JUNE, 1834.] Local Bank Deposit Regulation Bill. [H. OF R. until then it seems to be generally admitted no new bank can be put in operation, even if there was a disposition to do so. have been ruined by it, on the President; and | bank will not expire until March, 1836, and their curses, instead of their blessings, will follow him into retirement, and mar his peace and happiness forever. And why and wherefore all this mischief? Why remove the deposits from where they were safe, and place them, without the authority of law or the concurrence of Congress, where they are less secure, and less accessible for the public service? Was it to promote any interested view of the President? No. But to promote the ambitious view of one who aspires to the succession, and who will reach it, if he must, over the ruins of his country. Mr. MILLER said: The public deposits have been removed from the Bank of the United States, in pursuance of the reserved authority of the Secretary of the Treasury, in the 16th section of the bank charter, in consequence of the alleged misconduct of the bank; and he had no hesitation in believing that there was much in the conduct of the bank, if not to render it absolutely necessary, at least to justify the course that had been taken. In this opinion a majority of this House had concurred, by declaring that the public moneys ought not to be restored to it. The recent conduct of the bank, in refusing to permit an examination of its affairs except in its own way, had strengthened the correctness of this decision. There are many men in this House who, in the early part of this session, were in favor of a restoration, that have since become dissatisfied with the course of the bank, and are now in opposition to that measure, amongst whom he was happy to find his colleague, (Mr. COULTER.) What, then, are we to do with the public deposits? is the question now presented. They are not to be returned to the Bank of the United States. The idea of locking them up in an iron chest, where the community can derive no benefit from them, in the shape of discounts, is hardly seriously entertained by any one. There is no place, then, for them at present, where they can be deposited with any advantage, but in the State banks; and the only important question left for us to determine is, whether we will leave them at the entire and uncontrolled discretion of the Secretary of the Treasury, or whether we will regulate, limit, and control his discretion in regard to them, by law? Surely, said Mr. M., gentleman who have been so loud in deprecating executive influence and patronage, cannot hesitate which alternative to choose. He had not examined the details of the bill very minutely, but from the examination he had given, he did not perceive any insuperable objection to it. He would therefore vote for it; but he was very far from considering its adoption as having any direct bearing on the question of whether there should be a national bank hereafter established or not. That was a question not now under consideration. The charter of the present We must, therefore, have some place to keep the public moneys in the mean time, even if a new bank should be hereafter created; and, as he could perceive no better system, for the present, than that proposed in the bill now under consideration, he trusted the House would adopt it. Mr. CHILTON said that he had risen to submit a motion, to which, under other circumstances, he should be opposed. We had now five remaining days of the session. Very much important and indispensable business remained unacted on; and unless this subject should be immediately disposed of, must necessarily remain unacted on, for the residue of the session, to the great detriment of the country. Sir, said Mr. C., I am opposed to the bill under consideration; firmly and immovably opposed to it. Yet that it will pass this House is perfectly evident to every member on his floor. Why, then, should we disregard our other high duties to the country, and consume the little remnant of our time in fruitless opposition to the will of the majority in this House, when we know that our position is powerless? The majority here can pass the bill; they will pass it, and theirs will be the responsibility of its passage. My reliance, sir, is elsewhere. I confidently trust and believe that there is elsewhere a reliance, and a safe one, too, in regard to this subject, on which the country may anchor its best interests. But, sir, as nothing can be gained by continuing this debate, and as much would be lost, in discharge of a solemn duty, which I owe to my constituents and my country, I demand the previous question. The motion was seconded. The previous question being put, Mr. H. EVERETT demanded the yeas and nays; which were ordered, and stood-yeas 113, nays 77. On the question of engrossment they were also taken, and stood-yeas 111, nays 86. The bill was put on its final passage, and decided as follows: YEAS.-Messrs. John Adams, William Allen, Anthony, Beale, Bean, Beardsley, Beaumont, Blair, Bockee, Bodle, Boon, Bouldin, Brown, Bunch, Burns, Bynum, Cambreleng, Carmichael, Carr, Casey, Chaney, Chinn, Samuel Clark, Clay, Coffee, Connor, Cramer, Day, Dickerson, Dickinson, Dunlap, Forester, Fowler, William K. Fuller, Galbraith, Gholson, Gilmer, Joseph Hall, Halsey, Hannegan, Joseph M. Harper, Harrison, Hathaway, Hawkins, Hawes, Henderson, Howell, Hubbard, Abel Huntington, Inge, Jarvis, R. M. Johnson, Noadiah Johnson, Cave Johnson, Seaborn Jones, Benjamin Jones, Kavanagh, Kinnard, Lane, Lansing, Laporte, Luke Lea, Thomas Lee, Leavitt, Lyon, Lytle, Abijah Mann, Joel K. Mann, John Y. Mason, Moses Mason, McIntire, McKay, McKim, McKinley, McLene, McVean, Miller, Robert Mitchell, Muhlenberg, Murphy, Osgood, Page, Parks, Parker, Patton, Patterson, D. J. Pearce, Franklin Pierce, Pierson, Plummer, Polk, Schenck, Schley, Shepperd, Shinn, Smith, Speight, Standefer, Stoddert, Sutherland, William Taylor, Francis Thomas, Thomson, Turrill, Vanderpoel, Van Houten, Wagener, Ward, Wardwell, Webster, Whallon, C. P. White-112. NAYS.-Messrs. John Quincy Adams, Heman Allen, John J. Allen, Archer, Ashley, Barber, Barnitz, Barringer, Baylies, Beaty, Binney, Bull, Burd, Cage, Campbell, Chambers, Chilton, William Clark, Clayton, Corwin, Coulter, Darlington, Davenport, Deberry, Denny, Dickson, Duncan, Ellsworth, Evans, E. Everett, H. Everett, Ewing, Felder, Fillmore, Foster, Philo C. Fuller, Fulton, Gamble, Garland, Gorham, Graham, Grennell, Griffin, Hiland Hall, Hardin, James Harper, Hazeltine, Heath, Hiester, Jabez W. Huntington, Jackson, William Cost Johnson, Lay, Lewis, Lincoln, Love, Martindale, Marshall, McComas, McKennan, Mercer, Milligan, Moore, Pinckney, Potts, Ramsay, Reed, Rencher, Selden, W. B. Shepard, Wm. Slade, Charles Slade, Sloane, Spangler, Steele, Stewart, Philemon Thomas, Tompkins, Turner, Tweedy, Vinton, Watmough, E. D. White, F. Whittlesey, Elisha Whittlesey, Wilde, Williams, Wilson, Wise, Young-90. FRIDAY, June 27. Statue of Mr. Jefferson. [JUNE, 1834. Mr. E. EVERETT, from the Committee on the Library, reported a resolution directing that the statue of Mr. Jefferson, presented to Congress by Lieutenant Levy, of the navy, be placed in the square at the eastern front of the Capitol. Mr. ARCHER conceived that if Congress desired to have a statue of this distinguished man, it would be more consistent with propriety to procure one for themselves, than to be indebted for it to any person whatever. He had another objection, which was, that as Congress had resolved to erect a statue in honor of the great and good father of his country, the immortal Washington, and which was in progress of execution, none other of any other man should be set up until that duty be done. was performed which they had resolved should He had learned that this statue of Jefferson So the bill was passed and sent to the was not of that finished order which, if a Senate. General Lafayette. Mr. ADAMS obtained leave to make a report, from the select joint committee, on the subject of the death of Lafayette, and reported the following resolutions : Resolved, &c., That the two Houses have received, with the profoundest sensibility, intelligence of the death of General Lafayette, the friend of the United States, the friend of Washington, and the friend of liberty. statue was to be put up at all in the grounds of the Capitol, it ought to be. Mr. LANE trusted that the House would not reject the resolution merely because the statue had been presented by a lieutenant instead of a commander. Mr. MERCER Concurred in the opinion of his he was opposed to the resolution. colleague, that it was not a good likeness, and The resolution was finally ordered to be engrossed, and was passed-ayes 69, noes 55. Portrait of Washington. Mr. JARVIS submitted the following resolution, which was unanimously adopted: Sec. 2. And be it further resolved, That the sacrifices and efforts of this illustrious person, in the cause of our country, during her struggle for independence, and the affectionate interest which he has at all times manifested for the success of her political institutions, claim from the Government and peo-to pay to John Vanderlyn, out of the contingent ple of the United States an expression of condolence for his loss, veneration for his virtues, and gratitude for his services. Sec. 3. And be it further resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to address, together with a copy of the above resolutions, a letter to George Washington Lafayette, and the other members of his family, assuring them of the condolence of this whole nation in their irreparable be reavement. Sec. 4. And be it further resolved, That the members of the two Houses of Congress will wear a badge of mourning for thirty days, and that it be recommended to the people of the United States to wear a similar badge for the same period. Sec. 5. And be it further resolved, That the halls of the Houses be dressed in mourning for the residue of the session. Sec. 6. And be it further resolved, That JoHN QUINCY ADAMS be requested to deliver an oration on the life and character of General Lafayette, before the two Houses of Congress, at the next session. The resolutions were read twice, and ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, by a unanimous vote. Resolved, That the Clerk of this House be directed fund of the House, fifteen hundred dollars, as additional compensation for the full length portrait of Washington, executed by him, to be placed in the Hall of Representatives, in pursuance of a resolution of this House of February 17, 1832. EVENING SESSION. The sitting continued until a very late hour. Thanks to the Speaker. In the course of the evening a resolution was introduced by Mr. SPEIGHT, of North Carolina, for presenting the thanks of the House to the honorable ANDREW STEVENSON, late Speaker of the House of Representatives, for the faithful, industrious, dignified, and impartial manner in which he discharged the duties of the Chair, and the resolution was agreed to, by yeas and nays, 97 votes to 49. MONDAY, June 30. The Polish Exiles. The bill from the Senate granting a township of land to 235 emigrant Poles, having been amended by the House, was returned by the Senate with their non-concurrence in the amendment. [The amendment provides that the land titles shall be granted after ten years' settlement thereon, upon payment of the minimum price.] Mr. CLAY, of Alabama, said he must move that the House do adhere to its amendment, and went into an explanation to show that the bill, as it came from the Senate, was a departure from the constitution, being a donation, for which there was not any precedent that he was aware of to authorize their making, of the public domains. One donation of the public lands had been given by Congress to certain emigrants from France, but that grant had some public ground to recommend it; those persons being required to plant the vine and the olive. The amendment proposed by the House gave to these individuals advantages which were not given to the people of the United States, namely: if they went on the lands, after ten years they would only be called on to pay therefor the lowest price, viz.: $1 25 per acre; and this was sufficient, in his estimation, for Congress to grant. Mr. CAMBRELENG held that Congress had the power to make grants of the public domain, with a view to their actual settlement; and said he did not believe the people of the United States generally would refuse their assent to the grant for men circumstanced as these Poles were known to be: men who had been bravely fighting the battles of liberty in the old world, and in resistance to the march of despotism. He considered this an offering in the cause of liberty, to which it was the duty of the House to respond. Mr. J. Q. ADAMS expressed his hope that this nation would not act on a niggardly principle towards these brave but unfortunate men. He did think that we were imposing too many conditions with the grant. Mr. BURGES would, in reply to the constitutional doubts of the member from Alabama, inquire from every son of freedom throughout the land, if the public domain could be better disposed of than it was by this grant, given as encouragement to those who had so bravely battled in its sacred cause? The eyes of the world, he said, were upon them; and no man in the United States, no free man, would or ought to say it was unconstitutional to pass this bill. Mr. McKIM moved the previous question; it was seconded, and the main question having been ordered and taken, [H. OF R. The House insisted upon its amendment (requiring the minimum price for the land) to the bill-yeas 82, nays 68. Post Office. The following gentlemen were announced to compose the committee to sit in the recess to investigate the affairs of the Post Office: Messrs. CONNOR, POLK, WHITTLESEY, H. EvERETT, BEARDSLEY, WATMOUGH, and HAWES. Mr. POLK said he perceived, from the reading of the Journal this morning, that he was placed as a member of the select committee appointed to sit during the recess of Congress to examine into the condition of the General Post Office. Mr. P. said he had never shrunk from the performance of any duty assigned to him, since he had been a member of the House. It was well known to the House that he had, during the present session, been a member of a most laborious committee, the duties of which he had attempted to perform. He had been at all times willing to give his whole time and attention, whilst Congress was in session, to the business of the House. The committee, however, were to sit at Washington during the recess. The state of his private affairs, he said, would render it very inconvenient for him to be at Washington earlier than the meeting of the next session of Congress. He must therefore respectfully ask the favor of the House to excuse him from serving as a member of this committee. Mr. POLK was excused, and Mr. STODDERT appointed in his place upon the committee. Duties on Church Bells remitted. The bills remitting the duties on bells presented to the Roman Catholic church at St. Louis, Missouri, having been called up by Mr. ASHLEY, occasioned some debate on the constitutional question of appropriating for the establishment of religion; but the bill was at length passed-66 to 58. Missouri Land Claims. Mr. ASHLEY endeavored to have a reconsideration of the vote laying on the table the bill to confirm certain land claims in Missouri, but failing in that effort, he moved a resolution requiring the report of the commissioners who passed upon the claims to be submitted to the Secretary of the Treasury; which was agreed to. Adjournment. The usual message was sent to the Senate and President, informing them that the House was ready to adjourn; and both Houses adjourned at about 7 o'clock. SENATE.] The President's Message. [DECEMBER, 1834. TWENTY-THIRD CONGRESS.-SECOND SESSION. PROCEEDINGS IN THE SENATE. MONDAY, December 1, 1834. At 12 o'clock the Senate was called to order by the VICE PRESIDENT of the United States, Hon. MARTIN VAN BUREN. Mr. WHITE Submitted the following motion: Ordered, That the Secretary acquaint the House of Representatives that a quorum of the Senate is assembled and ready to proceed to business; which was agreed to. Mr. WHITE submitted the following resolution: Resolved, That a committee be appointed, on the part of the Senate, to join such committee as may be appointed by the House of Representatives, to wait on the President of the United States, and inform him that quorums of the two Houses have assembled, and that Congress is ready to receive any communication he may be pleased to make. The resolution was agreed to. Mr. CLAY moved that the Senate waive balloting for the committee, and that the presiding officer appoint the same; which was agreed to; and Messrs. WHITE and SWIFT were appointed. A message was received from the House of Representatives, by Mr. FRANKLIN, their Clerk, stating that a quorum of members of that House was present, and that a committee had been appointed to join the Senate committee, for the purpose of informing the President of the United States that the two Houses were organized, and ready to receive his communications. TUESDAY, December 2. Mr. MORRIS, of Ohio, attended to-day. Mr. WHITE, from the joint committee appointed to wait on the President of the United States, and inform him that quorums of the two Houses of Congress had assembled, and were ready to receive any communication he might be pleased to make, reported that they had performed the duty assigned them, and that the President would, at 12 o'clock this day, make ac ommunication to Congress in writing. The annual Message of the President of the United States was then handed to the Chair, by Mr. DONELSON, his private secretary, which was as follows: Fellow-Citizens of the Senate and House of Representatives: In performing my duty at the opening of your present session, it gives me pleasure to congratulate you again upon the prosperous condition of our beloved country. Divine Providence has favored us with general health, with rich rewards in the fields of agriculture and in every branch of labor, and with peace to cultivate and extend the various resources which employ the virtue and enterprise of our citizens. Let us trust that, in surveying a scene so flattering to our free institutions, our joint deliberations to preserve them may be crowned with success. Our foreign relations continue, with but few exceptions, to maintain the favorable aspect which they bore in my last annual Message, and promise to extend those advantages which the principles that regulate our intercourse with other nations are so well calculated to secure. The question of the north-eastern boundary is still pending with Great Britain, and the proposition made in accordance with the resolution of the Senate for the establishment of a line according to the treaty of 1783, has not been accepted by that Government. Believing that every disposition is felt on both sides to adjust this perplexing question to the satisfaction of all the parties interested in it, the hope is yet indulged that it may be effected on the basis of that proposition. With the Governments of Austria, Russia, Prussia, Holland, Sweden, and Denmark, the best understanding exists. Commerce, with all, is fostered and protected by reciprocal good will, under the sanction of liberal conventional or legal provisions. In the midst of her internal difficulties, the Queen of Spain has ratified the convention for the payment of the claims of our citizens arising since 1819. It is in the course of execution on her part, and a copy of it is now laid before you for such legislation as may be found necessary to enable those interested to derive the benefits of it. Yielding to the force of circumstances, and to the wise counsels of time and experience, that power has finally resolved no longer to occupy the unnatural position in which she stood to the new Governments established in this hemisphere. I have the great sat isfaction of stating to you that, in preparing the way for the restoration of harmony between those who have sprung from the same ancestors, who are allied by common interests, profess the same religion, and speak the same language, the United States have been actively instrumental. Our efforts to effect this good work will be persevered in while they are deemed useful to the parties, and our entire disinterestedness continues to be felt and understood. The act of Congress to countervail the discriminating duties, levied to the prejudice of our navigation in Cuba and Porto Rico, has been transmitted to the minister of the United States at Madrid, to be communicated to the Government of the Queen. No intelligence of its receipt has yet reached the Department of State. If the present condition of the country permits the Government to make a careful and enlarged examination of the true interests of these important portions of its dominions, no doubt is entertained that their future intercourse with the United States will be placed upon a more just and liberal basis. The Florida archives have not yet been selected and delivered. Recent orders have been sent to the agent of the United States at Havana, to return with all that he can obtain, so that they may be in Washington before the session of the Supreme Court, to be used in the legal questions there pending, to which the Government is a party. Internal tranquillity is happily restored to Portugal. The distracted state of the country rendered unavoidable the postponement of a final payment of the just claims of our citizens. Our diplomatic relations will be soon resumed, and the long subsisting friendship with that power affords the strongest guaranty that the balance due will receive prompt attention. [SENATE. new negotiations for a treaty less liberal in its provisions, on questions of general maritime law. Our newly-established relations with the Sublime Porte promise to be useful to our commerce, and satisfactory, in every respect, to this Government. Our intercourse with the Barbary Powers continues without important change, except that the present political state of Algiers has induced me to terminate the residence there of a salaried consul, and to substitute an ordinary consulate, to remain so long as the place continues in the possession of France. Our first treaty with one of these powers-the Emperor of Morocco-was formed in 1786, and was limited to fifty years. That period has almost expired. I shall take measures to renew it with the greatest satisfaction, as its stipulations are just and liberal, and have been, with mutual fidelity and reciprocal advantage, scrupulously fulfilled. Intestine dissensions have too frequently occurred to mar the prosperity, interrupt the commerce, and distract the Governments of most of the nations of this hemisphere, which have separated themselves from Spain. When a firm and permanent understanding with the parent country shall have produced a formal acknowledgment of their independence, and the idea of danger from that quarter can be no longer entertained, the friends of freedom expect that those countries, so favored by nature, will be distinguished for their love of justice, and their devotion to those peaceful arts, the assiduous cultivation of which confers honor upon nations, and gives value to human life. In the mean time, I confidently hope that the apprehensions entertained, that some of the people of these luxuriant regions may be tempted, in a moment of unworthy distrust of their own capacity for the enjoyment of liberty, to commit the too The first instalment due under the convention of common error of purchasing present repose by beindemnity with the King of the Two Sicilies, has stowing on some favorite leaders the fatal gift of irbeen duly received, and an offer has been made to responsible power, will not be realized. With all extinguish the whole by a prompt payment-an offer these Governments, and with that of Brazil, no unI did not consider myself authorized to accept, as the expected changes in our relations have occurred durindemnification provided is the exclusive property of ing the present year. Frequent causes of just comindividual citizens of the United States. The origi- plaint have arisen upon the part of the citizens of nal adjustment of our claims, and the anxiety dis- the United States; sometimes from the irregular acplayed to fulfil at once the stipulations made for the tion of the constituted subordinate authorities of the payment of them, are highly honorable to the Gov- maritime regions, and sometimes from the leaders or ernment of the Two Sicilies. When it is recollected partisans of those in arms against the established Govthat they were the result of the injustice of an intru-ernments. In all cases, representations have been, sive power, temporarily dominant in its territory, a or will be made; and so soon as their political affairs repugnance to acknowledge and to pay which would are in a settled position, it is expected that our have been neither unnatural nor unexpected, the cir-friendly remonstrances will be followed by adequate cumstances cannot fail to exalt its character for justice redress. and good faith in the eyes of all nations. The Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the United States and Belgium, brought to your notice in my last annual Message, as sanctioned by the Senate, but the ratifications of which had not been exchanged, owing to a delay in its reception at Brussels, and a subsequent absence of the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, has been, after mature deliberation, finally disavowed by that Government as inconsistent with the powers and instructions given to their minister who negotiated it. This disavowal was entirely unexpected, as the liberal principles embodied in the convention, and which form the groundwork of the objections to it, were perfectly satisfactory to the Belgian representative, and were supposed to be not only within the powers granted, but expressly conformable to the instructions given to him. An offer, not yet accepted, has been made by Belgium to re The com The Government of Mexico made known, in December last, the appointment of commissioners and a surveyor, on its part, to run, in conjunction with ours, the boundary line between its territories and the United States, and excused the delay for the reasons anticipated-the prevalence of civil war. missioners and surveyors not having met within the time stipulated by the treaty, a new arrangement became necessary, and our chargé d'affaires was instructed, in January last, to negotiate, at Mexico, an article additional to the pre-existing treaty. This instruction was acknowledged, and no difficulty was apprehended in the accomplishment of that object. By information just received, that additional article to the treaty will be obtained, and transmitted to this country, as soon as it can receive the ratification of the Mexican Congress. The re-union of the three States of New Granada, |