Part 137

FRIDAY, March 7.

Privileges of Foreign Ministers.

The Senate resumed the third reading of the bill to prevent the abuse of the privileges and immunities enjoyed by foreign Ministers within the United States.

A motion was made to strike out the first, second, and third sections of the bill. Whereupon, a division of the question was called for; and on the question to strike out the first section, it was determined in the affirmative--yeas 23, nays 7, as follows:

YEAS.--Messrs. Adair, Anderson, Baldwin, Bayard, Bradley, Condit, Gaillard, Gilman, Hillhouse, Howland, Kitchel, Logan, Maclay, Moore, Pickering, Smith of Maryland, Smith of Ohio, Smith of Tennessee, Smith of Vermont, Stone, Sumter, Thruston, and White.

NAYS.--Messrs. Adams, Mitchill, Plumer, Smith of New York, Tracy, Turner, and Worthington.

And on the question to strike out the second section of the bill, it was determined in the affirmative--yeas 21, nays 9, as follows:

YEAS.--Messrs. Anderson, Baldwin, Bayard, Bradley, Condit, Gaillard, Gilman, Hillhouse, Howland, Kitchel, Logan, Maclay, Moore, Pickering, Smith of Maryland, Smith of Ohio, Smith of Tennessee, Smith of Vermont, Stone, Sumter, and Thruston.

NAYS.--Messrs. Adair, Adams, Mitchill, Plumer, Smith of New York, Tracy, Turner, White, and Worthington.

And on the question to strike out the third section of the bill, it was determined in the affirmative--yeas 27, nays 3, as follows:

YEAS.--Messrs. Adair, Adams, Anderson, Baldwin, Bayard, Bradley, Condit, Gaillard, Gilman, Hillhouse, Howland, Kitchel, Logan, Maclay, Moore, Pickering, Plumer, Smith of Maryland, Smith of New York, Smith of Ohio, Smith of Tennessee, Smith of Vermont, Stone, Sumter, Thruston, Turner, and White.

NAYS.--Messrs. Mitchill, Tracy, and Worthington.

And the bill having been further amended, on the question, Shall this bill pass? it was determined in the negative--yeas 4, nays 24, as follows:

YEAS.--Messrs. Adams, Plumer, Smith of Ohio, and Thruston.

NAYS.--Messrs. Adair, Anderson, Baldwin, Bayard, Bradley, Condit, Gaillard, Gilman, Hillhouse, Howland, Kitchel, Logan, Maclay, Moore, Pickering, Smith of New York, Smith of Tennessee, Smith of Vermont, Stone, Sumter, Tracy, Turner, White, and Worthington.

So the bill was lost.

MONDAY, March 10.

British Aggressions.

The Senate resumed the consideration of the third resolution reported by the committee, on the 5th of February last, to whom was referred that part of the Message of the President of the United States, at the opening of the session, which relates to the spoliations of our commerce.

Mr. S. SMITH.--Mr. President: The subject now before the Senate is, the third resolution reported by your committee on that part of the Message which relates to British spoliations. The first resolution is a declaration of our neutral rights, and has passed the Senate unanimously. The second requests the President to send a special mission to Great Britain to demand restoration of property unlawfully taken from our merchants, and, by a peaceful arrangement, to adjust all differences subsisting between that nation and the United States. The third is now before us. I will take leave to read it.

3. Resolved, That it is expedient to prohibit, by law, the importation into the United States of any of the following goods, wares, or merchandise, being the growth, produce, or manufactures of the United Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, or the dependencies thereof, that is to say: woollens, linens, hats, nails, looking-glasses, rum, hardwares, slate, salt, coal, boots, shoes, ribbons, silks, and plated and glass wares. The said prohibition to commence from the ---- day of ----, unless, previously thereto, equitable arrangements shall be made between the two Governments, on the differences subsisting between them; and to continue until such arrangements shall be agreed upon and settled.

This resolution is intended, Mr. President, to afford aid to the negotiation recommended in the second. Without this aid, or something similar, I doubt whether Great Britain would not calculate, as heretofore, on an indecisive character in our Government--on its indisposition to lend any aid or protection to commerce; and reasoning thus, whether her Minister might not be induced to believe that he could proceed in safety to the destruction of every part of our commerce with her enemies and their dependencies. This measure, Mr. President, is called a war measure. Is it so? If it is, then does Great Britain maintain a constant war measure against the United States, for she, at all times, prohibits the importation, into her ports, of every article manufactured within our country. She even prohibits our provisions from being consumed in her kingdoms, except when her wants compel her to admit them. If, then, she has set us the example, and has, by her laws, prohibited every article of our manufacture from being admitted into her kingdoms, how can our prohibiting a part of her manufactures from being imported into the United States, be considered as a war measure? This measure is not intended to take effect immediately. The first of November next is contemplated; which will give full time for negotiation, and for Great Britain to reflect on her cruel and unprovoked conduct towards us--a conduct that has been highly reprobated in England--a conduct that, when examined, has but too much the appearance of a determination to benefit by the plunder of our property, without the authority of law, and directly contrary to the public sanction given to our neutral trade in a correspondence held between Lord Hawkesbury and Mr. King, in 1801.

FRIDAY, March 14.

Captain Peter Landais.

The bill, entitled “An act for the relief of Peter Landais,” was read the third time; and, on motion to strike out the word “six,” and in lieu thereof to insert the word “three,” thereby to reduce the sum proposed for his relief to three thousand dollars, it passed in the negative.

On motion, by one of the majority, it was agreed to reconsider the last vote, and to strike out the word “six.”

On motion, to fill the blank with the word “five,” it passed in the negative; and, on motion, it was agreed to fill the blank with the word “four.”

On the question, shall the bill pass as amended? it was determined in the affirmative--yeas 19, nays 10, as follows: