American Watchman And Delaware Advertiser

Twentieth Congress, First Session.

Wednesday, December 19.

IN SENATE.

Mr. Silsbee presented the following resolution:

Resolved, That the committee on Finance be instructed to inquire into the expediency of reducing the present rate of duties on Wines and Teas.

Mr. Harrison introduced a Bill to prevent desertion in the Army, and for other purposes; which was read, and ordered to a second reading.

The bill to abolish imprisonment for debt, having been the special order of the day for this day, was then taken up.

Mr. Johnson, of Ky. addressed the Senate at considerable length.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Mr. Storrs rose for the purpose of making a motion in relation to a bill which had been introduced on leave, by a gentleman from Maryland, (Mr. Little) in reference to the apportionment of representation under the next census.

That bill had been twice read, and referred to a Committee of the Whole House. He was desirous of giving it some other disposition than such as would occasion it to have its first discussion in a Committee of the Whole. He therefore moved that the Committee of the Whole be discharged from its consideration, and that it go to a Select Committee. Should this motion prevail, he was desirous that the Select Committee should consist of a member from each State in the Union, as the subject was one in which all the States were equally interested.

The motion prevailed, and a Select Committee was ordered, to consist of 24 members.

AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION.

Mr. Smyth submitted the following:

Resolved, That the following amendments to the Constitution of the United States be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, which, when ratified by three-fourths thereof, shall be a part of the said Constitution:

1. After the third day of March, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine, no person who shall have been elected President of the United States, shall be again eligible to that office.

2. The election for President and Vice President, by electors appointed by the several States, shall be held in the third year of the Presidential term. If, on counting the votes, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, no person have a majority of the whole number of electors appointed, that fact shall be published by the President of the Senate, and a second election for President shall be held in the fourth year of the Presidential term, as follows: The voters in each State, qualified to vote in elections of the most numerous branch of the State Legislature, shall assemble, in the month of November, on such days, and at such places, as the said Legislature shall appoint, and vote for one of the persons having the two highest numbers of the votes given by the electors for President, and still living: the officers conducting the elections shall meet in each State, on such day, and at such place, as the Legislature thereof shall appoint, ascertain the number of votes given therein for each person, and certify who has the greater number, which certificates they shall sign, and transmit, sealed up, to the Seat of Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate, who shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates, and the votes of the States shall then be ascertained, each State having one vote, which shall be counted for the person having the greater number of votes given therein: and a majority of all the States shall be necessary to a choice. Should no person have a majority of the States, then, from the persons last voted for, having the two highest numbers of States, the House of Representatives shall, as heretofore, choose immediately, by ballot, the President, the Representation from each State having one vote.

3. After the third day of March, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine, no Senator or Representative shall, during the time for which he was elected, be appointed to any office or employment under the authority of the United States.

4. When the House of Representatives shall choose a President, no person, who shall have been a member of that House at the time of making the choice, shall, during the continuance in office of the President so chosen, be appointed to any office or employment under the authority of the United States.

This proposition was read, and committed to the Committee of the Whole on the State of the Union.

Mr. M'Duffie submitted the following:

Resolved, That it is expedient that the Constitution of the United States be so amended as to prevent the election of President and Vice President from devolving on the respective Houses of Congress.

Resolved, That the People of the respective States, entitled to vote for the most numerous branch of the Legislature, ought to be invested with the privilege of voting, directly, for the aforesaid officers: each State giving as many electoral votes as will equal the number of Senators and Representatives to which such State may be entitled in Congress.

Resolved, That the Constitution ought to be so amended as to provide some uniform mode by which the qualified voters, aforesaid, shall give the electoral votes in the respective States.

Resolved, That it is expedient that the votes should be given, in the respective States by a general ticket.

Resolved, That the several States ought to be divided into Electoral Districts, for the purpose of voting for President and Vice President.

Resolved, That a Committee be appointed to draw up an amendment of the Constitution, in conformity with the foregoing resolutions.

This proposition was read, and committed to the Committee of the Whole on the State of the Union.

Mr. Reed laid the following resolution on the table:

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed to inform this House whether a light vessel has been removed from the Brandywine Shoal, in the Delaware Bay, and placed in the Vineyard Sound, at or near a Shoal called Tuckanuck Shoal, in conformity with a law of the United States, passed May 18, 1826; and, if not so removed, to state the cause which has prevented such removal, and the time when said vessel will be removed.

Mr. P. P. Barbour gave notice that he would, on to-morrow, call up the consideration of the resolution he had had the honor of submitting a few days since, on the subject of the sale of Stock in the Bank of the United States, now held by the Government. He was induced to desire to have that resolution taken up thus early, by some information he had received, which induced him to believe it ought to be discussed, and disposed of with as little delay as possible.

Thursday, December 20.

IN SENATE.

The resolution submitted yesterday, by Mr. Silsbee, to inquire into the expediency of reducing the present duty on Wines and Teas, was considered and agreed to.

The resolution submitted yesterday by Mr. Parris, for the erection of suitable buildings for the Courts of the United States in the several States, was considered and agreed to, after having been amended, on motion of Mr. P., so as to embrace a provision for the preservation of the Records of the Courts.

Mr. Parris remarked, that the Courts of the United States were, in many of the States, unprovided with suitable buildings, and were necessitated to depend upon the courtesy of the State Courts for the use of their rooms. It was to remedy this evil, and to procure the requisite accommodation for them, that he proposed this resolution. The preservation of the records of the Courts was a matter of great importance, and no regulation for that purpose had hitherto been made.

The bill to abolish Imprisonment for Debt was taken up, and, after several amendments, proposed by Messrs. Berrien, Eaton, Chandler, Hayne, Kane, and Ridgely, which were agreed to, the Bill was postponed to Friday next, then to be made the order of the day.

The Senate adjourned until Monday.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The following gentlemen compose the Committee for the apportionment of Representatives under the fifth census:

Messrs. Storrs, Little, Anderson, of Maine, Crowninshield, Bartlett, Pearce, Swift, Ingersoll, Thompson, of N. J. Johns, Buchanan, Roane, Holmes, Drayton, Thompson, of Georgia, Daniel, Mitchell of Ten. Wright of Ohio, Livingston, Blake, Haile, Duncan, M'Kee, Bates, of Missouri.

Among the petitions presented to-day we noticed the following:

By Mr. Holmes, of the proprietors of salt works on the Sea Coast, near Wilmington, North-Carolina, against a reduction of the duty on salt. Referred to the Committee on Manufactures.

On motion of Mr. Wright, of Ohio,

The Resolution of the General Assembly of Ohio, on the subject of amending the Constitution in relation to the election of President of the United States, presented to the House at the last session of Congress, was committed to the Committee of the Whole on the State of the Union.

Mr. Van Rensselaer moved the following:

Resolved, By the Senate and House of Representatives, that, when the House of Representatives adjourns on Friday, the 21st instant, it shall adjourn to meet again on Thursday, the 27th instant.

This proposition was, under the rule, laid over till to-morrow.

On motion of Mr. Weems, It was

Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire into the expediency of so harmonizing the several conflicting laws now existing on the subject of Naturalization that persons heretofore or hereafter applying to become citizens of the United States, upon proof satisfactory to one or more Judges of the District or County Court of the State wherein they reside, on the oath or affirmation of at least two witnesses that they have been residents within the limits, and under the jurisdiction of the United States for at least five years preceding the time of such application, shall, two years thereafter, be deemed citizens of the United States, and, upon taking the oath of allegiance, and paying the legal cost, be entitled to receive certificates of naturalization.

Mr. P. P. Barbour, of Va. moved the consideration of the following resolution, offered by him some days since, and now lying on the table:

"Resolved. That the Committee of Ways and Means be instructed to inquire into the expediency of providing by law for the sale of that portion of the Stock of the Bank of the United States, which is held by the Government of the United States, and the application of the proceeds thereof to the payment of the public debt,"

The motion prevailed, and the resolution having been read at the Clerk's table: a long debate ensued; which was continued until the House adjourned.

Friday, December 21.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Among the petitions presented to day, were the following:

By Mr. Mitchell, of South Carolina-Of citizens of Georgetown, in that State, against an increase of the Tariff on importations. Referred to the Committee on Manufactures.

By Mr. Stewart-Of citizens of Pennsylvania, for an increase of the Tariff.-Also referred to the Committee on Manufactures.

Mr. Barbour's resolution for instructing the Committee of Ways and Means to report a bill authorizing the sale of the seven millions of United States' Bank Stock held by the United States, was again taken up for consideration.

Mr. Barbour rose, and was about to address the House, in reply to the observations made yesterday in opposition to the measure; but, perceiving that Mr. Gorham had risen with the purpose of speaking, he yielded the floor: and

Mr. Gorham went, at considerable length, into a course of observations against the expediency of the measure proposed.

He was followed Mr. Stewart, of Pennsylvania, on the same side; when

Mr. Randolph, after a few prefatory words, made a motion to lay the resolution on the table, with the intention that it should not be again taken up during the present Session.

On this motion, Mr. Taylor of New York, asked for the Yeas and Nays, and they were ordered by the House.

The question was then put, on ordering the resolution to lie on the table, and decided by Yeas and Nays, as follows:-

Yeas-79. Nays-107.

So the motion was negatived.

Mr. Fort then addressed the House in favor of the resolution.

Mr. Hamilton followed, in explanation of the reasons why he should not vote for the resolution.

Mr. Weems, and Mr. S. Wood, of New York, next addressed the House on the same subject.

The question was now loudly demanded, when Mr. P. P. Barbour made his concluding speech in reply to some of the views taken in opposition to his resolution, and in further illustration of his own views on the subject.

The question was then taken on the adoption of the resolution, by Yeas and Nays, as follows:

Yeas-9. Nays-174.

So the resolution was rejected.

The House adjourned till Monday.