Gazette Of The United States

PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS.

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

TUESDAY, MAY 19.

The committee to whom was referred the motion for printing the Journals of the Senate, and furnishing each Member with a copy thereof, and also to report upon a mode of keeping the Journals, and who were instructed to consider whether the minutes be amended, so as to record only the acts of the Senate on the Journal, reported as follows:

"That one hundred and twenty copies of the Journals of the Legislative proceedings only, be printed once a month; commencing the first publication on the first day of June next; and that each member be furnished with a copy.—That the proceedings of the Senate when they shall act in their executive capacity, shall be entered, and kept in separate and distinct books.

"That every vote of the Senate shall be entered on the Journals, and that a brief statement of the contents of each petition, memorial or paper, presented to the Senate, be also inserted on the Journals.

"That the Journals previous to each publication be revised, by a committee to be appointed from time to time, for that purpose."

Which report was accepted.

The committee appointed to confer with a committee of the House of Representatives, and report, what new papers the members of congress shall be furnished with at the public expense, reported in part;—Ordered to lie on the table.

Adjourned.

THURSDAY, MAY 21.

Resolved, That all bills on a second reading shall be considered by the Senate in the same manner, as if the Senate were in a committee of the whole, before they shall be taken up and proceeded on by the Senate agreeably to the standing rules, unless otherwise ordered.

Mr. Grayson was added to the committee appointed on the 13th. of May, "To define the crimes and offences that shall be cognizable under the authority of the United States, and their punishment."

FRIDAY, MAY 22.

A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Beckley, their Clerk; who brought to the Senate an enrolled bill, entitled, "An act to regulate the time and manner of administering certain oaths," signed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and informed the Senate, that the House had agreed in the appointment of a committee on their part, consisting of Mr. Partridge and Mr. Floyd, to lay the bill before the President, after it shall have passed the formalities prescribed in the resolve of the 18th of May.

The committee appointed to examine the afore-mentioned bill reported, that they had performed the service,—Whereupon the bill was signed by the Vice-President, and was by the committee thereunto appointed, laid before the President of the United States for his approbation. Adjourned.

TUESDAY, MAY 26.

A message was delivered from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Beckley, their Clerk, who delivered the following resolve—

"In the House of Representatives of the United States

Monday, the 25th of May, 1789.

"Resolved, That a committee be appointed to confer with any committee which may be appointed by the Senate, on the proper method of receiving into either House, bills or messages, from the President of the United States.—The members appointed, Mr. Partridge, Mr. Floyd and Mr. Thatcher."

Extract from the Journal.

JOHN BECKLEY, Clerk.

Concurred: And Mr. Lee and Mr. Izard were joined. Adjourned.

FRIDAY, MAY 29.

A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Beckley, their Clerk: who brought to the Senate an engrossed bill, entitled "an act imposing duties on tonnage;"

A resolve of the House of Representatives, of the 28th, providing the members of the Senate and House of Representatives each, with a set of the Journals of the late Congress.—

A resolve of the 28th, on the report of a joint committee appointed to confer on the mode of furnishing the members of the Senate and House of Representatives with newspapers, journals, &c.

Also a resolve of this day, on the report of the joint committee appointed to confer upon the mode of receiving in the Senate and House of Representatives, bills, &c. from the President of the United States, desiring the concurrence of the Senate thereto.

"In the House of Representatives of the United States.

The 29th of May, 1789.

"Mr. Partridge, from the committee appointed to confer with a committee of the Senate on the proper method of receiving into either House, bills or messages from the President of the United States, made a report, and the said report being amended to read as followeth:

"That until the public offices are established, and the respective officers are appointed, any returns of bills and resolutions or other communications from the President, may be received in either House under cover directed to the President of the Senate or Speaker of the House of Representatives (as the case may be) and transmitted by such person as the President may think proper.—

Resolved, That this House doth agree to the said report—"

In Senate, read and concurred. The bill and other resolutions were ordered to lie for consideration. Adjourned.

TUESDAY, JUNE 2.

The resolve of the House of Representatives of the 28th May, was considered, viz.

"In the House of Representatives of the United States.

Thursday, the 28th May, 1789.

"The House proceeded to consider the two reports, one made the 19th instant, the other the 26th instant by the committee appointed to confer with the committee of the Senate, to consider and report what newspapers the members of Congress shall be furnished with at the public expense, and to receive proposals for printing the acts and other proceedings of Congress: And the first report in the words following, to wit:

"That in their opinion public oeconomy requires that the expense heretofore incurred by the public, of supplying every member of Congress with all the newspapers printed at the seat of Congress should be retrenched in future: but as your committee consider the publication of newspapers to be highly beneficial in disseminating useful knowledge throughout the United States, and deserving the attention of government, they are of opinion that each member of Congress be supplied at the public expense with one paper, leaving the choice of the same to each member; and that it be the duty of the Secretary of the Senate, and Clerk of the House of Representatives to give the necessary directions to the different printers, to furnish each member with such paper as he shall choose,"—Being again read and debated,

Resolved, That this House doth disagree to the said report: The other report being again read and amended, was as follows:

That it would be proper that it should be left to the Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the House of Representatives to contract with such person as they shall think fit for supplying the members of both Houses with newspapers; That such person as they shall contract with shall be obliged to render a state of his accounts quarterly; and that six hundred copies of the acts of Congress and two hundred copies of the Journals be printed and distributed to the Executive and Judicial heads of departments of the Government of the United States."

Resolved, That this House doth agree to the said report.

Extract from the Journal,

JOHN BECKLEY, Clerk.

And on the question of concurrence on the first report, it was postponed. Adjourned.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3

Ordered, That Mr. Langdon administer the oath to the Vice President which was done accordingly. And the Vice-President administered the oath to the following Senators:

To Mr. Langdon, Mr. Wingate, Mr. Strong, Mr. Dalton, Mr. Elsworth, Mr. Patterson, Mr. Maclay, Mr. Morris, Mr. Read, Mr. Bassett, Mr. Carroll, Mr. Henry, Mr. Lee, Mr. Grayson, Mr. Izard, Mr. Few, and Mr. Gunn.

The oaths were by the Vice-President administered to the Secretary, together with the oath of office.

Ordered, That Mr. Morris, Mr. Carroll, Mr. Langdon, Mr. Read and Mr. Lee be a committee to consider and report the number of copies necessary to be printed of the laws, and the number necessary for that purpose. Adjourned.

(To be continued.)