Daily National Intelligencer

SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES.

MARCH 4, 1817.

About 11 o'clock Mr. Gaillard, the President pro tempore of the Senate, took the chair, and the following new Members appeared (besides those whose term of service did not expire yesterday) were qualified and took their seats:

From New-Hampshire—David L. MORRILL.

From Rhode Island—James BURRELL, Jr.

From New-Jersey—Mahlon DICKERSON.

From Massachusetts—HARRISON G. OTIS.

From Delaware—NICHOLAS VAN DYKE.

Messrs. STOKES, SMITH, TROUP and WILLIAMS, members of the last Congress, re-appeared, and also took their seats.

Mr. EPPES, from Virginia, Mr. CRITTENDEN, from Kentucky, and Mr. CLAIBORNE from Louisiana, three other new members, did not attend.

The Vice-President having appeared and taken his seat, &c. the Senate adjourned to to-morrow.

MARCH 3d.

The following resolution, moved by Mr. GOLDSBOROUGH, was agreed to:

Resolved unanimously, That the thanks of the Senate be presented to the honorable JOHN GAILLARD, for the able and satisfactory manner in which he has discharged the duties of the President pro-tempore of the Senate since his appointment to that office, and that this testimonial of their approbation and respect be entered upon their journal.

Whereupon Mr. GAILLARD rose, and addressed the Senate as follows:

GENTLEMEN OF THE SENATE.

The approbation of a body so respectable and distinguished as that which I have now the honor to address, is received with the most profound respect, and will ever be to me a source of pleasing and of grateful recollection. To the habits of order, of decorum, and attention to business, which so strongly mark the character of this honorable body, I have felt myself to be greatly indebted, but more, much more so, to that spirit of liberality and indulgence which has been extended to me on all occasions, and which has been ever ready to overlook my many deficiencies and errors, and to overrate my feeble humble efforts which have been directed with anxious solicitude to the faithful and important discharge of the duties of the chair. If, in the course of my official conduct, it should have been my misfortune to have wounded the feelings of any honorable members, or in aught to have offended, I can assure them that such offence was unintentional on my part, and I pray them to accept this apology as an atonement. Permit me now, gentlemen, to tender to you collectively, as well as individually, my grateful acknowledgements for your kindness, and my warmest wishes for your prosperity and happiness.

We have not yet been able to obtain a list of the Acts passed; which the reader will not wonder at, when he is informed
that about an hundred were signed on the last day and night of the session, and upwards of sixty of them after eleven o'clock at night! This precipitate legislation is an evil requiring a remedy by a joint rule to prevent the origination of bills after a certain period of the session.

The difference said to have existed between the two Houses in respect to the appropriation of the Representative Chamber, was rather fortunate than otherwise; since it caused the ceremony of the President swearing fealty to the constitution to take place in the view, if not in the hearing, of all the people of the United States who chose to witness it. This, it appears to us, is a mode far preferable to that of being cramped up in a Hall, into which, however extensive, not more than four or five hundred people can possibly have admittance.