John Rhea, John Roane, Jonathan Roberts, Ebenezer NAYS-John Baker, Harmanus Bleecker, James JUNE, 1812. Robert Whitehill, David R. Williams, and Robert The bill was then ordered to be engrossed, and read the third time on Monday next. next. MONDAY, June 22. The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the bill concerning letters of Breckenridge, Elijah Brigham, Francis Carr, Epa-reported with amendments; which were concurmarque, prizes, and prize goods. The bill was phroditus Champion, Langdon Cheves, Martin Chit-red in by the House, and the bill was ordered to tenden, Thomas B. Cooke, John Davenport, jun, be engrossed, and read the third time on Monday Elias Earle, William Ely, James Emott, Asa Fitch, Thomas R. Gold, Charles Goldsborough, Edwin Gray, Isaiah L. Green, Jacob Hufty, Richard Jackson, jun., Philip B. Key, Lyman Law, Joseph Lewis, jun., Nathaniel Macon, George C. Maxwell, Archibald McBryde, James Milnor, Jonathan O. Moseley, Joseph Pearson, Timothy Pitkin, jr., Elisha R. Potter, John Randolph, William Reed, William M. Richardson, Henry M. Ridgely, William Rodman, Thomas Sammons, John Sevier, Richard Stanford, Lewis B. Sturges, Samuel Taggart, Benjamin Tallmadge, Uri Tracy, Pierre Van Cortlandt, jr., Laban Wheaton, Leonard White, William Widgery, and Thomas Wilson. The residue of the said amendments were then concurred in by the House; and a motion was made by Mr. MILNOR, further to amend the bill by adding, to the end of the second section. the following words: "Provided, nevertheless, That this act shall not go into operation until the first day of September next:" And the question thereon being taken, it was determined in the negative-yeas 38, nays 68, as follows: YEAS-John Baker, Abijah Bigelow, Harmanus Bleecker, James Breckenridge, Elijah Brigham, Epaphroditus Champion, Martin Chittenden, John Davenport, jr., Elias Earle, William Ely, James Emott, Asa Fitch, Thomas R. Gold, Edwin Gray, Richard Jackson, jun., Philip B. Key, Lyman Law, Joseph Lewis, jun., Archibald McBryde, James Milnor, Jonathan O. Moseley, Thomas Newbold, Joseph Pearson, Timothy Pitkin, jun., Elisha R. Potter, John Randolph, William Reed, Henry M. Ridgely, William Rodman, Thomas Sammons, Richard Stanford, Lewis B. Sturges, Samuel Taggart, Benjamin Tallmadge, Pierre Van Cortlandt, jun., Laban Wheaton, Leonard White, and Thomas Wilson. Mr. CHITTENDEN presented petitions from sundry inhabitants of Vermont, in opposition to a war with Great Britain. Mr. CRAWFORD presented petitions from sundry inhabitants of York county, in the State of Pennsylvania, in opposition to war with Great Britain. Mr. MILNOR presented petitions from sundry inhabitants of the city and county of Philadelphia, and county of Delaware, in the State of Pennsylvania, in opposition to a war with Great Britain.-Laid on the table. An engrossed bill giving validity to the sale of certain tracts of public lands sold in the Western District of the Territory of Orleans was read the third time, and passed. An engrossed bill concerning letters of marque, prizes, and prize goods, was read the third time, and passed. tion submitted by Mr. JoHNSON, on the ninteenth The House proceeded to consider the resoluinstant, fixing the day for the adjournment of Congress; and the same being read, was again ordered to lie on the table. Mr. BASSETT moved the following resolution: Resolved, That a committee be appointed to inquire into the expediency of authorizing the President of the United States, by the acceptance of volunteers, or by organizing a detachment of militia, to provide for the better security of the Eastern Shore of Virginia; and that they have leave to report by bill, or otherwise. The resolution was read, and ordered to lie on the table. NAYS-William Anderson, Stevenson Archer, Daniel Avery, Burwell Bassett, William W. Bibb, William A Message was received from the President of Blackledge, Robert Brown, William Butler, John C. the United States communicating copies of a Calhoun, Langdon Cheves, Matthew Clay, James letter to the Secretary of State from the Chargé Cochran, John Clopton, Lewis Condict, William Craw-d'Affaires of the United States, at London, and ford Richard, Cutts, Roger Davis, John Dawson, Jo- of a note to him from the British Secretary for seph Desha, Samuel Dinsmoor, William Findley, Foreign Affairs. Meshack Franklin, Thomas Gholson, Charles Golds borough, Peterson Goodwyn, Isaiah L. Green, Felix On motion of Mr. TURNER, a committee was appointed to consider the expediency of a meeting of Congress previous to the first Monday of December next, with leave to report by bill, or otherwise. Mr. TURNER, Mr. MACON, Mr. BIBB, Mr. BASSETT, and Mr. FINDLEY, were appointed' the committee. A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate have passed a bill "supplementary to the act, entitled ‘An act to authorize a detachment from the militia of the United States,' passed April tenth, 1812; in which they desire the concurrence of this House. JUNE, 1812. ADDITIONAL DUTIES. Additional Duties. An engrossed bill for imposing additional duties upon all goods, wares, and merchandise, imported from any foreign port or place, was read the third time, and recommitted to a Committee of the Whole to-day. H. OF R. and intended, as was stated, to equalize upon the people of the different States, as far as possible, the burden of taxation, that only one of those has been selected, and that one the most unjust, the most unequal, and the most mischievous of the whole. These remarks are not made, Mr. Speaker, from an apprehension that doubling the duties on imported articles will not effectually open the eyes of the people. Sir, it will be the most un The House accordingly resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the bill; and, after some time spent therein, the Committee rose and reported the bill to the House without amend-popular tax you can impose. The people of this ment. country particularly the Eastern sections of it, upon whom this tax will bear peculiarly hardare too enlightened not to know, to see, and to feel, the operation which an additional duty of 100 per cent. upon imported articles will have upon them. They are too enlightened not to know that this are they so ignorant as not to know that the five millions of dollars which it is calculated to raise by doubling the duties, will not discharge a loan of eleven millions, and Treasury notes to the amount of five millions more; much less that it will defray the expenses of the war. Yes, sir, they will at once see, that, sooner or later, other taxes must and will be resorted to. The true policy, then, of the United States is, in the outset, to lay the foundation of a sure and certain revenue, and not to depend, in a state of war, upon a revenue to be derived from a source so uncertain as that of commerce. My objection is not that revenue ought not to be raised, but to the present mode. Mr. BIGELOW.-Mr. Speaker, it is well known that I have been uniformly opposed to the measures which have drained the Treasury of its money-more particularly to those measures of the present session, which have rendered necessary such large appropriations, and laid the founda-will be but the beginning of sorrow. Neither, sir, tion for an expense which no man can calculate. But, sir, as those appropriations have been made; as expenses have been and must be incurred; the means of payment must be provided. Sir, I hold it to be a sound political principle-a principle from which this Government never ought to depart-that the creation of public debt ought to be accompanied with the means of its extinguishment. This principle was strongly recommended in the administration of WASHINGTON, by the then Secretary of the Treasury, in a report to Congress on the subject of finance. He stated it to be the true secret for rendering public credit immortal, and expressed a fervent hope that the Government of the United States would always adhere to it. The arguments in favor of this principle are plain and obvious. The public credit must be supported, or the Government will lose the confidence of the people. The publie credit must be supported, or you put at hazard the best interests of the country-you, hazard, indeed, the very existence of the Government. In popular Governments there is always a reluctance to laying burdens upon the people. If, then, while creating a public debt, we neglect to provide the means of payment, what will be the consequence? Will it be less difficult or unpopular to do this after the debt has accumulated to an enormous amount? No, sir. Depend upon it, the longer you delay to provide the means for discharging the public debt, the greater will be the risk and difficulty of doing it. What will be the consequence of such neglect? Sir, the country will be deluged with Treasury notes; these notes will depreciate, like the old Continental money-the whole history of which every one, acquainted with the history of the Revolution, knows to be a history of public and private frauds. Sir, the floodgates of corruption will be opened upon us. Already, sir, tigers and sharks are feasting, in anticipation, on their prey. I have stated, sir, that this is an unjust measure. Let us for a moment look at its operation. There is, probably, at a moderate calculation, seventy millions' worth of imported goods now in the United States, which have paid only the present rate of duties. Taking the calculation of the Secretary of the Treasury as correct, that thirtyfive millions of imported goods yield a revenue, at the present rate of duties, of five millions, the seventy millions now in the United States have paid duties to the amount of ten millions. What then will be the consequence of passing this bill? The owners of the imported goods now in the United States are men who understand their own interest. The moment, therefore, you pass this bill, and impose double duties upon goods to be imported, the owners of goods now on hand will increase the price as much at least as the amount of the present rate of duties. The purchasers of these goods, therefore, will have to pay to the owners ten millions of dollars more than the present value. You will of course lay a tax of ten millions of dollars upon the purchasers and consumers of these goods, without benefitting the Treasury a single cent. Does this sir, sir, comport with the principles of justice? Is it right to take from one part of the community ten millions of dollars and put it into the hands of another part? In opposing this measure, I am not advocating the interest of the merchant, but of the farmer, the tradesman, and mechanic. I am not willing that the people whom I represent, in addition to the taxes they must pay to carry on the war, should also pay such an enor Impressed, as I am, with the importance of the principle, that the creation of public debt ought to be accompanied with the means of its extinguishment, I confess it was with no little astonishment I learnt, that doubling the duties on imported articles was the only means to be provided; that, after the House had solemnly resolved upon a system of taxation, embracing various subjects, I mous tax to the merchant. John Rhea, John Roane, Jonathan Roberts, Ebenezer NAYS-John Baker, Harmanus Bleecker, James JUNE, 1812. Robert Whitehill, David R. Williams, and Robert The bill was then ordered to be engrossed, and read the third time on Monday next. next. The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the bill concerning letters of Breckenridge, Elijah Brigham, Francis Carr, Epa- reported with amendments; which were concur marque, prizes, and prize goods. The bill was phroditus Champion, Langdon Cheves, Martin Chit-red in by the House, and the bill was ordered to tenden, Thomas B. Cooke, John Davenport, jun, be engrossed, and read the third time on Monday Elias Earle, William Ely, James Emott, Asa Fitch, Thomas R. Gold, Charles Goldsborough, Edwin Gray, Isaiah L. Green, Jacob Hufty, Richard Jackson, jun., Philip B. Key, Lyman Law, Joseph Lewis, jun., Nathaniel Macon, George C. Maxwell, Archibald McBryde, James Milnor, Jonathan O. Moseley, Joseph Pearson, Timothy Pitkin, jr., Elisha R. Potter, John Randolph, William Reed, William M. Richardson, Henry M. Ridgely, William Rodman, Thomas Sammons, John Sevier, Richard Stanford, Lewis B. Sturges, Samuel Taggart, Benjamin Tallmadge, Uri Tracy, Pierre Van Cortlandt, jr., Laban Wheaton, Leonard White, William Widgery, and Thomas Wilson. The residue of the said amendments were then concurred in by the House; and a motion was made by Mr. MILNOR, further to amend the bill by adding, to the end of the second section. the following words: "Provided, nevertheless, That this act shall not go into operation until the first day of September next:" And the question thereon being taken, it was determined in the negative-yeas 38, nays 68, as follows: YEAS-John Baker, Abijah Bigelow, Harmanus Bleecker, James Breckenridge, Elijah Brigham, Epaphroditus Champion, Martin Chittenden, John Davenport, jr., Elias Earle, William Ely, James Emott, Asa Fitch, Thomas R. Gold, Edwin Gray, Richard Jackson, jun., Philip B. Key, Lyman Law, Joseph Lewis, jun., Archibald McBryde, James Milnor, Jonathan O. Moseley, Thomas Newbold, Joseph Pearson, Timothy Pitkin, jun., Elisha R. Potter, John Randolph, William Reed, Henry M. Ridgely, William Rodman, Thomas Sammons, Richard Stanford, Lewis B. Sturges, Samuel Taggart, Benjamin Tallmadge, Pierre Van Cortlandt, jun., Laban Wheaton, Leonard White, and Thomas Wilson. MONDAY, June 22. Mr. CHITTENDEN presented petitions from sundry inhabitants of Vermont, in opposition to a war with Great Britain. Mr. CRAWFORD presented petitions from sundry inhabitants of York county, in the State of Pennsylvania, in opposition to war with Great Britain. Mr. MILNOR presented petitions from sundry inhabitants of the city and county of Philadelphia, and county of Delaware, in the State of Pennsylvania, in opposition to a war with Great Britain.-Laid on the table. An engrossed bill giving validity to the sale of certain tracts of public lands sold in the Western District of the Territory of Orleans was read the third time, and passed. An engrossed bill concerning letters of marque, prizes, and prize goods, was read the third time, and passed. tion submitted by Mr. JOHNSON, on the ninteenth The House proceeded to consider the resoluinstant, fixing the day for the adjournment of Congress; and the same being read, was again ordered to lie on the table. Mr. BASSETT moved the following resolution: Resolved, That a committee be appointed to inquire into the expediency of authorizing the President of the United States, by the acceptance of volunteers, or by organizing a detachment of militia, to provide for the better security of the Eastern Shore of Virginia; and that they have leave to report by bill, or otherwise. The resolution was read, and ordered to lie on the table. 1 On motion of Mr. TURNER, a committee was appointed to consider the expediency of a meeting of Congress previous to the first Monday of December next, with leave to report by bill, or otherwise. Mr. TURNER, Mr. MACON, Mr. BIBB Mr. BASSETT, and Mr. FINDLEY, were appointed the committee. NAYS-William Anderson, Stevenson Archer, Daniel Avery, Burwell Bassett, William W. Bibb, William A Message was received from the President of Blackledge, Robert Brown, William Butler, John C. the United States communicating copies of a Calhoun, Langdon Cheves, Matthew Clay, James letter to the Secretary of State from the Chargé Cochran, John Clopton, Lewis Condict, William Craw-d'Affaires of the United States, at London, and ford Richard, Cutts, Roger Davis, John Dawson, Jo- of a note to him from the British Secretary for seph Desha, Samuel Dinsmoor, William Findley, Foreign Affairs. Meshack Franklin, Thomas Gholson, Charles Goldsborough, Peterson Goodwyn, Isaiah L. Green, Felix Grundy, Bolling Hall, Obed Hall, John A. Harper, Aylett Hawes, John M. Hyneman, Richard M. Johnson, Joseph Kent, William R. King, Abner Lacock, Joseph Lefever, William Lowndes, Aaron Lyle, Thomas Moore, Alexander McKim, Arunah Metcalf, James Morgan, Jeremiah Morrow, Hugh Nelson, Thomas Newton, Stephen Ormsby, Israel Pickens, William A message from the Senate informed the House Piper, James Pleasants, jun., Samuel Ringgold, John that the Senate have passed a bill "supplementary Rhea, John Roane, Jonathan Roberts, Ebenezer Sage, to the act, entitled 'An act to authorize a detach Ebenezer Seaver, John Sevier, Samuel Shaw, John ment from the militia of the United States,' pass Smilie, George Smith, John Smith, William Strong, ed April tenth. 1812; in which they desire th John Taliaferro, George M. Troup, Charles Turner, jr., I concurrence of this House. An engrossed bill for imposing additional duties upon all goods, wares, and merchandise, imported from any foreign port or place, was read the third time, and recommitted to a Committee of the Whole to-day. H. OF R. and intended, as was stated, to equalize upon the people of the different States, as far as possible, the burden of taxation, that only one of those has been selected, and that one the most unjust, the most unequal, and the most mischievous of the whole. These remarks are not made, Mr. Speaker, from an apprehension that doubling the duties on imported articles will not effectually open the eyes of the people. Sir, it will be the most un The House accordingly resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the bill; and, after some time spent therein, the Committee rose and reported the bill to the House without amend-popular tax you can impose. The people of this ment. Mr. BIGELOW.-Mr. Speaker, it is well known that I have been uniformly opposed to the measures which have drained the Treasury of its money-more particularly to those measures of the present session, which have rendered necessary such large appropriations, and laid the foundation for an expense which no man can calculate. But, sir, as those appropriations have been made; as expenses have been and must be incurred; the means of payment must be provided. Sir, I hold it to be a sound political principle-a principle from which this Government never ought to depart-that the creation of public debt ought to be accompanied with the means of its extinguishment. This principle was strongly recommended in the administration of WASHINGTON, by the then Secretary of the Treasury, in a report to Congress on the subject of finance. He stated it to be the true secret for rendering public credit immortal, and expressed a fervent hope that the Government of the United States would always adhere to it. The arguments in favor of this principle are plain and obvious. The public credit must be supported, or the Government will lose the confidence of the people. The publie credit must be supported, or you put at hazard the best interests of the country-you, hazard, indeed, the very existence of the Government. In popular Governments there is always a reluctance to laying burdens upon the people. If, then, while creating a public debt, we neglect to provide the means of payment, what will be the consequence? Will it be less difficult or unpopular to do this after the debt has accumulated to an enormous amount? No, sir. Depend upon it, the longer you delay to provide the means for discharging the public debt, the greater will be the risk and difficulty of doing it. What will be the consequence of such neglect? Sir, the country will be deluged with Treasury notes; these notes will depreciate, like the old Continental money-the whole history of which every one, acquainted with the history of the Revolution, knows to be a history of public and private frauds. Sir, the floodgates of corruption will be opened upon us. Already, sir, tigers and sharks are feasting, in anticipation, on their prey. Impressed, as I am, with the importance of the principle, that the creation of public debt ought to be accompanied with the means of its extinguishment, I confess it was with no little astonishment I learnt, that doubling the duties on imported articles was the only means to be provided; that, after the House had solemnly resolved upon a system of taxation, embracing various subjects, country particularly the Eastern sections of it, upon whom this tax will bear peculiarly hardare too enlightened not to know, to see, and to feel, the operation which an additional duty of 100 per cent. upon imported articles will have upon them. They are too enlightened not to know that this will be but the beginning of sorrow. Neither, sir, are they so ignorant as not to know that the five millions of dollars which it is calculated to raise by doubling the duties, will not discharge a loan of eleven millions, and Treasury notes to the amount of five millions more; much less that it will defray the expenses of the war. Yes, sir, they will at once see, that, sooner or later, other taxes must and will be resorted to. The true policy, then, of the United States is, in the outset, to lay the foundation of a sure and certain revenue, and not to depend, in a state of war, upon a revenue to be derived from a source so uncertain as that of commerce. My objection is not that revenue ought not to be raised, but to the present mode. I have stated, sir, that this is an unjust measure. Let us for a moment look at its operation. There is, probably, at a moderate calculation, seventy millions' worth of imported goods now in the United States, which have paid only the present rate of duties. Taking the calculation of the Secretary of the Treasury as correct, that thirtyfive millions of imported goods yield a revenue, at the present rate of duties, of five millions, the seventy millions now in the United States have paid duties to the amount of ten millions. What then will be the consequence of passing this bill? The owners of the imported goods now in the United States are men who understand their own interest. The moment, therefore, you pass this bill, and impose double duties upon goods to be imported, the owners of goods now on hand will increase the price as much at least as the amount of the present rate of duties. The purchasers of these goods, therefore, will have to pay to the owners ten millions of dollars more than the present value. You will of course lay a tax of ten millions of dollars upon the purchasers and consumers of these goods, without benefitting the Treasury a single cent. Does this sir, sir, comport with the principles of justice? Is it right to take from one part of the community ten millions of dollars and put it into the hands of another part? In opposing this measure, I am not advocating the interest of the merchant, but of the farmer, the tradesman, and mechanic. I am not willing that the people whom I represent, in addition to the taxes they must pay to carry on the war, should also pay such an enormous tax to the merchant. NAYS-John Baker, Harmanus Bleecker, James JUNE, 1812. Robert Whitehill, David R. Williams, and Robert The bill was then ordered to be engrossed, and read the third time on Monday next. next. John Rhea, John Roane, Jonathan Roberts, Ebenezer Wilson. The residue of the said amendments were then concurred in by the House; and a motion was made by Mr. MILNOR, further to amend the bill by adding, to the end of the second section. the following words: "Provided, nevertheless, That this act shall not go into operation until the first day of September next:" And the question thereon being taken, it was determined in the negative-yeas 38, nays 68, as follows: YEAS-John Baker, Abijah Bigelow, Harmanus Bleecker, James Breckenridge, Elijah Brigham, Epaphroditus Champion, Martin Chittenden, John Davenport, jr., Elias Earle, William Ely, James Emott, Asa Fitch, Thomas R. Gold, Edwin Gray, Richard Jackson, jun., Philip B. Key, Lyman Law, Joseph Lewis, jun., Archibald McBryde, James Milnor, Jonathan O. Moseley, Thomas Newbold, Joseph Pearson, Timothy Pitkin, jun., Elisha R. Potter, John Randolph, William Reed, Henry M. Ridgely, William Rodman, Thomas Sammons, Richard Stanford, Lewis B. Sturges, Samuel Taggart, Benjamin Tallmadge, Pierre Van Cortlandt, jun., Laban Wheaton, Leonard White, and Thomas Wilson. MONDAY, June 22. Mr. CHITTENDEN presented petitions from sundry inhabitants of Vermont, in opposition to a war with Great Britain. Mr. CRAWFORD presented petitions from sundry inhabitants of York county, in the State of Pennsylvania, in opposition to war with Great Britain. Mr. MILNOR presented petitions from sundry inhabitants of the city and county of Philadelphia, and county of Delaware, in the State of Pennsylvania, in opposition to a war with Great Britain.-Laid on the table. An engrossed bill giving validity to the sale of certain tracts of public lands sold in the Western District of the Territory of Orleans was read the third time, and passed. An engrossed bill concerning letters of marque, prizes, and prize goods, was read the third time, and passed. tion submitted by Mr. JOHNSON, on the ninteenth The House proceeded to consider the resoluinstant, fixing the day for the adjournment of Congress; and the same being read, was again ordered to lie on the table. Mr. BASSETT moved the following resolution: Resolved, That a committee be appointed to inquire into the expediency of authorizing the President of the United States, by the acceptance of volunteers, or by organizing a detachment of militia, to provide for the better security of the Eastern Shore of Virginia; and that they have leave to report by bill, or otherwise. The resolution was read, and ordered to lie on NAYS-William Anderson, Stevenson Archer, Dan- the table. iel Avery, Burwell Bassett, William W. Bibb, William A Message was received from the President of Blackledge, Robert Brown, William Butler, John C. the United States communicating copies of a Calhoun, Langdon Cheves, Matthew Clay, James letter to the Secretary of State from the Chargé Cochran, John Clopton, Lewis Condict, William Craw-d'Affaires of the United States, at London, and ford Richard, Cutts, Roger Davis, John Dawson, Jo- of a note to him from the British Secretary for seph Desha, Samuel Dinsmoor, William Findley, Foreign Affairs. Meshack Franklin, Thomas Gholson, Charles Golds borough, Peterson Goodwyn, Isaiah L. Green, Felix On motion of Mr. TURNER, a committee was appointed to consider the expediency of a meeting of Congress previous to the first Monday of December next, with leave to report by bill, or otherwise. Mr. TURNER, Mr. MACON, Mr. BIBB, Mr. BASSETT, and Mr. FINDLEY, were appointed' the committee. A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate have passed a bill "supplementary to the act, entitled 'An act to authorize a detachment from the militia of the United States,' passed April tenth, 1812; in which they desire the concurrence of this House. |