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The Congress, in the height of their enthusias tic grief, resolved to expend one hundred thousand dollars on a Mausoleum to the memory of Washington; but, having taken three or four days to cool and to calculate, and a hard frost having set in, in the mean time, they, by a second resolve, put off the matter till another session, when, as we have seen, the Senate reduced the sum to fifty thousand dollars, which, indeed, was far too much money to be thrown away on such an edifice.-All the world will think right on this subject by and by; but the fools in England will be the last to open their eyes.

PROCEEDINGS IN CONGRESS, DURING THE SESSION, WHICH BEGAN ON THE THIRD DECEMBER, 1799.

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PRESIDENT's SPEECH.

Gentlemen of the Senate, and Gentlemen of the
House of Representatives,

"IT is with peculiar satisfaction, that I meet the Sixth Congress, of the United States of America.

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Coming from all parts of the Union, at this critical, and interesting period, the members must be fully possessed of the sentiments and wishes of

our constituents.

"The flattering prospects of abundance, from the labours of the people, by land and by sea; the prosperity of our extended commerce, notwithstanding interruptions occasioned by the belligerent state of a great part of the world; the return of health, industry, and trade, to those cities, which have lately been afflicted with disease; and the

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various and inestimable advantages, civil and religious, which, secured under our happy frame of government, are continued to us, unimpaired: demand of the whole American people, sincere thanks to a benevolent Deity, for the merciful dispensations of his Providence. But while these numerous olessings are recollected, it is a painful duty to advert to the ungrateful return *, which has been made for them, by some of the people, in certain counties of Pennsylvania, where, seduced by the arts and misrepresentations of designing men, they have openly resisted the law, directing the valuation of houses and land. Such defiance was given to the civil authority, as rendered hopeless, all further attempts, by judicial process, to enforce the execution of the law; and it became necessary to direct a military force to be employed, consisting of some companies of regular troops, volunteers, and militia, by whose zeal and activity, in cooperation with the judicial power, order and submission were restored, and many of the offenders arrested. Of these, some have been convicted of misdemeanors, and others, charged with various crimes, remain to be tried.

"To give due effect to the civil administration of Government, and to ensure a just execution of the laws, a revision and amendment of the judiciary system, is indispensably necessary. In this extensive country, it cannot but happen, that numerous

* When the President talked thus, he seemed to have forgotten, that the Northampton Insurgents revolted against him and bis land and horse tax, and not against Providence, to whom alone they owed any gratitude. He certainly forgot, teʊ, that, in revolting against him and his heavy direct tax, they did no more than be bad taught them to do, when he went about the country, like an itinerant preacher, urging his fellow subjects to rebellion, because their King had imposed a trifling duty upon tea, without forcing them to purchase that tea.

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questions respecting the interpretation of the laws, and the rights and duties of officers and citizens must arise. On the one hand, the laws should be executed; on the other, individuals should be guarded from oppression: neither of these objects is sufficiently assured, under the present organization of the Judicial Department, I therefore earnestly recommend the subject to your serious consideration.

"Persevering in the pacific and humane policy, which had been invariably professed, and sincerely pursued by the Executive Authorities of the United States; when indications were made, on the part of the French Republic, of a disposition to accommodate the existing differences between the two countries, I felt it to be my duty to prepare for meeting their advances, by a nomination of Ministers, upon certain conditions, which the honour of our country dictated, and which its moderation had given it a right to prescribe. The assurances which were required of the French Government, previous to the departure of our Envoys, have been given, through their Minister of Foreign Relations; and I have directed them to proceed on their mission to Paris. They have full power to conclude a Treaty, subject to the constitutional advice and consent of the Senate. The characters of these gentlemen, are sure pledges to their country, that nothing incompatible with its honour, or interest, nothing inconsistent with our obligations of good faith or friendship to any other nation, will be stipulated.

"It appearing probable, from the information I received, that our commercial intercourse, with some ports, in the island of St. Domingo, might safely be renewed; I took such steps as seemed to me expedient to ascertain that point. The result being satisfactory, I then, in conformity with the act of Congress on the subject, directed the res

traint and prohibition of that intercourse to be dis continued, on terms which were made known by proclamation. Since the renewal of this intercourse, our citizens trading to those ports, with their property, have been duly respected, and privateering from those ports has ceased.

"In examining the claims of British subjects, by the commissioners at Philadelphia, acting under the sixth article of the treaty of amity, commerce and navigation with Great Britain, a difference of opinion on points deemed essential in the interpretation of that article, has arisen between the commissioners appointed by the United States, and the other members of that board, from which the former have thought it their duty to withdraw. It is sincerely to be regretted, that the execution of an article, produced by a mutual spirit of amity and justice, should have been thus unavoidably interrupted. It is however confidently expected, that the same spirit of amity, and the same sense of justice, in which it originated, will lead to satisfactory explanations. In consequence of the obstacles to the progress of the commission in Philadelphia, His Britannic Majesty has directed the commissioners appointed by him, under the seventh article of the treaty, relating to British captures of American vessels, to withdraw from the board, sitting in London, but with the express declaration of his determination, to fulfil with punctuality and good faith, the engagements which his Majesty has contracted by his treaty with the United States, and that they will be instructed to resume their functions, whenever the obstacles which impede the progress of the commission at Philadelphia, shall be removed. It being in like manner, my sincere determination, so far as the same depends on me, that with equal punctuality and good faith, the engagements contracted by the United States, ni

their treaties with his Britannic Majesty, shall be fulfilled. I shall immediately instruct our Minister at London, to endeavour to obtain the explanations necessary to a just performance of those engagements on the part of the United States. With such dispositions on both sides, I cannot entertain a doubt that all difficulties will soon be removed, and that the two boards will then proceed and bring the business committed to them respectively, to a satisfactory conclusion *.

"The act of Congress, relative to the seat of government of the United States, requiring that on the first Monday of December next, it should be transferred from Philadelphia, to the District chosen for its permanent seat; it is proper for me to inform you, that the Commissioners, appointed to provide suitable buildings, for the accommodation of Congress and the President, and for the public offices of the government, have made a report of the state of the buildings, designed for these purposes in the city of Washington, from which they conclude, that the removal of the seat of government to that place, at the time required, will be practicable, and the accommodations satisfactory. Their report will be laid before you."

"Gentlemen of the House of Representatives,

"I shall direct the estimates of the appropriations, necessary for the service of the ensuing year, together with an account of the revenue and expenditure, to be laid before you. During a period, in which a great portion of the civilized world has

* The hypocrite well knew, that the two boards would not meet again. He himself had been the principal cause of the breaking up of the board at Philadelphia; and a more scandalous breach of faith no government on earth was ever guilty of. VOL. XII.

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