Gazette Of The United States

PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS.

ABSTRACT of JOURNAL of the FIRST SESSION of the SENATE of the UNITED STATES.

Wednesday, May 13, 1789.

ORDERED, That Mr. Langdon, Mr. Strong and Mr. Carroll, be a committee, to confer with any committee that may be appointed on the part of the House of Representatives, and report what newspapers the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, shall be furnished with, at the public expense.

A committee consisting of Mr. Johnson, Mr. Read, Mr. Langdon, Mr. Morris, Mr. Dalton, Mr. Elmer, Mr. Henry and Mr. Gunn, was appointed to report a bill, defining the crimes and offences that shall be cognizable under the authority of the United States, and their punishment.

Adjourned.

THURSDAY, May 14.

The committee appointed the 9th instant to determine "under what Title it will be proper for the Senate to address the President"—and to confer with a committee of the House of Representatives, "upon the disagreeing votes of the Senate and House," informed the Senate, that they had conferred with a committee of the House of Representatives, but could not agree upon a report.

The committee appointed the 9th instant "to consider and report under what Title it will be proper for the Senate to address the President of the United States of America," Reported. That in the opinion of the committee it will be proper thus to address the President—His HIGHNESS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND PROTECTOR OF THEIR LIBERTIES.

Which report was postponed—and the following resolve was agreed to, to wit: -

From a decent respect for the opinion and practice of civilized nations, whether under monarchical or republican forms of government, whose custom is to annex Titles of respectability to the Office of their Chief Magistrate; and that, on intercourse with foreign nations, a due respect for the majesty of the people of the United States may not be hazarded by an appearance of singularity; the Senate have been induced to be of opinion, that it will be proper to annex a respectable Title to the Office of President of the United States: But the Senate desirous of preserving harmony with the House of Representatives, where the practice lately observed in presenting an address to the President was without the addition of Titles, think it proper for the present to act in conformity with the practice of the House:—

Therefore Resolved, that the present address be —"To the President of the United States"— without addition of Title.

A motion was made to strike out the preamble as far as the words "but the Senate;" which passed in the negative—and on motion for the main question; it passed in the affirmative.

The committee appointed to consider and report a mode of carrying into effect the provision in the second clause, of the third section of the first article of the Constitution, reported—

Whereupon Resolved, that the Senators be divided into three classes, the first to consist of Mr. Langdon, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Morris, Mr. Henry, Mr. Izard and Mr. Gunn—

The second of Mr. Wingate, Mr. Strong, Mr. Patterson, Mr. Bassett, Mr. Lee, Mr. Butler and Mr. Few—

And the third of Mr. Dalton, Mr. Ellsworth, Mr. Elmer, Mr. Maclay, Mr. Read, Mr. Carroll and Mr. Grayson.

That three papers of an equal size, numbered 1, 2, and 3, be by the Secretary rolled up and put into a box, and drawn by Mr. Langdon, Mr. Wingate and Mr. Dalton, in behalf of the respective classes in which each of them are placed; and that the classes shall vacate their seats in the Senate according to the order of numbers drawn for them, beginning with number one—

And that when Senators shall take their seats from States that have not yet appointed Senators, they shall be placed by lot in the foregoing classes, but in such manner as shall keep the classes as nearly equal as may be in numbers.

The committee appointed to confer with a committee of the House of Representatives, in preparing proper rules to be established for the enrollment, &c. of the acts of Congress—Reported, which report was ordered to lie for consideration.

Ordered, That the committee appointed to draft an answer to the President's Speech wait on him, and request him to appoint the time when it will be agreeable to receive the address of the Senate, at his own house.

Adjourned.

FRIDAY, May 15.

The Committee appointed to draft an answer to the President's Speech further reported—

Whereupon it was Agreed, That the Senate should wait upon the President at his own house on Monday next, at a quarter after eleven o'clock, and that the Vice President then, present the address of the Senate, as agreed to on the 7th instant.

The Senate proceeded to determine the Classes agreeably to the resolve of yesterday, on the mode of carrying into effect the provision in the second clause, of the third section, of the first article of the Constitution, and the numbers being drawn, the classes were determined as follows: -

Lot No. 1, drawn by Mr. Dalton—containing Mr. Dalton, Mr. Ellsworth, Mr. Elmer, Mr. Maclay, Mr. Read, Mr. Carroll, and Mr. Grayson—

Whose seats shall accordingly, be vacated in the Senate at the expiration of the second year.

Lot No. 2, drawn by Mr. Wingate—containing Mr. Wingate, Mr. Strong, Mr. Patterson, Mr. Bassett, Mr. Lee, Mr. Butler, and Mr. Few—

Whose seats shall accordingly be vacated in the Senate at the expiration of the fourth year.

Lot No. 3, drawn by Mr. Langdon—containing Mr. Langdon, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Morris, Mr. Henry, Mr. Izard, and Mr. Gunn—whose seats shall accordingly be vacated in the Senate, at the expiration of the sixth year. Adjourned.

SATURDAY, May 16.

A message from the House of Representatives by Mr. Beckley, their Clerk, who informed the Senate that "the House had concurred in the appointment of a committee, consisting of Mr. Sylvester, Mr. Wynkoop and Mr. Smith (of South-Carolina) to confer with a committee appointed on the part of the Senate, the 13th instant, and to report what newspapers the members of Congress shall be furnished with at the public expense; and that it was an instruction to the said committee on the part of the House, to receive proposals for printing the acts and other proceedings of Congress."

Adjourned.

Monday, May 18.

Agreeably to the order of the 15th instant the Senate waited on the President of the United States, at his own house, when the Vice-President in their name, delivered to the President the address agreed to on the 7th instant: To which the President of the United States was pleased to reply.

(See our paper of May 20.)

Ordered, That Mr. Lee be a committee on the part of the Senate, to join any committee appointed for that purpose on the part of the House of Representatives, to lay before the President, for his approbation, a bill, entitled "An Act to regulate the time and manner of administering certain oaths," after it shall be enrolled, examined by the said committee and signed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and by the Vice-President.