CHAP. III. 1st Session. National Revenue-Public Lands. 2d Congress. Erie; together with a copy of a report of the secretary of state on the same subject. "G. WASHINGTON." 1791-92. In the House of Representatives, the message and accompanying papers were referred to Messrs. Madison, Benson, and Sedgwick, with instruction to bring in the necessary bill or bills. And on the 21st, Mr. Madison presented a bill for carrying into H. Journ 1, effect a contract between the United States and the state of P. 479. Pennsylvania, which was then read the first time, and, on the following day, received the second reading, and was committed to a committee of the whole house. On the 23d, the bill was Id. p. 480, considered in committee, reported without amendment, and or- 481. Bill passed dered to the third reading, and, on the 26th, it was read the by House, third time and passed. On the 26th, 27th, and 28th, this bill S. Journal, And Se- went through the various stages in the Senate, and was passed P.359,360. without amendment. nate. tions of Survey of cession. 21 Session. In November, 1792, a letter was received by Congress from H. Journal, Proposi- Messrs. Hebert and Company, of the city of Paris, stating certain p. 621. Hebert and propositions for the purchase of a quantity of vacant lands, the Co.of Paris. property of the United States. The letter was received by the Senate, transmitted on the 16th of November to the House of Representatives, and, after being read, was laid on the table. On the 27th of November, the speaker laid before the house Virginia a letter from the governor of the territory of the United States, Petition north-west of the river Ohio, covering a petition of a number of from Vin- inhabitants of St. Vincennes, on the Wabash, praying that the resurvey of their lands, directed by a late law, may be made at the public expense. These documents were referred to Messrs. Livermore, Muhlenberg, and Leonard, with an instruction to report their opinion. On the 14th of December, Mr. Livermore Id. p. 628. made a report from this committee, which was taken up for con- Id. p. 649. sideration on the 31st, when the house adopted this resolution: cennes. "Resolved-That the survey, directed by the resolve of the late Congress, of the twenty-ninth of August, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight, of the lands ceded by the state of Virginia to the United States in the territory north-west of the river Ohio, and confirmed to the French and Canadian inhabitants, and other settlers of the Kaskaskias, St. Vincennes, and the neighbouring villages, who, in or before the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three, had settled there, and had professed themselves citizens of Virginia, be made at the expense of the United States." 657. CHAP. III. 2d Congress. National Revenue-Public Lands. It was then ordered that Messrs. Livermore, Muhlenberg, and 2d Session. Leonard, prepare and bring in a bill, or bills, in conformity with 1793. this resolution. On the 7th of January, 1793, Mr. Livermore, from this committee, presented a bill to repeal part of a resolution of Congress, of the 29th of August, 1788, respecting the inBill read habitants of Port St. Vincents; which was read the first and se- H. Journal, cond time, and committed to a committee of the whole house. p. 663. On the 5th of February, this bill was considered in committee, and reported without amendment. Being then amended in the Id. p. 690. Passed by house, it was ordered to be engrossed for the third reading; and, twice. House, 482. 480 on the 6th, it was read the third time and passed. On the 6th, S. Journal, 7th, and 8th, the bill had the first and second reading in the Se- P nate, and was referred to Messrs. Rutherford, Brown, and BradAnd Se- ley. The bill was reported without amendment on the 12th, Id. p. 484. and, on the 13th, was read the third time and passed. nate. lis. Grant to On the 9th of February, 1793, a petition was presented to the H. Journal, inhabitants House of Representatives from the French inhabitants of Galli- p. 697. of Gallipopolis, praying that the title to certain lands in the territory of Petitions. the United States, north-west of the river Ohio, which they purchased from the agent of the Sciota Company, in the year 1790, might be confirmed to them. This petition was referred to Messrs. Wadsworth, Sedgwick, Findley, White, and Barnwell, for examination. Also, on the 11th, the petition of Benjamin Id. p. 699. Arnaud and Francis Salamire, of Gallipolis, was presented, praying that the attention of Congress might be given to the first petition. To this petition the same reference was given. On the Id. p. 14th, Mr. Wadsworth made a report, which was ordered to lie on the table, and, on the 20th, it was taken up for consideration, Id. p. 709. when the House agreed to the following resolution: Resolution "Resolved-That there be granted to the said petitioners, of House. thirty thousand acres of land, to be divided among them in quantities proportioned to their late purchases of the Sciota Company; and that the further quantity of twenty thousand acres be divided equally among such of the said petitioners as are actual settlers of the said territory." 703. It was then ordered that a bill be brought in, pursuant to this of Gallipolis, which was read the first and second time, and com- CHAP. III. 2d Session. 2d Congress. bill was taken up amendments were house, and the bill and considered in committee, and several reported, which were agreed to by the was then ordered to be engrossed for the H. Journal, Bill passed third reading; and, on the 27th, the bill was read the third P. 719. by House. time and passed. In the Senate, this bill was read the first and S. Journal, second time on the same day, and was then committed to Messrs. p. 496. Ellsworth, Brown, and Burr, to consider and report thereon. On the 2d of March, Mr. Ellsworth made a report from this com- Id. p. 504. mittee, together with an amendment, which was disagreed to by the Senate. It was then moved to postpone the further consideration of this bill to the next session of Congress; but this motion was determined in the negative.. It was then moved that Rejected the bill pass to the third reading; but this motion being also deby Senate. cided in the negative, the bill was rejected. 1st Session. Petition of Various were the petitions and memorials presented during this period, with a view to the obtainment of portions of the public lands, upon which no legislation ensued. There was also a 2d Congress. petition or memorial presented on the 13th of December, 1791, 1791-92. from James Wilson and others, in behalf of the land companies H. Journal, Wilson on of the Illinois and Oubache, praying to be permitted to exhibit p. 472. account of the titles of the companies to certain western lands, heretofore Oubache purchased by the said companies, under the sanction of lawful land com- authority, and to make proposals for a reasonable compromise, panies. Illinois and which was referred to Messrs. Livermore, Fitzsimons, and Id. p. 558. CHAP. IV. Executive Departments-Officers, &c. 1789. 1st Congress. 1st Session. Executive depart ments. Committee bills. CHAPTER IV. Creation of Executive Departments-Treasury-War-Foreign Affairs—Salaries p. 38, 39. THE creation of the executive departments was necessarily an H. Journal, object of the early solicitude of Congress. Soon after the organization of the two houses was completed, this subject was deliberated upon in the committee of the whole on the state of the Union, of the House of Representatives; and, on the 20th of May, Mr. Trumbull, the chairman of that committee, reported to the house a resolution, which was, on the following day, amended, and agreed to, in the following form: "Resolved-That it is the opinion of this committee, that there ought to be established the following executive departments; to wit: a department of foreign affairs, at the head of which shall be an officer to be called secretary to the United States for the department of foreign affairs, removable by the President; a treasury department, at the head of which shall be an officer to be called secretary to the United States, for the treasury department, removable by the President; a department of war, at the head of which shall be an officer, to be called secretary to the United States, for the department of war, removable by the President." It was then ordered that a committee, to consist of eleven to prepare members, be appointed to prepare the necessary bills, and Messrs. Baldwin, Vining, Livermore, Madison, Benson, Burke, Fitzsimons, Boudinot, Wadsworth, Gerry, and Cadwalader, were appointed of this committee. fairs. War, and On the 2d of June, Mr. Baldwin, from this committee, pre- Id. p. 44. foreign af sented a bill to establish an executive department, to be denominated the department of war; and also a bill to establish an executive department, to be denominated the department of foreign affairs; both of which bills were then read the first CHAP. IV. 1st Congress. time. 1st Session. On the following day, they received their second reading, and were committed to a committee of the whole house for the next Tuesday. On the 4th, Mr. Baldwin presented a H. Journal, bill to establish an executive department, to be denominated P. 45, 46. Treasury. the Treasury Department, which was read the first time, and re Motions in committee. Amend ments the House. ceived the second reading on the 5th, and was committed for Id. p. 47. A motion was then made further to amend the bill, by striking [There had been a considerable discussion in committee of Leigh's in the whole, on the words, in the first clause of the bill, "to be vol. i. p. Con. Reg., removable from office by the President of the United States," 450-600. which Mr. White moved to strike from the bill. The motion was opposed by Mr. Madison, Mr. Vining, Mr. Boudinot, Mr. Ames, Mr. Hartley, Mr. Lawrance, Mr. Clymer, Mr. Lee, Mr. Silvester, Mr. Scott, Mr. Goodhue, Mr. Baldwin; and was defended by Mr. Smith, of South Carolina, Mr. Huntington, Mr. Sedgwick, Mr. White, Mr. Gerry, Mr. Livermore, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Page, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Stone, Mr. Benson. On the motion to strike out the words, it was decided in the negative; ayes 20, noes 34. A motion was then made by Mr. Carroll to limit the operation of the act, but he withdrew his motion to enable Mr. White to move to strike out the clause respecting the salary, and this motion was agreed to.] The question being taken on the motion before the house, it H. Journal, was decided in the affirmative, by the following vote:p. 50, 51. Ayes-Messrs. Ames, Baldwin, Benson, Brown, Burke, Carroll, Clymer, Contee, Fitzsimons, Gilman, Goodhue, Griffin, Hartley, Heister, Lawrance, Lee, Leonard, Madison, jr., Moore, Muhlenberg, Scott, Sedgwick, Seney, Sinnickson, Smith, of Maryland, Silvester, Thatcher, Trumbull, Vining, Wadsworth.-30. VOL. I.-55 |