Part 333

Franking Privilege under consideration, 330; it is presumed no gentleman will ask a member to frank for him, 330; if abuses arise, Legislature can correct them, 330; to take away privilege of franking would level a deadly stroke at the freedom of the press, 331; dangerous to take any measures that may stop the channels of public information, 331; franking granted, not as a personal benefit, but for the good of the constituents, 331; means of bringing much information to the House, 331; some restrictions can be put on it, 331; equally as objectionable in the hands of the President, 331; so long as it is advantageous to citizens it should not be relinquished, 331; motion to withdraw the privilege from members of both Houses, 332; the security of the people is that their Representatives are subject to the same regulations as themselves, 332; Congress enjoys only such rights as are mentioned in the charter, 332; people view this privilege with a jealous eye, 332; example of Great Britain shows to what an enormous height the abuse can be carried, 332; the privilege is unequal in its operation, 332; the diminution of revenue not a sufficient reason for abolishing the privilege, 332; revenue a secondary consideration, 332; if this privilege be taken away, the avenues of information cut off, 333; various other considerations in favor of retaining the privilege considered, 333; bill passed, 335.

Post Roads from Maine to Georgia, resolution relative to a survey of, &c., considered, 637; the business of the General Government to undertake the improvement of roads, 637; present roads greatly improved by adopting the resolution, 637; not right to apply revenues of post office to this object, 637; resolution offered by Mr. Madison, 637.

POTTS, RICHARD, Senator from Maryland, 384, 447, 524, 591.

Presidency, Vacancy in.--Bill declaring what officer, in case of vacancy in the offices of President and Vice President, shall act as President, 267; it must be an officer of the United States by the constitution, 267; shall he hold for the remainder of the term, or only until a new election? 267; Secretary of State, 267; President of the Senate, pro tem., moved, 267; this last motion repugnant to the constitution, 267; the matter is left with the Legislature, 267; Chief Justice a suitable officer, 268; objections to different officers, 268; delay urged, 268; unnecessary, 268; considerations respecting various officers, 269; the contingency might not happen more than once in eight hundred years, 270; further objections to Secretary of State, 270; motion to strike out clause providing the President of the Senate, pro tem., or the Speaker of the House shall act as President, in case of a vacancy, 334; subject of not immediate importance, 334; objected to as not connected with other parts of the bill, 334; necessary the business should be decided, 334; bill unconstitutional--neither the President, pro tem., nor Speaker, nor officers of the government in the sense contemplated, 334; Speaker no more an officer of the government than any member of the House, 334; unconstitutionality further considered, 334.

President, vote for, in 1789, 10; in 1793, 385; compensation of, 16, 17; message on disputes between some of the States and the Indian tribes, 16; on the rejection by the Senate of the nomination of Benjamin Fishbourn, 17; meets the Senate in consultation, 18; note, 18; message to Senate on hostilities of Wabash Indians, 19; on ratification of treaties with Indian tribes, 19; message communicating the death of the Dauphin of France to the Senate, 20; on adjournment of Congress, 20; his reply to the address of the House, 57; his power to remove officers, 86; declared by vote, 90; compensation of, 116; debate on, 116; salary fixed, 120; message to House, 167; his reply to address of the Senate, 170; his term of office, when commenced, 171; his message to the Senate on the accession of Rhode Island to the Union, 172; on conferring a brevet commission on a French officer, 172; message from, to the Senate, 173; note, 173; question of consultation addressed to the Senate, 173; message to Senate on treaty with Indian tribes, 173; his reply to address of the House, 179; message to Senate on surrender of Western posts by the British, 254; reply to answer of the Senate, 313; reply to address of House, 316; reply to Senate's address, 383; inaugural address at second election, 387; counting votes for, 418; answer to address of the Senate, 444; reply to address of the House, 457; reply to Senate's address, 523; reply to House address, 542; message to Senate with colors of French Republic, 597; answer to address of the House, 597; reply to address of the House, 609; message to the House with the French Flag, 616; answer to French Minister on presentation of French Flag, 617; message relative to intruders on Cherokee lands, 635.

PRESTON, FRANCIS, Representative from Virginia, 455, 527, 606; on the execution of the British treaty, 740.

Protection of American commerce, see Commerce; do. of frontiers, see Frontiers.

Protective duties, how far sustained by the debate on the impost bill, note, 84.

Protest, or dissent of any Senator--motion to grant right to enter on the journal of the Senate--negatived, 16.

PROVOST, SAMUEL, elected chaplain of the Senate, 11.

Public lands, debate on resolutions respecting the disposal of the land in the Western territory, 99; speedy measures necessary to be taken, 99; a land office should be opened to sell the land in small quantities, 99; great numbers of people are on the ground waiting to purchase, 100; they will move to Spanish Territory, or take possession of ours without leave, 100; other reasons showing the necessity of doing something, 100; this business should not be precipitated, 101; some early measures necessary, 101.

Resolution to establish a land office and fix terms of granting vacant lands in the west, considered, 113; character of the emigration, 114; adhesion to the Union, 115; organization of a land office, 115; its system of business, 115; resolution adopted, 116; on a resolution to establish a land office at the seat of Government, &c., 260; details of the business, 260; better to settle general principles, 260; perfect liberty in selection by purchasers most for the interest of the Government, 260; reasons against indiscriminate location, 260; bad effects of, 261; manner of laying out land by late Congress, 261; moved that the price thirty cents per acre be struck out, 261; various prices proposed, 261; motion lost, 261; moved--the price be not less than thirty cents per acre, 261; the policy of the Government is to fix a price so reasonable that any can pay, 261; relative value of lands in several States, 261; no discretion for determining the price should be left to any one, 262; considerations for and against fixing a price, 262; practice of some States, 262.

Question, the previous--note, 101; ordered, 102.

Quorum, at first session of Senate when formed, 9.

RAMSEY, DAVID, petition to the House on eligibility of Wm. Smith, 33.

RANDALL, ROBERT, charged with an attempt at bribery, 609; arrest of, 611; trial before the House, 618.

READ, GEORGE, Senator from Delaware, 10, 251, 309, 380; resigns his seat in the Senate, 442.

READ, JACOB, Senator from South Carolina, 591; on answer to President's speech, 595.

READ, JOHN, Representative from Massachusetts, 604; on the rights of the House relative to treaties, 671.

Reception of President, Senate Committee on, 10; of President, report of Senate Committee thereon, 11; of committee on conducting the same, 11; report of House Committee on, 33; report of committee appointed for that purpose, 44.

Reduction of Salaries of Executive officers, clerks, &c., and Senators and Representatives, &c., motion for a committee to bring in a bill, 571; a subject of grievous complaint among citizens, 571; salaries exorbitant, 571; other circumstances considered, 571; experience of members of the House, 572; the motion unnecessary, 573; the question arises from misapprehension, 574; the pay of members considered, 574; of Speakers, 574; of Senators, 574; difference between pay of Senators and Representatives, 575, note, 575; present pay small enough, 575; motion negatived, 575.

Report of House Committee on messages, &c., between the two Houses, 45; of House Committee of Elections on proceedings relative to the petition of David Ramsey, 45; of House Committee on title of President, 47; of committee on unfinished business of last session, 171; of Special Committee on Quaker memorial, 238; of Committee of the whole House on Quaker memorial, 239; note, 239; on memorial of the officers of the navy, 239; on mode of examining votes for President, 417; on admission of the delegate south of the Ohio, 530; on proceedings in the Randall bribery case, 614.

Reporters, their admission to the House, 180; blunders of, 181.

Representation, ratio of, moved there be one Representative for every thirty thousand inhabitants, and motion to strike out "thirty," considered, 320; sense of the States considered, 321; one to thirty thousand will not give more than an adequate number, 321; objection on account of expense, considered, 321; citizens of United States expect this ratio, 321; thirty should be struck out, 321; difficult to do business if representation too numerous, 321; people will be satisfied if ratio is higher, 321; it will increase expense and the number of public officers, 322; two points to be considered, viz., what is the proper number to constitute a representative body for the United States, and what ratio will leave the fewest fractions in the States, 322; thirty-five thousand leave fewest fractions, 322; an adequate number was the great object, 322; future sessions will be shorter, 322; existence of the Union may depend on fulness of representation, 322; doubtful if a large representation was less liable to corruption than a small one, 322; philosophical examination of the principle of representation, 322; the opinion advanced for reducing the representative branch is a dangerous error, 323; situation of the country calls for great extension of the principle of representation, 323; other points considered, 323; the will of the people should be regarded, 324; expenses, delays, and other objections considered, 324; is not Congress precluded from exercising any discretion in the matter by the constitution? 324; is it expedient to do it? 324; objects of State and Congressional assemblies, 324; leave the restriction of the number of members to the people, or to some future Congress, 325; Congress being the creature of the people should not lessen the importance of the people or exclude them from a full share in their own government, 325; one man cannot know the wishes of thirty-five thousand, therefore the people should not be desired to accede to that ratio, 325; it is said the President secured the present ratio to the people, and shall we be less solicitous than the President? 326; no danger of disorders from a large number, 326; if more wisdom is brought into the House by a larger number, is not also more folly, 326; the Senate, a smaller body, is as competent as the House, 326; if we go on theory the representation should be enlarged, 327; no propriety in comparing the government to that of Great Britain, 327; no danger of corruption from a large number, 327; the constitution secures independence of legislature, 327; a numerous representation tends to weaken, if not destroy, the Government, 327; the proposed amendment to the constitution should be a guide to the House, 328; instability of State governments arises from mode of election, 328; other objections considered, 328; on the resolution that the representation be one to thirty thousand, adopted, 328.

Apportionment bill, considered, 374; the people expect one representative for thirty thousand inhabitants, according to the constitution, 375; grounds of this expectation, 375; the inequality of representation suggested to result from this ratio is more apparent than real, 375; objection that the relative influence of the States should not be resorted to in the apportionment of representatives, considered, 375; the inconveniences of the rule in their greatest extent can never be very great, 375; the increasing representation considered, with a view to the necessity of establishing in this branch a permanent sympathy with the landed interest, 376; organization of a moneyed interest, 376; apprehensions from the principles beginning to be developed, 377; thirty-three adopted, 377.

Resignation, does it cause a vacancy?--Wm. Pinkney resigned as Representative from Maryland without taking the oath or his seat, John F. Mercer was appointed by the Governor and Council to fill the vacancy under the laws of Maryland, report on considered, 328; under the constitution a resignation does not cause a vacancy, 328; in the British House of Commons there can be no resignation, 329; under the constitution Executives of States are not judges of a vacancy, 329; great inconvenience would result from a rejection of the report, 329; no analogy between Parliament of Great Britain and this House, 329; no part of the constitution prohibits a member from resigning, 329; it is uncertain how the practice of the British Parliament originated, 329; vacancies can happen from various causes, 329; difference between a resignation before and after taking a seat, 329; great inconvenience of contrary course, 329; the constitution contemplates resignations, 329; nothing to show resignations may not take place in one House as well as in the other, 329; report accepted, 330.

Resolution on the consideration of all bills on a second reading in the Senate, 15; on contested election of Wm. Smith, 94; on Executive Departments, 94; relative to Western lands, 100; note, 100; adopted, 101; relative to the admission of Rhode Island, 101; relating to Western lands, 113; adopted, 114; on the establishment of a land office, 127; for a Home department, 127; of thanks to the Speaker at close first Congress, 129; on adjournment, 129; on location of seat of Government, 146; on a central location, 146; for the appointment of Commissioners to fix seat of Government on Susquehanna, &c., 159, 161, 163; for Commissioners to fix site for a seat of Government, 163; proviso offered to, 163; rejection of, 163; adoption of resolution, 163; on unfinished business of last session, 171; on non-intercourse with Rhode Island, 171; adopted, 173; of Senate to attend the funeral of Thomas Bland, 172; note on, 172; of Senate on secret article of treaty with the Creek nation, 173; of Senate relative to a treaty with the Cherokee Indians, 174; of thanks to the Corporation of New York city, 174; of adjournment, 174; of House on Chaplain, 175; relative to an answer to the President's speech, 177; on public credit, 190; relative to eulogium on Dr. Franklin, 259; on jails of the States, 308; of the Senate, relative to open doors, 313; on the ratio of representation, 328; to refer petition of Catharine Greene to select committee, 341; on the petition of Catharine Greene, 341; lost, 341; on the courtesies of France, 370; on the petition of Catharine Greene, 370; of Senate respecting open doors, 384; on the official conduct of the Secretary of the Treasury, 418; of thanks to Speaker Dayton, 440; of Senate relative to amendments of the constitution, 445; of Senate relative to open doors, 448; relative to British debts, 482; of non-intercourse with Great Britain, 498; on indemnity for spoliation, 503; of amendments to the constitution 524; on deported slaves of the Revolution, 525; amendment, 526; note, 526; of thanks to Gen. Wayne and others, 542, 546; of thanks to the militia of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, 546; respecting losses by Pennsylvania insurgents, 554; on excluding titled foreigners from citizenship, 557; on the right to Indian lands within a State, 582; relative to the case of Thomas Person and others, 583; relative to the heirs of Count de Grasse, 583; relative to intruders on Indian lands, 584; relative to Indian lands in Georgia, 584; relative to open doors in the Senate, 593; note, 594; in Senate on presentation of French Flag, 597; relative to attempt at bribery, 621; on post roads, 637; on the treaty with Great Britain, 640, 692; relative to the refusal of the President to furnish papers relative to the treaty with Great Britain, 696; note, 696; on the sense of the House relative to the British treaty, 751.

Rhode Island, Admission of.--Resolution desiring Rhode Island to take the necessary steps for admission into the Union, 101; propriety of interfering in the matter doubtful, 101; why interfere in the concerns of sister States who have not joined the confederacy, 101; course of Rhode Island, 101; not proper for this House to expose themselves to have the invitation rejected, 102; previous question moved for the first time, 102; reasons therefor, 102; decided in the negative, 102; letter from Governor of, to the President, 171; proposal of non-intercourse with, 171; considered in the Senate, 172; adopted, 173; vote for President in 1793, 385.