Part 199

From Pennsylvania.--JAMES ARMSTRONG, WILLIAM FINDLAY, THOMAS FITZSIMONS, ANDREW GREGG, THOMAS HARTLEY, WILLIAM IRVINE, JOHN WILKES KITTERA, FREDERICK AUGUSTUS MUHLENBERG, PETER MUHLENBERG, THOMAS SCOTT, and JOHN SMILIE.

From Maryland.--GEORGE DENT and SAMUEL SMITH.

From Virginia.--WILLIAM B. GILES, CARTER B. HARRISON, JOHN HEATH, RICHARD BLAND LEE, JAMES MADISON, ANDREW MOORE, ANTHONY NEW, JOHN NICHOLAS, FRANCIS PRESTON, ROBERT RUTHERFORD, ABRAHAM VENABLE, and FRANCIS WALKER.

From Kentucky.--CHRISTOPHER GREENUP.

From North Carolina.--THOMAS BLOUNT, WILLIAM JOHNSON DAWSON, MATTHEW LOOKE, NATHANIEL MACON, and ALEXANDER MEBANE.

From South Carolina.--WILLIAM SMITH.

From Georgia.--ABRAHAM BALDWIN and THOMAS P. CARNES.

A quorum of the members being present, the House proceeded to ballot for a Speaker, when it appeared that FREDERICK A. MUHLENBERG, one of the members from Pennsylvania, was elected; whereupon he was conducted to the chair; and made his acknowledgments to the House.

The House then proceeded, in the same manner, to the appointment of a Clerk, when JOHN BECKLEY was appointed.

The usual oath was then administered to the members.

Messages were interchanged between the two Houses, announcing their formation and readiness to proceed to business.

Joseph Wheaton was appointed Sergeant-at-Arms, Gifford Dally as Doorkeeper, and Thomas Claxton as Assistant Doorkeeper.

A joint committee was appointed by the two Houses to wait on the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, to inform him that a quorum of the two Houses is assembled, and ready to receive any communication that he may think proper to make to them.

Resolved, That two Chaplains, of different denominations, be appointed, one by each House, to interchange weekly.

Resolved, That a standing Committee of Elections be appointed; also a committee to report rules and orders of proceeding.

TUESDAY, December 3.

JOSEPH MCDOWELL and BENJAMIN WILLIAMS, from North Carolina, appeared, and took their seats.

A message from the Senate announced their readiness to receive the communication from the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. The SPEAKER and members withdrew to the Senate Chamber, where the PRESIDENT attended, and delivered his Speech to the two Houses, which will be found in the proceedings of the Senate.

On the return of the members, the Speech was committed to a Committee of the Whole.

WEDNESDAY, December 4.

PELEG COFFIN, Jr., from Massachusetts, WILLIAM MONTGOMERY, from Pennsylvania, and WILLIAM VANS MURRAY, from Maryland, appeared, produced their credentials, and took their seats in the House; the oath to support the Constitution of the United States being first administered to them by the SPEAKER, according to law.

The House resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House on the Speech of the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES to both Houses of Congress; and, after some time spent therein, the Chairman reported that the committee had had the said Speech under consideration, and come to a resolution thereupon; which was twice read, and agreed to by the House, as follows:

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this committee that a respectful Address ought to be presented by the House of Representatives to the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, in answer to his Speech to both Houses of Congress, at the commencement of this session, containing assurances that this House will take into consideration the various and important matters recommended to their attention.

Ordered, That Messrs. MADISON, SEDGWICK, WATTS, HARTLEY, and SAMUEL SMITH, be appointed a committee to prepare an Address pursuant to the said resolution.

THURSDAY, December 5.

Mr. MADISON, from the committee appointed, presented an Address to the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, in answer to his Speech to both Houses of Congress; which was read, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the whole House to-morrow.

FRIDAY, December 6.

JAMES HILLHOUSE, from Connecticut, and JOSIAH PARKER, from Virginia, appeared, and took their seats.