H. OF R.]

ARKANSAS-Archibald Yell--1. MICHIGAN-Isaac E. Crary--1.

DELEGATES.

FLORIDA TERRITORY-Joseph M. White--1. WISCONSIN TERRITORY--George W. Jones-1.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5.

At twelve o'clock the SPEAKER (Hon. JAMES K. POLK, of Tennessee) took the chair, and called the House to order.

The roll of members having been called over by the Clerk, (WALTER S. FRANKLIN, Esq.,) and a quorum being found in attendance, the House proceeded to business, and appointed a committee, jointly with a committee of the Senate, to wait upon the President of the United States, and inform him of the organization of the two Houses, and their readiness to receive any communication from him.

APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEES.

Mr. ELISHA WHITTLESEY moved the adoption of the following order:

Ordered, That the several standing committees be now appointed according to the standing rules and orders of the House. [That is, that the Speaker be authorized now to appoint them; in the event of which order, they would be agreed upon by the Speaker, and announced to the House by the reading of the journal on the opening of to-morrow's sitting.]

Mr. BOON said that it had been usual not to make the apppointment until the first Thursday in the first week of the session, and that it was then customary for the House to adjourn until the following Monday.

Mr. WHITTLESEY said he hoped no gentleman would oppose the adoption of the order. He hoped, at least, that no motion would be made for a further postponement than to-morrow. It certainly had been the usage, of late years, not to appoint the committees until the close of the first week. Formerly, however, the committees had been appointed on the first day of the session, and he could see no reason why the appointment should be postponed. Why should a week be idly spent, before the House proceeded to business? It seemed to him that the business should be commenced immediately. He called the attention of the members to the position in which the House found itself at the close of the last session; and he warned them that such would again be their position, unless the business was vigorously commenced in the early part of the session. At the commencement of a new Congress (Mr. W. said) there was undoubtedly some reason why the appointment of the committees should not take place immediately; the members had to become personally acquainted with the Speaker. But no such reason existed now. He implored the members, he called upon every gentleman to aid him in transacting the business of the House; and, with that view, to second him in his endeavors for its immediate commencement. There were only a few members absent, and he hoped that, at the furthest, the House would not consent to a further adjournment than

to-morrow.

Mr. BOON assured the gentleman from Ohio that he had no desire to embarrass the proceedings of the House. He was fully as anxious as any other member that the business should be commenced forthwith. But only one hundred and seventy-six members had answered to their names; and it was probable that a number of the members who had been appointed on certain committees at the last session of Congress would be deprived of having their names again placed on the same committee, or any other. The Speaker, moreover, required time to make

[DEC. 5, 6, 1836.

the appointments; and for this, as well as for other rea sons which were perfectly satisfactory to his own mind, he would move that the further consideration of the subject be postponed until Thursday next.

Mr. MERCER said that he concurred with the gen. tleman from Ohio [Mr. E. WHITTLESEY] in the views he had expressed, and that he (Mr. M.) would not repeat the arguments he had used in support of them. But he would suggest that the absence of a member should not be considered as a reason why that member should not be placed on a committee. The members not present were most probably on their journey to the city, and he saw no inconvenience resulting from an ap pointment made in their absence.

The SPEAKER said that, unless the House altered the rule, he could not appoint an absent member to a committee.

Mr. MERCER moved that the further consideration of the subject be postponed until to-morrow; and sug gested that the House should provide that the appointment on a committee of an absent member should not operate as a disqualification to serve.

Mr. E. WHITTLESEY called for the yeas and nays on the motion of Mr. Boon to postpone the consideration of the subject until Thursday next.

The yeas and nays were ordered, and, being taken, were: Yeas 33, nays 148.

So the motion to postpone was lost.

Mr. MERCER then withdrew his motion to postpone until to-morrow, and moved to amend the motion of Mr. WHITTLESEY by adding the following words: "And that the absence of a member shall not be regarded as a disqualification for an appointment upon a committee."

Mr. A. MANN moved that the House do now adjourn. The SPEAKER suggested that no day had been fixed for the consideration of the order.

Mr. WARDWELL then moved that the further con. sideration of the order be postponed until to-morrow; which motion was agreed to.

On motion of Mr. A. MANN, it was ordered that the daily hour to which the House should stand adjourned should be 12 o'clock, until otherwise ordered. After passing the usual order for supplying the mem bers with newspapers,

The House adjourned.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6.

The Hon. JOHN YOUNG, elected a member from the State of New York, to supply the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Philo C. Fuller, appeared this day, was qualified, and took his seat.

Mr. D. J. PEARCE rose and informed the House that the joint committee appointed on yesterday to wait on the President of the United States, and inform him that the two Houses had convened, and were ready to receive such communication as he might think proper to make, had performed their duty; and that they had been directed by the President to say that, at 12 o'clock this day, he would make a communication, in writing, to both Houses.

ALTERATION OF RULES.

Mr. E. WHITTLESEY gave notice that he would, on to-morrow, submit a motion to alter the 15th rule of the House, which is now in the following terms:

15. After six days from the commencement of a second or subsequent session of any Congress, all bills, resolutions, and reports, which originated in the House, and at the close of the next preceding session remained undetermined, shall be resumed and acted on in the same manner as if an adjournment had not taken place." Mr. W's motion provides that the rule be so changed

DEC. 7, 8, 1836.]

as that the House proceed to the transaction of the said business immediately.

Mr. GILLET gave notice that he would, on to-mor row, submit a motion that so much of the 106th rule as provides: "Nor shall any rule be suspended, except by a vote of at least two thirds of the members present; nor shall the order of business, as established by the rules of the House, be postponed or changed, except by a vote of at least two thirds of the members present," be repealed.

The annual message was received from the President of the United States, through ANDREW JACKSON, Jr., Esq., his private secretary, and was read at the Clerk's table.-[See Appendix.]

The reading of the message having been completed, Mr. LOYALL moved that it be referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, and that 15,000 copies, with the accompanying documents, be printed for the use of the members, and also 5,000 copies of the message, without the documents.

Mr. BRIGGS wished to modify this resolution by ordering that the 5,000 copies be furnished to the House within two days. He understood that this had been done on former occasions.

Mr. LOYALL assented to the modification, and the resolution, thus modified, was carried.

The SPEAKER laid before the House several communications from the heads of Departments, which were ordered to lie on the table and be printed; the committees not yet being appointed, that course being adopted instead of a reference of them.

Mr. E. WHITTLESEY then moved to proceed to the consideration of the order for the appointment of committees; but, before taking the question,

On motion of Mr. PARKS,

The House adjourned.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7.

DEATH OF MR. DICKSON.

After the reading of the journal,

Mr. CLAIBORNE, of Mississippi, addressed the House as follows:

Mr. Speaker: It is only a few years since I witnessed from that gallery the affecting honors paid to the remains of a distinguished Representative from the State of Mississippi.* Since that period, she has lost two sons, eminent for talents, in the public service, and you are now called on to render the last homage to the memory of another. The time that has intervened since the death of my lamented colleague saves me the painful duty of being the first to communicate it to his friends, now present. He died, sir, as he had lived, through a life of extraordinary vicissitudes, with characteristic fortitude, with but one wish ungratified-a wish so natural to the human heart--that, in his dark hour of dissolution, he might be supported by his nearest and best beloved, and the cherished beings that grew up and clustered around his fireside.

Sir, let death come when it will, in what shape it may, in the battle or the shipwreck, or in the solitude of the cloister, it is appalling to human contemplation. But when it overtakes us in a distant land, and we know that our last moments of agony and infirmity are to be witnessed by stranger eyes, and are conscious that we must be carried down to an unwept grave, where no kindred dust shall mingle with ours forever, and the last hope of home and of family fades from our filmed view, oh! sir, this is death! this it is to die! Such was

[H. OF R

the destiny of my colleague, "by strangers honored and by strangers mourned." His dying message was for those broken-hearted ones, now in widowhood and orphanage--bis expiring sigh a prayer for them!

Mr. Speaker, I shall pronounce no eulogy on the dead. Let his history speak it. For twenty years he preserved a high position in the public service, and died poorer than when he entered it, leaving to his children the riches of an honorable name. If it be praise to have lived beloved and die unreproached, then it is due to him.

It now only remains for us to pay the final honors to his memory--sad, because it seems like breaking the last link that binds the living to the dead; solemn, when we reflect how soon, how very soon, some friend now present may invoke the same tribute for ourselves!

I offer you, sir, the following resolution:

Resolved, That, in testimony of their respect for the memory of DAVID DICKSON, late a Representative from the State of Mississippi, the members of this House will wear crape for one month.

This resolution was unanimously agreed to.

DEATH OF GENERAL COFFEE, OF GEORGIA. Mr. HAYNES, of Georgia, then rose and addressed the Chair as follows:

Mr. Speaker: On me has devolved the mournful duty of announcing to this House the death of one of its members, my friend and colleague, the Hon. JoHN COFFEE, of Georgia. For a considerable portion of the last session of Congress he labored under severe indisposition, which at different periods detained him from the service of the House. Although his symptons were so miti. gated before the adjournment as to enable him to resume the regular discharge of his official duties, no radical amendment had taken place, and with gradually increasing force his disease closed his existence, in the bosom of his family, in the month of September last.

In speaking of a departed friend and colleague, the language of eulogy might be excused; but to those who have been associated with General COFFEE in the labors of this House, for the last three years, such language would be unnecessary.

Suffice it to say that, in his domestic and social relations, he was eminently characterized by affectionate kindness and courtesy, and that public duties were discharged with honor to himself and fidelity to his country. As the usual mark of respect, I offer the following resolutions:

Resolved, unanimously, That this House has received with the liveliest sensibility the annunciation of the death of the Hon. JOHN COFFEE, a Representative from the State of Georgia.

Resolved, unanimously, That this House tenders to the relatives of the deceased the expression of its sympathy on this mournful event; and, as a testimony of respect for the memory of the deceased, the members will wear crape on the left arm for thirty days.

These resolutions were unanimously agreed to; and then, on motion of Mr. CUSHMAN, The House adjourned.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8.

APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEES. After the reading of the journal, Mr. WHITTLESEY moved that the order of the House for proceeding to the appointment of committees be now taken up, with the amendment offered by Mr. MERCER, of Virginia, "that the absence of a member be not considered as disqualifying him for appointment on any of the committees."

Mr. WHITTLESEY said he entertained a hope that

H. OF R.]

this amendment would be withdrawn, though at the moment he did not see the honorable member [Mr. MERCER]

in his seat.

Mr. HARPER remarked that he understood from the gentleman from Virginia, that, in consequence of the time which had now elapsed, he was not solicitous with regard to his amendment.

[DEC. 12, 1836.

wearied services of those who rank among the first in the profession of medicine; but all would not do; the omnipotent fiat had gone forth by which he was called from the service of his country to the service of his God. Had I studied by set phrase to pass a eulogy upon his character, I should find words too cold, language too inexpressive, to do justice to his virtues. It was my

THE MADISON PAPERS.

The following message, in writing, was received from the President of the United States, by the hands of his private secretary, ANDREW JACKSON, Jr., Esq.: To the Senate and House of Representatives:

I transmit, herewith, copies of my correspondence with Mrs. Madison, produced by the resolution adopted at the last session by the Senate and House of Representatives, on the decease of her venerated husband. The occasion seems to be appropriate to present a letter from her on the subject of the publication of a work of great political interest and ability, carefully prepared by Mr. Madison's own hand, under circumstances that give it claims to be considered as little less than official.

Congress has already, at considerable expense, published, in a variety of forms, the naked journals of the revolutionary Congress, and of the conventions that form. ed the constitution of the United States. I am persuaded that the work of Mr. Madison, considering the author, the subject-matter of it, and the circumstances under which it was prepared--long withheld from the public as it has been by those motives of personal kindness and delicacy that gave tone to his intercourse with his fellow-men, until he and all who had been participators with him in the scenes he describes have passed away-well deserves to become the property of the nation; and cannot fail, if published and disseminated at the public charge, to confer the most important of all benefits on the present and every succeeding generation--accurate knowledge of the principles of their Government, and the circumstances under which they were recommended, and imbodied in the constitution for adoption. ANDREW JACKSON.

DECEMBER 6, 1836.

The message, having been read, was, on motion of Mr. PATTON, referred to the proposed Joint Committee on the Library, and ordered to be printed.

Several communications from heads of Departments were laid before the House by the Speaker, and ordered to lie on the table.

DEATH OF MR. KINNARD.

Mr. DAVIS, of Indiana, then rose and addressed the Chair as follows:

Mr. Speaker: Painful as the duty may be, it is mine of this morning to announce to the House the decease of another of its members.

My friend and colleague, the Hon. GEORGE L. KINNARD, died at Cincinnati on the 25th ult., after a few days of suffering much more severe than ordinarily falls to the lot of mankind in passing that dread ordeal. The immediate cause of his death is perhaps well known to this House and to the country. It was his misfortune to suffer from one of those appalling accidents which are of but too frequent recurrence upon our steamboats, by the bursting of their machinery. He, too, like one of our associates whose death was announced on yesterday, died among strangers, yet among friends. At the hospitable mansion of the Hon. Robert T. Lytle, (where he paid the great debt of nature,) he received the most unremitting attention and kindness, as also the most un

quaintance, and to share largely in his friendship. With a clear and discriminating mind, an honest heart, and an untiring industry, he had elevated himself to the highest seat in the affections of those who knew him best. In all the varied relations of life, (to which he was about to add another of a sacred and responsible character,) he sustained the most unsullied reputation, leaving to the world indubitable evidence, not only that he was a man of high attainments, but that he was emphatically one of God's noblest works-an honest man.

Mr. D. then submitted the following resolutions, which were unanimously adopted:

Resolved, That as a testimonial of respect for the mem ory of the Hon. GEORGE L. KINNARD, late a member of this House from the State of Indiana, the members of this body will wear crape on the left arm for thirty days.

Resolved, That the connexions and constituents of Mr. KINNARD are joined in the sincerest condolence for the loss of that inestimable man to them, to us, and to the country.

On motion of Mr. LAY, The House adjourned.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12.

STANDING COMMITTEES.

The appointment of the following committees, made by the Speaker since the last adjournment, was announ ced by the journal.

Of Elections.-Messrs. Claiborne of Virginia, Griffin, Hawkins, Burns, Kilgore, Buchanan, Maury, Boyd, and Young.

Of Ways and Means.-Messrs. Cambreleng, McKim, Loyall, Corwin, Johnson of Tennessee, Smith, Law. rence, Ingersoll, and Owens.

Of Claims.--Messrs. Whittlesey of Ohio, Forester, Grennell, Davis, Taliaferro, Chambers of Kentucky, Darlington, Graham, and Russell.

On Commerce.-Messrs. Sutherland, Pinckney, Pearce of Rhode Island, Gillet, Phillips, Johnson of Louisiana, Ingham, Cushman, and McKeon.

On Public Lands.-Messrs. Boon, Williams of North Carolina, Lincoln, Casey, Kennon, Dunlap, Chapman, Harrison of Missouri, and Yell.

On the Post Office and Post Roads.-Messrs. Connor, Briggs, Laporte, Hall of Vermont, Cleveland, French, Shields, Hopkins, and Kilgore.

For the District of Columbia.--Messrs. W. B. Shepard, Hiester, Bouldin, Washington, Lane, Rogers, Fairfield, Moore, and Claiborne of Mississippi.

On the Judiciary.-Messrs. Thomas, Hardin, Pierce of New Hampshire, Robertson, Peyton, Toucey, Martin, Vanderpoel, and Ripley.

On Revolutionary Claims.-Messrs. Muhlenberg, Crane, Standefer, Turrill, Beaumont, Craig, Chapin, Under

wood, and Weeks.

On Public Expenditures.--Messrs. Page, Clark, McLene, Mason of Maine, Leonard, Haley, White, Pear son, and Chetwood.

On Private Land Claims.--Messrs. Carr, Galbraith, Patterson, Chambers of Pennsylvania, May, Huntsman, Lawler, Slade, and Garland of Louisiana.

On Manufactures.--Messrs. J. Q. Adams, Denny, Mc Comas, Webster, G. Lee, Granger, Bynum, Fowler, and Whittlesey of Connecticut.

DEC. 12, 1836.]

On Agriculture.-Messrs. Bockee, Bean, Shinn, Deberry, Bailey, Logan, Phelps, Efner, and Black.

On Indian Affairs.--Messrs. Bell, McCarty, Everett, Ashley, Haynes, Hawes, Chaney, Montgomery, and Garland of Virginia.

On Military Affairs.-Messrs. Johnson of Kentucky, Ward, Thomson of Ohio, Bunch, McKay, Anthony, Mann of New York, Coles, and Glascock.

On the Militia.--Messrs. Glascock, Henderson, Fuller, Wagener, Calhoun of Massachusetts, Joshua Lee of New York, Carter, Graves, and Holt.

On Naval Affairs.--Messrs. Jarvis, Milligan, Lansing, Reed, Grayson, Parker, Wise, Ash, and Grantland. On Foreign Affairs.-Messrs. Howard, Cramer, Hamer, Allan of Kentucky, Parks, Cushing, Jackson of Georgia, Dromgoole, and Rencher.

On the Territories.-Messrs. Patton, Potts, Brown, Pickens, Pearce of Maryland, Hall of Maine, Johnson of Virginia, Boyd, and Miller.

On Revolutionary Pensions.--Messrs. Wardwell, Lea of Tennessee, Lay, Janes, Storer, Morgan, Klingensmith, Bond, and Fry.

On Invalid Pensions.--Messrs. Beale, Schenck, Tay. lor, Harrison of Pennsylvania, Doubleday, Hoar, Howell, Jenifer, and Williams of Kentucky.

On Roads and Canals.-Messrs. Mercer, Vinton, Lucas, Reynolds of Illinois, Steele, Calhoon of Kentucky, Evans, McKennan, and Hard.

On Revisal and Unfinished Business.--Messrs. Huntington, Mann of Pennsylvania, Mason of Ohio, Harlan, and Farlin.

Of Accounts.-Messrs. Lee of New Jersey, Hall of Maine, Johnson of Virginia, Turner, and McKennan. [In addition to the standing committees of the House of Representatives, above announced, the following committees of the House of Representatives, appointed at the last session, being committees for the whole Congress, still exist, viz:]

On Expenditures in the State Department. --Messrs. A. H. Shepperd, Calhoun of Massachusetts, Hunt, Morris, and Sickles.

On Expenditures in the Treasury Department.-Messrs. Allen of Vermont, Harper, Spangler, Russell, and Barton.

On Expenditures in the War Department.-Messrs. Jones of Ohio, Bovee, Johnson of Virginia, Love, and Hubley.

On Expenditures in the Navy Department.--Messrs. Hall of Maine, Sloane, Seymour, Pettigrew, and Mason

of New York.

On Expenditures in the Post Office Department.-Messrs. Hawes, Burns, Childs, Bailey, and Reynolds of New York.

On Expenditures on the Public Buildings.--Messrs. Darlington, Hazeltine, Pearce of Rhode Island, Galbraith, and Beale.

DUTY ON FOREIGN COAL. Among the petitions presented to-day was one by Mr. ADAMS, from S. Brainard and eleven hundred others, citizens of Boston, praying for a repeal of the duties on foreign coal, who moved that the same be referred to the Committee on Manufactures.

Mr. PATTON thought that, inasmuch as petitions of a similar import had already been referred to the Committee of Ways and Means, it would be well that this petition, also, should take a similar reference.

Mr. ADAMS said that he considered these petitions, of which there will probably be a great number, as materially affecting the whole question of the tariff, and, consequently, the whole manufacturers of the country. He did not wish to enter into any debate on the subject at this time, but he moved that the question on the ref erence be taken by yeas and nays.

[H. OF R.

The yeas and nays having been ordered, Mr. LINCOLN, of Massachusetts, (who had presented a petition of similar import, from sundry citizens of that State, which had been referred to the Committee of Ways and Means,) rose, and proceeded to state that, if the reference proposed by the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. ADAMS] was persisted in, his (Mr. L's) memorial would be placed in a very awkward situation. Mr. L. was going on to examine the propriety of the respective references proposed, when

The SPEAKER said that, under the 45th rule of the House, the subject could not be debated on the same day on which the petition was presented, and that it would come up first in order of business to-morrow morning. So the subject was postponed accordingly.

REPORT ON THE FINANCES.

On motion of Mr. CAMBRELENG, the annual report of the Secretary of the Treasury on the subject of the finances, together with the estimates for the year 1837, was referred to the Committee of Ways and Means.

Mr. CHILDS offered a resolution granting the use of the hall to the American Colonization Society, on the evening of Tuesday next.

Mr. C. asked for the yeas and nays on this motion, which the House refused to order; and the question having been taken by a division, the resolution wag adopted: Ayes 91, noes 59.

On motion of Mr. HARD, it was

Resolved, That two chaplains, of different denominations, be elected to serve during the present session of Congress, one by each House, who shall interchange weekly. Agreed to.

DUTIES ON FOREIGN GRAIN. Mr. FRY submitted the following resolution:

Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means be instructed to inquire into the expediency of immediately abolishing the duties upon foreign grain or bread stuffs of all kinds.

Mr. REED moved to amend the resolution by striking out the Committee of Ways and Means, and inserting the Committee on Agriculture.

Mr. FRY said the question involved in the resolution. was a plain matter of fact; and that, though he had no great solicitude as to the reference, he thought the one proposed by himself was the most appropriate.

Mr. REED thought that, as the question was one which bore greatly on the interests of the agricultural community, he thought it would be best to refer it to the committee having the special care of those interests.

The question on the amendment was then taken and carried: Ayes 87, noes 67. So the amendment was agreed to.

it.

Mr. REED observed that there existed no manner of necessity that this resolution should be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means, since every body is well aware that the revenue is sufficient, and far from requiring expedients or inquiries relating to an increase of He also deemed it to be a desirable thing that importations from all countries should be made as free as possible, and even without duty. But, (Mr. R. observed,) representing as this House did the interests of the whole country, we were bound to examine into the subject. He was therefore of opinion that the whole question should be referred to the Committee on Agriculture, as being the most appropriate for its consideration, and because the whole agricultural interests of the country were concerned in this question. It is true (observed the honorable member) that this is a year, it may be almost said, of famine, such as has not been known for twenty years; but, notwithstanding, it must not be lost