Virginia Argus

THE WAYS & MEANS.

The bill for laying and collecting a direct tax within the United States was read a third time.

[This bill proposes to lay upon the United States a Direct Tax to the amount of Three Millions of Dollars, apportioned to the States respectively, as follows:-

The bill also apportions the quota of each State among the counties in said State. Each State may, prior to the first day of April, vary, by an act of its Legislature, the respective quotas imposed by this act on its several counties or districts so as more equally and equitably to apportion the tax hereby imposed. Each State may pay its quota into the Treasury of the United States and thereon shall be entitled to a deduction of 15 per centum, if paid before the first day of March, 1814, and of 10 per cent. if paid before the first day of May in the same year, &c.]

Mr. Post moved to recommit the bill to the committee of Ways and Means.--[His view was to obtain a different apportionment of the Tax in the State of New York.]

The question on this motion was decided in the negative by Yeas and Nays as follows:

For recommitment, 54,

Against it, 100.

Mr. Wheaton then moved to postpone the bill to the first Monday in December next, for reasons which he assigned.

The motion was decided in the negative by nearly the same majority as on the last vote.

The question was then stated on the passage of the bill.

Mr. Brigham and Mr. Culpeper assigned their reasons for voting against the bill.

Mr. Nelson moved to recommit the bill to the committee of the whole for the purpose of amendment in respect to the Virginian apportionment. Negatived.

The question on the passage of the bill was then decided by Yeas and Nays as follows:

YEAS--Messrs. Alexander, Alston, Anderson, Archer, Avery, Bard, Barnett, Beall, Bibb, Bowen, Brown, Burwell, Caldwell, Calhoun, Chapell, Cheves, Clark, Clopton, Comstock, Condict, Conrad, Crawford, Creighton, Davis of Pen. Dawson, Doncyelles, Desha, Duvall, Earle, Farrow, Findley, Fisk, of Vt. Fisk, of M. K. Forney, Forsyth, Franklin, Gholson, Glasgow, Goodwin, Gourdine, Griffin, Grundy, Hall, Harris, Hawes, Hopkins, of Ky. Humphries, Hungerford, Hyne man, Ingersol, Ingham, Irwin, Jackson of Virg. Kent of Md. Kerr, Kershaw, Kilbourn, King of N. C. Lefferts, Lowndes, Lyle, Macon, M'Coy, M'Kee, M'Kim, M'Lean, Montgomery, Moore, Morfree, Nelson, Newton, Ormsby, Pickens, Piper, Pleasants, Rhea of Penn. Rhea of Ten. Rich, Ringgold, Roane, Roberts, Robertson, Sage, Sevier, Seybert, Sharp, Smith of Pennsylvania, Smith of Virg. Tannehill, Tayler, Telfair, Troup, Ward of N. J. Whitehill, Wilson of Pen. Wright, Yancey--97.

NAYS--Messrs. Baylies, of Mass. Benson, Bigelow, Boyd, Bradbury, Bradley, Breckenridge, Brigham, Butler, Caperton, Champion, Cilley, Cooper, Cox, Culpeper, Davenport, Davis, of Mass, Dewey, Ely, Gaston, Geddes, Goldsborough, Grosvenor, Hale, Hanson, Harbrouck, Howell, Hubbard, Hufty, Jackson of R. I. Kennedy, Kent, of N. York, King of Mass. Lewis, Lovett, Miller, Moffit, Moseley, Murkill, Oakley, Parker, Pearson, Pickering, Pitkin, Post, Potter, J. Reed, W. Reed, Ridgely, Schureman, Sheffey, Sherwood, Shipherd, Smith, of N. H. Smith, of N. Y. Stanford, Stockton, Stuart, Sturges, Taggart, Tallmadge, Thompson, Vose, Ward, of Mass. Webster, Wheaton, White, Wilcox, Wilson, of Mass. Winter--70.

So the bill was passed;

And the House adjourned.

Tuesday, July 13.

Messrs. Ward of Mass. Cooper, Taggart and Clopton, obtained leave of absence for the remainder of the session.

Mr. Kent of Md. presented a petition of Thomas Ewell, of the city of Washington, manufacturer of gun-powder, praying for reasons set forth in the petition, that the powder which he has delivered and that which he has ready for delivery under a contract with the Navy Department, may be tried by a person of skill and character.-- Referred to the Naval Committee.

Mr. Fisk of Vt from the Committee of Elections, made a report on the petitions of Benj. B. Elydenburgh and Peter A. Jay, contesting the Election of Ebenezer Sage and John Lefferts, which was read, and the resolution recommended by the committee was concurred in--as follows:

"Resolved, That the parties be allowed until the first Wednesday in the next session of Congress to procure testimony relative to said Election."

Mr. Calhoun from the Committee on Foreign Relations, made the following

REPORT.

The Committee of Foreign Relations to whom was referred the President's message of the 12th inst. and the accompanying documents,

REPORT:

That they have examined the message and documents with all the attention their importance demands. Your Committee will not indulge themselves in making the various observations which the interesting subjects brought under their consideration naturally suggest. The delay incident to such a course, connected with the lateness of the session and the advanced season of the year, forbid so wide a range; but they cannot abstain from remarking that, while the message and documents furnish strong additional proof of the justice and necessity of the war, they also present powerful motives for the steady and vigorous prosecution of it, as the surest means of a safe and honorable peace.

New Hampshire	96,793 37
Massachusetts	316,272 98
Rhode Island	34,702 18
Connecticut	118,167 71
Vermont	98,343 71
New York	431,141 62
New Jersey	108,871 83
Pennsylvania	365,479 16
Delaware	32,046 25
Maryland	151,623 94
Virginia	369,018 44
Kentucky	169,928 76
Ohio	104,101 14
North Carolina	220,238 29
Tennessee	110,086 55
South Carolina	151,905 43
Georgia	94,936 49
Louisiana	28,195 11

It can now no longer be doubted, that it was the pressure of our measures, combined with the determination of Congress to redress our wrongs by arms, and not the repeal of the French decrees, that broke down the orders in council of 1807 and 1809; that dangerous system of monopoly by which we were, as to our commerce, in fact recolonized. Let us then persevere, and under a just Providence we doubt not of final success. The reward is worthy of the cost and privation. It is no less than the lasting peace and independence of ourselves and our posterity.

There is another view of the subject which your Committee are compelled to present to the House. It is due to justice to consider the message and documents in relation to the conduct of the Executive. They are aware that on ordinary occasions it is not proper for this House to express sentiments of approbation or censure on the conduct of the President, but submit with deference, that as through this body he is responsible to the people for the faithful discharge of his duties, there are cases in which it is not only the right but the duty of this House to express its opinion. Such, in the judgment of your committee, is the present. The language of the resolutions, and the motives avowed by their supporters, leave no alternative. To be silent, would be to condemn. Upon a full investigation of the conduct of the Executive in relation to Great Britain and France as disclosed in the message and documents, your committee are of opinion, that a just course has been pursued towards both nations, and in no instance has the dignity, honor or interests of the U. S. been compromised.

Your committee, therefore, recommend the adoption of the following resolution:

"Resolved, That the conduct of the Executive in relation to the various subjects referred to in the resolutions of the 21st day of June, 1813, meets with the approbation of this House."

The report having been read, a desultory discussion of some length took place on the proper mode of disposing of the same. It was finally referred to a committee of the whole, and made the order of the day for Thursday. Five thousand copies were also ordered to be printed thereof, being the same number as was yesterday ordered to be printed of the message

Mr. Kilbourn, from the select committee, reported a bill for the more effectual protection of the North-western frontier, by granting donations of land to actual settlers and for other purposes; which was twice read and committed.

Mr. Goldsborough moved to print 5000 copies of so much of the message of the 3d March last, as does not form part of the communication of yesterday.--Negatived, 64 to 63.

The amendments of the Senate to the assessment bill were referred to the committee of Ways and Means.

The House then proceeded to consider the amendments of the committee of the whole to the bill laying a duty on salt.

Mr. Wright moved to postpone indefinitely the further consideration of the bill.

The motion was negatived.

For the postponement 57

Against it 88

Considerable discussion and several decisions took place on proposed amendments to the bill; when,

On motion of Mr. Macon, the bill was ordered to lie on the table; and

The House adjourned.