JUNE 9, 1834.] Interest to States for Advances.-Rhode Island Resolutions. The report was ordered to be printed. [SENATE INTEREST TO STATES FOR ADVANCES. of States for interest on advances to the United States The bill providing for the final settlement of the claims during the last war was considered. consideration, and future adjudication, memorials to the ing us for our supposed unfairness, she should be enamount of eight millions five hundred and seventy-three abled to appreciate our extraordinary concessions and thousand dollars; of which, three millions two hundred sacrifices.. and seventy-two thousand dollars is principal, and five millions three hundred and one thousand dollars is interest. If these suspended cases shall be allowed, it will make the amount claimed by memorials, admitted and accept ed, to exceed fifty millions; that is, ten times the amount of the indemnity. If we make the most liberal deductions, and cut down the amount one-half, still it will be five times the amount provided by the treaty, and our merchants will receive but twenty per cent.-onefifth part of their just due. So much for our own claims. And now, sir, as to those of the French. the word "refunded," in the fifth line, or which may Mr. SILSBEE offered, as an amendment, to insert after be refunded." Mr. S.'s object was understood to be to prevent the payment of interest on any sums but those which might be hereafter refunded. The amendment was carried. After a discussion in which Messrs. CHAMMr. Rives, by the publication of his letters to the administration, makes it matter of boast, that we are reBERS, PRESTON, CLAY, BLACK, and others took leased from claims nominally amounting to near five mil- part, the question upon the engrossment and third readlions of francs, by the payment of one million and a half.ing was taken by ayes and noes, and resulted in the affirmBut Mr. Rives himself admits that he has no knowledge ative, as follows: whatever of any of the claims, except that of the heirs of YEAS.-Messrs. Bell, Chambers, Clay, Clayton, Ewthe Baron Beaumarchais. He has no other than the mere McKean, Naudain, Porter, Prentiss, Robbins, Shepley, ing, Frelinghuysen, Hendricks, Kent, Knight, Leigh, statement of the French minister to him. Would any Silsbee, Smith, Southard, Sprague, Swift, Tomlinson, public minister pay a single dollar upon claims of which he knew nothing, upon which he had no instructions or information whatever! Then as to the Beaumarchais Let Webster, Wilkins.-24. NAYS.-Messrs. Benton, Bibb, Black, Calhoun, Grun- The remainder of the day was spent in the considera the bank. MONDAY, JUNE 9. RHODE ISLAND RESOLUTIONS. claim, it is an old acquaintance in the Halls of Congress, and has there been repeatedly decided, after investigation, to be utterly unfounded. It arose from a transaction during our Revolution; and Mr. Rives, in stating its tion of bills, till the Senate adjourned. amount, calculates interest from that time. He states the claim to be more than three millions and a half of francs, of which one million only is principal, and more than two and a half millions are interest. The sum which he stipulated to pay was a million and a half of francs, equal Mr. ROBBINS presented the resolutions from the Gento the whole principal, and fifty per cent. more, of this eral Assembly of the State of Rhode Island, remonstraantiquated and often-rejected Beaumarchais claim, while ting against the measures of the Executive in relation to our own merchants will not receive one-half, if they do the Bank of the United States and the Finances, and exone-third or one-fourth, of the principal of their just pressing it as their opinion that the best interests of the claims, without interest. Sir, let the administration cease country require that the public deposites be restored to to boast of this trumpeted diplomatic achievement. them acknowledge the plain truth, that for the sake of a On presenting the above proceedings, Mr. ROBBINS final adjustment, they have sacrificed the just and righteous said: These resolutions come from the representatives of claims of our merchants to an immense amount, to at the people of Rhode Island; a people illustrious throughleast tens of millions, while they have paid France liber-out their history, from the purchase and settlement of ally for doubtful pretensions. Let them state the truth, their country, down to the present day, for their devotion that the treaty is far more advantageous to France than to liberty, both civil and religious. At a time when the to the United States-and there will be no difficulty in whole world of Christendom held religious intolerance of their carrying it into immediate effect. They will then what was deemed to be heresy to be a Christian duty, and be tenacious of the treaty, and the relief it affords them when that duty was every where enforced by the civil from our strong and irresistible claims. If this treaty is arm and the penal code, that people had the novel merit not executed, our merchants will be remitted to their of establishing for themselves religious liberty; they beoriginal rights, and, I trust, will not, unless upon some gan with it; they founded their civil polity upon it; they conjuncture of circumstances more extraordinary than made it a chartered right. It was called in their charter has yet arisen, ever again be so sacrificed, and cut an experiment, as being a new and untried thing in the down to so small a fraction of their honest, well-found- then Christian world. Though the banners of religious ed claims. toleration, for the protection of religious liberty, have This treaty does not do justice to the United States since been displayed elsewhere, and almost every where and its citizens. The obtaining it is no matter of con- else, more or less, it was in Rhode Island where they were gratulation or self-satisfaction. It may be best to accept first displayed to the Christian world. There that sacred and acquiesce in it, as a matter of expediency, rather liberty first plumed her infant and new-born wings; and than attempt to coerce justice by a resort to a war of com- there she still spreads them over that people. There, mercial regulations, or, what is worse, a war of arms. though sects abound, and each has its own bond of union, But it should be known and understood that it is only and own mode of worship, yet all are on a footing of perupon this ground of expedieney, to prevent hostility, to fect equality, and all live in harmony with all. Sectarian preserve amicable and friendly relations, that we could creed has no connexion there with state politics, and acquiesce in such enormous pecuniary sacrifices of our never has been known to enter into their party and politjust and irresistible claims. The French Government ical contests. No sect there has ever acted as a pilitical should be disabused of the error into which they have party. To be of this creed or of that creed in religion, been led; they should be given to understand, that, instead is never mentioned there as a recommendation of, or an of our having made a hard and over-reaching bargain, objection to, a candidate for public appointment; it is only we have made even extravagant concessions, and accept- his moral or his civil merits that are ever canvassed by the ed of less than one-fourth part of our well-founded, electors. For religion is there held to be the communion clear, and indisputable demands. Instead of reproach-of the spirit with that great Being who is the Father of SENATE.] Rhode Island Resolutions. [JUNE 9, 1834. spirits; to be a personal concern between the conscience the claims of a suffering community, suffering from desand its God; in which the magistrate has no right to inter-potic misrule; false to the dead, to the living, and to the meddle, and of which no other individual has a right to unborn, longer to uphold him (the Executive) in his armake himself the judge or censor. bitrary, his lawless, and his ruinous career. With them As to civil liberty, they prize it as the parent and nurse despotism is no less despotism, no less to be detested and of all the manly virtues, as the source and the guarantee resisted, because it is wielded by one who had been the of all the means of improving and perfecting the social object of their political idolatry. condition of man. There its spirit burns; its elevating It has been said that we are in the midst of a revolution; sentiment and its chivalrous bearing have ever marked that is, that we are in our transit from freedom to despottheir history. Though another place has been denomi-ism; but this is not so, for that revolution is completed; nated the cradle of liberty, yet what has been received that transition has been made; and we are now, at this mo as the first overt act of the revolutionary war, namely, the ment, living under a despotism. This is indeed no new destruction of the teas in Boston, was anticipated by the state of things to this country, just now brought upon us; burning of the Gaspee in the waters of Narraganset bay. for, from the beginning of this dynasty, the present ExPrompt at the call and in the cause of freedom, Rhode ecutive has practically asserted and exerted despotic Island poured out like water, both her blood and her power as his Executive prerogative; though he had never treasure, to maintain the revolutionary struggle. Of all theoretically and formally proclaimed it to us, and through the States, she was the largest creditor to the Union, in us to the nation, to be his Executive prerogative, till he proportion to her territory and population; a fact attested sent us his late message, denominated a protest-that is, by the final settlement of her accounts with the Union. a formal manifesto of despotism, as the Executive prerogHer Hopkins and her Ellery, whose names you see ap-ative. But, from the beginning, he has claimed powers, pended to the Declaration of Independence, were not and exercised powers, which involved, by their necessary more examples, though great examples, than heralds, of consequences, the same despotism. From the beginning, the high and ardent spirit which animated her people to he has claimed the power of interpreting all laws, incluthe contest. With her well-appointed and gallant bands, ding the fundamental law, the constitution itself, coupled she sent forth her Greene to fight the battles of freedom with the power of coercing their execution, according to -a name second only to that of Washington in the rolls his own interpretation. What is this but the very abstract of revolutionary fame. As afterwards, in the second war and manual of all despotism? Admit him to do this, and of independence, as it has been called, she sent forth her there can be no law, no constitution, different from his Perry to crown the glories of that war, by his heroic own will. He claims the right to interpret the laws as achievement on lake Erie; displaying there the same su- incidental to his duty of taking care that they be faithfully periority in battle, of fleet against fleet, as was displayed executed, and he claims it as his duty to see them exeon the ocean, of ship against ship, by our gallant navy. cuted according to his interpretation, (such was his prinThe youthful, the amiable, the heroic, but the hapless ciple and proceeding, in the case of the Indian treaties; Perry! to be extinguished in the bloom of life and of such has been his principle and proceeding in the case of fame! and of such fame! It is as if a new-born star, the United States Bank;) and to coerce the execution of just risen above the horizon in the heavens, and beginning the laws according to his own interpretation, he claims to shed its glories on the earth, had suddenly started from the power of dismissing at will all the officers of the law, its sphere, and disappeared, forever lost to the world. and of appointing such as will execute the law according Who could believe that such a people, when, as at the to his will. Now, I would fain know (if any gentleman present crisis, the question is between the constitution and here can inform me,) how freedom can consist with the the laws (which are but another name for liberty) on power of interpreting the laws and the power of executhe one side, and arbitrary power, as claimed by the Ex- ting the laws, united in the same person; or how that union ecutive, on the other; that such a people could array them- of powers differs from despotism? It is precisely the defiselves on the side of the latter, and rally to the standard nition of despotism as given by Montesquieu, and by all of despotism, though unfurled by the hero of New Or the eminent professors of constitutional learning from his leans, or by a thousand heroes of New Orleans? Know-day down to our own. Why, in all our State constituing this people as I did, I knew this to be impossible. tions, why, in the constitution of the United States, have Hence, I told the honorable gentleman from Georgia, the two powers been so studiously separated, and assign[Mr. FORSYTH,] when on a late occasion I was presenting ed to different departments? Pecisely because the union a memorial from the people of that State, in answer to of the two in the same department was incompatible with his question (jeeringly put, as I thought) "What has freedom. been the result of your late election?" that it had been a I have said that the protest was a manifesto of despottriumph to the cause of the memorialists. If he doubted ism, asserting for the Executive all the powers of Govthe fact then, (and he did seem to doubt,) he will not ernment. Is it not so? What one power does it leave now, after he has heard these resolutions read. The rep-independent of the control of the Executive? Not one. resentatives of that people, returned by that election, But it is said that the supplement to the protest, called have passed these resolutions by an overwhelming vote; an explanation, is a disclaimer of these high Executive putting their seal of reprobation upon these high-handed, pretensions. Does it disclaim his claim to be the interthese unwarranted and unwarrantable proceedings of the preter of all the laws, including the constitution? No. Executive. Here let honor be done to whom honor is Does it disclaim his claim to coerce the execution of all due. It is grateful to see so many of the Jackson mem-the laws according to his interpretation of them? No. bers of that body sacrificing their party ties to their pa- Does it disclaim his claim to dismiss every officer of the triotic duties. It was in them a magnanimous act of pa- law at his will, and to appoint such as will be instruments triotic duty. They have indeed nobly vindicated their in his hands to execute the law according to his will? hereditary title to the free-born spirit of their patriot No. Not one of these claims is disclaimed by this supfathers. No less was to be expected of their intelligence plement. The truth is, that nothing in the protest is and patriotism. For it was impossible for them not to see disclaimed by the supplement-nothing. It professes, that the principles avowed by the Executive were, in indeed, to explain away one claim of power set up in the theory, a despotism; and, acted upon as he has acted upon protest; but it does no such thing; it only disguises that them, not to see they were a despotism in fact; not to see claim by a different form of words, but as really asserts that they would be false to themselves and their own the claim as the protest asserted it. rights; false to their country and her liberties; false to The protest claimed for the Executive the custody of JUNE 9, 1834.] Memorial of Seth Pitts.-Reports on the Post Office. the public treasure; the supplement disclaims this claim, but with an exception that covers this claim entirely. The exception is this: "I disclaim the custody of the public treasure, unless (mark it) unless the trustee of that treasure be an officer under the constitution and law, and be appointed by me and the Senate; then, in that case, I claim the custody, as I claim the control of that officer." Now, that trustee always has been, and always will be, such an officer. All the difference, then, between the protest and the supplement is, that the protest claims the custody of the public treasure for the Executive directly, and the supplement claims the custody of it for him indirectly. It is probable enough that the protest only meant this indirect control, and, so far, it may be an explanation, if that can be called an explanation which darkens the matter to be explained. This document, then, is a manifesto of despotism, asserting for the Executive all the powers of Government; and the supplement, instead of being a retraxit of the claim, is but the re-assertion of the claim in a more fraudulent form. But this document, after all, does nothing more, I repeat, than to imbody the principles, and their necessary consequences, on which the present Executive has all along acted, and to claim for them the authority of the constitution. It would be an affront to the American understanding to offer to show, by a detailed process of argument, that such is not the American constitution; that the powers claimed by the Executive are not powers conferred upon the Executive by the constitution; in a word, that the Government, established by the constitution, is not a despotism. [SENATE. atoned for an error that he was forced into, without REPORTS ON THE POST OFFICE. Mr. EWING, from the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, who had been charged, by resolution of March last, with the task of investigating the condition and transactions of the Department, with power to send for persons and papers, made a report, which was read by Mr. EWING, Occuping an hour and fifty-five minutes. The report concludes with the following resolutions: 1. Resolved, That it is proved and admitted that large sums of money have been borrowed at different banks, by the Postmaster General, in order to make up the deficiency in the means of carrying on the business of the Post Office Department, without authority given by any law of Congress; and that, as Congress alone possesses the power to borrow money on the credit of the United States, all such contracts for loans by the Postmaster General are illegal and void. Yet, there are not wanting those who contend that the 2. Resolved, That several reports of the Postmaster manifesto is a true exposition of the constitution. It is General contain statements which, in subsequent papers, astonishing to me that, in this free country, there should he admits to be erroneous; that others, especially those be found men of intelligence and reflection, to contend, of the 18th of April, 1832, and the 3d of March, 1834, in effect, that our constitution-supposed to be the freest are inconsistent with each other; and that, therefore, reon earth; the one in which liberty was the best guarded-liance cannot be placed on the truth and accuracy of the had laid its foundations in tyranny; that tyranny was its communications made by the Department. genuine fruit; and the Executive, to be true to the consti- 3. Resolved, That it is fully proved that a practice pretution, must be a despot. And what is still more astonishing to me, is the expectation, which seems to be indulged by these gentlemen, that the people, as arbiters of this question, will decide in favor of this doctrine-in favor of this constitutional despotism. vails in the Post Office Department of granting contracts on bids which vary from the advertisements, and of changing and altering contracts in material respects after they have been accepted, and that this practice prevents all fair competition among persons wishing to make contracts, There have been in all countries at times, and in some is calculated to give undue advantage to favorites, and is countries at all times, apologists and defenders of despot-in violation of law. ism; but then it has always been when and where the phys- 4. Resolved, That it appears that an individual who ical force of the country, on the side of despotism, "has made a contract for the transportation of the mail, was been such, that the innate desire of freedom, on the other, required to give it up for no other reason than that it was too powerless to contend with that force. But when, might be given to another, desirous of having it, and that before, in the history of free nations, (if it shall be so the act of the Department, in requiring such surrender now,) have a free people, with liberty on one hand, and and in effecting the transfer, was illegal and unjust. despotism on the other, set before their eyes for their free choice of either, chosen despotism of preference? chosen lavery of preference, and to drink of its bitter waters? The annals of all time will be ransacked in vain, I venture to say, to find another instance. I have only to add, in conclusion, that we have one obligation at least, to the protest, namely, that, disdaining all disguises, it openly proposes to the people of this country a despotism for their government; a naked, an undisguised despotism. Without pretending to answer for others, I will undertake to answer for the people of Rhode Island, without any fear of being disavowed by them, that they will not accede to the proposal. The resolutions were then laid on the table and ordered to be printed. MEMORIAL OF SETH PITTS. 5. Resolved, That it appears that the proposal for carrying the mail on the route from Chicago to Green bay, was withheld from advertisement; that the contract therefor was given in another name, but really and truly to one of the clerks in the Department; that the compensation proposed in the bid was raised without any increase of service; and that the transaction is a direct breach of law. 6. Resolved, That extra allowances have been granted to contractors without any increase of duty or service on their part, and that in other cases extra allowances have been made which are unreasonable, extravagant, and out of all proportion with the increase of service. 7. Resolved, That the Postmaster General has established steamboat lines, for the transportation of the mail, by private contract, at an enormous expense, and without authority of law. 8. Resolved, That the public credit has been pledged Mr. SHEPLEY said he had a distress memorial, signed for the benefit of individual contractors, and that contractby a single individual, which he desired should be read. ors have been solicited and induced to aid, with their perThe memorial was signed by Seth Pitts, a soldier of the Rev-sonal credit, the business of the Department; and that all olution, who stated that he did not wish to die until he had such transactions are unjustifiable and improper. SENATE.] Reports on the Post Office. [JUNE 9, 1834. 9. Resolved, That it does appear that mail lines have The question was then taken, and the statement of the been established to run more frequently than once a day, minority was received and read. The reading occupied at a very heavy expense, where no adequate public ob- the same time as the majority report. ject required such provision. 10. Resolved, That pecuniary transactions of a very irregular nature are proved to have taken place between the contractors and some of the chief officers of the Post Office Department. 11. Resolved, That the Post Office Department is now deeply in debt; its affairs in disorder; its accounts and reports irregular and unsatisfactory; that it is justly the subject of public complaint, and demands a radical reform. Mr. EWING then moved the printing of the reports, which he desired to have done as early as possible, in order that an early day might be fixed for the consideration of the resolutions. To-morrow he would move to append certain papers to the reports. Mr. GRUNDY asked to have the bill which he had reported appended as an amendment; which was agreed to. Mr. FORSYTH asked if it was intended to do any thing with the subject during this session. Mr. GRUNDY said there was a bill which had been 12. Resolved, That the incidental expenses and secret reported, and referred to a committee, and was now on service money of the Department have increased, are in- the table. Some amendments would be necessary to this creasing, and ought to be diminished. bill, and he thought the committee could agree to make 13. Resolved, That it does appear that an agreement the necessary amendments, without sending it to the comwas entered into between two companies of mail contract-mittee. ors, the express object of which was to put down com- Mr. EWING said he had thought of referring the bill, petition in the transportation of passengers in their re- but was restrained by the same consideration. There was spective mail routes; that said agreement was drawn by a clause necessary to be introduced, to prevent a clerk an officer of the Department, and entered into at his from being a contractor. pressing instance, and that it was sanctioned by the Post- Mr. FORSYTH said, there seemed to be an agreement master General; and that such agreement, so sanctioned, as to the necessity of legislative action, and he wished is an interference with the honest pursuits of the free citi-that might not be delayed until the reports should be zens of these United States; that it tends to establish an printed. odious and oppressive monopoly, and is an unjust invasion of private rights. After a few words from Mr. PORTER and Mr. GRUNDY, the reports were ordered to be printed. 14th. Resolved, That it does appear that mail contract- Mr. SOUTHARD said that these reports presented ors have received large extra allowances, and have, about matter of unusual interest to the public. They exhibitthe time of receiving such allowances, become the pro- ed, perhaps, more misconduct and mal-administration prietors or contractors of newspaper presses of a parti- than was ever known to exist in any department of any san character. It also appears, that a newspaper editor, Government. He did not mean to enter into any discusin the State of New Hampshire, is a contractor for carrying the mail on numerous routes, "with paper privilege," and that every such act or artifice, tending to unite the press with the Post Office Department, is a dangerous abuse, and ought to be corrected. The report having been read sion on the subject of the misconduct which was exhibited by these reports, and which showed the insolvency of one of the Departments of the Government, to the amount of more than $800,000, which was, of itself, enough to show the necessity of circulating them as widely as possible. He was perfectly aware that the miMr. GRUNDY said he held in his hand a paper con- nority committee did not go to that extent; but it struck taining the views of the minority of the committee, con him as a singular circumstance, that that minority should sisting of himself and the Senator from Illinois, which he have discovered an insolvency to the amount of something asked might be received and read to the Senate. The less than $300,000; when the head of the Department paper, he said, though treating on precisely the same should have asked for the sum of $450,000, saying that subjects as those in the report just read, yet differed from he could not get along without it. But that fact alone, it in some very material respects; and he believed that with others which were exhibited, were of such a characevery Senator would be better able to understand the ter, that he felt desirous there should be a large number whole subject by reading both documents together, than of extra copies printed. He would therefore move that either of them separately. 15,000 extra copies of the reports and documents should be printed. Mr. FORSYTH said all that he wished to know was, what would be the expense of printing this additional number of the two reports? Mr. EWING said that, in making up the report, the majority, as soon as they ascertained there was a difference of opinion in the committee, carefully informed the minority of all the subjects they intended to consider, without giving them the language of the report. This, Mr. SPRAGUE said he would venture to say that the he believed, was consonant with the general usage, and expense would not exceed that of one of the extra allowwas enough to enable the chairmain, one of the minority, ances of the Department; and if one of these could to make a statement of their views on the same subjects be saved, there would be economy in ordering the embraced in the report, and not for the purpose of ena- printing. bling him to make a counter report in answer to it. He Mr. GRUNDY said he must state to the Senate all he assured the Senate that the only object of the committee knew on the subject. He did not know what the amount was to arrive at the truth, and this object, he believed, of the extra printing would be, but he could say, that one could be best attained by an examination of the state- of these documents was as long as either of the reports. ment of the views of the minority. It was therefore the The printing of the greater part of them would, in his desire of the committee that this paper be received and read. opinion, be of no manner of use for the purposes of disMr. GRUNDY wished to add only one word before tribution merely. One document contained the length of taking the question. The member from Ohio [Mr. Ew- every post route, of which there were about two thousand, ING] was correct in saying that the majority of the com- and would make a large book of itself. mittee had submitted to him all the subjects they intend- Mr. EWING said that for the use of the Senate all the ed to consider in their report, with the exception, how-documents must necessarily be printed, together with ever, of the cases of two or three contractors, which he both reports. For the purposes, however, of distribufound treated of in the report, and which he did not now tion for public information, there were many documents recollect. These cases might have been submitted to that it would be unnecessary to print. He suggested, him, but if they were, he had forgotten them. therefore, that the chairman, or the committee, should se JUNE 10, 1834.] Adjournment of Congress.-Proceedings of Mercer, (Pa., ) &c. lect such documents as were proper for distribution, and that the question be taken on the printing them only. By this means much printing would be saved. Mr. MANGUM moved to amend the motion by inserting thirty thousand. Mr. SOUTHARD accepted the modification. [SENATE. The proceedings were drawn up (Mr. W. said) with much ability; and showed that those composing the meeting were intelligent enough not only to know that great distress existed among them, but were intelligent enough to have ascertained the causes that produced it. He asked that the memorial might be read, referred, and printed; which was ordered accordingly. FULTON (OHIO) MEMORIAL. Mr. FORSYTH said he believed the chief complaint against the Post Office Department was for a wanton waste of the public money. Would the Senate follow that example, by ordering such unnecessary printing? Mr. EWING presented the memorial of the town of Was the Senate aware that the printing of the present Fulton, in the county of Hamilton, Ohio, expressing the session already exceeded twenty thousand dollars?-that opinion, that it was the intention of the constitution, that there were cart-loads of documents that had been printed all the principal officers of the Government should be apfor distribution, and had never been sent off, the greater pointed by the Senate, as representing the States sepapart of which had been sold by the chambermaids of the rately, as well as by the President, representing the States boarding-houses to the grocers for wrapping paper? He in the aggregate. The memorialists said, that one of the thought the printing of so large a number of these reobjects of the constitution was to give to the States disports would be a most wanton abuse of the contingent tinctively, a portion of the appointment of all the chief officers of Government, and that this intention had been evaded by permitting officers to hold their places a long time without being presented to the Senate; that this was an interference with the rights of the States, and that the rights of the States ought to be asserted, and the chief officers should be nominated as early as possible to the Senate. The memorial, Mr. E. said, was not properly referable to any committee; he would, therefore, only say, that it perfectly accorded with his own views, and move that it be laid on the table and printed. fund. Mr. WRIGHT asked for the yeas and nays; which were ordered. Mr. CHAMBERS wished to be understood what documents were to be printed, and with this view he would now move an adjournment. The motion was negatived. Mr. SWIFT moved to postpone the consideration of the subject until to-morrow. After a few words from Mr. GRUNDY and Mr. EW. ING, the motion was agreed to. ADJOURNMENT OF CONGRESS. The Senate then proceeded to consider the special order, being the joint resolution of the House fixing on the 30th of June for the adjournment of Congress. The resolution was then concurred in. The Senate then proceeded to consider the bill fixing an earlier day than the first Monday in December for the next meeting of Congress. Mr. FORSYTH asked for what purpose. Mr. EWING said, in order that it might be read by the members of the Senate. Mr. FORSYTH thought it might be read in manuscript. The motion of Mr. EWING to print was then carried. RHODE ISLAND CONTESTED ELECTION. On motion of Mr. WEBSTER, the Committee on Finance was discharged from the further consideration of After a few words from Mr. WEBSTER, Mr. CLAY, the resolution of the Senate, requesting said committee and Mr. POINDEXTER, the bill, on motion of the last to inquire into the expediency of allowing to the honornamed gentleman, was laid on the table. able E. R. Potter the pay and mileage of a member of Mr. WILKINS gave notice that he should, on Thurs-Congress, while attending at the seat of Government, day, move that the Senate proceed to the consideration of pending the contested election of the Senator from the Executive business. State of Rhode Island; which motion was agreed to: whereupon, Mr. CLAY alluded to the order, adopted some time since, for the making out the number of the signatures to the memorials on the subject of the public distress, and moved the adoption of an order continuing the list to the present time, which was adopted. Mr. WRIGHT submitted the following resolution: Whereas, the honorable Elisha R. Potter, at the commencement of the present session of Congress, did cause to be laid before the Senate a commission from the Gov After some reports on memorials of a private char-ernor of the State of Rhode Island, duly authenticated, acter, and constituting the regular prima facie evidence to entiThe CHAIR then called the next special order, rela- tle him to a seat in the Senate. And whereas, the conting to the French claims; when, on motion of Mr. CHAM-test for the seat claimed by Mr. Potter was not finally deBERS, the Senate adjourned. TUESDAY, JUNE 10. PROCEEDINGS OF MERCER, (PA.) cided by the Senate until the 27th day of May now last past, when the said seat was awarded to the honorable Asher Robbins, Therefore, Resolved, That the said Elisha R. Potter is entitled to the compensation of mileage allowed by law Mr. WEBSTER presented the proceedings of a meet- to members, for his travel from his place of residence, ing of a number of the citizens of the borough of Mercer, in the State of Rhode Island, to the capital, and returnPennsylvania, on the subject of the removal of the de-ing; and also to the per diem allowance of a member of posites, the protest of the President against the resolu- Congress, for the time he actually attended at the city of tions of the Senate, and other matters which have so much Washington during the contest pending before the Senengaged the attention of the community during the pres-ate in relation to the seat claimed by him, and occupied ent session. The borough of Mercer (Mr. W. said) was in by the honorable Mr. Robbins. the interior of Pennsylvania, beyond the Alleghanies, and might be supposed to be beyond those local causes which have so grievously affected the great mass of the commu- The bill for the relief of Oliver M. Spencer being unnity. But, said he, they complain much of pecuniary der consideration, a debate of some length ensued. distress, stagnation of business, and dearth of employment The principle in this bill was to refund a sum of money for labor; and complain much more of those assumptions paid by Oliver M. Spencer for a tract of land bought of of Executive power, set forth in the protest of the Chief the Government, which fell short of the quantity about Magistrate against the proceedings of the Senate of the fifty acres; the survey by the Government officer being United States. ladmitted to have been erroneous. OLIVER M. SPENCER. |