Mr. Jones was then conducted to the chair by Walter Coles, of Virginia, and John Quincy Adams, of Massachusetts, where the oath to support the Constitution of the United States, as prescribed by the Constitution, and by the act of June 1, 1789, entitled "An act to regulate the time and manner of administering certain oaths," was administered to the Speaker by Dixon H. Lewis, one of the Representatives from Alabama. The same oath (or affirmation) was then administered by the Speaker to all the other members of the House, who answered to their names, as per list herein before recited. Delegates from Territories then appeared, were sworn to support the Constitution of the United States, and took their seats, viz: From the Territory of Florida-David Levy. From the Territory of Wisconsin-Henry Dodge. From the Territory of Iowa-Augustus C. Dodge. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Dickins, their Secretary: Mr. Speaker: I am directed to inform the House of Representatives that a quorum of the Senate is assembled, and that the Senate is ready to proceed to business. And the Secretary withdrew. On motion of Mr. Dromgoole, it was Ordered, That a message be sent to the Senate to inform that body that a quorum of the House of Representatives has assembled, and that John W. Jones, one of the Representatives from the State of Virginia, has been chosen Speaker; and that the House is now ready to proceed to business; and that the Clerk do go with said message. On motion of Mr. Charles J. Ingersoll, Resolved, That a committee be appointed, on the part of this House, to join such committee as may be appointed on the part of the Senate, to wait on the President of the United States, and inform him that a quorum of the two Houses is assembled, and that Congress is ready to receive any communication he may be pleased to make. Mr. Charles J. Ingersoll, Mr. Wise, and Mr. William P. Thomasson, were appointed of the committee on the part of this House. Mr. Dromgoole moved the following resolution: Resolved, That the Standing Rules and Orders of the last House of Representatives be adopted as the rules and orders of proceeding of this House. A motion was made by Mr. Duncan to amend the resolution, by adding, "except the rule limiting a speech to one hour." This was accepted by Mr. Dromgoole, who made the same a part of his resolution. A motion was made by Mr. John Quincy Adams to amend the said resolution, by adding thereto the following: "and except the rule generally known as the 21st rule of the House, in the words following: 'No petition, memorial, resolution, or other paper, praying the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, or any State or Territory, or the slave trade between the States or Territories of the United States, in which it now exists, shall be received by this House, or entertained in any way whatever."" A motion was made by Mr. Cave Johnson to amend the resolution, by striking out these words: "except the rule limiting a speech to one hour," being the addition moved by Mr. Duncan, and accepted by Mr. Dromgoole. And on the question to agree to the amendment moved by Mr. Cave Johnson, It passed in the affirmative, SYeas, The yeas and nays being desired by one fifth of the members present, Those who voted in affirmative are— Mr. Daniel M. Barringer Benjamin A. Bidlack Julius W. Blackwell Alvan Cullom Amasa Dana Solomon Foot Mr. Henry Frick Joshua R. Giddings Thomas W. Gilmer Willoughby Newton Those who voted in the negative are— Mr. John Quincy Adams Samuel Beardsley James E. Belser John Campbell Mr. Orlando B. Ficklin Henry D. Foster Mr. Zadock Pratt Lemuel Stetson William P. Thomasson Jacob Thompson William Wilkins Mr. James Mathews Heman Allen Moore John Ritter Henry St. John Romulus M. Saunders Thomas H. Seymour The question was then put on the motion made by Mr. John Quincy Adams, to amend the said resolution by adding thereto the following: "and except the rule generally known as the 21st rule of the House, in the words following: No petition, memorial, resolution, or other paper praying the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, or any State or Territory, or the slave-trade between the States or Territories of the United States in which it now exists, shall be received by this House, or entertained in any way whatever." " And passed in the negative, Yeas, Nays, The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are Mr. John Quincy Adams Joseph H. Anderson Joshua R. Giddings Joseph Grinnell John P. Hale Mr. John J. Hardin Mr. Elisha R. Potter George Sykes Mr. George C. Dromgoole Mr. John Jameson Mr. Moses Norris, jr. R. Barnwell Rhett Mr. Robert Smith Lewis Steenrod William P. Thomasson John W. Tibbatts A motion was made by Mr. Wise, to amend the resolution moved by Mr. Dromgoole, by adding thereto these words, viz: "except so much of rule 132, as is contained in the words following: 'But the House may, at any time, by a vote of a majority of the members present, suspend the rules and orders for the purpose of going into Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union; and, also, of providing for the discharge of the committee from the consideration of any bill referred to it, after acting, without debate, on all amendments pending and that may be offered.'" Mr. Wise also called for a division of the question on this motion, so as that the question be taken on the first part, ending with the words "state of the Union," and then on the residue. And on the question, that the House do agree to the first part of said motion, It passed in the affirmative. And the question was then put, that the House do agree to the second part of said motion, And passed in the affirmative. On motion of Mr. Wise, the resolution of Mr. Dromgoole was further amended, by inserting therein, after the words "proceedings of this House," these words: "until a committee of nine members, to be now appointed, to revise the said Rules and Orders, shall make report, and said report be finally disposed of." On motion of Mr. Weller, Ordered, That the daily hour to which the House shall stand adjourned, be 12 o'clock meridian, until otherwise ordered. Mr. Charles J. Ingersoll gave notice of a motion for leave to introduce a bill for the benefit of General Andrew Jackson. And, at a quarter before 4 o'clock, the House adjourned until to-morrow, at 12 o'clock meridian. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1843. Two other members, viz: From the State of South Carolina, Armistead Burt; appeared, were sworn to support the Constitution, and took seats in the House. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Dickins, their Secretary: Mr. Speaker: The Senate have concurred in the resolution from this House for the appointment of a joint committee to wait on the President of the United States and inform him that quorums have been formed in the two Houses, and that Congress is ready to receive any communications he may be pleased to make. Mr. Barnard moved the following resolution: Resolved, That the journal of yesterday be amended so as to state that Mr. Barnard offered in his place to read a paper, signed by himself and forty-nine other members of the House; that objection was made: when a motion was submitted that Mr. Barnard have leave to read the paper; that question was put by the Clerk to the House, which, on a division, decided against granting the leave. Mr. Dromgoole raised, as a question of order, the following: That it is not in order to move to amend the journal, by inserting thereon that which the House yesterday refused to hear read. The Speaker decided against the point raised by Mr. Droomgoole. A motion was made by Mr. Gilmer to amend the motion of Mr. Barnard, by striking out all that part thereof relating to the protest of himself and others. And pending the subject, and by unanimous consent, Mr. Charles J. Ingersoll, from the joint committee appointed to wait on the President of the United States, and inform him that quorums of the two Houses had assembled, and that Congress is ready to receive any communications he may be pleased to make, reported that the committee had waited on the President, and discharged the duties for which it had been appointed, and that the President answered that he would make a communication, in writing, to the two Houses of Congress to-day. And thereupon, A communication, in writing, was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. John Tyler, jr., his private secretary; which was read, and is as follows: To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States: If any people ever had cause to render up thanks to the Supreme Being for parental care and protection extended to them in all the trials and dif ficulties to which they have been from time to time exposed, we certainly are that people. From the first settlement of our forefathers on this continent through the dangers attendant upon the occupation of a savage wilderness-through a long period of colonial dependence through the war of the revolution-in the wisdom which led to the adoption of the existing forms of republican government-in the hazards incident to a war subsequently waged with one of the most powerful nations of the earth— in the increase of our population-in the spread of the arts and sciences, and in the strength and durability conferred on political institutions emanating from the people, and sustained by their will, the superintendence of an overruling Providence has been plainly visible. As preparatory, therefore, to entering once more upon the high duties of legislation, it becomes us humbly to acknowledge our dependence upon Him as our guide and protector, and to implore a continuance of His parental watchfulness over our beloved country. We have new cause for the expression of our gratitude in the preservation of the health of our fellow-citizens, with some partial and local exceptions, during the past season-for the abundance Mr. Barnard's resolution, as offered, contained a copy of the paper mentioned; which, at a subsequent day, the House ordered to be stricken from the iournal. |
