchafe of books vas
rejeded, under the impnffion
that the unexpended balance
was lulHdent for the prefent.
So reported, it was conficler
rd by the houfe, and further
amended ; when on motion of
Mr. Grifwcld, the further con
fu-eiation of it was pofrponed
till to-morrow.
The follow ing are the principal
• features of the bill:
The fevei ai lections of tha
bill prefer!be,
f. That the library, ronfiHT g
of all the books of the tv.o
houles, be kept in the m m
laid feflion occupied by the
Houfe of Reprefcntatives.
a and c. That the Prefident
of the Senate and Speaker of
the : loufe of Reprdtnr.atives
appoint a librarian ; and that
the Prefident and Speaker have
the fuperintendar.ee of the li
brary, fubjedl ?o the provifions
of the aft.—The librarian to
be allowed two dollars a day.
4. No map to be taken out
of the library ; and the books
to be taken out by the Prefident
and Vice Prefident of the Uni
ted States, and the members-of
the two houfes ; by the heads of
departments and attorney-gene
ral during the fitting of the le-
O O
gillature, and by the judges of
the fupreme court during its
fittings.
5. The unexpected balance:,
or llirr.s heretofore appro orated, •,
.PP * .
viz. 2,800 dollars to be. applied .
to the purchafe of books, under
the dux Ction of a joint commit
tee of three members of each
houfe.
Mr. Randolph moved the
following refolution : “ Refolv
cd, that it is expedient to reduce
the military eflablifhment of tho
United States.”
It was not the wlfh of Mr.
Randolph to precipitate a deci
fion on this important lubjefr.
Pie, therefore, was w tiling that
his refolution fhould lie for con
federation at fome future day.
Ordered to lie on the table.
IVe due] dry , Dec aider 30.
h ire houfe refumed the libra
ry bill.
Mr. Randolph moved to
firike out the claufe for allowing
rhe atrornei general, the head*
of the departments, and the
judges of the fupreme court
during their fefilons to ufe the
books. lie wiflied rather m
fee whether the library would
be fufiicient to accommodate
the members of congrefs, be -
fore an extenfion of acccU
permitted. ,