APRIL, 1806. Protection to Merchant Vessels. NAVY DEPARTMENT, April 11, 1806. SIR: In compliance with the resolution of the House of Representatives, I herewith transmit to you, to be laid before them, paper A, which specifies the several sums of money, respectively, wanted for repairs of vessels, for store rent, for pay of armorers, for freight, and for contingent expenses of the Navy for the year 1806. The estimate for repairs, as well as for the other items in this statement, is obviously altogether conjectural. Universal experience has ascertained that practical men, however conversant in naval architecture, can form no precise opinion from any previous survey of a ship requiring repair of consequence, as to the extent and cost of such repair. The sum stated as necessary may not, and I hope will not, be wanted. In such case, it of course will not be expended. But I have deemed it expedient to estimate for the largest sum that I have reason to apprehend, in any state of things, may be required. This I have done as a measure of precaution, and under an impression that, at all times, and especially at a crisis like the present, all the frigates and other vessels of the Navy ought to be completely prepared for service at any moment Government may have occasion for them. I am, respectfully, sir, your obedient servant, ROBERT SMITH. Hon. NATHANIEL MACON. Estimate of the sums necessary to be appropriated for repairs of vessels, store rent, pay of armorers, freight, and contingent expenses of the Navy, for the year 1806, prepared in obedience to the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 10th April, 1806: For repairs of vessels-This item comprises the expense of procuring the necessary timber, masts, yards, copper, iron, anchors, cables, standing and running rigging, canvass, &c., the making and repairing the necessary boats of a ship, water casks, &c., and the professional and manual labor, required for the purpose of repairing, and keeping in repair, all the vessels of whatever description, belonging to the Navy of the United States 303,300 For store rent, in the Mediterranean, the United States, and elsewhere, For pay of armorers For freight-This item comprises the expense of transporting, in the United States, and from the United States to the Mediterranean, timber, masts, yards, plank, cordage, 3,500 650 canvass, powder, ball, beef, pork, flour, bread, spirits, molasses, peas, suet, butter, and every other description of articles required, either for the repairs of vessels, or the maintenance of the crews of vessels For contingent expenses-This item comprises commissions to agents in foreign countries and the United States, officers' travelling expenses, the expense of nautical instruments, chests, books, models, drawings, signals, lanterns, lamps, oil, fuel, candles, hammocks, trumpets, glass, cisterns, cans, mess kids, buckets, axes, gridirons, tea kettles, shovels, tongs, charcoal, sulphur, saltpetre, fire engines, bread bags, and an infinite variety of other such articles MONDAY, April 14. H. OF R. 60,000 45,000 $412,450 An engrossed bill respecting claims to land in the Indiana Territory and State of Ohio was read the third time, and passed. An engrossed bill making appropriations for read the third time, and passed. carrying into effect certain Indian treaties was that the Senate have agreed to the resolution of A message from the Senate informed the House this House, of the eighth instant, fixing a day for the adjournment of the two Houses of Congress, with an amendment; to which they desire the concurrence of this House. The Senate have agreed to the conference desired by this House on the subject-matter of the amendments depending between the two Houses to the bill, entitled "An act making appropriations for the support of Govment for the year one thousand eight hundred and six," and have appointed managers on their part. The Senate have passed the bill, entitled "An act authorizing a detachment from the militia of the United States," with an amendment; to which they desire the concurrence of this House. The House proceeded to consider the amendments proposed by the Senate, to the resolution fixing a day for the adjournment of the two Houses of Congress; and the said amendment being to strike out the words "Wednesday, the sixteenth," and, in lieu thereof, to insert the words Monday, the twenty-first," was, on the question put thereupon, agreed to by the House. A Message was received from the President of the United States communicating information in relation to our affairs with Tunis. The Message was read, and referred to the Committee of Ways and Means. PROTECTION OF MERCHANT VESSELS. An engrossed bill concerning the further safeguard of merchant vessels in the vicinity of the United States, was read the third time; and on the question that the same do pass, it was resolved in the affirmative-yeas 87, nays 5, as follows: YEAS-Willis Alston, jr., David Bard, Joseph Bar ker, George M. Bedinger, Barnabas Bidwell, John Blake, jr., Thomas Blunt, Robert Brown, Levi Casey H. OF R. Duty on Salt. APRIL, 1806. John Chandler, John Claiborne, Christopher Clark, on the agricultural part of the community. It Matthew Clay, John Clopton, Frederick Conrad, Rich- was now, and always had been his wish, to reduce ard Cutts, Samuel W. Dana, Ezra Darby, John Da- it as soon as our revenue would permit, if consisvenport, jr., John Dawson, Elias Earle, James Elliot, tent with the provisions made for paying off our Ebenezer Elmer, William Ely, John W. Eppes, Wil-national debt, and meeting the other exigencies of liam Findley, James Fisk, John Fowler, James M. Government. For his part, he was at a loss, howGarnett, Charles Goldsborough, Peterson Goodwyn, Andrew Gregg, Isaiah L. Green, Silas Halsey, John ever, to discover that the present situation of our Hamilton, Seth Hastings, David Holmes, David Hough, revenue, and the calls on Government for expendJames Kelly, John Lambert, Michael Leib, Jos. Lewis, iture, together with the present aspect of our forjr., Matthew Lyon, Patrick Magruder, Robert Marion, eign relations, warranted this measure more now Josiah Masters, Nicholas R. Moore, Thomas Moore, than last year. It was true that the war with the John Morrow, Jonathan O. Mosely, Jeremiah Nelson, Barbary Powers up the Mediterranean had ceased, Roger Nelson, Gideon Olin, Timothy Pitkin, junior, but it was also true, that the two and a half per John Pugh, Josiah Quincy, Jacob Richards, John Rus- cent. additional duty on goods paying ad valorem sell, Peter Sailly, Thomas Sammons, Thomas Sand- duties has likewise ceased with the peace concludford, Martin G. Schuneman, James Sloan, John Smilie, ed with Tripoli. This duty was laid for the supJohn Smith, Samuel Smith, Richard Stanford, Joseph port of, and was more than adequate to the expense Stanton, Samuel Taggart, Benjamin Tallmadge, Sam- of that war. uel Tenney, David Thomas, Philip R. Thompson, Thomas W. Thompson, Uri Tracy, Philip Van Cortland, Killian K. Van Rensselaer, Joseph B. Varnum, Peleg Wadsworth, John Whitehill, Robert Whitehill, Marmaduke Williams, Nathan Williams, Alexander Wilson, Richard Winn, and Joseph Winston. NAYS-Peter Early, John Rea of Pennsylvania, John Rhea of Tennessee, Abram Trigg, and David R. Willliams. DUTY ON SALT. He repeated that he was in favor of reducing the duty on salt whenever we could part with so much of our revenue. He regretted, however, that the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. RANDOLPH) had not brought this subject up at an earlier period of the session, when it might have been in our power to have examined into it, and, if found practicable, to have reduced the duty. But, as the gentleman is himself Chairman of the Committee, and has it in his power to act on RANDOLPH) would obey the instructions of the it immediately, if he pleases, he hoped he (Mr. House when predicated on his own motion-although he did not, when instructed by a resolution submitted by him, Mr. T.; and, therefore, he would vote for the resolution, with an expectation that we shall now, at least, have a report on the subject. Mr. J. RANDOLPH said he was about to call the attention of the House to a subject which he should not have probably brought into view, but for the change wrought in the state of the revenue, in consequence of the peace with Tripoli. Among the different articles from which moneys were drawn, there was none so heavily burdened as salt; and it would be recollected that it was one Mr. J. RANDOLPH said he had but two or three of the necessaries of life, and an article, the free words to offer on the subject of the motion, said use and consumption of which was of material to have been offered during the last year, on this importance to the agriculture of the country. Two point. He had a distinct recollection of such a acts had been passed laying a duty on this article. motion having been offered, and he also recollectIt was no new thing to wish-it was, indeed, ex-ed that he had told the mover of it that it was tremely desirable to diminish, if not to take off this duty, and for that purpose, he submitted the following resolution : Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means be instructed to inquire into the expediency of repealing so much of any act as lays a duty on salt; and to report such provision as may, in their opinion, be calculated to meet the deficiency occasioned by that repeal. Mr. THOMAS said the Committee of Ways and Means, of which the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. J. RANDOLPH) who has made the motion, was and still is Chairman, were instructed by this House in the early part of last session, on a motion which he had the honor then to submit, to inquire into the expediency of reducing the duty on salt, and, if he recollected right, they were directed to report by bill, or otherwise; but, from some cause or other, to him unknown, that committee had never yet made any report on that subject Courtesy might induce him to impute this neglect to the multiplicity of business put into the hands of the members of that committee. He, Mr. T., always considered the duty on this article too high, and falling particularly heavy not then possible to take off the duty upon salt, inasmuch as they had, only the session preceding, been compelled to raise additional revenue for the purpose of carrying on the Tripolitan war. He did not recollect whether the resolution had been agreed to by the House. But, it would be recollected, that during the latter part of the session, the most active members of the Committee of Ways and Means were almost exclusively engag ed in conducting an impeachment pending before the other branch of the Legislature. If the Committee of Ways and Means had failed in their duty to make a report, the House would perceive that it was on one of those trivial motions which had been made under circumstances that did not entitle it to respect; for, when it was considered that they had recently been obliged to resort to new taxes for carrying on an existing war, it could not have been expected that they were in a situation to dispense with old ones. The reason why this resolution had not been brought forward at an earlier period of the session, Mr. R. said, was most obvious. He had not heard of the conclu sion of peace with Tripoli till Saturday, and this was, therefore, the earliest occasion that offered for making it. Mr. CHANDLER said he hoped the motion would prevail. He had himself contemplated making a similar motion. H. of R. person shall make, or attempt to make, a settlement on any of the lands thus ceded by the Cherokees and Chickasaws, and lying within the Mississippi Territory; or shall, unless authorized so to do by the Surveyor of the Public Lands south of Tennessee, survey, or atMr. SMILIE likewise supported the motion. tempt to survey such lands, or designate boundaries, by Mr. ALSTON said he heartily concurred in the marking trees, or otherwise, such offender shall, on propriety of taking off the duty on salt; but he conviction thereof in any court of record of the United thought the House ought previously to know what States, or of any of the Territories of the same, forfeit equivalent could be brought forward. This sub-suffer imprisonment for a term not less than a sum not less than $ -, nor exceeding $, and ject had been thought of before this proposition months, nor exceeding had been submitted, and the continuation of the over, be lawful for the President of the United States, -years. And it shall, moreduty of two and a half per cent. had been con- and he is hereby required to employ such military force sidered an advisable substitute. But, he had doubts as he may judge necessary, to remove from the said of the propriety of the direction proposed to be lands any person who shall make, or attempt to make, given to this business. He thought this resolu- any settlement as aforesaid: Provided, That nothing tion, together with that offered by a gentleman herein contained shall affect persons making settlefrom Massachusetts, should go hand in hand with ments on lands purchased from the United States in each other; whether they went to the Committee conformity with the preceding section of this act." of the whole House, or to the Committee of Ways and Means, was immaterial to him. That if one of these sources of revenue was given up, the other should be, at the same time, substituted in room of it. He said he did not know in what situation the resolution offered by the gentleman from Massachusetts was, which he would wish to know before he voted on this resolution. A Member observed that the House had never agreed to consider it. Whereupon, a short debate ensued, in which Messrs. QUINCY and LYON opposed, and Messrs. J. RANDOLPH, J. CLAY, and GREGG, supported the passage of the bill. The former gentlemen opposed it on account of the preceding provisions, which they considered as calculated, by authorizing the use of military force, to prevent the legal adjustment, by judicial decision, of claims under individuals pretending to have good titles to a part of the country. The latter gentlemen contended that the power Mr. THOMAS said, as the gentleman from Virginia appeared to have forgotten that the Commit-given to the President was not only just in itself, tee of which he was Chairman were instructed to inquire into the expediency of reducing the duty on salt, in the early part of the last session, he wished the Clerk to read that part of the Journal. The resolution, he said, passed about the first day of December. Mr. J. RANDOLPH said he certainly did not deny the existence of such a resolution. He had only observed that he did not recollect having received it from the Clerk. The Clerk read the resolution offered last session by Mr. THOMAS, on the 7th of December, 1804, which was such as he had stated, and which appeared to have received the sanction of the House. Mr. ALSTON then moved that the resolution should be referred to a Committee of the Whole, which, after a few words in opposition by Mr. LEIB, was disagreed to-yeas 22; when the original motion obtained without a division. CHICKASAW INDIANS. The bill making appropriations for carrying into effect the Treaty between the United States and the Chickasaw tribe of Indians was read a third time. Mr. LYON declared himself against this bill, on account of the provisions contained in the third section, and moved a recommitment of the bill to a Committee of the whole House, which was disagreed to-yeas 28. The question recurring on the passage of the bill, Mr. QUINCY objected to the provisions of the third section; which are as follows: "SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That if any 9th CoN.-33 but absolutely necessary, to prevent an intrusion on the lands of the United States by a particular description of the Yazoo claimants, who were represented as having formed the purpose of establishing an extensive settlement on them, and thus creating a force which would keep possession of the country in defiance of the laws of the United States. The question was then taken by yeas and nays on the passage of the bill-yeas 68, nays 33, as follows: YEAS-Evan Alexander, Willis Alston, junior, Isaac Anderson, David Bard, Burwell Bassett, George M. Bedinger, John Blake, junior, Thomas Blount, Robert Brown, William Butler, Levi Casey, John Claiborne, Christopher Clark, Joseph Clay, Matthew Clay, John Clopton, Frederick Conrad, Ezra Darby, John Dawson, Elias Earle, John W. Eppes, James Fisk, James M. Garnett, Charles Goldsborough, Peterson Goodwyn, Edwin Gray, Andrew Gregg, Isaiah L. Green, Silas Halsey, John Hamilton, David Holmes, John G. Jackson, John Lambert, Michael Leib, Joseph Lewis, jr., Patrick Magruder, Robert Marion, Josiah Masters, William McCreery, Nicholas R. Moore, Thomas Moore, Jeremiah Morrow, John Morrow, Gurdon S. Mumford, Roger Nelson, Thomas Newton, junior, John Pugh, John Randolph, John Rea of Pennsylvania, Jacob Richards, Thomas Sammons, Thomas Sandford, James Sloan, John Smilie, John Smith, Samuel Smith, Henry Abram Trigg, Philip Van Cortlandt, John Whitehill, Southard, Richard Stanford, Philip R. Thompson, Robert Whitehill, David R. Williams, Alexander Wilson, Richard Winn, and Joseph Winston. NAYS-Joseph Barker, John Chandler, Orchard Cook, Richard Cutts, Samuel W. Dana, John Davenport, junior, James Elliot, Caleb Ellis, Ebenezer Elmer PUBLIC DEBT. The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the bill supplementary to the act, entitled "An act making provision for the redemption of the whole public debt of the United States." Mr. VARNUM Considered the objects contemplated by this bill too important, and the subject too abstruse, to be likely, at so late a period of the ses sion, to command that attention they merited; and therefore moved that the Committee should rise, with a view to postponing the farther consideration of the bill to the next session. Messrs. TALLMADGE and QUINCY supported, and Messrs. J. CLAY and J. RANDOLPH opposed this motion, which was disagreed to-yeas 32, nays 42; when the bill was considered by sections, and some progress made in it, when the Committee rose, and had leave to sit again. The House proceeded to consider the amendments proposed by the Senate to the bill, entitled "An act supplementary to the act, entitled 'An act to extend jurisdiction, in certain cases, to the Territorial Courts: Whereupon, Resolved, That this House do agree to the said amendments. The bill sent from the Senate, entitled "An act for the regulation of the times of holding the Courts of the District of Columbia, and for other purposes," was read twice and committed to a Committee of the Whole to-morrow. Mr. JOSEPH CLAY, from the committee appointed on the part of this House to attend a conference with the Senate on the subject-matter of the amendments depending between the two Houses o the bill, entitled "An act making appropriations or the support of Government, for the year one APRIL, 1806. thousand eight hundred and six," made a report thereon; which was read and ordered to lie on the table. A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate have agreed to the arrangement proposed by the joint committee of conference touching the amendments of the Senate to the bill, entitled "An act making appropriations for the support of Government for the year one thousand eight hundred and six;" they recede from their fourth, sixth, seventh, eighth, tenth, and thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments twelfth, and insist on their fifth, ninth, eleventh, to the said bill. The House proceeded to consider the said message: Whereupon, disagreement to the amendments insisted on by Resolved, That this House do recede from their the Senate, and do agree to the amendment and modification of all the other amendments proposed by the Senate to the said bill. A Message was received from the President of the United States, transmitting a treaty concluded their claim to the country between the Wabash with the Piankeshaw Indians, for extinguishing and Kaskaskia cessions. The Message was read, and, together with the treaty transmitted therewith, referred to the Committee of Ways and Means. The House resolved itself into a Committee of tled "An act to regulate and fix the compensation the Whole, on the bill sent from the Senate, entiof clerks, and for other purposes." The bill was reported with several amendments. with the bill, do lie on the table. Ordered, That the said amendments, together Ways and Means, presented a bill repealing the Mr. JOHN RANDOLPH, from the Committee of acts laying duties on salt, and continuing in force, for a further time, the first section of the act, entitled "An act further to protect the commerce and seamen of the United States against the Barbary Powers ;" which was read twice, and committed to a Committee of the whole House to morrow. The SPEAKER laid before the House the following letter from the Secretary of the Treasury; which was read and laid on the table: TREASURY DEPARTMENT, April 15, 1806. SIR: In answer to the request contained in the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 8th instant, I have the honor respectfully to state, that "no application has been made to draw money from the Treasury for the purchase of the Floridas before an appropriation made by law for that purpose." impression that such an application had been made, The circumstances which may have produced an being unconnected with any matter pertaining to the duties of the office of Secretary of the Treasury, are not presumed to come within the scope of the information received from this Department by the House. I have the honor to be, with great respect, sir, your obedient servant, ALBERT GALLATIN. The Hon. the SPEAKER of the House of Representa tives. APRIL, 1806. Defence of Ports and Harbors. DEFENCE OF PORTS AND HARBORS. The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the bill "for fortifying the ports and harbors of the United States, and for building gunboats." The first section was read, as follows: SEC. 1. That a sum of money not exceeding $150,000, in addition to the sums heretofore appropriated, shall be, and the same is hereby appropriated, to enable the President of the United States to cause the ports and harbors of the United States to be better fortified and protected. Mr. D. R. WILLIAMS moved to strike out the first section of the bill. Mr. MCCREERY.-Mr. Chairman: I shall not only vote against striking out the first section of this bill, but mean to renew the motion made in Committee of the Whole by the gentleman from Virginia, (Mr. DAWSON,) to appropriate $500,000 for the building of three frigates. H. OF R. ture on being re-exported, provided they remain in the same package, and are not altered. Therefore, if a merchant on examining his goods, which he commonly does, is tempted to dispose of a piece of linen, a pair of gloves, or a piece of ribbon, he loses the drawback on the entire package; and, therefore, because he will not take a false oath, the nation gains these sums of money. I know, sir, that custom-house oaths are proverbial in Europe; but they are not so here yet; and I think it will depend on this House that they. never shall. Notwithstanding the present great extent of our trade, we have the means of extending it much further from our increased circulating medium; and this will certainly take place should Europe remain in its present situation. It, therefore, appears to me to be wisdom in this House to afford to our commerce the necessary protection it requires. So much wealth pouring in will soon lower the interest of money. Banks are multiplying, but their dividends are lessening so fast, that these riches must soon be applied to agricul ture and to manufactures. The question was then taken on the motion of Mr. WILLIAMs, which was disagreed to-ayes 20. Mr. MASTERS moved a new section, appropriating a sum not exceeding dollars, to enable the President of the United States to cause the port and harbor of New York to be better fortified and protected. When we take into consideration the present unsettled state of Europe, the great and growing importance of our commerce, and the defenceless state it is in, can any man think of lessening the very small protection afforded to it by the nation? Will our constituents not be shocked at the small attention that is paid to such an immense property? Sir, the stake is too great to be trifled with. According to the report laid on your table a few days ago by the Secretary of the Treasury, our exports amounted to upwards of ninety-five millions of dollars for the last year, but as they commonly exceed our exports, both together must amount to nearly two hundred millions, to which I add, for one million tons of shipping, fifty millions, which gives an active property of near two hundred and fifty millions of dollars belonging to our fellow-more, and Georgetown. citizens; the greater part of which is almost constantly exposed to depredations. Now, sir, according to an estimation which I have made of fifteen per cent. gain on our imports and exports, and of twenty dollars per ton, carried annually by our shipping, it appears that our merchants have brought more wealth into the nation last year, than all our native produce and manufactures, which were exported the same year, amounted to. I therefore appeal to the good sense and candor of this House, whether it is consistent with the duty we owe our constituents to abandon such an interest. Mr. SMILIE opposed the motion, under the impression that no sum in the power of Congress to give would accomplish this object. Various motions were made to incorporate in the section a provision for fortifying the several ports of Charleston, Norfolk, New Orleans, Balti Mr. QUINCY.-Mr. Chairman, gentlemen seem disposed to treat this subject lightly, and to indulge themselves in pleasantries on a question very serious to the commercial cities and to the interests of those who inhabit them. It may be sport to you, gentlemen, but it is death to us. However well disposed a majority of this House may be to treat this bill ludicrously, it will fill great and influential portions of this nation with very different sentiments. Men who have all that human nature holds dear-friends, fortunes, and families-concentrated in one single spot on the seacoast, and that spot exposed every moment to be plundered and desolated, will not highly relish or prize at an extreme value the wit or the levity with which this House seems inclined to treat the dangers which threaten them; and which are sources to them of great and just apprehensions. I do not rise, Mr. Chairman merely to support the motion made by the gentleman from New York. It is not the fortification of this or that particular city which I mean to advocate. I should have preferred a general appropriation, leaving it to the discretion of the Executive to apply it to those ports and harbors which are either most exposed or most important. And if by anything that shall Agreeably to the system of drawback, all goods occur in the course of the discussion, the House imported, which pay a duty, are entitled to deben- I shall be induced to change what at present seem When this subject of our carrying trade, as it is called, was lately before the House, some gentlemen gave it credit for about $800,000, which arose from the system of debentures. The same item in the last report is, I believe, stated at one million and a half. But this, sir, in comparison to the other immense advantages of our trade, I consider as mere drippings in the pan; and I only mention it now in order to show to the House the manner in which it arises, because it will be a complete refutation of all those little insinuations and gross charges lately uttered on this floor against that part of the community. |