JOURNAL OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES. Ta feffion of the Congrefs of the United States, begun and held at the city of New-York, on Monday the fourth of January, one thousand feven hundred and ninety; being the fecond feffion of the firft Congress held under the prefent Conftitution of Government for the United States. On which day, being the day appointed by law for the meeting of the present feffion, the following members of the House of Representatives appeared and took their feats, to wit: From New-Hampshire, From Massachusetts, From Connecticut, From New-York, From Pennsylvania, From Maryland, From Virginia, From South-Carolina, From Georgia, Abiel Fofter, Nicholas Gilman, and Fisher Ames, Elbridge Gerry, Benjamin Goodhue, George Partridge, and <Roger Sherman. Egbert Benfon, William Floyd, and Frederick Auguftus Muhlenberg, Speaker, Joshua Seney. John Brown, Ifaac Coles, Samuel Griffin, and Alexander White. Edanus Burke, Daniel Huger, William Smith, and Thomas Tuder Tucker. < Abraham Baldwin. But a quorum of the whole number not being prefent, TUESDAY, January 5 The House met according to adjournment. Another member, to wit, Elias Boudinot from New-Jerfey, appeared and sook his feat. But a quorum of the whole number not being present, The Iloufe adjourned until to-morrow morning eleven o'clock. WEDNESDAY, January 6. The Ilouse met according to adjournment. Several other members, to wit, from New-Jerfey, James Schureman, and from Virginia, John Page and Richard Bland Lee, appeared and took their feats. But a quorum of the whole number not being present, 'The House adjourned until to-morrow morning eleven o'clock. THURSDAY, January 7. The House met according to adjournment. Several other members, to wit, from Connecticut, Jonathan Sturges and Jeremiah Wadsworth; from New-York, Jeremiah Van Renffelaer; from Maryland, Daniel Carroll; and from Georgia, George Mathews, appeared and took their feats. And a quorum of the whole number being present, Ordered, That a meffage be fent to the Senate to inform them that a quorum of this House is affembled, and ready to proceed to business; and that the Clerk of this Houfe do go with the faid meffage. The Speaker laid before the Houfe, a letter from the Prefident of the United States, of the fourth inftant, requefting, that when there shall be a fufficient number of the two Houfes of Congrefs affembled to proceed to business, he may be informed of it; and alfo, at what time and place it will be convenient for Congress, that he should meet them, in order to make fome oral communications at the commencement of their feffion-which was read and ordered to lie on the table. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Otis their Secretary. Mr. Speaker-The Senate have appointed a committee on their part, jointly with fuch committee as fhall be appointed on the part of this Houle, to wait on the Prefident of the United States, and notify him that a quorum of the two Houses has affembled, and will be ready, in the fenate-chamber, at fuch time as he fhall appoint, to receive any communications which he may think proper to make: And then he withdrew. Órdered, That Mr. Gilman, Mr. Ames and Mr. Seney, be appointed a committee on the part of this House, for the purpofe expreffed in the message from the Senate. On motion, Ordered, That a committee be appointed to examine the journal of the last feffion, and to report therefrom, all fuch matters of bufinefs as were then depending and undetermined; and a committee was appointed, of Mr. Boudinot, Mr. Sherman and Mr. White. On motion, Refolved, That two Chaplains of different denominations be appointed to Congress, for the prefent feffion; one by each House, who fhall interchange weekly. Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do carry the faid refolution to the Senate, and defire their concurrence. Mr. Gilman, from the committee appointed to wait on the Prefident of the United States, purfuant to the order cf to-day, reported, that the committee had, according to order, performed that service, and that the President was pleased to say, he would attend, to make his communication to both Houses of Congrefs, to-morrow morning, at eleven o'clock. And then the Houfe adjourned until to-morrow morning, half after ten o'clock. FRIDAY, January 8. Another member, to wit, Henry Wynkoop, from Pennsylvania, appeared and took his feat. A meffage from the Senate by Mr. Otis their Secretary. Mr. Speaker The Senate agree to the refolution of this House, for the ap pointment of two Chaplains to Congrefs, for the prefent feffion, and have elected the Right Reverend Doctor Samuel Provoft, on their part: The Senate are also now ready in the fenate-chamber to attend this House in receiving the communication from the Prefident of the United States: And then he withdrew. Mr. Speaker, attended by the members of this Houfe, then withdrew to the fenate-chamber, for the purpofe expreffed in the mcffage from the Senate; and being returned, Mr. Speaker laid before the Houfe a copy of the Speech delivered by the Prefident of the United States, to both Houfes of Congrefs, in the fenate-chamber, as followeth : Fellow-Citizens of the SENATE and HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES, I EMBRACE with great fatisfaction the opportunity which now prefents itself, of congratulating you on the prefent favorable profpects of our public affairs. The recent acceffion of the important state of North-Carolina to the Conftitution of the United States, (of which official information has been received) the rifing credit and refpectability of our country-and the general encreasing good-will towards the Government of the Union-and the concord, peace and plenty, with which we are bleffed, are circumstances, auspicious, in an eminent degree, to our national profperity. In refuming your confultations for the general good, you cannot but derive encouragement from the reflection, that the measures of the lafst session have been as fatisfactory to your conftituents, as the novelty and difficulty of the work allowed you to hope. Still further to realize their expectations, and to fecure the bleflings which a gracious Providence has placed within our reach, will, in the course of the prefent important feffion, call for the cool and deliberate exertion of your patriotifm, firmnefs and wisdom. Among the many interefting objects, which will engage your attention, that of providing for the common defence, will merit particular regard. To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preferving peace. A free people ought not only to be armed, but difciplined; to which end, a uniform and well digested plan is requifite: And their fafety and interest require that they should promote fuch manufactories, as tend to render them in dependent on others, for effential, particularly, for military supplies. The proper establishment of the troops which may be deemed indifpenfable, will be entitled to mature confideration. In the arrangements which may be made respecting it, it will be of importance to conciliate the comfortable fupport.of the officers and foldiers, with a due regard to economy. B There was reafon to hope, that the pacific measures adopted with regard to certain hostile tribes of Indians, would have relieved the inhabitants of our fouthern and western frontiers from their depredations. But you will perceive, from the information contained in the papers which I fhall direct to be laid before you (comprehending a communication from the commonwealth of Virginia) that we ought to be prepared to afford protection to those parts of the Union; and if neceflary, to purifh aggreffors. The intereft of the United States require, that our intercourfe with other nations should be facilitated by fuch provifions as will enable me to fulfil my duty in that respect, in the manner which circumstances may render most conducive to the public good: And to this end, that the compenfations to be made to the perfons, who may be employed, fhould, according to the nature of their appointments, be defined by law;-and a competent fund defignated for defraying the expences incident to the conduct of our foreign affairs. Various confiderations alfo render it expedient that the terms on which foreigners may be admitted to the rights of citizens, should be speedily ascertained by a uniform rule of naturalization. Uniformity in the currency, weights and measures of the United States, is an object of great importance and will, I am perfuaded, be duly attended to. The advancement of agriculture, commerce and manufactures, by all proper means, will not, I truft, need recommendation.-But I cannot forbear intimating to you, the expediency of giving effectual encouragement as well to the introduction of new and useful inventions from abroad, as to the exertions of skill and genius in producing them at home;-and of facilitating the intercourse between the diftant parts of our country, by a due attention to the post-office and post-roads. Nor am I lefs perfuaded, that you will agree with me in opinion, that there is nothing which can better deferve your patronage, than the promotion of fcience and literature. Knowledge is, in every country, the fureft bafis of public happiness. In one, in which the measures of government receive their impreffion fo immediately from the fenfe of the community, as in our's, it is proportionably effential. To the fecurity of a free Conftitution it contributes in various ways: By convincing those who are entrusted with the public administration, that every valuable end of government is best answered by the enlightened confidence of the people; and by teaching the people themselves to know and to value their own rights; to difcern and provide against invafions of them; to distinguish between oppreffion and the neceffary exercise of lawful authority; between burthens proceeding from a difregard to their convenience, and those resulting from the inevitable exigencies of fociety; to difcriminate the fpirit of liberty from that of licentioufnefs, cherishing the first, avoiding the last, and uniting a speedy, but temporate vigilance against encroachments, with an inviolable refpect to the laws. Whether this defirable object will be beft promoted by affording aids to feminaries of learning already established-by the inftitution of a national univerfity, or by any other expedients, will be well worthy of a place in the deliberations of the Legislature. Gentlemen of the HOUSE of REPRESENTATÍVES, I faw with peculiar pleasure, at the clofe of the last feffion, the refolution entered into by you, expreffive of your opinion that an adequate provision for the fupport of the public credit, is a matter of high importance to the national honor and profperity. In this fentiment I entirely concur. And to a perfect confidence in your best endeavours to devife fuch a provifion as will be ruly confiftent with the end, I add an equal reliance on the cheerful co-opera tion of the other branch of the Legiflature. It would be fuperfluous to fpecify inducements to a measure, in which the character and permanent interefts of the United States are so obviously and so deeply concerned, and which has received fo explicit a fanction from your declaration. Gentlemen of the SENATE and HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES, I have directed the proper officers to lay before you, refpectively, fuch pas pers and estimates as regard the affairs particularly recommended to your confideration, and neceffary to convey to you that information of the state of the Union, which it is my duty to afford. The welfare of our country is the great object to which our cares and efforts ought to be directed. And I fhall derive great fatisfaction from a co-operation with you, in the pleafing, though arduous, task of ensuring to our fellow-citizens the bleffings which they have a right to expect from a free, efficient and equal government. United States, January 8, 1790. On motion, GEORGE WASHINGTON. Refolved, That the faid Speech be committed to the confideration of a committee of the whole Houfe to-morrow. The House then proceeded by ballot to the appointment of a Chaplain to Congrefs, on the part of this Houfe; and upon examining the ballots, a majority of the votes of the whole Houfe was found in favor of the Reverend Doctor William Linn. And then the House adjourned until to-morrow morning eleven o'clock. SATURDAY, January 9. Another member, to wit, George Clymer, from Pennsylvania, appeared and took his feat. The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Secretary of the Treafury, ftating that he is now ready to report, at fuch time and in fuch manner as the House shall be pleased to direct, a plan, which he has prepared, relative to a provision for the fupport of the public credit, pursuant to an order of this House of the twenty-firft of September laft: Whereupon, Ordered, That on Thursday next, this House will receive, in writing, the report of the Secretary of the department of the Treasury, agreeably to the order of the House of the twenty-firft of September laft. The House then, according to the order of the day, refolved itself into a committee of the whole House, on the Speech of the President of the United States to both Houfes of Congress. Mr. Speaker left the chair. Mr. Baldwin took the chair of the committee. Mr. Speaker refumed the chair, and Mr. Baldwin reported, that the committee had, according to order, had the faid Speech under confideration, and come to a refolution thereupon, which he delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the fame was twice read, and, on a question put thereupon, agreed to by the House, as followeth : Refolved, That it is the opinion of this committee, that an address ought to be presented by the House to the Prefident of the United States, in anfwer to his Speech to both Houses, with affurances that this House will, without delay, |