It finally passed the House with amendments on the 10th of July, 1798, which amendments were concurred in, and it became a law. The vote on it in the House was as follows:YEAS.-Messrs. Allen of Conn., Baer Jr of Ind., Bartlett of Chapman of Pa., Cochran of N. Y., Coit of Conn., Dans of

Mass., Bayard of Del., Brooks of N. Y., Champlin of Coun Vt., Edmond of Conn., Evans of Va., Foster of Mass., Foster of N. H., Freeman of Mass., Glen of N. Y., Goodrich of Vt. of S. C., Hartley of Pa., Hindman of Md., Hermer of N. YGordon of N. H., Griswold of Conn., Grove of N. C., Harper Imby of N. J., Kittera of Pa., Lyman, Otis of Mass., Parker of, Sewall of Mass., Shepard of Mass., Sinnickson of N. J., of Mass., Reed of Mass., Rutledge of Pa., Schureman of N sitgreaves of Pa., Smith of Conn., Sprague of N. H Thatcher of Mass., Thomas of Pa., Thomson of Del. Til

in writing, printing, uttering, or publishing, | of Pa., Craik of Md., Claiborne of Va., and any false, scandalous, and malicious writing Smith of Md., and defended by Messrs. Allen or writings against the government of the Uni- of Conn., Harper of S. C., Otis of Mass., ted States, or either House of the Congress Dana of Vt., and Kittera of Pa. of the United States, or the President of the United States, with intent to defame the said government, or either House of the said Congress, or the said President, or to bring them, or either of them, into contempt or disrepute ; or to excite against them, or either or any of them, the hatred of the good people of the United States; or to stir up sedition within the United States; or to excite any unlawful combinations therein, for opposing or resisting any law of the United States, or any act of the President of the United States, done in pursuance of any such law, or of the powers in him vested by the Constitution of the United States; or to resist, oppose, or defeat, any such law or act; or to aid, encourage, or abet, any hostile designs of any foreign nation against the United States, their people or government; then such person, being thereof convicted before any court of the United States having jurisdiction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars, and by imprisonment not exceeding two years.

Sec. 3. That if any person shall be prosecuted, under this act, for the writing or publishing any libel, as aforesaid, it shall be lawful for the defendant, upon the trial of the cause, to give in evidence, in his defence, the truth of the matter contained in the publication charged as a libel; and the jury who shall try the cause, shall have a right to determine the law and the fact, under the direction of the court, as in other cases.

Sec. 4. That this act shall continue and be in force until the third day of March, one thousand eight hundred and one, and no longer: Provided, That the expiration of the act shall not prevent or defeat a prosecution and punishment of any offence against the law during the time it shall be in force.

[Approved: July 14, 1798.]

The history of this act is as follows-It originated in the Senate of the United States. A bill having been introduced on leave, by Mr. Lloyd of Maryland, it was referred to a committee consisting of that gentleman, Messrs. Tracy of Conn., Stockton of N. J., Chipman of Vt., and Read of S. C.

The bill passed the Senate on the 4th day
of July, 1798, by yeas and nays as follows:
YEAS-Messrs. Chipman of Vt., Clayton of Del., Foster of
R. I., Goodhue of Mass., Greene of R. I., Hillhouse of Conn.,
Latimer of Del., Lawrence of N. Y., Livermore of N. H.,
Lloyd of Md., Martin of N. C., North of N. Y., Paine of Vt.,

Read of S. C., Rutherford of N. J., Sedgewick of Mass.,
Stockton of N. J., Tracy of Conn.-18.

NATS.-Messrs. Anderson of Tenn., Brown of Ky., Howard,
Langdon of N. H., Mason of Va., Tazewell of Va.-6.

The bill was opposed in the House by Messrs. Nicholas of Va., Livingston of N. Y., Macon of N. C., McDowell of N. C., Gallatin

linghast of R. I., Van Alen of N. Y., Wadsworth of Mass.—

NAYS.-Messrs. Baldwin of Ga., Bard of Pa., Benton. Blount of N. J., Brent of Va., Bullock of Mass., Burges of N. C., Thomas Claiborne of Va., Wm. Claiborne of Tenn., Clopton of Va., Dawson of Va., Dent of Ind., Fowler of Ky Gallatin of Pa.. Gillespie of N. C., Gregg of Ky., Hana of Pa., Harrison of Va., Havens of N. Y., Heister of Pa., Holmes Lyon of Vt., Macon of N. C., Maltheus of Ind., McClenachan of Pa., McDowell of N. C., New of Va., Nicholas of Va., Smith of S. C., Smith of Ind., Spriggs Jr of Md., Stanford of N. C., Sumter of S. C., J. Trigg of Va., Van Cortlandt of N. Y., Varnum of Mass., Venable of Va., Williams of N. Y.-41.

of Va., Jones of Va., Livingston of N. Y., Locke of N. C

Allen, James C., of Illinois.

Mr. Allen was returned as a member of the

34th Congress from the State of Illinois, elected by one vote. Mr. W. B. Archer, his opponent, contested his seat on the ground that two votes cast for him were improperly rejected. The case was referred to the Committee on Elec

tions of the House, consisting of Messrs. Washburne of Me., Watson of Ohio, Spinner of N. Y., Colfax of Indiana, and Bingham of Ohio, Republicans; Stephens of Geo., Savage of Tennessee, and Hickman of Pa., Democrats; and Smith of Ala., American.

Mr. Washburne, on behalf of the majority of bers of it, reported the following resolutions:— the committee, that is, the Republican mem

and is not entitled to a seat in this house. Resolved, that Jas. C. Allen was not elected Resolved, that W. B. Archer was elected and is entitled to a seat in this House.

The question was decided on the 18th of July, 1856, by the adoption of the first resolution and the rejection of the second.

As the ejection of Mr. Allen from his seat is claimed to have been done by a party vote, Mr. Allen being a Democrat and Mr. Archer a Republican, the vote is given, on the first re

solution as follows:

YEAS.-Messrs. Albright of O., Allison of Pa., Ball of O., Barbour of Ind., Henry Bennett of N. Y., Benson of Me, Billinghurst of Wis., Bingham of O., Bliss of O., Bradshaw

of Pa., Brenton of Ind., Buffington of Mass., Burlingame of Mass., James H. Campbell of Pa., Lewis D. Campbell of O., Chaffee of Mass., Ezra Člark of Conn., Clawson of N. J., Colfax of Ind., Comins of Mass., Cragin of N.H., Cumback of Ind.,

Damrell of Mass., Timothy Davis of Mass., Day of O.. Dean"
of Conn., Dewitt of Mass., Dickson of N. Y., Dodd of N. Y..
DUNN of Ind.. Durfee of R. I., EDWARDS of N. Y., Emrie of
O., Giddings of O., Gilbert of N. Y., Granger of N. Y., Grow
of Pa., Robert B. Hall of Mass., Harlan of O., HARRISSON of O.,
HAVEN of N. Y., Holloway of Ind., Thomas R. Horton of N.
Y., V. B. Horton of O., Hughston of N. Y., Kelsey of N. Y.,

King of N. Y., Knapp of Mass., Knight of Pa., Knowlton of

Me., Knox of Ill., Leiter of O., Matteson of N. Y., McCarty of
N. Y., Meacham of Vt., Killian Miller of N. Y., MOORE of O.,

Morgan of N. Y., Morrill of Vt., Murray of N.Y., Norton of Ill.,
Parker of N. Y., Pelton of N. Y., Pennington of N. J., Perry

of Me., Pettit of Ind., Pike of N. H., Pringle of N. Y., Pur-
viance of Pa., Ritchie of Pa., Robbins of N. J., Roberts of

Pa., Sabin of Vt., Sapp of O., Scott of Ind., Sherman of O., Simmons of N. Y., Spinner of N. Y., Stanton of O... Strana ban of N. Y., Tappan of N. H., Thorington of fa., Thurston of R. I., Todd of Pa., Trafton of Mass., Tyson of Pa., Wade of Ohio, Wakeman of N. Y., Waldridge of Mich., Waldron of Mich., Elibu B. Washburne of Ill., Israel Washburne of Me., Welch of Conn., and Wood of Me.-94.

NAYS-Messrs. Aiken of S. C., Barksdale of Miss., Bell of Tex., Bennett of Miss., BROOM of Pa., Burnett of Ky., Cad walarder of Pa., JOHN P. CAMPBELL of Ky., CARLISLE of Va., Caruthers of Mo., Caskie of Va., Bayard Clark of N. Y., Clingman of N. C., Cobb of Ga., Cobb of Ala., Cox, of Ky., Craige of N. C., Crawford of Ga., CULLEN of Del., Davidson of La., Denver of Cal., Dowdell of Ala., Edmundson of Va., Elliott of Ky., English of Ind., ETHERIDGE of Tenn., Florence

of Ark., Hall of Ia., Harris of Ala., Harris of Ill., HOFFMAN

of Pa., Foster of Ga., Fuller of Me., Goode of Va., Greenwood of Md., Houston of Ala., Jeweti of Ky., Jmes of Tenn., Jones of Pa, Kelly of N. Y., KENNETT of Mo., Kidwell of Va., LAKE of Miss., Letcher of Va., Lumpkin of Ga., MARSHALL of Ky., Marshall of Ill., Maxwell of Fla., McMullin of Va., McQueen of S. C., Miller of Ind., Milson of Va., Packer of Pa, Peck YEAR of N. C., Quitman of Miss., READE of N. C., READY of Tenn., RICAUD of Md., Rivers of Tenn., Rufin of N. C., Rust of Ark, Savage of Tenn., Seward of Ga., Shorter of Ala.,

of Mich., Phelps of Mo., PORTER of Mo., Powell of Va., PUR

Smith of Tenn., Smith of Va., SNEED of Tenn., Stephens of
Ga., Stewart of Md., SWOPE of Ky., Talbot of Ky., Taylor of
La.. TRIPPE of Ga., UNDERWOOD of Ky., Vail of N. J., VALK
of N. Y., Warner of Ga., Watkins of Tenn., Wells of Wis.,
Wheeler of N. Y., Whitney of N. Y., Williams of N. Y., D. B.
Wright of Miss., J. V. Wright of Tenn., ZOLLICOFFER of Tenn.

-90.

1. The acknowledgment of that Almighty Being who rules over the universe-who presides over the Councils of Nations-who conducts the affairs of men, and who, in every step by which we have advanced to the character of an independent nation, has distinguished us by some token of Providential agency.

2. The cultivation and development of a sentiment of profoundly intense American feeling; of passionate attachment to our country, its history and its institutions; of admiration for the purer days of our national existence; of veneration for the heroism that precipitated our Revolution, and of emulation of the virtue, wisdom, and patriotism that. framed our Constitution, and first successfully applied its provisions.

3. The maintenance of the union of these United States, as the paramount political good; or, to use the language of Washington,

* Mr. Tyson has since supported Mr. Buchanan.

the primary object of patriotic desire." And hence

First. Opposition to all attempts to weaken or subvert it.

Second. Uncompromising antagonism to every principal of policy that endangers it. Third. The advocacy of an equitable adjustment of all political differences which threaten its integrity or perpetuity.

Fourth. The suppression of all tendencies to political division, founded on "geographical discriminations, or on the belief that there is a real difference of interests and views" between the various sections of the Union.

Fifth. The full recognition of the rights of the several states, as expressed and reserved in the Constitution; and a care fulavoidance by the general government, of all interference with their rights by legislative or executive

action.

4. Obedience to the Constitution of these United States as the supreme law of the land, sacredly obligatory upon all its parts and members; and steadfast resistance to the spirit of innovation upon its principles, however specious the pretexts. Avowing that in all doubtful or disputed points it may only be legally ascertained and expounded by the judicial power of the United States.

First. A habit of reverential obedience to the laws, whether national, state, or municipal, until they are repealed or declared unConstitutional by the proper authority.

Second. A tender and sacred regard for those acts of statesmanship, which are to be contradistinguished from acts of ordinary legislation, by the fact of their being of the nature of compacts and agreements; and so, to be considered a fixed and settled national policy.

the laws regulating immigration, and the settlement of immigrants-offering the honest immigrant, who, from love of liberty or hatred of oppression, seeks an asylum in the United States, a friendly reception and protection, but unqualifiedly condemning the transmission to our shores of felons and paupers.

5. A radical revision and modification of

6. The essential modification of the naturalization laws.

The repeal by the legislatures of the respective states, of all state laws allowing foreigners not naturalized to vote. The repeal, without retrospective operation, of all acts of Congress making grants of land to unnaturalized foreigners, and allowing them to vote in the territories.

7. Hostility to the corrupt means by which the leaders of party have hitherto forced upon us our rulers and our political creeds.

Implacable enmity against the present demoralizing system of rewards for political subserviency, and of punishments for political independence.

Disgust for the wild hunt after office which characterizes the age.

These on the one hand. On the other—
Imitation of the practice of the purer days

that "office should seek the man, and not man the office," and of the rule that the just mode of ascertaining fitness for office is the capability, the faithfulness, and the honesty of the incumbent candidate.

of the republic; and admiration of the maxim | pose, for the purpose of giving peace to the country and perpetuity to the Union. And as experience has shown it impossible to reconcile opinions so extreme as those which separate the disputants, and as there can be no dishonor in submitting to the laws, the National Council has deemed it the best guarantee of common justice and of future peace, to abide by and maintain the existing laws upon the subject of slavery, as a final and conclusive settlement of that subject, in fact and in substance.

8. Resistance to the aggressive policy and corrupting tendencies of the Roman Catholic Church in our country by the advancement to all political stations executive, legislative, judicial, or diplomatic-of those only who do not hold civil allegiance, directly or indirectly, to any foreign power, whether civil or ecclesiastical, and who are Americans by birth, education, and training-thus fulfilling the maxim, "Americans only shall govern America."

The protection of all citizens in the legal and proper exercise of their civil and religious rights and privileges; the maintenance of the right of every man to the full, unrestrained, and peaceful enjoyment of his own religious opinions and worship, and a jealous resistance of all attempts by any sect, denomination, or church, to obtain an ascendancy over any other in the state, by means of any special privilege or exemption, by any political combination of its members, or by a division of their civil allegiance with any foreign power, potentate, or ecclesiastic.

9. The reformation of the character of our National Legislature, by elevating to that dignified and responsible position men of higher qualifications, purer morals, and more unselfish patriotism.

10. The restriction of executive patronageespecially in the matter of appointments to office so far as it may be permitted by the Constitution, and consistent with the public good.

11. The education of the youth of our country in schools provided by the state; which schools shall be common to all, without distinction of creed or party, and free from any influence or direction of a denominational or partisan character.

And, inasmuch as Christianity, by the constitutions of nearly all the states: by the decisions of the most eminent judicial authorities, and by the consent of the people of America, is considered an element of our political system, and as the Holy Bible is at once the source of Christianity, and the depository and fountain of all civil and religious freedom, we oppose every attempt to exclude it from the schools thus established in the states.

And, regarding it the highest duty to avow their opinions upon a subject so important in distinct and unequivocal terms, it is hereby declared as the sense of this National Council, that Congress possesses no power, under the Constitution, to legislate upon the subject of slavery in the states, where it does or may exist, or to exclude any state from admission into the Union because its constitution does or does not recognise the institution of slavery as a part of its social system: and expressly pretermitting any expression of opinion upon the power of Congress to establish or prohibit slavery in any territory, it is the sense of the National Council that Congress ought not to legislate upon the subject of slavery within the territory of the United States, and that any interference by Congress with slavery as it exists in the District of Columbia, would be a violation of the spirit and intention of the compact by which the state of Maryland ceded the District to the United States, and a breach

of the national faith.

13. The policy of the government of the United States, in its relations with foreign governments, is to exact justice from the strongest, and do justice to the weakest; restraining, by all the power of the government, all its citizens from interference with the internal concerns of nations with whom we are at peace.

14. This National Council declares that all the principles of the order shall be henceforth everywhere openly avowed; and that each member shall be at liberty to make known the existence of the order, and the fact that he himself is a member; and it recommends that there be no concealment of the places of meeting of subordinate councils.

E. B. BARTLETT of Ky. President of National Council.

C. D. DESHLER of N. J.,

Corresponding Secretary.
JAMES M. STEPHENS of Md.,
Recording Secretary.

PLATFORM OF THE AMERICAN PARTY, ADOPTED
AT THE SESSION OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL,
FEBRUARY 21, 1856.

12. The American party, having arisen upon the ruins, and in spite of the opposition of the Whig and Democratic parties, cannot be held in any manner responsible for the obnoxious acts or violated pledges of either. And the systematic agitation of the slavery An humble acknowledgment to the Supreme question by those parties having elevated sec- Being, for his protecting care vouchsafed to our tional hostility into a positive element of fathers in their successful Revolutionary strugpolitical power, and brought our institutions gle, and hitherto manifested to us, their des into peril, it has, therefore, become the im-cendants, in the preservation of the liberties, the perative duty of the American party to inter-independence, and the union of these states.

3d. Americans must rule America, and to this end, native-born citizens should be selected for all state, federal, and municipal offices, or government employment, in preference to all" Americans" by designation and conser

It shall have the power to form state, territorial, or district councils, and to grant dispensations for the formation of such bodies, when five subordinate councils shall have been put in operation in any state, territory, or district, and application made.

native-born citizen; a Protestant, either born | risdictions, and in relation to all other matters of Protestant parents, or reared under Pro- necessary for its information. testant influence; and not united in marriage with a Roman Catholic; provided, nevertheless, that in this last respect, the state, district, or territorial councils shall be authorized to so construct their respective constitutions as shall best promote the interests of the American cause in their several jurisdictions; and provided, moreover, that no member who may have a Roman Catholic wife shall be eligible to office in this order; and provided, further, should any state, district, or territorial council prefer the words "Roman Catholic" as a disqualification to membership, in place of "Protestant" as a qualification, they may so consider this constitution and govern their action accordingly.

Sec. 2. There shall be an interval of three weeks between the conferring of the first and second degrees; and of three months between the conferring of the second and third degrees -provided, that this restriction shall not apply to those who may have received the second degree previous to the first day of December next; and provided, further, that the presidents of state, district, and territorial councils may grant dispensations for initiating in all the degrees, officers of new councils.

It shall have the power to determine upon a mode of punishment in case of any dereliction of duty on the part of its members or officers. It shall have the power to adopt cabalistic characters for the purpose of writing or tele graphing. Said characters to be communicated to the presidents of the state councils, and by them to the presidents of the subordinate councils.

It shall have the power to adopt any and every measure it may deem necessary to secure the success of the organization; provided, that nothing shall be done by the said national council in violation of the constitution; and provided further, that in all political matters, its members may be instructed by the state councils, and if so instructed, shall carry out such instructions of the state councils which they represent until overruled by a majority of the national council.

Art. 4.-The President shall always preside Sec. 3.-The national council shall hold its over the national council when present, and annual meetings on the first Tuesday in the in his absence the Vice President shall premonth of June, at such place as may be de-side, and in the absence of both the national signated by the national council at the previous annual meeting, and it may adjourn from time to time. Special meetings may be called by the President, on the written request of five delegations representing five state councils; provided, that sixty days' notice shall be given to the state councils previous to said meeting.

Sec. 4.-The national council shall be composed of seven delegates from each state, to be chosen by the state councils; and each district or territory where a district or territorial council shall exist, shall be entitled to send two delegates, to be chosen from said council -provided, that in the nomination of candidates for President and Vice President of the United States, and each state shall be entitled to cast the same number of votes as they shall have members in both houses of Congress. In all sessions of the national council, thirty-two delegates, representing thirteen states, territories, or districts, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

Sec. 5.--The national council shall be vested with the following powers and privileges:

It shall be the head of the organization for the United States of North America, and shall fix and establish all signs, grips, passwords, and such other secret work, as may seem to it necessary.

It shall have the power to decide all matters appertaining to national politics.

It shall have the power to exact from the state councils, quarterly or annual statements as to the number of members under their ju

council shall appoint a president pro tempore; and the presiding officers may at all times call a member to the chair, but such appointment shall not extend beyond one sitting of the national council.

Art. 5, Sec 1.-The officers of the National Council shall be a President, Vice President, Chaplain, Corresponding Secretary, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, and two Sentinels, with such other officers as the national council may see fit to appoint from time to time; and the secretaries and sentinels may receive such compensation as the national council shall determine.

Sec. 2.-The duties of the several officers created by this constitution shall be such as the work of this organization prescribes.

Art. 6, Sec. 1.-All officers provided for by this constitution, except the sentinels, shall be elected annually by ballot. The president may appoint sentinels from time to time.

Sec. 2.-A majority of all the votes cast shall be requisite to an election for an office.

Sec. 3.-All officers and delegates of this council, and of all state, district, territorial, and subordinate councils, must be invested with all the degrees of this order.

Sec. 4.-All vacancies in the elective offices shall be filled by a vote of the national council, and only for the unexpired term of the said vacancy.

Art. 7, Sec. 1.-The national council shall entertain and decide all cases of appeal, and it shall establish a form of appeal.

Sec. 2.-The national council shall levy a