Elizabeth Town Gazette

Washington, Dec. 7, 1819.

CONGRESS.

Washington, Monday, Dec. 6.

This being the day appointed for the meeting of the Sixteenth Congress of the United States, at its First Session, the Members thereof assembled, at the hour of twelve o'clock, in their respective chambers, in the capitol.

IN THE SENATE.

Mr. Barbour of Virginia, took the chair, as President pro tem.

A quorum being present, and the House of Representatives being advised thereof, the Senate proceeded to business.

A resolution was passed for the appointment of a Chaplain to the Senate, to interchange weekly with the Chaplain for the House of Representatives.

A committee of Enrolled Bills was ordered to be appointed, and Mr. Wilson was chosen the committee on the part of the Senate.

A committee of Accounts was appointed, consisting of Messrs. Roberts, Burrill and Leake.

A committee of Engrossed Bills was appointed, consisting of Messrs. Mellen, Dickerson and Elliot.

The President laid before the Senate a copy of the Constitution of Government formed by the people of the state of Alabama, which was referred to a committee, consisting of Messrs. Williams, of Miss. Brown and Macon, to consider and report thereon.

And, after appointing a committee on their part, to wait on the President, and inform him that the Senate were ready to receive any communication he might have to make, the Senate adjourned.

Wednesday, Dec. 8.

Mr. Stanford offered for consideration sundry resolutions, for the reference of the several subjects of the President's Message to committees. They shall be further noticed when acted on.

Mr. Mellen presented the memorial of the people of the District of Maine, praying to be admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original states, together with a copy of the Constitution which they have formed for their government; and the same was referred to the committee to whom had been referred the Constitution of the state of Alabama, and ordered to be printed.

Mr. Williams, of Miss. from the committee to whom the subject had been referred, reported a bill, declaring the admission of the state of Alabama into the union; which was twice read, ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, and subsequently read a third time and passed.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Monday, Dec. 6.

The House proceeded to the choice of a Speaker, by ballot; and the ballots having been counted by Mr. Pleasants and Mr. Moseley, it appeared that the whole number of votes given in was 155; of which there were

For Henry Clay, of Kentucky, 147

Scattering votes, 8

So that Mr. Clay was duly elected Speaker of the House of Representatives.

He was accordingly conducted to the chair by Mr. Pleasants and Mr. Moseley, and the oath of office was administered him by Mr. Newton.

When Mr. Clay, the Speaker elect, addressed the house as follows:

"Gentlemen—Again called, by your favourable opinion, to the distinguished station to which I have been frequently assigned by that of your predecessors, I owe to you the expression of my most respectful thanks: and I pray you to believe that I feel inexpressible gratitude, as well for the honour itself as for the flattering manner in which it has been conferred. In our extensive confederacy, gentlemen, embracing such various and important relations, it must necessarily happen that each successive session of the house of representatives will bring with it subjects of the greatest moment. During that which we are now about to open, we have every reason to anticipate that the matters, which we shall be required to consider and to decide, possess the highest degree of interest. To give effect to our deliberations; to enable us to command the respect of those who may witness or be affected by them—and to entitle us to the affection and confidence of our constituents, the maintenance of order and decorum is absolutely necessary. Being quite sure that your own comfort, your sense of propriety, and the just estimate which you must make of the dignity which belongs to this house, will induce you to render to the chair your cordial co-operation, I proceed to discharge its duties, with the sincere assurance of employing my best exertions to merit the choice which you have been pleased to make. And it will be to me the greatest happiness, if I should be so fortunate as to satisfy, in this respect, your expectations."

The members were then called over by states, and severally sworn to support the constitution of the United States.

The house proceeded to the choice of clerk, and, on motion, Thomas Dougherty was appointed, nem. con.

In like manner, Thomas Dunn was appointed sergeant at arms, Thomas Claxton door-keeper, and Benjamin Burch assistant door-keeper to the house.

The rules & orders observed by the last house for its government, were temporarily established for the government of this house.

The usual rules respecting newspapers &c. were adopted.

Mr. Anderson, of Ky. presented to the house the constitution formed by the people of the territory of Alabama for their government: which was referred to a select committee, and ordered to be printed.

And, after appointing a committee on their part to join the committee appointed by the Senate to wait on the president.—The House adjourned till to-morrow.

Officers of the Senate.—James Barbour president pro tem; Charles Cutts, secretary; Mountjoy Bayly, sergeant at arms; Henry Tims, door-keeper.

Officers of the House of Representatives Henry Clay, speaker; Thomas Dougherty, clerk; Thomas Dunn, sergeant at arms; Thomas Claxton, door-keeper Benjamin Burch, assistant do.

Wednesday, Dec. 8.

The usual course of referring the President's Message to different committees was adopted, on motion of Mr. Taylor with this exception only, that instead of referring that part of the Message which relates to Commerce and Manufactures to one committee, the subjects have been separated, and respectively referred to Committee of Commerce and a Committee of Manufactures.

The resolution from the Senate, declaring the admission of the state of Alabama into the Union on an equal footing with the original states was agreed to, and returned to the Senate.

Petitions from the people of Maine praying to be admitted into the Union, were presented and referred.

The Rev. Mr. Allison was chosen Chaplain, having 81 votes, and Mr. Smith 78.

Mr. Strong, of New-York, gave notice on to-morrow he should ask leave to introduce a bill to prohibit the further extension of Slavery within the territories of the United States.

Thursday, Dec. 9.

A great number of petitions were presented this morning, amongst which were the following of a general nature:

additional encouragement may be given to the manufactures of the country. [This is the memorial of the Philadelphia Society—] Referred to the Committee of Manufactures.

New-York Institution for the education of the Deaf and Dumb, praying for a donation of public land for the support and encouragement of the humane objects of their institution. By Mr. Meigs—The memorial of
this association.
Referred to a select committee.
Mr. Scott, of Missouri, from the committee yesterday appointed on that subject, reported a bill to authorise the people of Missouri territory to form a constitution and state government, on an equal footing with the original states; which bill was twice read, and referred to a committee of the whole House.
On motion of Mr. Campbell, of Ohio, a committee was ordered to be appointed to report a bill providing for taking the fourth census or enumeration of the inhabitants of the United States.
Mr. Strong, of New-York, rose and intimated to the House, that, not desiring to embarrass the question which would probably arise on the Missouri bill now before the House, he should at present waive the motion which he yesterday announced his intention to make, for leave to introduce a bill to prohibit the further extension of slavery within the territories of the U. S.