Part 258

The application of steam power to the propulsion of boats on water and cars on land, under the enterprise of private individuals, has superseded all the old ideas of federal internal improvement by roads, rivers, and canals.

This is the first appearance of Mr. Clay in either House of Congress.

The following are the letters:

NASHVILLE, Jan. 8, 1807.

SIR: I received your instructions, dated the 2d instant, and agreeably thereto, I delivered your letter, addressed to General Thomas Johnson, to Colonel Cheatham, and it was forwarded to him immediately. I arrived at Centreville on the 4th instant; heard a report there that Colonel Burr had gone down the river with one thousand armed men; arrived at the mouth of Cumberland river that evening, and made inquiry concerning Colonel Burr, and was informed that he left that place on the 28th December, 1806, with ten boats, of different descriptions; had sixty men on board, but no appearance of arms. I left there on the 5th instant, and arrived at Fort Massac that evening; delivered your letter to Captain Bissel, and received his answer; made some inquiries of him, and was informed that Colonel Burr had left that place on the 30th December, 1806, with ten boats. He likewise informed me that he had been on board the boats, and seen no appearance of arms or ammunition. On my return to the mouth of Cumberland river, I was informed that three boats had been stopped at Louisville, with a quantity of ammunition. There are about fifty men stationed at the mouth of Cumberland, under command of Colonel Ramsey.

I remain, with the highest esteem, yours,

JOHN MURRELL.

GEN. ANDREW JACKSON.

* * * * *

FORT MASSAC, Jan. 5, 1807.

SIR: This day, per express, I had the honor to receive your very interesting letter of the 2d instant; I shall pay due respect to its contents; as yet I have not received the President’s Proclamation alluded to, nor have I received any orders from the Department of War relative to the subject matter of your letter.

There has not, to my knowledge, been any assemblage of men or boats, at this or any other place, unauthorized by law or precedency; but, should any thing of the kind make its appearance, which carries with it the least mark of suspicion, as having illegal enterprises or projects in view, hostile to the peace and good order of Government, I shall, with as much ardor and energy as the case will admit, endeavor to bring to justice all such offenders.

For more than two weeks last past I have made it a point to make myself acquainted with the loading and situation of all boats descending the river. As yet there has nothing the least alarming appeared. On or about the 31st ultimo, Colonel Burr, late Vice President of the United States, passed this with about ten boats, of different descriptions, navigated with about six men each, having nothing on board that would even suffer a conjecture, more than a man bound to market; he has descended the rivers towards Orleans. Should any thing, to my knowledge, transpire, interesting to Government, I will give the most early notice in my power.

I have the honor to be, respectfully, sir, your obedient servant,

DANIEL BISSEL.

GENERAL ANDREW JACKSON.

With this agreed the practice of all the free States at that time, and the laws of several of them--as New York and Pennsylvania--in the former of which nine months, and in the latter six months, was allowed to the sojourner and traveller to depart with his slave, with the alternative of taking the character of a resident if he remains longer, and thereby subjecting his slave to the emancipation laws of the State.

The bill was passed through the House with only five dissenting votes, and through the Senate with nearly equal unanimity. The following is a copy of the act:

That, from and after the thirtieth day of June next, the act, entitled “An act laying an additional duty on salt imported into the United States, and for other purposes,” passed the eighth day of July, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, shall be, and the same hereby is, repealed, and that, from and after the thirty-first day of December next, so much of any act as lays a duty on imported salt be, and the same hereby is, repealed; and, from and after the day last aforesaid, salt shall be imported into the United States free of duty: Provided, That for the recovery and receipt of such duties as shall have accrued, and on the days aforesaid, respectively, remain outstanding, and for the recovery and distribution of fines, penalties, and forfeitures, and the remission thereof, which shall have been incurred before and on the said days, respectively, the provisions of the aforesaid act shall remain in full force and virtue.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That, from and after the first day of January next, so much of any act as allows a bounty on exported salt, provisions and pickled fish, in lieu of drawback of the duties on the salt employed in curing the same, and so much of any act as makes allowance to the owners and crews of fishing vessels, in lieu of drawback of the duties paid on the salt used by the same, shall be, and the same hereby is, repealed: Provided, That the provisions of the aforesaid acts shall remain in full force and virtue for the payment of the bounties or allowances incurred or payable on the first day of January next.

☞ Throughout the entire debate on the bill, there was not a word of objection to the bounties and allowances falling with the salt tax.

The motion to “reject” a bill is one of indignity to it. It is equivalent to declaring that it is unworthy of consideration, and therefore to be driven out of the House on learning what it is from the first reading, (which is only for information,) without going to the second reading, which is for consideration.

Only five dissentients, and they both from free and slave States, and dissenting upon matters of detail. So that the prohibition of the trade itself may be considered unanimous.

The bill from the Senate to suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus had been rejected in the House, and this movement was for the better securing the privilege in future. Although prospective in its terms and object, the debate upon it was chiefly retrospective, looking back to the arrest of persons in New Orleans as accomplices of Burr; and thus possesses a double interest, as connecting itself with history while discussing a question of the greatest interest to the liberty of the citizen.

This alludes to the early conspiracy to separate Kentucky from the Union, while the Spaniards held the mouth of the Mississippi, and, with it, a check upon the exports of the West. The conspiracy existed--the Spanish Governor General at New Orleans, and some leading citizens of Kentucky, the parties. Spanish money was paid to some of these citizens--some were even stipendiaries, receiving annual sums for their treacherous service to Spain. General Wilkinson had the misfortune to be implicated in this conspiracy, but the proof of it was never made out.

He had been tried at Richmond, Va., (Chief Justice Marshall presiding,) on two indictments--one, for high treason, in levying war against the United States; the other, for a misdemeanor in setting on foot, within the United States, a military expedition against a power with whom the United States were at peace, to wit, Spain; and had been acquitted on both trials, under instructions from the Court. First. That the acts proved under the treason indictment, did not amount to levying war against the United States. Second. That the military expedition against Spain was set on foot in Ohio, and not in Virginia, and therefore not triable in Virginia. Col. Burr was recognized to appear and answer to this charge in Ohio, but forfeited the recognizance, and the United States for many years.

It was dated 29th July.

Joseph Hamilton Daviess, of Kentucky, the able lawyer, brilliant pleader, and ardent patriot, killed at Tippecanoe at the head of a night charge upon the Indians.