*public, we trust that a commendable zeal will be shown for obtaining those provi"sions, which, experience has taught us, are necessary to secure from danger the "unalienable rights of human nature.

"The anxiety with which our countrymen press for the accomplishment of this im"portant end, will ill admit of delay. The slow forms of Congressional discussion and "recommendation, if, indeed, they should ever agree to any change, would, we fear, * be less certain of success. Happily for their wishes, the Constitution hath presented "an alternative, by admitting the submission to a convention of the States. To this, "therefore, we resort as the source from whence they are to derive relief from their "present apprehensions.

"We do, therefore, in behalf of our constituents, in the most earnest and solemn "manner, make this application to Congress, that a convention be immediately called, "of deputies from the several States, with full power to take into their consideration "the defects of this Constitution that have been suggested by the State Conventions, * and report such amendments thereto as they shall find best suited to promote our "common interests, and secure to ourselves and our latest posterity, the great and "unalienable rights of mankind.”

JOHN JONES, Speaker Senate.

THOMAS MATHEWS, Speaker House Del."

A message from the Senate, by Mr. Otis, their Secretary :

Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed the bill, entitled, “An act to regulate the time and manner of administering certain oaths," with amendments, to which they desire the concurrence of your House. And then he withdrew.

The House resumed the cons deration of the resolutions reported from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, the twenty-first ultimo, and made a farther progress therein.

And then the House adjourned until to-morrow morning eleven o'clock.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6.

Another member, to wit, John Vining, from Delaware, appeared and took his seat. A bill for laying a duty on goods, wares, and merchandises, imported into the United States, was read the second time, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow.

A petition of Arthur Greer, of the State of Peensylvania, was presented to the House and read, setting forth that he has invented a machine which he conceives has reduced to a certainty the discovery of the true longitude or departure from any given meridian North of the Equator, and praying that an exclusive patent, for his discovery, may be granted him for the space of twenty-one years.

Ordered, That the said petition do lie on the table.

The House proceeded to consider the amendments of the Senate to the bill, entitled "An act to regulate the time and manner of administering certain oaths," and the same being twice read at the Clerk's table, were amended, and agreed to by the House. Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do acquaint the Senate therewith, and desire their concurrence to the amendment to their amendments.

Mr. Lawrance, one of the Representatives from New York, presented to the House an application, in the name and behalf of the Legislature of that State, addressed to the Congress of the United States; which was read: Whereupon,

Ordered, That the said application be entered on the Journal, and carefully preserved by the Clerk of this House, among the files in his office. The said application is as followeth :

"STATE OF NEW YORK,

In Assembly, February 5, 1789. Resolved, If the honorable the Senate concur therein, that an application be made to the Congress of the United States of America, in the name and behalf of the Legislature of this State, in the words following, to wit:

The People of the State of New York having ratified the Constitution agreed to on the seventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, by the Convention then assembled at Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, as explained by the said ratification, in the fullest confidence of obtaining a revision of the said Constitution by a General Convention; and in confidence that certain powers in and by the said Constitution granted, would not be exercised, until a Convention should have been called and convened for proposing amendments to the said Constitution: In compliance, therefore, with the unanimous sense of the Convention of this State, who all united in opinion that such a revision was necessary to re

commend the said Constitution to the approbation and support of a numerous body of their constituents; and a majority of the members of which conceived several articles of the Constitution so exceptionable, that nothing but such confidence, and an invincible reluctance to separate from our sister States, could have prevailed upon a sufficient number to assent to it, without stipulating for previous amendments: And from a conviction that the apprehensions and discontents which those articles occasion, cannot be removed or allayed, unless an act to revise the said Constitution be among the first that shall be passed by the new Congress: we, the Legislature of the State of New York, do, in behalf of our constituents, in the most earnest and solemn manner, make this application to the Congress, that a Convention of Deputies from the several States be called as early as possible, with full powers to take the said Constitution into their con sideration, and to propose such amendments thereto, as they shall find best calculated to promote our common interests, and secure to ourselves and our latest posterity, the great and unalienable rights of mankind.

IN SENATE, February 7, 1789.

By order of the Senate:

By order of the Assembly:

JOHN LANSING, Junior, Speaker.

PIERRE VAN CORTLANDT, President."

The House resumed the consideration of the resolutions reported from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, the twenty-first ultimo, and made a farther progress therein.

And then the House adjourned until to-morrow morning eleven o'clock.

THURSDAY, MAY 7.

Mr. Smith, of South Carolina, from the committee appointed to wait on the President of the United States, to know when it will be convenient for him to receive the address of this House, reported,

That the committee had, according to order, waited on the President, and that he signified to them that it would be convenient to him to receive the said address, at twelve o'clock on Friday, at such place as the House shall be pleased to appoint: Whereupon,

Resolved, That, as the Chamber designed for the President's receiving the respective Houses, is not yet prepared, this House will wait on the President, to present their address, in the room adjacent to the Representatives' Chamber.

On motion,

Resolved, That a committee of three members be appointed to confer with any committee to be appointed on the part of the Senate, in preparing and reporting joint rules to be established between the two Houses, for the enrolment, attestation, publi cation, and preservation of the acts of Congress; as also on the mode of presenting addresses, bills, votes, or resolutions, to the President of the United States.

The members appointed, Mr. Bland, Mr. Trumbull, and Mr. Vining. Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do acquaint the Senate therewith. Ordered, That the petition of Arthur Greer, which lay on the table, be referred to Mr. Huntington, Mr. Cadwalader, and Mr. Contee; that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon to the House.

The House resumed the consideration of the resolutions reported from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, the twenty-first ultimo, and the last resolution being amended to read as followeth :

"Resolved, That there ought to be levied on all vessels entered or cleared in the United States, the duties following, to wit:

On all vessels built within the United States, and belonging wholly to citizens thereof, at the rate of six cents per ton;

On all vessels not built within the United States, but now belonging wholly to citizens thereof, at the rate of six cents per ton;

On all vessels belonging wholly to the subjects of Powers with whom the United States have formed treaties; or partly to the subjects of such Powers, and partly to the citizens of the said States, at the rate of thirty cents per ton;

On all vessels belonging wholly or in part to the subjects of other Powers, at the rate of fifty cents per ton.

Provided, That no vessel built within the United States, and belonging to a citizen or citizens thereof, whilst employed in the coasting trade, or in the fisheries, shall pay tonnage more than once in any one year; nor shall any ship or vessel built within the United States, pay tonnage on her first voyage.

Provided also, That no vessel be employed in the transportation of the produce or manufactures of the United States, or any of them, coastwise, except such vessels shall be built within the United States, and the property of a citizen or citizens thereof." The same was, on the question put thereupon, agreed to by the House. Ordered, That a bill or bills be brought in pursuant to the said resolution, and that Mr. Wadsworth, Mr. Heister, and Mr. Seney, do prepare and bring in the same. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Otis, their Secretary:

Mr. Speaker: The Senate agree to the amendment proposed by this House to their third amendment to the bill, entitled "An act to regulate the time and manner of adminis tering certain oaths." They have also appointed a committee, agreeable to the proposition this day communicated in a message from this House. And then he withdrew. The order of the day for the House to resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the bill for laying a duty on goods, wares, and merchandises, imported into the United States, was read, and postponed until to-morrow.

And then the House adjourned until to-morrow morning eleven o'clock.

FRIDAY, MAY 8.

The Speaker, attended by the members of the House, withdrew to the room adjoin ing the Representatives' Chamber, and there presented to the President of the United States the address agreed to on Tuesday last, to which he returned the following

answer:

GENTLEMEN: Your very affectionate address produces emotions which I know not how to express. I feel that my past endeavors in the service of my country are far overpaid by its goodness; and I fear much that my future ones may not fulfil your kind anticipation. All that I can promise, is, that they will be invariably directed by an honest and an ardent zeal-Of this resource my heart assures me. For all beyond, I rely on the wisdom and patriotism of those with whom I am to co-operate, and a continuance of the blessings of Heaven on our beloved country.

The Speaker and members being returned into the House:

Mr. Gerry, from the committee appointed, presented, according to order, a bill for collecting duties on goods, wares, and merchandises, imported into the United States; and the same was received and read the first time.

Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do procure one hundred copies of the said bill to be printed for the use of the members of this House.

On motion,

Ordered, That the committee appointed on the 29th ultimo, to report an estimate of the supplies requisite for the present year, and of the nett produce of the impost, as agreed to by the House, be authorized and instructed to collect early and authentic statements of the particular articles of foreign produce and manufactures annually im ported into, and of all the articles exported from the several States, and the value of such imports and exports; also, the number of vessels, both foreign and domestic, entered and cleared during that time, specifying their tonnage, and the nations to which they respectively belong; specifying, also, the exact numbers of each particular description of vessels of each nation, and the amount of tonnage of each particular vessel. On motion,

Resolved, That this House will, on Tuesday next, proceed by ballot to the appointment of a Sergeant-at-Arms.

The House, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the bill for laying a duty on goods, wares, and merchandises, imported into the United States.

Mr. Speaker left the chair.

Mr. Page took the chair of the committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Page reported that the Committee had, ac cording to order, had the said bill under consideration, and made some progress therein. Resolved, That this House will, to-morrow, again resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the said bill

And then the House adjourned until to-morrow morning eleven o'clock.

SATURDAY, MAY 9.

Another member, to wit, Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, from New York, appeared and took his seat.

A bill for collecting duties on goods, wares, and merchandises, imported into the United States, was read the second time, and ordered to be committed to a Commitee of the Whole House on Monday next.

Ordered, That Mr. Boudinot have leave to be absent from the service of this House until Monday se'nnight.

A message received from the Senate, by Mr. Otis, their Secretary:

Mr. Speaker: I am directed by the Senate to communicate to this House the following order:

"In Senate, the 7th May, 1789. "Ordered, That, when a message shall come from the House of Representatives to the Senate, and shall be announced by the doorkeeper, the messenger or messengers being a member or members of the House, shall be received within the bar, the President rising, when the message is by one member, and the Senate also when it is by two or more. If the messenger be not a member of the House, he shall be received at the bar by the Secretary, and the bill or papers that he may bring, shall there be received from him by the Secretary, and be by him delivered to the President." And then he withdrew.

The House, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the bill for laying a duty on goods, wares, and merchandises, imported into the United States.

Mr. Speaker left the chair.

Mr. Page took the chair of the committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr Page reported that the committee had, according to order, again had the said bill under consideration, and made a farther progress therein.

Resolved, That this House will, on Monday next, again resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the said bill.

A message from the Senate, by Mr. Otis, their Secretary:

Mr. Speaker: The Senate have disagreed to the report of a committee appointed to determine what style or titles it will be proper to annex to the office of President and Vice President of the United States, if any other than those given in the Constitution; and have appointed a committee to consider and report under what title it will be proper for the President of the United States in future to be addressed, and confer thereon with such committee as this House may appoint for that purpose. The Senate have also appointed a committee to view and report how the rooms in the city hall shall be appropriated, and to confer with any committee this House may appoint for that pur pose. And then he withdrew.

And then the House adjourned until Monday morning eleven o'clock

On motion,

MONDAY, MAY 11.

That the House do agree to the following resolution:

Resolved, That this House having, on Tuesday last, adopted the report of their committee appointed to confer with a committee of the Senate, stating that it is not proper to annex any style or title to the respective styles or titles of office expressed in the Constitution, and having in their address to the President of the United States on Friday last, proceeded to act pursuant thereto, deem it improper to accede to the proposition made by the Senate, as communicated by their order of the ninth instant, for appointing a committee to confer with a committee of this House in considering and reporting under what title it will be proper for the President of the United States in future to be addressed:

The previous question was demanded by five members, Shall the main question be now put? And on the question, Shall the main question be now put?

It passed in the negative.

So the motion was lost.

On motion,

Resolved, That a committee be appointed, to join with such committee as the Senate may appoint, to confer on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses upon the report of their joint committee appointed to consider what titles shall be given to the President and Vice President of the United States, if any other than those given in the Constitution. The members elected, Mr. Madison, Mr. Trumbull, Mr. Page, Mr. Benson, and Mr. Sherman.

On motion,

Resolved, That a committee be appointed, to confer with the committee appointed by the Senate, to view and report in what mamer the rooms in the city hall shall be appropriated.

The members appointed, Mr. White, Mr. Scott, and Mr. Sturges.

The House, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the bill for laying a duty on goods, wares, and merchandises, imported into the United States.

Mr. Speaker left the chair.

Mr. Page took the chair of the committeee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Page reported that the committee had, according to order, again had the said bill under consideration, and made a farther progress therein.

Resolved, That this House will, tomorrow, again resolve itself into a committee of the whole House on the said bill.

The order of the day for the House to resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the bill for the collection of duties on goods, wares, and merchandises, imported into the United States, was read, and postponed until to-morrow.

And then the House adjourned until to-morrow morning eleven o'clock.

TUESDAY, MAY 12.

The Speaker laid before the House the petition of Jedidiah Morse, stating that he has, at great labor, expense, and risque, compiled and published a geographical and historical treatise of the United States, entitled "The American Geography, or a View of the present Situation of the United States of America," embellished and illustrated with two original maps, and praying that an exclusive right may be secured to him, of publishing the same for a limited time.

Also, a petition of a number of the citizens of the State of New Jersey, whose names are thereunto subscribed, in opposition to a petition of sundry other citizens of the said State, complaining of the illegality of the election of Representatives from that State, returned to serve in this House.

Mr. Clymer, from the Committee of Elections, to whom it was referred to take proofs of the facts stated in the petition of David Ramsay, suggesting that William Smith, elected a member of this House, within the State of South Carolina, was, at the time when he was elected, ineligible, by reason that he had not been seven years a citizen of the United States, reported as followeth :

"That Mr. Smith appeared before them, and admitted that he had subscribed, and had caused to be printed in the State Gazette of South Carolina, of the twenty-fourth of November last, the publication which accompanies this report, and to which the petitioner doth refer as proof of the facts stated in his petition; That Mr. Smith also admitted, that his father departed this life in the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy, about five months after he sent him to Great Britian; That his mother departed this life about the year one thousand seven hundred and sixty, and that he was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court in South Carolina in the month of January, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-four.

The committee also report the following counter proof, produced by Mr. Smith, viz. Printed copies of the following acts of the Legislature of the State of South Carolina, viz: An act, entitled "An act to oblige every free male inhabitant of this State, above a certain age, to give assurance of fidelity and allegiance to the same, and for other purposes therein mentioned," passed the twenty-eighth of March, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-eight. An act, entitled "An act disposing of certain estates, and banishing certain persons therein mentioned," passed the twenty-sixth of February, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-two. An act, entitled "An act to alter and amend an act, entitled an act for disposing of certain estates, and banishing certain persons, passed at Jacksonburgh, in the State of South Carolina, on the twenty-sixth day of February, in the year one thousand seven hundred and eightytwo," passed in March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three. An act, entitled "An act to confer the right of citizenship on aliens," passed the twenty-sixth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-four. Also, an ordinance of the Legislature of the said State, entitled "An ordinance to encourage subjects of foreign States to lend money at interest on real estates within this State," passed the twenty-sixth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-four. A certified copy of an extract from an act of the Legislature of that State, entitled "An act for raising and paying into the public Treasury of this State, a tax for the uses therein mentioned," passed the ninth of September, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-nine; and a printed copy of the Constitution of South Carolina; also a certificate from John Edwards and Wils liam Hort, Commissioners of the Treasury of that State, under their seal of office."

VOL. I.-5.