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JULY, 1797.]

Proceedings.

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in which they desire the concurrence of the Se-purporting that he should attend in his seat, from

nate.

The bill was read, and, by unanimous consent, it was read the second time.

Ordered, That it be referred to Messrs. HILLHOUSE. READ, and GUNN, to consider and report thereon to the Senate.

The VICE PRESIDENT obtained leave of absence for the remainder of the session.

The Senate resumed the second reading of the bill for confirming the titles to certain holders of lands in the southwestern part of the United States; and, after debate, it was ordered that the further consideration thereof be postponed until to

morrow.

A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate that they have passed a bill, entitled "An act laying an additional duty on salt imported into the United States, and for other purposes," in which they desire the concurrence of the Senate.

The bill was read, and, by unanimous consent, it was read the second time.

Ordered, That it be referred to Messrs. GooDHUE, BRADFORD, and BROWN, to consider and report thereon to the Senate.

THURSDAY, July 6.

The VICE PRESIDENT being absent, the Senate proceeded to the choice of a President pro tempore, as the Constitution provides, and the Hon. WILLIAM BRADFORD was duly elected.

Mr. GOODHUE, from the committee to whom was referred the bill, sent from the House of Representatives, entitled "An act laying an additional duty on salt imported into the United States, and for other purposes," reported that the bill pass. The bill was read the third time and passed. The bill, sent from the House of Representatives for concurrence, entitled "An act making additional appropriations for the support of Government, for the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven," was read the third time.

On motion, to strike out the sum of sixty thousand five hundred dollars, appropriated for the expense of foreign intercourse, for the purpose of inserting fifty-one thousand five hundred dollars, it was determined in the negative-yeas 10, nays 17, as follows:

YEAS-Messrs. Bloodworth, Blount, Brown, Cocke, Foster, Henry, Hunter, Martin, Tazewell, and Tattnall. NAYS-Messrs. Bradford, Goodhue, Gunn, Hillhouse, Howard, Latimer, Laurance, Livermore, Marshall, Paine, Read, Ross, Rutherfurd, Sedgwick, Tichenor, Tracy, and Vining.

Resolved, That this bill pass with an amend

ment.

Mr. Ross, from the committee to whom was referred that part of the President's Message of the 3d instant, which relates to a letter, purporting to have been written by WILLIAM BLOUNT, Esquire, together with the papers accompanying the same, made a farther report; which was read. Upon which,

Mr. BLOUNT read in his place a declaration,

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time to time, to answer to any allegations that might be brought against him.

Ordered, That the consideration of the report of the committee be postponed until 11 o'clock, to-morrow morning.

On motion, by Mr. BLOUNT, that he be heard by counsel on the subject-matter of this reportA motion was made to postpone the consideration of this motion until to-morrow, and it passed in the negative.

Resolved, That Mr. BLOUNT be heard by counsel, not exceeding two, to-morrow morning, at 11 o'clock.

Ordered, That the Secretary furnish Mr. BLOUNT with attested copies of such papers as he may point out, respecting the subject this day reported on by the committee.

Mr. HILLHOUSE, from the committee to whom was referred the bill, sent from the House of Representatives, entitled "An act authorizing a loan of money," reported that the bill pass without amendment; and the bill was read the third time, and passed.

FRIDAY, July 7.

A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate that the House have passed a resolution, that the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, be authorized to close the present session, by adjourning their respective Houses on Monday, the 10th day of this month; in which they desire the concurrence of the Senate.

The House of Representatives have passed a bill entitled "An act for the relief of Thomas Lewis," in which they desire the concurrence of the Senate.

Resolved, That the instructions to the committee to whom was referred that part of the President's Message, of the 3d instant, which relates to a letter, purporting to have been written by WILLIAM BLOUNT, Esq., together with the papers accompanying the same, be amended, by adding, after the word "records," the following words: "and particularly the papers of WILLIAM BLOUNT, Esquire."

Agreeably to the order of the day, the Senate proceeded to the consideration of the report of the above-mentioned committee, made yesterday.

On motion, that such printers as may request it, be accommodated with stands on the floor of the Senate, to enable them to take notes of their proceedings on the present occasion, it passed in the negative.

Mr. BLOUNT notified the Senate that Jared Ingersol and Alexander J. Dallas are the counsel he has employed, agreeably to the vote of the Senate passed yesterday.

The PRESIDENT requested of Mr. BLOUNT to declare, whether, or not, he was the author of a letter, a copy of which was communicated with the Message of the President of the United States, of the 3d instant.

Mr. BLOUNT declined to answer.

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On motion, in consequence of the request of the counsel above-mentioned, that they have until Monday next to prepare themselves to show cause why the report of the committee should not be adopted: After debate, it was agreed that the question before the Senate be postponed, for the purpose of receiving a special message from the House of Representatives.

A message was received from the House of Representatives, by Mr. SITGREAVES, one of their members, in the words following:

[JULY, 1797.

order for his appearance, to answer to the said impeachment:

"Resolved, That the said William Blount be taken into custody of the Messenger of this House, until he shall enter into recognizance, himself in the sum of twenty thousand dollars, with two sufficient sureties in the sum of fifteen thousand dollars each, to appear and answer such articles of impeachment as may be exhibited against him."

Whereupon Mr. BLOUNT named his sureties, and they were satisfactory to the Senate.

The PRESIDENT then named Mr. BLOUNT and his

"Mr. President: I am commanded, in the name of the House of Representatives, and of all the people of sureties, who arose while the recognizance was the United States, to impeach William Blount, a Sen-read, and being approved by the Senate, it was exeator of the United States, of high crimes and misde- cuted in their presence, in the form as follows: meanors; and to acquaint the Senate that the House of Representatives will, in due time, exhibit particular articles against him, and make good the same.

"I am further commanded to demand that the said William Blount be sequestered from his seat in the Senate; and that the Senate do take order for his appearance to answer the said impeachment.”

A motion was made as follows:

"Pursuant to a message from the House of Representatives of the United States, by Samuel Sitgreaves, Esquire, a member of that House, that they, in their own name, and in the name of all the people of the United States, have impeached William Blount, a member of the Senate, of high crimes and misdemeanors, and that in due time they will exhibit articles against him, and make good the same; and they having demanded that the said William Blount be sequestered from his seat in this House; and that the Senate do take order for his appearance to answer to the said impeachment:

"Resolved, That the said William Blount be, and he hereby is, sequestered from his seat in the Senate, and that he be taken into custody of the Messenger of this House, until he shall enter into recognizance, himself in the sum of dollars, with two sufficient sureties in the sum of dollars each, to appear and answer such articles of impeachment as may be exhibited against him."

On motion, it was agreed to fill the first blank with twenty thousand, and the other blank with fifteen thousand.

A motion was then made to postpone the consideration of this motion until to-morrow, and it passed in the negative.

On motion, it was agreed to divide the motion, and that the question be taken on the words, "be, and he hereby is, sequestered from his seat in the Senate, and that he."

On motion, it was agreed to postpone the consideration of this division of the question until

to-morrow.

And the resolution was adopted, as follows: "Pursuant to a message from the House of Representatives of the United States by Samuel Sitgreaves,

Esq., a member of that House, that they, in their own name, and in the name of all the people of the United States, have impeached William Blount, a member of the Senate, of high crimes and misdemeanors; and that, in due time, they will exhibit articles against him, and make good the same; and they having demanded that the said William Blount be sequestered from his seat in this House, and that the Senate take

"Be it remembered, That, on the seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, personally appeared before the President pro tempore, and Senate of the United States, William Blount, Esq., Senator of the State of Tennessee, Thomas Blount, Esq., member of the House of Representatives of the United States, from the State of North Carolina, and Pierce Butler, Esq., of South Cathe United States of America the following sums, that rolina, who severally acknowledged themselves to owe to is to say: The said William Blount, the sum of twenty thousand dollars, and the said Thomas Blount and Pierce Butler, each, the sum of fifteen thousand dollars, to be levied on their respective goods and chattels, lands, and tenements, on the condition following, that is to

say:

"The condition of the foregoing recognizance is such, that if the said William Blount shall appear before the charges of impeachment to be exhibited against him by the House of Representatives of the United States, and not depart therefrom without leave, that then the above recognizance shall cease to exist, otherwise be and remain in full force and virtue.

Senate of the United States, to answer to certain

"Sealed and delivered in Senate of the United States, and ninety-seven. this seventh day of July, one thousand seven hundred "WILLIAM BLOUNT, [L. s.] "THOMAS BLOUNT, [L. S.] "PIERCE BUTLER. [L. S.] "Attest: SAMUEL A. OTIS, Secretary of the Senate of the United States."

SATURDAY, July 8.

A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate that the House agree to the amendment of the Senate to the bill entitled "An act making additional appropriations for the support of Government for the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven," with an amend|ment; in which they desire the concurrence of the Senate.

ment of the House of Representatives to their The Senate proceeded to consider the amendamendment to the bill last mentioned; and concurred therein.

Ordered, That the Secretary of the Senate notify the House of Representatives that, in consequence of their message of yesterday, by the Honorable Mr. SITGREAVES, one of their members, they have caused WILLIAM BLOUNT to recognize, in the sum of twenty thousand dollars prin

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cipal, with two sureties in the sum of fifteen thousand dollars each, to appear and answer to the impeachment mentioned in their message. The bill, sent from the House of Representatives for concurrence, entitled "An act for the relief of Thomas Lewis," was read the first time, and ordered to the second reading.

Mr. HUNTER laid before the Senate the petition of Phoebe Harwood, praying support in her advanced age and widowhood; her husband having deceased in imprisonment during the late war; and the petition was read.

Ordered, That it lie on the table.

The Senate resumed the consideration of the report of the committee to whom was referred that part of the President's Message which relates to a letter purporting to have been written by WILLIAM BLOUNT, Esq., together with the papers accompanying the same.

On motion, Mr. Justice SMITH was desired to attend and administer the oath to such witnesses as might be adduced.

On motion, Mr. MARTIN and Mr. CoсKE, of the Senate, being sworn, severally testified, on inspection of the letter said to be written by Mr. BLOUNT, that it was his handwriting, they being acquainted therewith, and having seen him write.

The PRESIDENT then said:

"William Blount, Esq., you have now an opportunity, agreeably to the vote of Senate, in pursuance of your own request, by your counsel, to show cause, why the report of the committee should not be adopted."

Mr. BLOUNT was heard by his counsel, Mr. Ingersol and Mr. Dallas; and, after debate,

A motion was made to postpone the consideration of the report of the committee to the next session of Congress; and it was decided in the negative-yeas 7, nays 19, as follows:

YEAS-Messrs. Bloodworth, Brown, Cocke, Gunn, Martin, Tazewell, and Tattnall.

NAYS-Messrs. Bingham, Bradford, Foster, Goodhue, Henry, Hillhouse, Howard, Hunter, Latimer, Laurance, Livermore, Marshall, Read, Ross, Rutherfurd, Sedgwick, Tichenor, Tracy, and Vining.

On the question to agree to the report of the committee, as follows:

"The committee to whom was referred that part of the President's Message which relates to a letter purporting to have been written by William Blount, Esq., one of the Senators from the State of Tennessee, together with the papers accompanying the same, having had the same under their consideration, beg leave to make a further report:

"That Mr. Blount having declined an acknowledgment or denial of the letter imputed to him, and having failed to appear, to give any satisfactory explanation respecting it, your committee sent for the original letter, which accompanies this report, and it is in the following words:

"Colonel King's Iron Works, April 21, 1797. DEAR CAREY: I wished to have seen you before I returned to Philadelphia; but I am obliged to return to the session of Congress, which commences on the 15th of May.

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Among other things that I wished to have seen you

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about, was the business Captain Chesholm mentioned to the British Minister last winter at Philadelphia. 'I believe, but am not quite sure, that the plan then talked of will be attempted this fall; and if it is attempted, it will be in a much larger way than then talked of; and if the Indians act their part, I have no doubt but it will succeed. A man of consequence has

gone to England about the business, and if he makes in the business, and probably shall be at the head of the arrangements as he expects, I shall myself have a hand business on the part of the British. You are, however, to understand, that it is not yet quite certain that the plan will be attempted; yet, you will do well to keep things in a proper train of action, in case it should be attempted, and to do so, will require all your management-I say require all your management, because you must take care, in whatever you say to Rogers, or any body else, not to let the plan be discovered by Hawkins, Dinsmore, Byers, or any other person in the interest of the United States or Spain.

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If I attempt this plan, I shall expect to have you, and all my Indian country and Indian friends, with me; but you are now in good business I hope, and you are not to risk the loss of it by saying anything that will hurt you, until you again hear from me. Where Captain Chesholm is I do not know; I left him in Philadelphia in March, and he frequently visited the Minister and spoke upon the subject; but I believe he will go into the Creek nation by way of South Carolina or Georgia. He gave out he was going to England, but I did not believe him. Among other things that you may safely do, will be to keep up my consequence with Watts, and the Creeks and Cherokees generally, and you must by no means say anything in favor of Hawkins, but, as often as you can, with safety to yourself, you may teach the Creeks to believe he is no better than he should be. Any power or consequence he gets, will be against our plan. Perhaps Rogers, who has no office to lose, is the best man to give out talks against Hawkins. Read the letter to Rogers, and if you think it best to send it to him, put a wafer in it, and forward it to him by a safe hand, or perhaps you had best send for him to come to you, and speak to him yourself respecting the state and prospect of things.

'I have advised you, in whatever you do, to take care of yourself. I have now to tell you to take care of me too; for a discovery of the plan would prevent the success and much injure all the parties concerned.

It may be that the Commissioners may not run the line as the Indians expect or wish, and, in that case, it is probable the Indians may be taught to blame me for making the treaty. To such complaints against me, if such there are, it may be said by my friends, at proper times and places, that Doublehead confirmed the treaty with the President, at Philadelphia, and receives as much as 5,000 dollars a year, to be paid to the nation, over and above the first price: indeed, it may with truth be said, that, though I made the treaty, that I made it by the instructions of the President, and, in fact, it may with truth be said, that I was, by the President, instructed to purchase much more land than the Indians would agree to sell. This sort of talk will be throwing all the blame off me upon the late President,and as he is now out of office, it will be of no consequence how much the Indians blame him. Among other things that may be said for me is, that I was not at the running of the line, and that if I had been, it would have been run more to their satisfaction. In short, you understand the subject, and must take care to give out

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the proper talks, to keep up my consequence with the Creeks and Cherokees. Can't Rogers contrive to get the Creeks to desire the President to take Hawkins out of the nation for, if he stays in the Creek nation and gets the good will of the nation, he can and will do great injury to our plan. When you have read this letter over three times, then burn it. I shall be at

Knoxville in July or August, when I will send for Watts, and give him the whiskey I promised him. 'I am, &c.,

WILLIAM BLOUNT.'

"Two Senators, now present in the Senate, have declared to the committee that they are well acquainted with the handwriting of Mr. Blount, and have no doubt that this letter was written by him. Your committee have examined many letters from Mr. Blount to the Secretary of War, a number of which are herewith submitted, as well as the letter addressed by Mr. Blount to Mr. Cook, his colleague in the Senate, and to this committee, respecting the business now under consideration; and find them all to be of the same handwriting with the letter in question. Mr. Blount has never denied this letter, but, on the other hand, when the copy transmitted to the Senate was read in his presence, on the 3d instant, he acknowledged in his place that he had written a letter to Carey, of which he had preserved a copy, but could not then decide whether the copy read was a true one. Your committee are therefore fully persuaded that the original letter now produced was written and sent to Carey by Mr. Blount. They also find that this man, Carey, to whom it was addressed, is, to the knowledge of Mr. Blount, in the pay and employment of the United States, as their interpreter to the Cherokee nation of Indians, and an assistant in the public factory at Tellico Blockhouse. That Hawkins, who is so often mentioned in this letter as a person who must be brought into suspicion among the Creeks, and if possible driven from his station, is the superintendent of Indian affairs for the United States among the Southern Indians; Dinsmore is agent for the United States in the Cherokee nation; and Byers, one of the agents in the public factory at Tellico Blockhouse.

"The plan hinted at in this extraordinary letter, to be executed under the auspices of the British, is so capable of different constructions and conjectures, that your committee at present forbear giving any decided opinion respecting it; except that to Mr. Blount's own mind, it appeared to be inconsistent with the interests of the United States and of Spain, and he was therefore anxious to conceal it from both. But, when they consider his attempts to seduce Carey from his duty, as a faithful interpreter, and to employ him as an engine to alienate the affections and confidence of the Indians, from the public officers of the United States residing among them; the measures he has proposed to excite a temper which must produce the recall or expulsion of our superintendent from the Creek nation; his insidious advice tending to the advancement of his own popularity and consequence, at the expense and hazard of the good opinion which the Indians entertain of this Government, and of the treaties subsisting between us and them, your cominittee have no doubt that Mr. Blount's conduct has been inconsistent with his public duty, renders him unworthy of a further continuance of his present public trust in this body, and amounts to a high misdemeanor. They, therefore, unanimously recommend to the Senate an adoption of the following resolution:

"Resolved, That William Blount, Esq., one of the Senators of the United States, having been guilty of a

[JULY, 1797.

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YEAS-Messrs. Bingham, Bloodworth, Bradford, Brown, Cocke, Foster, Goodhue, Gunn, Henry, Hillhouse, Howard, Hunter, Latimer, Laurance, Livermore, Martin, Marshall, Read, Ross, Rutherfurd, Sedgwick, Tattnall, Tichenor, Tracy, and Vining. Mr. Tazewell voted in the negative.

So it was Resolved, That William Blount, Esq., one of the Senators of the United States, having been guilty of a high misdemeanor, entirely inconsistent with his public trust and duty as a Senator, be, and he hereby is, expelled from the Senate of the United States.

On this, Mr. BUTLER, in behalf of himself and Mr. THOMAS BLOUNT, the other surety, surrendered the person of WILLIAM BLOUNT, the principal, to the Senate, and requested to be discharged from their recognizance. Whereupon, it was

Ordered, That they be discharged from their recognizance, and that the Secretary enter an endorsement on the back of the bond as follows:

"And now, to wit, on this eighth day of July, 1797, the Honorable Thomas Blount and Pierce Bulter, Esq's., came into the Senate and surrendered William Blount, Esq., for whom they became bound yesterday."

On motion,

Resolved, That WILLIAM BLOUNT be taken into the custody of the Messenger of this House, until he shall enter into recognizance, himself, in the sum of one thousand dollars, with two sufficient sureties, in the sum of five hundred dollars each; to appear and answer such articles of impeachment as may be exhibited against him by the House of Representatives, on Monday next.

The Senate proceeded to consider the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 7th instant, proposing an adjournment of the two Houses, on Monday the 10th instant; and con

curred therein.

MONDAY, July 10.

The bill, sent from the House of Representatives for concurrence, entitled "An act for the relief of Thomas Lewis," was read the second time, and on motion that the bill be now read the third time, it was objected to. So the bill was lost.

tion of William Montgomery, and others, remonMr. BINGHAM laid before the Senate the petistrating on the hardship of the "act laying duties on stamped vellum, parchment, and paper;" which was read, and ordered to lie on the table.

The Messenger of the Senate made the following return, on their order of the 8th instant:

Agreeably to the order of the Senate, the within mentioned WILLIAM BLOUNT having entered into recognizance, I have returned the same into the office of the Secretary of the Senate."

Ordered. That the Secretary transmit to the Executive of the State of Tennessee an attested

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copy of the proceedings of the Senate, on the report of the committee, of the sixth instant, for the expulsion of WILLIAM BLOUNT.

The Senate resumed the second reading of the bill for confirming the titles to certain holders of lands in the southwestern part of the United States; and, after debate,

Ordered, That the further consideration thereof be postponed until the next session of Congress. On motion, it was

Ordered, That the Secretary lay before the President of the United States an attested copy of the proceedings of the Senate on his Message of the third instant, transmitting a letter, signed WILLIAM BLOUNT, directed to Mr. Carey.

Ordered, That it be entered on the Journal of the Senate, that WILLIAM BLOUNT failed making his appearance this day, agreeably to the recognizance entered into on the eighth instant.

Ordered, That Mr. TRACY and Mr. READ be a joint committee, on the part of the Senate, with

[SENATE.

such as the House of Representatives may appoint on their part, to wait on the President of the United States, and notify him that, unless he may have any further communications to make to the two Houses of Congress, they are ready to adjourn.

A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate that the House have appointed a joint committee on their part to wait on the President of the United States, and notify him that, unless he may have any further communications to make to the two Houses of Congress, they are ready to adjourn.

Mr. TRACY reported, from the joint committee, that they had waited on the President of the United States, agreeably to order, who replied, that he had no further communication to make to Congress, except a respectful and affectionate

farewell.

The PRESIDENT then adjourned the Senate without day.

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