Total number of free colored persons, 319,467 The SPEAKER laid before the House the annual re JOHN W. HUNTER, of Georgia, having, on the fourth ballot, a majority of the votes, was declared duly elected. Whereupon, the SPEAKER administered to the several officers elected, the oath prescribed by law. The House then adjourned to Monday. MONDAY, DECEMBER 12.. The following gentlemen were announced as having been appointed by the Chair, since the last sitting of the House, to compose the several STANDING COMMITTEES. Committee of Elections.-Messrs. Claiborne, Randolph, Holland, Griffin, Bethune, Collier, and Arnold. Verplanck, Ingersoll, Gilmore, Alexander, Wilde, and Committee of Ways and Means.--Messrs. McDuffie, port of the Secretary of the Treasury on the state of the finances, [see Appendix,] which was laid on the table, and, On motion of Mr. POLK, ten thousand copies thereof were ordered to be printed. The rule requiring a motion to print an extra number of copies of any document, to lie one day for consideration, being dispensed with by unani-ard, Sutherland, Lamar, Newton, Davis of Massachusetts, mous consent of the House. OFFICERS OF THE HOUSE. The House then proceeded to the election of its maining officers. re Gaither. Committee on Commerce.--Messrs. Cambreleng, How. and Jarvis. Committee of Claims.—Messrs. Whittlesey of Ohio, Barber of Connecticut, McIntire, Patton, Ihrie, Hogan, and Rencher. Committee on Foreign Affairs.—Messrs. Archer, Everett of Massachusetts, Taylor, Polk, Crawford, Barnwell, and Wayne. Committee on Military Affairs.-Messrs. Drayton, Vance, Blair of South Carolina, Mitchell of Maryland, Speight, Adair, and Ward. Commitice on Naval Affairs.-Messrs. Hoffman, Carson, White, of New York, Anderson, Branch, Milligan, and Watmough. Committee on Indian Affairs.—Messrs. Bell, Lewis, Thompson of Georgia, Angel, Storrs, Mason, and Lecompte. Committee on Manufactures.-Messrs. Adams, Lewis Condict, Findlay, Horn, Dayan, Worthington, and Barbour, of Virginia. Committee on Agriculture.-Messrs. Root, McCoy, of Virginia, Smith, of Pennsylvania, Chandler, Jenifer, Wheeler, and Tompkins. Committee on the Judiciary.—Messrs. Davis, of South Carolina, Ellsworth, Daniel, White, of Louisiana, Foster, Gordon, and Beardsley. Commitice for the District of Columbia.--Messrs. Doddridge, Washington, Semmes, Armstrong, Thomas, of Maryland, McCoy, of Pennsylvania, and Chinn. DEC. 12, 1831.] Slavery in the District of Columbia.-Appropriations for 1832. Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads.-Messrs. Johnson, of Kentucky, Conner, Russel, Pearce, Jewett, Johnston, of Virginia, and Newnan. Committee on Private Land Claims.-Messrs. Johnson, of Tennessee, Coke, Stanberry, Mardis, Marshall, Carr, of Indiana, and Bullard. Committee on Public Lands.--Messrs. Wickliffe, Duncan, Hunt, Irvin, Clay, Boon, and Plummer. Committee on Revolutionary Claims.-Messrs. Muhlenberg, Nuckolls, Bouldin, Crane, Bates, of Massachusetts, Hammons, and Standifer. Committee on Revolutionary Pensions.—Messrs. bard, Isacks, Mitchell, of South Carolina, Denny, Pendleton, Doubleday, and Kavanagh. Committee on Invalid Pensions.-Messrs. Burges, Ford, Evans, of Maine, Reed, of New York, Appleton, Lansing, and Southard. [H. OF R. which he did not know but that it might be a proper subject of legislation by Congress, and he, therefore, moved that the petitions he had had the honor of presenting, should be referred to the Committee on the Affairs of the District of Columbia, who would dispose of them as they, upon examination of their purport, should deem proper, and might report on the expediency of granting so much of the prayer of the petitioners as referred to the abolition of the slave trade in the District. As to the other prayer of the petitions, the abolition by Congress of slavery in the District of Columbia, it had ocHub-curred to him that the petitions might have been committed to his charge under an expectation that it would receive his countenance and support. He deemed it, therefore, his duty to declare that it would not. Whatever might be his opinion of slavery in the abstract, or of slavery in the District of Columbia, it was a subject which he hoped would not be discussed in that House; if it should be, he might perhaps assign the reasons why he could give it no countenance or support. At present, he would only say to the House, and to the worthy citizens who had committed their petitions to his charge, that the most salutary medicines, unduly administered, were the most deadly of poisons. He concluded by moving to refer the petitions to the Committee for the District of Columbia. Committee on Public Expenditures.-Messrs. Hall, of North Carolina, Davenport, Lyon, Thomson, of Ohio, Coulter, Pierson, and Henry King. Committee on the Territories.--Messrs. Kerr, of Maryland, Creighton, W. B. Shepard, Williams, of North Carolina, Huntington, Allan, of Kentucky, and Roane. Committee of Accounts.-Messrs. Allen, of Virginia, Burd, and Bergen. Committee on Revisal and Unfinished Business.-Messrs. Reed, of Massachusetts, Kennon, and Soule. Committee on Expenditures in the Treasury Department.-Messrs. Stephens, Wardwell, and Fitzgerald. Committee on Expenditures in the War Department.--Messrs. A. H. Shepperd, Mann, and Felder. Committee on Expenditures in the State Department.— Messrs. Lent, Evans, of Pennsylvania, and McKay. Committee on Expenditures of Public Buildings.--Messrs. Young, Spence, and Tracy. Committee on Expenditures in the Post Office.-Messrs. Hawes, Bates, of Maine, and Brodhead, of New York. Committee on Expenditures in the Navy Department.--| Messrs. Maxwell, Hall, of Tennessee, and Harper. SLAVERY IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1832. The SPEAKER laid before the House the following communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, which was referred to the Committee of Ways and Means: TREASURY DEPARTMENT, December 8, 1831. Sir: I have the honor to transmit, for the information of the House of Representatives, an estimate of the appropriations proposed to be made for the service of the year 1832, amounting to $11,551,154 38 Viz. Civil list, foreign intercourse, and miscellaneous, Military service, including fortifications, corps, To the estimates are added statements, showing This being the first day of the session for presenting peti-armories, ordnance, Indian affairs, revolutions, a great number were presented. Among others, tionary and military pensions, and interMr. ADAMS, of Massachusetts, (the ex-President of nal improvements, the United States,) presented fifteen petitions, all nume- Naval service, including the marine rously subscribed, from sundry inhabitants of Pennsylvania, all of the same purport, praying for the abolition of slavery and the slave trade in the District of Columbia, and moved that the first of them should be read; and it was read ac cordingly. 1. The appropriations for the service Mr. A. then observed that it had doubtless been remark-of the year 1832, made by former acts, ed that these petitions came not from Massachusetts, a including public debt, gradual improveportion of whose people he had the honor to represent, ment of the navy arming and equipping but from citizens of the State of Pennsylvania. He had the militia, subscription to canal stocks, received the petitions many months ago, with a request revolutionary claims, and Indian affairs, that they should be presented by him, and, although the amounting to petitioners were not of his immediate constituents, he had not deemed himself at liberty to decline presenting their petitions, their transmission of which to him manifested a confidence in him for which he was bound to be grateful. From a letter which had accompanied those petitions, he inferred that they came from members of the Society of Friends; a body of men than whom there was no more respectable and worthy class of citizens, none who more strictly made their lives a commentary on their professions; a body of men comprising, in his firm opinion, as much of human virtue, and as little of human infirmity, as any other equal number of men of any denomination upon the face of the globe. 2. The existing appropriations, which will not be required for the service of the year 1831, and which it is proposed to apply in aid of the service of the year 1832, amounting to 3. The existing appropriations, which will be required to complete the service of 1831, and former years, but which will be expended in 1831, amounting to 2,407,065 65 5,736,470.02 3,407,618 71 11,312,945,00 501,102 78 3,423,525 87 These three last mentioned amounts, together with as much as may remain unexpended of the sum stated in the report on the finances, presented by this department on the 7th instant as the estimated expenditure in the fourth quarThe petitions, Mr. A. continued, asked for two things: ter of the present year, and with such sums as may be apthe first was the abolition of slavery; the second, the propriated by Congress for the year 1832, will complete the abolition of the slave trade in the District of Columbia. whole amount subject to the disposition of the Executive There was a traffic in slaves carried on in the District, of Government in that year. VOL. VIII.--90 H. OF R.] Dissection of the President's Message.-- Bank of the United States. [DEC. 12, 1831, 10. Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to the Indian tribes, and to their removal beyond the limits of the States, be referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. There is also added to the estimates a statement of the manufactures, and a modification of the tariff, be referred several appropriations which will probably be carried to to the Committee on Manufactures. the surplus fund at the close of the present year, either because the objects for which they were made are completed, or because these sums will not be required for, or will no longer be applicable to, them, amounting to two hundred and fifteen thousand one hundred and ninetyfour dollars and forty-eight cents. 11. Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to the public lands, be referred to the Committee on Pub I have the honor to be, with great respect, your obedi-lic Lands. ent servant, of the House of Representatives U. S. DISSECTION OF THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE. On motion of Mr. WAYNE, of Georgia, the House then resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union, Mr. ADAIR, of Kentucky, in the chair. The result of the proceedings in Committee of the Whole was the adoption of the following resolutions; all of which were moved by Mr. WAYNE, except that concerning the Patent Office, which was moved by Mr. TAYLOR, of New York; that concerning internal improvements, which was moved by Mr. WICKLIFFE, of Kentucky; and that concerning imprisonment for debt, which was moved by Mr. JOHNSON, of Kentucky. 12. Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to the condition of the District of Columbia, be referred to the Committee for the District of Columbia. 13. Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to our system of public accounts, and which recommends the subject to the attention of Congress, "with a view to a general reform in the system," be referred to a select committee. 14. Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to giving the election of President and Vice President to the people, and limiting the service of the former to a single term, and which recommends the disqualification of members of Congress to receive an office from a President in whose election they may have had an official agency, be referred to a select committee. 15. Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to the Bank of the United States, and to the disposal of the stock held in the same by the Government, be referred to 1. Resolved, That so much of the President's message a select committee. as relates to the political relations of the United States 16. Resolved, That so much of said message as relates with foreign nations, and which recommends a revisal of to internal improvements, be referred to a select comour consular laws, be referred to the Committee on Fo-mittee. reign Affairs. 2. Resolved, That so much of the said message as relates to the state of the public finances, the public debt, and revenue, of the Bank of the United States, and which recommends that arrangements be adopted at the present session of Congress to relieve the people from unnecessary taxation after the extinguishment of the public debt, be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means. 3. Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to the commerce of the United States with foreign nations and their dependencies, and which submits to the consideration of Congress "occurrences which have lately taken place at the Falkland Islands, in which the name of the republic of Buenos Ayres" has been used to cover with a show of authority acts injurious to our commerce, and to the property and liberty of our fellow-citizens, be referred to the Committee on Commerce. 4. Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to the report of the Secretary of War, and the public interests entrusted to the War Department, be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. On these resolutions there was some desultory debate, the only remarkable part of which was what concerned the BANK OF THE UNITED STATES. The form of the resolution on that subject, as Mr. WAYNE first moved it, was, that so much of the message as relates to the subject of the Bank of the United States should be referred to a select committee. Mr. McDUFFIE moved to amend the resolution so as to refer the subject to the Committee of Ways and Means. Mr. WAYNE observed that he must earnestly oppose the amendment offered by the gentleman from South Carolina, and that in doing so he would be obliged to say more than he wished to do at this early period of the session. Among the resolutions offered by him, referring the different parts of the President's message to the standing and select committees, there was a proposal to refer so much of the message as related to the Bank of the United States to a select committee. He had been induced to make it for many reasons--besides the peculiar attitude in which the 5. Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to subject had been presented to the country, by the differthe report of the Secretary of the Navy and the naval ser-ence of opinion in regard to it between the President of vice, be referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs. the United States and the Secretary of the Treasury. The 6. Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to one told us that his opinions heretofore expressed in relathe operation of the laws respecting patents; to the exten- tion to the Bank of the United States, as at present orsion of the judiciary system of the United States, which ganized, were unchanged; and those opinions had been recommends a more liberal policy towards unfortunate so expressly, distinctly, and positively announced, that no debtors to the Government; the extension of the provi- one doubted what they were. The Secretary's were di sions of the act passed for the relief of certain insolvent rectly the reverse of those of the President, and, Mr. W. debtors in the second session of the twenty-first Congress, thought, had already been improperly used, or had been and which recommends a modification of the laws "for affected to be considered as a compromise by the Presienforcing the payment of debts due either to the public or dent of his original views upon the subject. Indeed, many to individuals suing in the courts of the United States, as said they once thought the bank to have been in danger, to restrict the imprisonment of the person to cases of but now no longer so; because the Secretary's report befraudulent concealment of property, be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. 7. Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to the patent laws, be referred to a select committee. 8. Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to imprisonment for debt, be referred to a select committee. 9. Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to gan with an extended argument in support of the bank, and was concluded with a petitionary recommendation that it might be viewed as one of those subjects of concession and compromise which the public good required. The disclaimer of the Secretary, that the expression of his own views implied no commitment of any other department of the Government, is overlooked, or said to be DEC. 12, 1831.] Bank of the United States. [H. of R. a courteous introduction of what is finally intended or to concede any thing to a personal dissatisfaction of the expected to be produced by his position and influence. President, with what had been the action of Congress; This, sir, is doing, I apprehend, some injustice to that nor any thing to a difference of opinion between the Preofficer. I overhear the gentleman who moves the amend-sident and Congress upon any subject; but wished that a ment say, that it is my wish to cashier his committee of substantive part of his message, made with the express what properly belongs to it. Not so, sir. It is my wish to view of becoming a topic of inquiry, should have such a leave with the Committee of Ways and Means every sub- direction given to it as would ensure its particular conject properly belonging to it, and to the gentleman him- sideration by persons who were uncommitted upon the self, who is its chairman, the fullest opportunity to present question to which it would give rise. Besides, another his views upon them; but it is my intention to strive to reason for a select committee may be found in the fact prevent the country from being cashiered of its right to that the Secretary of the Treasury, believing this subject have a great topic in our national politics discussed by a to be intimately connected with an effective administration committee having a chairman who had not prejudged it, of his department, had urged it upon our attention, with and not by one whose opinions had been already expressed an evident expectation that it would have it. in a way adverse from the President's and a large portion Notwithstanding the positiveness of the Secretary's opiof the people of this country--probably a majority of the nions upon the propriety of rechartering the bank, and the whole. By one, too, who it must be admitted was not agreement between himself and the chairman of the Comin the habit of changing his declarations, whatever may be inittee of Ways and Means, [Mr. McDUFFIE,] freedom of their foundation; and in this instance they were the more inquiry, Mr. W. presumed, was the wish of the Secretary; unalterable, from the manner in which the gentleman's and knowing, as he did, what had been the report upon labors had been greeted by all whose interest it had been this subject in the first session of the twenty-first Congress, to praise and to circulate them. But the question raised and by whom it was made, Mr. W. could not but think, if by the amendment is, does the subject belong to the Com- the Secretary knew the persons constituting the present mittee of Ways and Means? Mr. W. knew, he said, that Committee of Ways and Means, that he would say it would many gentlemen in this House, who thought with him upon be a mockery of the President's and his own expectations the main question, disagreed with him upon this, and to suppose that the subject would have a more extended, would vote for referring the subject to that committee. detailed, and practical inquiry by Congress than it had He would, therefore, briefly give the reasons which had already received, should it be again referred to that combrought the majority of those who thought alike upon the mittee. Shall we then confide this important topic to those main question to the conclusion that it was more appro- who will repose upon their past labors, thinking that they priately a subject for special reference. Whatever was supersede any necessity for further inquiry? Some of us entirely a matter of finance, belonged to the Committee of desire more light upon this subject than we have; it may Ways and Means. A subject involving finance and gene-be of benefit to those who are fixed in the belief that they ral political considerations, had been usually confided to do not need instruction; neither should the bank nor its that committee; but one in which were combined finance, advocates in this House fear, as they seem to do, an inquiwith varied considerations of political expediency, apart ry by a select committee. from a mere question of finance, and an undecided con- One side of the question the public had from the genstitutional point also, was not to be referred as a matter of tleman who moves the amendment; it was its right to have course to the committee, as might be seen, whether the at least the other from persons who thought differently, custom of the House was invoked to determine the rights though he, [Mr. W.] in wishing this subject referred to a of the committee, or if a reference should be made to the select committee, had no idea that it would be treated in rule fixing the range of its powers and duties. The last that narrow spirit; but that it would be examined with enfeature in such a mixed question so far outweighed all larged notions of the obligations which such a reference considerations of expediency to adopt or to avoid a parti- would impose, and be presented to the House with a statescular project of finance, that it deserved to be presented manlike view of all the benefits and disadvantages of to the public in the authoritative shape of a report, com- a bank existing and prospectively. The country had ing from a committee which had been raised for the pur- a right to a full investigation of the subject; such a one pose. Such a course is in conformity, too, with what is it had not had, and public expectation would be much now the expectation of the people of the many sovereign- disappointed if it did not receive from this House, after ties making up the Union, that vexed constitutional ques- the repeated and marked manner in which it had been tions, originating from our legislation here, should be officially presented to it, an inquiry into the influence of presented to them in all the aspects taken of them by such a bank upon State and private capital already investdifferent minds and parties, before any act was passed by ed in similar institutions, upon State policy and the several Congress involving the exercise of a doubtful power. political relations of the States to the Union, its future inIt had been the neglect of this course, which had caused fluence upon them, and upon the action of the General so much difference of opinion in regard to the constitu- Government in those great exigencies in which nations may tional validity of many acts of Congress, and which had be placed, into what may be its permanent and occasional reduced us almost to a necessity, as the best way of com- effects upon individual property of all kinds, and upon an posing the irritation now existing, to take the legislation of honest legislation here and elsewhere; and, if it shall be Congress as a correct interpretation of what the constitu- finally determined that a national bank was wanted, into tion permitted. Mr. W. admitted that this subject had the many modifications of the present charter, which were been on several occasions confided to the Committee of necessary to make it powerless, except as a matter of Ways and Means, nor did he mean to say what had been convenience and profit to the Government, of moderate prodone was wrong when it was done. But if that commit-fit to the stockholders, and to prevent the stock held in it tee, in this Congress, consisted of persons holding the by individuals from being a subject of corrupt speculation. same opinions upon that subject with the committee of the Mr. W. was prohibited, by usage and rule, from now last Congress, and with the same chairman, it stood com- discussing either of those points; he would avail himself mitted by a report to one side of this question; and if, after of a proper occasion to do so; but it is right to allude to that report had been in the hands of the President for two them, that we may know how much may depend upon the years, he remained unconvinced by its reasoning of its cor- decision of the amendment now before us. But all those rectness, and again pressed the subject upon our attention, points and others should be discussed in a report from this it would certainly be wrong to give it a destination which House, to prepare it fully to meet an application from the foretold what its fate would be. Mr. W. did not intend bank to recharter it. Without it, we shall be unprepared, and be deprived of those external influences upon our ac ̃ tion here, which such an inquiry would excite. [DEC. 13, 1831. Mr. WAYNE said he could assure the House that he had no project on this subject to present to their attention. The theory of our system is, that our legislation should But he must say that, so far from this subject belonging reflect the public will; and this is a great occasion when appropriately and exclusively to the attention of the Comwe should use all means to know what it is. The advo-mittee of Ways and Means, he thought that the chairman cates of the bank have not been idle in their efforts to en- of that committee had admitted, in what he had said, the list it in their support, and have most dexterously assumed two strongest arguments against such reference: first, that it to be in their favor: and by speaking of the antiquity of the subject was prejudged by the head of that committee; the institution as coeval with the beginning of the Govern- and, secondly, that that gentleman had avowed that this ment, as an essential agent in our financial operations, as highly important topic, presented to the consideration of affording personal convenience to our citizens, and great Congress by the President, should not be the subject of commercial facilities, they have made impressions, which action before the committee to which it was proposed to make it very desirable to them to stifle further inquiry. be referred, if he could prevent it. Now, Mr. W. said, But what reasons are there against referring the subject taking into view the present attitude of things, was it to a select committee? Will it be said, as it has been said, likely that the bank would itself make any application to and a stale déclaration it is, that the mere reference will Congress, at the present session, for a renewal of its charprejudice the stockholders, by reducing the price of ter, so as to bring the subject up for consideration? He stock? The holders of it are altogether secure from any knew it would be said that, if the bank was not to make such depreciation, as they have the Secretary's report to such application, there would be no occasion for a commitsustain the bank, and which they will use to advance the tee on the subject. But his object was, that, by the inquiry price of stock. And, besides, their confidence in its real and report of an unprejudiced committee on the subject, value is shown by the price which they are willing to give the House should be prepared for any movement that for the stock held in the bank by the Government. might be made in regard to it. In conclusion, Mr. W. asked, whether even a decent respect to the Chief Magistrate, who had presented this subject to the attention of Congress, declaring his views of it to be unchanged, did not require that the subject should be fairly and impartially examined by a special and unpledged committee. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13. Sir, gentlemen are warned that while those of us here, who are not supporters of the bank as at present organized, are disposed to meet them in a spirit of amity and moderation, and to hear the terms of compromise they have to propose as the condition of a renewed life; though we may not be a majority in this House, yet we are too The question was then taken upon Mr. McDuffie's formidable in numbers upon the main question, and in motion for amendment, and decided in the affirmative by opinion elsewhere, to be pushed by a majority into silence, a considerable majority, (numbers not announced,) and the by having this subject referred to a committee which has House refused to permit a special committee to be raised already expressed itself adverse from our views; nor will on the subject, and referred it to the Committee of Ways we consent that this bank shall avail itself, in the disposi- and Means. tion of this question, of the prejudices which have been Adjourned. raised in its behalf by the false reasoning of its advocates, and which, by its agency, have been widely circulated. Sir, I have trespassed more upon the time of the House than I would have done, if, having deliberately proposed a resolution, which this amendment is intended to defeat, it had not imposed upon me an obligation to give the reasons which determined my course. In every point of view, and whatever may be the result of this motion, (and the vote upon it will be far from disclosing the actual opinions of On Internal Improvements.--Messrs. Mercer, of Virgimembers in regard to rechartering the bank,) I must say nia, Blair, of Tennessee, Letcher, of Kentucky, Vinton, that a proper attention to the message of the President, of Ohio, Craig, of Virginia, Leavitt, of Ohio, McCarty, of and a decent respect for that public opinion which he Indiana. wishes consulted, and to be expressed in regard to it, require that the subject should have a select committee for its consideration. rests. The following named gentlemen compose the several committees, directed to be appointed yesterday: Ratio of Representation under Fifth Census.-Messrs. Polk, of Tennessee, Holland, of Maine, Thomson, of Ohio, J. King, of Pennsylvania, Thomas, of Louisiana, Barstow, of New York, Bucher, of Pennsylvania. On the subject of Patents.--Messrs. Taylor, of New York, Choate, of Massachusetts, Corwin, of Ohio, Potts, of Pennsylvania, Wilkin, of New York, Silas Condit, of New Jersey, Banks, of Pennsylvania. Militia.--Messrs. Barringer, of North Carolina, Adam King, of Pennsylvania, Weeks, of New Hampshire, Pitcher, of New York, Dearborn, of Massachusetts, Cahoon, of Vermont, Stewart, of Pennsylvania. Mr. McDUFFIE replied. He said he could assure the gentleman from Georgia that he had no desire to take this Imprisonment for Debt.--Messrs. Johnson, of Kentucky, subject in his peculiar care: that it was one which had Cooper, of New Jersey, Kennon, of Ohio, Bouck, of New been heretofore referred to the Committee of Ways and York, Cooke, of Ohio, Dewart, of Pennsylvania, WhittleMeans, not as a matter of right in the committee, but as a sey, of New York. matter of usage and propriety as regarded the fiscal inteWhat, said he, is the Bank of the United States? Is it not a fiscal instrument? Is it not as essentially connected with the Treasury Department as are the soul and body of man? It was for that reason, he said, that he wished the subject of that bank to be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means. He should be exceedingly sorry to deprive the gentleman from Georgia of any advantage which he might desire, as chairman of a committee, of an opportunity to present to the House some grand On the system of keeping Public Accounts.--Messrs. scheme of an institution to supersede the present Bank of Wayne, of Georgia, White, of New York, Davenport, of the United States. For himself, he could say he had no Virginia, Grennell, of Massachusetts, Wm. B. Shepard, of object to answer in desiring the matter to go to the Com- North Carolina, Babcock, of New York, Slade, of Vermittee of Ways and Means; for it would not, as presented mont. by the message, become a subject of action in that committee if he could prevent it. But he had felt it to be his duty, whilst perfectly indifferent as to its fate, to move the amend:ment. On memorial of New England Asylum for the Blind.-Messrs. Everett, of Massachusetts, Kendall, of Massachusetts, Dickson, of New York, Everett, of Vermont, Briggs, of Massachusetts, Cooke, of New York, Heister, of Pennsylvania. On the subject of President and Vice President, &c.-Messrs. McDuffie, of South Carolina, Root, of New York, McCoy, of Virginia, Adair, of Kentucky, Hughes, of New Jersey, Thompson, of Georgia, Thomas, of Maryland. |