Gazette Of The United States

CONGRESS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Monday, January 18.
Mr. Goodhue Chairman of the Committee of
Commerce and Manufactures, pursuant to that resolution from that Committee moved that they should
be discharged from the further consideration of the
petition of Wm. Little and that the said petition
should be referred to the secretary of the treasury.
This motion was agreed to.
The petition and memorial of Duncan Campbell
was presented and read. The petition of
James Strange of Manchester, Virginia, was read
praying the remission of the duties on a quantity
of salt which was destroyed after the duties were
secured; the last petition on motion of Mr. Giles
was referred to the Committee of Commerce and
Manufactures.
The petitions of Benjamin Fitts and of Peter
Haggerty were read and referred to the Committee
of Claims.
The petition of Elisha and Timothy Pitkin
gun manufacturers of Hartford, Connecticut was
read praying relief from the unequal operation of
the law laying a duty on guns, on motion of Mr.
Goodrich, referred to the Committee of Commerce
and Manufactures.
The petition of Thomas Pinckney was read and
on motion of Mr. Van Cortlandt, referred, with the
accompanying papers to the Committee of
Claims.
The petition of Thomas Dormen relative to
certain destroyed certificates was read and on motion
of Mr. S. Smith, referred to the Committee of claims. The petition of Duncan Campbell was
also referred to the same Committee.
The house took into consideration the report of
the Committee of Elections on the memorial of
John Richards, claiming a seat as representative of
one of the districts of Pennsylvania. The report
was again read, which, as before stated declares
that the memorialist is duly elected.
Mr. Sedgwick moved that the consideration of
the report should be deferred till to-morrow. His
reason for this was, the absence of Mr. Sitgreaves,
who appears to be the only person belonging to the
house, who was possessed of a full knowledge of a
state of facts relative to this business.
Mr. Parker seconded the motion. He had some
objections to offer to the report, relative to which.
Mr. Sitgreaves could probably give him some further
information.
Mr. Parker touched on some points of the report,
and remarked that it was peculiarly circumstanced by reason of the death of Mr. Morris.
It does not appear that any traverse of the statement
on the part of Mr. Richards had taken place,
by the executors of Mr. Morris, or by any other
persons.
Mr. Venable in reply to Mr. Parker asked by
what means a statement of facts traversing the statement
of Mr. Richards was to be obtained: he
did not suppose that delay would produce any such
statement from the executors of Mr. Morris, nor
did he think that it was the duty of the Committee
to seek for it.
Mr. Gallatin did not see any use in postponing
the question on the report. The member from
Northampton (Mr. Sitgreaves), cannot inform the
house of any facts which are not equally well
known to some of the other members of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Findley was opposed to the motion of postponement.
Mr. Swanwick reprobated a postponement; he
said the journals are covered with motions of adjournments.
He saw no good purpose that could
possibly be answered by it. One member of the
state representation is absent, his leave of absence
expires this day; this motion goes to deprive the
state of another of its representatives.
Mr. Murray wished the consideration of the report
of the Committee of Elections to be postponed
for a day or two; because the first report of
the Committee was against the right of the gentleman
to take his seat and the second report is
in favor of his pretensions. He had understood
that besides Mr. Morris who is dead, another gentleman
had contested this election with the gentleman
who claims a seat. The first report being against
the claim, all those who were interested in its
defeat naturally would abate in their endeavors to
produce evidence on the object. This first report
was made some weeks since. The last report reverses
the tables. This report was printed only on
Friday last for members. The first must have had
its effects in the district; the last which is directly
opposite to the first is of so recent a date that it
cannot be known even much less acted upon by
those who may be inclined to contest it--as the gentleman
from Northampton is to return to night and
may probably bring evidence upon the subject the
decision ought to be delayed.
Mr. Giles said he was generally opposed to motions
of adjournment, the reason now assigned for
a postponement is the absence of one of the members
of Pennsylvania, he saw no force in this. The
report contains a statement of facts. The gentleman
if present, would not surely controvert those
facts--he hoped the motion would not obtain.
Mr. Nicholas was against the delay.
Mr. I. Smith was in favor of the motion, and
urged several objections to a sudden decision.
Mr. Sedgwick said that he could not discern in
any thing that had been said, any substantial reason
against the motion for one days delay only.
He knew of no question of national or state importance
that can be affected by it. And yet gentlemen
oppose the motion as strenuously as if this
was the case. Mr. Sedgwick referred to some circumstances
which had occurred in the course of the
investigation of the subject, in which Mr. Sitgreaves
had given information that had produced a reverse
to a former report on this case of the Committee
of Elections. He supposed some interesting facts
might remain to be disclosed by that gentleman.
Mr. W. Lyman observed that if the postponement
could be confined to one day, there might
be some weight in the remarks of the gentleman last
speaking, but from the nature of the business on
which the gentleman was absent, (Court business,)
the probability was, that he would not be able to return
in a week, perhaps a fortnight from this time, the
consequence will be a farther postponement, or else
what becomes of the principle? He did not apprehend
that any new light would be thrown on the subject.
He was opposed to the motion.
Mr. Hartley was in favor of the motion, he remarked
that by one day's delay important and interesting
disclosures of facts may take place.
Mr. Gallatin informed the House that it was in vain
to expect any further disclosure of facts. The statement
of the Committee contains nothing more than was
substantially published by the Governor six months ago.
Mr. Hartley stated one particular relative to 18 thousand
votes given for Mr. Morris, which he said had not been
mentioned by the Governor.
Mr. Swanwick again urged taking up the report this day.
Mr. Parker stated various particulars in favor of a postponement
until to-morrow, he spoke on general principles, he
considered the business as peculiarly situated, he had no
doubt that if the decision is now made, the House will
probably have to go over the ground again; for the probability
was, that when this new decision of the Committee of
Elections was known to the people of the District they
would come forward with a petition to the House for a new
election.
Some further remarks were made and then motion for a
postponement being put was negatived.
On motion of Mr. Macon the House voted that a seat be
assigned for Mr. Richards within the bar.
Mr. Richards took a seat accordingly.
Mr. J. Smith stated some difficulty relative to the mode of
expression adopted by the Committee, his objection appeared
to be against the words "duly elected" to decide in this
absolute way would preclude any future enquiry relative to
the subject should any petitions be brought forward.
It was moved to amend the clause of the report to read thus---
Resolved that John Richards is entitled to take his seat in
this House as one of the Representatives from the State of
Pennsylvania.
This motion was agreed to nem. con.
Mr. Richards was then qualified and took his seat as a member
of the House.
Mr. S. Smith presented a resolution to the following purport-that
the Secretary of the Treasury report to the House a comparative
view of the Tonnage employed between the United States and
Foreign Countries in the years 1790, 1791, 1792, 1793, and 1794,
also a comparison between the Tonnage of the United States in 1790,
and 1794.
This resolution was agreed to.
Mr. Bourne presented a resolution to the following purport.
That the Secretary of the Treasury lay before this House a statement
of the goods wares, and merchandize imported annually with their
value into the United States since the 20th September 1789, to the
year 1794 discriminating the amount of the articles imported in the
vessels of the United States from those imported in foreign vessels.
This resolution was agreed to.
Mr. W. Smith of the Committee of ways and means, reported an
appropriation bill for the year 1796; which was twice read, and committed
for to-morrow.
A report of the Committee of elections on the contested election of
John Clopton, one of the members from Virginia, was read--It states
that Mr. Clopton, is entitled to a seat in the House.
This report is made the order of the day for Wednesday.
A petition was presented from Jabez Bowen, commissioner of loans
for the state of Rhode-Island; read and referred to the Committee on
the petition of Nathaniel Appleton.
Mr. Brent presented the petitions of Charles Graff and Amos Thompson,
which were read and referred to the Committee of Claims.
Adjourned.