Supplemental Journal. on the communications from the President, from our respective Ministers at Paris and London, be taken off, and that the same be published, with the exception of the extract of a letter from General Armstrong to the Secretary of State, dated Paris, twenty-seventh of December, one thousand eight hundred and seven. And on the question that the House do agree to the same, it passed in the negative-yeas 29, nays 82, as follows: YEAS-John Campbell, Epaphroditus Champion, Martin Chittenden, John Davenport, jr., Daniel M. Durell, William Ely, James M. Garnett, Edwin Gray, John Harris, William Hoge, Richard Jackson, Joseph Lewis, jr., Edward St. Loe Livermore, Edward Lloyd, Nathaniel Macon, Josiah Masters, John Morrow, Jonathan O. Mosely, Roger Nelson, Josiah Quincy, John Randolph, John Russell, Samuel Shaw, William Stedman, Lewis B. Sturges, Abram Trigg, Jabez Upham, Killian K. Van Rensselaer, and David R. Williams. NAYS-Lemuel J. Alston, Willis Alston, jr., Ezekiel Bacon, David Bard, Joseph Barker, William W. Bibb, William Blackledge, John Blake, jr., Thomas Blount, Adam Boyd, John Boyle, Robert Brown, William A. Burwell, William Butler, Joseph Calhoun, Matthew Clay, John Clopton, Orchard Cook, John Culpeper, Richard Cutts, Samuel W. Dana, John Dawson, Josiah Deane, Joseph Desha, James Elliot, John W. Eppes, William Findley, James Fisk, Meshack Franklin, Thomas Gholson, jr., Peterson Goodwyn, Isaiah L. Green, John Heister, William Helms, James Holland, Benjamin Howard, Reuben Humphreys, Daniel Ilsley, John G. Jackson, Robert Jenkins, Richard M. Johnson, John Lambert, John Love, Robert Marion, William McCreery, William Milnor, Daniel Montgomery, jr., John Montgomery, Jeremiah Morrow, Gurdon S. Mumford, Thomas Newbold, Thomas Newton, Wilson C. Nicholas, Timothy Pitkin, jr., John Rea of Pennsylvania, John Rhea of Tennessee, Jacob Richards, Matthias Richards, Samuel Riker, Benjamin Say, Ebenezer Seaver, James Sloan, John Smilie, Jedediah K. Smith, John Smith, Henry Southard, Richard Stanford, Clement Storer, Peter Swart, Samuel Taggart, Benjamin Tallmadge, John Taylor, John Thompson, George M. Troup, James I. Van Alen, Archibald Van Horn, Daniel C. Verplanck, Jesse Wharton, Robert Whitehill, Isaac Wilbour, Nathan Wilson, and Richard Winn. A motion was then made by Mr. RANDOLPH, that the House do come to the following resolution : Resolved, That the injunction of secrecy, so far as it relates to the substance of the communications from our respective Ministers at Paris and London, which accompanied the President's Message of the eighth instant, be taken off, with the exception of the extract of a letter from General Armstrong to the Secretary of State, dated Paris, December twenty-seventh, one thousand eight hundred and seven: don S. Mumford, Timothy Pitkin, jr., Josiah Quincy, John Randolph, John Russell, Richard Stanford, William Stedman, Lewis B. Sturges, Peter Swart, Samuel Taggart, Benjamin Tallmadge, Jabez Upham, Archibald Van Horn, Killian K. Van Rensselaer, David R. Williams, and Nathan Wilson. kiel Bacon, David Bard, Joseph Barker, William Black- John Boyle, Robert Brown, William Butler, Joseph FRIDAY, November 25. The House being cleared of all persons, except the members and the Clerk, a motion was made by Mr. RANDOLPH, that the House do come to the following resolution: "That the Secret Journal be published," The question was taken that the House do now proceed to consider the said proposed resolution, and was resolved in the affirmative-yeas 101, nays 16, as follows: YEAS-Willis Alston, jr., Ezekiel Bacon, Joseph Barker, Burwell Bassett, William W. Bibb, William Blackledge, John Blake, jr., John Boyle, Robert Brown, William Butler, Joseph Calhoun, John Campbell, Epaphroditus Champion, Martin Chittenden, Matthew Clay, John Clopton, John Culpeper, Samuel W. Dana, John Davenport, jr., John Dawson, Joseph Desha, Daniel M. Durell, James Elliot, William Ely, John W. Eppes, James Fisk, Meshack Franklin, Barent Gardenier, Francis Gardner, James M. Garnett, Thomas Gholson, jr., Peterson Goodwyn, Edwin Gray, John Harris, William Hoge, James Holland, David Holmes, Benjamin Howard, Daniel Ilsley, John G. Jackson, Richard Jackson, Robert Jenkins, Richard M. Johnson, Walter Jones, John Lambert, Joseph Lewis, jr., Edward St. Loe Livermore, Edward Lloyd, Nathaniel Macon, Robert Marion, William McCreery, William Jeremiah Morrow, John Morrow, Jonathan O. Mosely, Milnor, Daniel Montgomery, jr., John Montgomery, Gurdon S. Mumford, Thomas Newbold, Thomas Newten, Timothy Pitkin, jr., John Porter, Josiah Quincy, YEAS-John Campbell, Epaphroditus Champion, John Randolph, John Rea of Pennsylvania, John Rhea Martin Chittenden, John Culpeper, Samuel W. Dana, of Tennessee, Jacob Richards, Matthias Richards, SamJohn Davenport, jr., Daniel M. Durell, James Elliot, uel Riker, John Russell, Benjamin Say, Ebenezer William Ely, Barent Gardenier, James M. Garnett, Seaver, Samuel Shaw, James Sloan, Dennis Smelt, Edwin Gray, John Harris, William Hoge, Richard Jedediah K. Smith, John Smith, Samuel Smith, Henry Jackson, Robert Jenkins, Joseph Lewis, jr., Edward Southard, Richard Stanford, William Stedman, CleSt. Loe Livermore, Edward Lloyd, Robert Marion, ment Storer, Lewis B. Sturges, Peter Swart, Samuel Josiah Masters, Wm. Milnor, Jonathan O. Mosely, Gur-Taggart, Benjamin Tallmadge, John Taylor, John And the question being taken thereupon, it passed in the negative-yeas 39, nays 67, as follows: Supplemental Journal. Thompson, Abram Trigg, George M. Troup, Jabez that the House do come to the following resoUpham, James I. Van Alen, Philip Van Cortlandt, lution: Archibald Van Horn, Killian K. Van Rensselaer, Daniel C. Verplanck, Jesse Wharton, Isaac Wilbour, David R. Williams, Alexander Wilson, and Nathan Wilson. on the letters and extracts from our Ministers at Paris NAYS-Lemuel J. Alston, David Bard, Thomas ard Winn. The question was taken that the House agree to the said proposed resolution, and passed in the negative-yeas 43, nays 72, as follows: ditus Champion, Martin Chittenden, John Culpeper, ris, William Hoge, Richard Jackson, Joseph Lewis, jr., The question was then taken that the House do agree to the said resolution, and resolved in the affirmative-yeas 95, nays 23, as follows: YEAS-Willis Alston, jun., Ezekiel Bacon, Joseph Barker, Burwell Bassett, William W. Bibb, William Blackledge, John Blake, jr., William A. Burwell, John Campbell, Epaphroditus Champion, Martin Chitten-rell, James Elliot, William Ely, James Fisk, Barent den, Matthew Clay, John Clopton, John Culpeper, Richard Cutts, Samuel W. Dana, John Davenport, jr., John Dawson, Joseph Desha, James Elliot, William Ely, John W. Eppes, Meshack Franklin, Barent Gardenier, Francis Gardner, James M. Garnett, Thomas Gholson, jr., Peterson Goodwyn, Edwin Gray, John Harris, William Hoge, David Holmes, Benjamin Howard, Daniel Ilsley, John G. Jackson, Richard Jackson, Robert Jenkins, Richard M. Johnson, Walter Jones, William Kirkpatrick, John Lambert, Joseph Lewis, junior, Edward St. Loe Livermore, Edward Lloyd, Nathaniel Macon, Robert Marion, Josiah Masters, William McCreery, Daniel Montgomery, jun., John Mont-kiel Bacon, David Bard, Joseph Barker, William W. gomery, Jeremiah Morrow, John Morrow, Jonathan O. Bibb, William Blackledge, John Blake, jun., Thomas Mosely, Gurdon S. Mumford, Roger Nelson, Thomas Blount, Adam Boyd, Robert Brown, William A. BurNewbold, Thomas Newton, Timothy Pitkin, jr., John well, William Butler, Joseph Calhoun, Matthew Clay, Porter, Josiah Quincy, John Randolph, John Rea of John Clopton, Orchard Cook, Richard Cutts, John Pennsylvania, John Rhea of Tennessee, Jacob Rich- Dawson, Josiah Deane, Joseph Desha, William Findards, Matthias Richards, Samuel Riker, John Russell, ley, Meshack Franklin, Francis Gardner, Thomas Benjamin Say, Samuel Shaw, James Sloan, Jedediah Gholson, jr., Peterson Goodwyn, Isaiah L. Green, John K. Smith, John Smith, Samuel Smith, Henry South-Heister, Wm. Helms, James Holland, David Holmes, ard, Richard Stanford, William Stedman, Clement Storer, Lewis B. Sturges, Peter Swart, Samuel Taggart, Benjamin Tallmadge, John Thompson, Abram Trigg, George M. Troup, Jabez Upham, James I. Van Alen, Philip Van Cortlandt, Archibald Van Horn, Killian K. Van Rensselaer, Daniel C. Verplanck, Jesse Wharton, Isaac Wilbour, David R. Williams, Alexander Wilson, and Nathan Wilson. NAYS-Lemuel J. Alston, David Bard, Thos. Blount, Adam Boyd, John Boyle, Robert Brown, William Butler, Joseph Calhoun, Orchard Cook, Josiah Deane, Daniel M. Durell, William Findley, Isaiah L. Green, John Heister, William Helms, James Holland, Wilson C. Nicholas, Ebenezer Seaver, Dennis Smelt, John Smilie, John Taylor, Robert Whitehill, and Richard Winn. NAYS-Lemuel J. Alston, Willis Alston, jr., Eze Benjamin Howard, Reuben Humphreys, Daniel Ilsley, On motion of Mr. MACON, Ordered, That the Secret Journal of this day A motion was made by Mr. D. R. WILLIAMS, be published. APPENDIX TO THE HISTORY OF THE TENTH CONGRESS. [SECOND SESSION.] COMPRISING THE MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS ORIGINATING DURING THAT CONGRESS, AND THE PUBLIC ACTS PASSED BY IT GREAT BRITAIN. [Communicated to Congress, November 8, 1808, January 17 and 30, 1809, and June 16, 1809.] To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States: I communicate to Congress certain letters which passed between Mr. Canning, the British Secre tary of State, and Mr. Pinkney, our Minister Ple- Extract-The Secretary of State to Mr. Pinkney, Min- ning had not been received, and a communication JANUARY 17, 1809. To the Senate and House of TH. JEFFERSON. Representatives of the United States: I transmit to Congress a letter recently received from our Minister at the Court of St. James, covering one to him from the British Secretary of State, with his reply. These are communicated, as forming a sequel to the correspondence which accompanied my Message to both Houses of the 17th instant. JANUARY 30, 1809. TH. JEFFERSON. To the Senate of the United States: In compliance with the resolution of the Senate of the 13th instant, I transmit extracts from let ters from Mr. Pinkney to the Secretary of State, accompanied by letters and communications to him, from the British Secretary of State for the 10th CoN. 2d SESS.-51 ister of the United States at London. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, March 8, 1808. Having just learned that the present mail will I avail myself of the opportunity of forwarding your commission and letters of credence, as successor to Mr. Monroe, in the legation at London. Since my last, which went by Mr. Nourse, in despatch vessel, bound first to L'Orient, and then tions of the 23d November, and of December. to Falmouth, I have received your communicaThese, with a representation from General Armof the decree of Berlin, as expounded and enstrong to the French Government on the subject forced in the case of the ship Horizon, were thought by the President to throw so much light on the course likely to be pursued by Great Britain and France in relation to the United States, that he had the documents confidentially laid before Congress. Mr. Erskine has made a written communication on the subject of the British orders. I shall answer him as soon as the very urgent business on hand will permit. Mr. Madison to Mr. Pinkney. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, March 22, 1808. My last bore date the 8th instant, and went by the British packet. It acknowledged your letter of November 23d, and - December. I have since received those referred to in the latter, and, also, that of January 26, which came to hand last evening. I cannot enclose my answer to Mr. Erskine's communication of the British orders; the unceasing pressure of other matters, on a state of health still feeble, having thus far delayed it. You will anticipate the complexion which will These documents are annexed to those communicated the 23d May, 1808. Relations with Great Britain. necessarily be given to it by the character of with no condition, unless it be that, on the receipt measures, not only violating our rights, and stab of the act of reparation here, the proclamation of bing our interests, but superadding, under the July 2d shall be revoked; and provided the repname of indulgences, a blow at our national in-aration shall add to the disavowal of the attack dependence, and a mockery of our understandings. on the Chesapeake an express engagement that the seamen retained shall be immediately restored, and that the guilty officer experience an exemplary punishment. The reparation will be the more satisfactory, and not exceed a just expectation, if the restoration of the seamen be made to the very ship from which they were wrested, and if provision be made for the wounded survivors, and for the families of those who lost their lives by the attack. Extract-Mr. Madison to Mr. Pinkney. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, April 4, 1808. SIR: My last was of March 22, and went under the care of Mr. Rose. I now forward printed copies of the correspondence with him on the subject of his mission, and of the antecedent documents, relating to the case of the Chesapeake. As soon as the voluminous residue of the com- I must repeat, however, that it is considered munications made to Congress issues from the entirely proper that the reparation should be ofpress, it shall also be forwarded. You will find fered here, rather than in London; and it is only that they include certain documents relating to in the event of a decided repugnance in the BritFrance, which were thought proper for the knowl-ish Government to make it through a functionary edge of Congress at the present crisis. here, that you are to accept it there. To those communications I add copies of Mr. The answer to Mr. Erskine's letter on the BritErskine's letter to me on the subject of the British orders will furnish the grounds to be taken in ish decrees of November last, and of my answer. your communications with his Government on And that you may have a view of the ground that subject. If the Cabinet can be brought to which has been taken with respect to the French view the orders in their true light, a revocation of decree of November, 1806, and to the judicial the whole of them cannot fail to take place, unexposition in the case of the Horizon, giving to less they mean to violate every maxim of justice, it an illegal operation against the United States, or are fixed in hostile purposes against the United I enclose copies of two letters to General Arm- States. In not regarding the orders, indeed, as strong on those subjects. acts of hostility, and in trusting for redress to the motives and the means to which they have appealed, the United States have given the most signal proof of their love of peace, and of their desire to avoid an interruption of it with the British nation. Still, it is to be understood, that whilst the in The President made to Congress, a few days ago, other communications relating to the present crisis with Great Britain and France, among which were Mr. Erskine's letter, now enclosed, and a letter from Mr. Champagny to General Armstrong, explaining the course meditated by the French Government with respect to the com-sult offered in the attack on the American frigate merce of the United States. These being excepted from the confidential character attached to the others, have been published, and will be found among the printed enclosures. Your letter of February 26 was enclosed in the communication to Congress, but not in the exception. The conduct of the two great contending nations towards this country, as it will now appear to it, and to the world, fully displays their mutual efforts to draw the United States into a war with their adversary. The efforts on both sides are too little disguised to be worthy the discernment of either, and are addressed, moreover, to motives which prove great ignorance of the character of the United States, and, indeed, of human nature. From the posture in which Mr. Rose's final reply to the compromise proposed to him placed the question of adjustment in the case of the Chesapeake, it remains with the British Government to resume it, if adjustment be their object. Whether a tender of reparation will be made here, or to you, will also lie on that side. It will certainly be most becoming that Government, under all circumstances, to make the reparation here; and this course might, of right, be insisted on by this Government. The President, nevertheless, in the liberal spirit which always governs him, authorizes you to accept the reparation, provided it be tendered spontaneously, be charged remains unexpiated, you are not to pledge, or commit your Government to consider a recall of the orders as a ground on which a removal of the existing restrictions on the commerce of the United States with Great Britain may be justly expected. The two letters to General Armstrong of 22d May, 1807, and February 8, 1808, are proofs of the sincerity and impartiality with which the President has proceeded in relation to the belligerent parties, and may, perhaps, assist you in repressing unjust suspicions imbibed by the British Cabinet. It would be happy for all parties, the belligerent as well as the United States, if truth could, in this case, be made to prevail, and if the retaliating rivalship of the former against the latter could be converted into an emulation, as politic as it would be magnanimous in both, to take the lead in a fair, lawful, and conciliatory course towards a nation which has done no wrong to either. Should the experiment be made on either side, it would probably be followed on the other, and it could never happen that the side first doing justice would suffer on that account. In the present state of our relations to Great Britain, it would be premature to mark out the course to be pursued with respect to further negotiations on other topics than those above noticed. You are authorized, however, to continue your Relations with Great Britain. interpositions in behalf of our impressed or detained seamen; and, in the event of a repeal of the British orders, and of satisfactory pledges for repairing the aggression on the Chesapeake, to enter into informal arrangements for abolishing impressments altogether, and mutually discontinuing to receive the seamen of each other into either military or merchant service, conformably to the instructions on this point transmitted by Mr. Purviance. You will find, by a passage in Mr. Rose's reply of March 17, that the British Government does not maintain the principle that the obligation of the United States extends beyond the discharge of deserters from their public service; and, by an order of the Navy Department here, already carried into execution, of which a copy is enclosed, that it has lately been decided that no foreign seamen, whether deserters or not, shall serve on board our ships of war. The principles respectively manifested by these documents ought to facilitate such an adjustment as is contended for by the United States. Mr. Madison to Mr. Pinkney. doing the same with that of France. The relation in which a revocation of its unjust decrees by either will place the United States to the other is obvious, and ought to be a motive to the measure, proportioned to the desire which has been manifested by each to produce collision between the United States and its adversary, and which must be equally felt by each to avoid one with itself. Should the French Government revoke so much of its decrees as violate our neutral rights, or give explanations and assurances having the like effect, and entitling it, therefore, to a removal of the embargo as it applies to France, it will be impossible to view a perseverance of Great Britain in her retaliating orders in any other light than that of war, without even the pretext now assumed by her. In order to entitle the British Government to a discontinuance of the embargo, as it applies to Great Britain, it is evident that all its decrees, as well those of January, 1807, as of November, 1807, ought to be rescinded, as they apply to the United States, and this is the rather to be looked for from the present Administration, as it has so strenuously contended that the decrees of both dates were founded on the same principles and directed to the same object. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, April 30, 1808. My last was of the 4th instant, and went by a British packet from New York. I now forward Should the British Government take this course, a copy of it. Congress ended their session on the you may authorize an expectation that the Presinight of the 25th instant. The series of news-dent will, within a reasonable time, give effect to papers herewith sent affords a view of their proceedings subsequent to the communications last made to you. Some other points are included, which throw light on the workings of public opinion and the state of public affairs. the authority vested in him on the subject of the embargo laws. Should the orders be rescinded in part only, it must be left to his free judgment to decide on the case. In either event, you will lose no time in transmitting the information to You will find that the critical posture of our for- this Department, and to General Armstrong, and, eign relations has produced provisions of different particularly, in the event of such a course being kinds for our greater security, and particularly that taken by the British Government as will render no pains have been spared to stop every leak by a suspension of the embargo certain or probable, which the effect of the embargo laws might be it will be proper for you to make the communica diminished. I refer you also to the report made to tion, by a courier, to General Armstrong, to whom the Senate, by a committee on the documents rela- a correspondent instruction will be given; and, to ting to the affair of the Chesapeake, and on the let-provide a special conveyance for it hither, unless ters of Mr. Champagny and Mr. Erskine; and in- British arrangements shall present an opportudicating the spirit which may be expected to in-nity equally certain and expeditious. fluence the future policy of this country, if kept under the excitement resulting from the system now pursued against it. Extract-Mr. Pinkney to Mr. Madison. LONDON, May 9, 1808.. I had a conversation with Mr. Canning on Friday last, in consequence of the arrival of the Osage. You will observe, at the same time, that whilst a determination is sufficiently evinced against a dishonorable acquiesence in the despotic edicts enforced on the high seas, the United States are ready to resume their export trade, as soon as the As it was obviously expected that I should aggressions on it shall cease; and that, in a hope seek an interview with him, I went to Downing that this might happen during the recess of Con-street on the 5th with that object. He had been gress, the President is authorized, in such an event, to suspend, in whole or in part, the several embargo laws. indisposed, and was not at his office; but, in answer to a note which I sent him in the evening, he asked to see me next day at his house in Bruton street. The conditions on which the authority is to be exercised appeal equally to the justice and policy The Osage had for some time been looked for of the two great belligerent Powers, which are with considerable anxiety, and the Government now emulating each other in a violation of both. had apparently anticipated a communication (and The President counts on your endeavors to give perhaps a proposal) of some importance from me, to this appeal all the effect possible with the Brit-as soon as my despatches should be received. As ish Government. General Armstrong will be I had, in fact, no communication to make, it seem |