Part 159

PHILEMON DICKINSON and JOHN RUTHERFORD, from New Jersey.

GEORGE READ, from Delaware.

JAMES MONROE, from Virginia.

JOHN BROWN and JOHN EDWARDS, from Kentucky.

BENJAMIN HAWKINS, from North Carolina.

PIERCE BUTLER and RALPH IZARD, from South Carolina; and

WILLIAM FEW, from Georgia.

In the absence of the VICE PRESIDENT, and also of RICHARD HENRY LEE, elected President pro tempore at a former session, the Senate proceeded to the choice of a President pro tempore, as the constitution provides, and JOHN LANGDON was duly elected.

JOHN BROWN and JOHN EDWARDS, from the State of Kentucky, respectively, produced their credentials; and the oath required by law was, by the PRESIDENT pro tempore, administered to them.

Ordered, That the Secretary acquaint the House of Representatives that a quorum of the Senate is assembled and ready to proceed on business.

A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate that a quorum of the House of Representatives is assembled, and ready to proceed to business.

A second message informed the Senate that the House of Representatives have resolved that a committee be appointed, jointly with such committee as the Senate shall appoint, to wait on the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, and notify him that a quorum of the two Houses is assembled, and ready to receive any communications he may please to make to them; in which resolution they desire the concurrence of the Senate.

Resolved, That the Senate concur in the appointment of a joint committee to wait on the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, agreeably to the resolution of the House of Representatives, and that Messrs. IZARD and STRONG be the committee on the part of the Senate.

A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate that the House of Representatives have resolved that two Chaplains, of different denominations, be appointed to Congress, for the present session, one by each House, who shall interchange weekly; in which they desire the concurrence of the Senate.

The Senate proceeded to consider the said resolution; and

Resolved, That they do concur therein, and that the Right Rev. Bishop WHITE be the Chaplain on the part of the Senate.

A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate that the House of Representatives have proceeded to the election of a Chaplain to Congress for the present session, and have appointed the Rev. Doctor GREEN on their part.

Mr. IZARD, from the joint committee appointed to wait on the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, agreeably to the resolution of the two Houses of this day, reported,

That they had executed the business, and that the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES proposed to meet the two Houses of Congress in the Senate Chamber to-morrow at 11 o'clock.

TUESDAY, November 6.

ROBERT MORRIS, from the State of Pennsylvania, attended, and took his seat.

Ordered, That the Secretary acquaint the House of Representatives that the Senate are ready to meet them in the Senate Chamber, to receive any communications the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES may be pleased to make to the two Houses of Congress, and that the usual seats will be assigned to them.

The House of Representatives having accordingly taken their seats, the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES came into the Senate Chamber, and addressed both Houses of Congress, as follows:

Fellow-Citizens of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives:

It is some abatement of the satisfaction with which I meet you on the present occasion, that, in felicitating you on a continuance of the national prosperity, generally, I am not able to add to it information that the Indian hostilities, which have, for some time past, distressed our north-western frontier, have terminated.

You will, I am persuaded, learn with no less concern than I communicate it, that reiterated endeavors, towards effecting a pacification, have hitherto issued only in new and outrageous proofs of persevering hostility on the part of the tribes with whom we are in contest. An earnest desire to procure tranquillity to the frontier; to stop the further effusion of blood; to arrest the progress of expense; to forward the prevalent wish of the nation for peace, has led to strenuous efforts, through various channels, to accomplish these desirable purposes; in making which efforts, I consulted less my own anticipations of the event, or the scruples which some considerations were calculated to inspire, than the wish to find the object attainable; or, if not attainable, to ascertain unequivocally that such is the case.

A detail of the measures which have been pursued, and of their consequences, which will be laid before you, while it will confirm to you the want of success, thus far, will, I trust, evince that means as proper and as efficacious as could have been devised have been employed. The issue of some of them, indeed, is still depending; but a favorable one, though not to be despaired of, is not promised by any thing that has yet happened.

In the course of the attempts which have been made, some valuable citizens have fallen victims to their zeal for the public service. A sanction commonly respected even among savages has been found, in this instance, insufficient to protect from massacre the emissaries of peace: it will, I presume, be duly considered whether the occasion does not call for an exercise of liberality towards the families of the deceased.