Part 135

The following confidential message was received from the House of Representatives, by their committee, Mr. SMILIE and Mr. PLEASANTS--Mr. SMILIE, chairman:

Mr. President: The House of Representatives have passed a bill, entitled "An act to prohibit the exportation of specie, goods, wares, and merchandise, for a limited time;" in which bill they ask the concurrence of the Senate.

The bill was read, and, on motion, by Mr. CAMPBELL of Tennessee, that the bill be now read the second time by unanimous consent, it was objected to as against the rule.

Ordered, That the bill pass to a second reading.

FRIDAY, April 10.

The bill from the House of Representatives, entitled "An act to prohibit the exportation of specie, goods, wares, and merchandise, for a limited time," was read the second time, and referred to a select committee, to consider and report thereon; and Messrs. CAMPBELL of Tennessee, BRADLEY, and TAYLOR, were appointed the committee.

Mr. CAMPBELL of Tennessee, from the committee, reported the bill last mentioned with an amendment. Whereupon, the bill was resumed, and considered as in Committee of the Whole, together with the amendment reported thereto by the select committee; and having agreed to the amendment, the President reported the bill to the House accordingly.

On motion, by Mr. GOODRICH, that the further consideration of the bill be postponed until to-morrow, and that it be printed under an injunction of secrecy, for the use of the Senate, it was determined in the negative.

On the question, Shall the bill pass to the third reading as amended? it was determined in the affirmative--yeas 16, nays 12, as follows:

YEAS.--Messrs. Anderson, Bibb, Brent, Campbell of Tennessee, Condit, Crawford, Gaillard, Gregg, Howell, Leib, Pope, Smith of New York, Tait, Taylor, Turner, and Varnum.

NAYS.--Messrs. Bradley, Dana, German, Giles, Gilman, Goodrich, Horsey, Hunter, Lambert, Lloyd, Reed, and Smith of Maryland.

FRIDAY, April 17.

Mississippi Territory.

Mr. TAYLOR, from the committee to whom was referred on the 17th of March, the bill, entitled "An act to enable the people of the Mississippi Territory to form a constitution and State Government, and for the admission of such State into the Union on an equal footing with the original States;" and on the 6th instant, the bill to carry into effect the provisions of the eighth section of the act regulating the grants of land, and providing for the disposal of the lands of the United States south of the State of Tennessee, reported that the said bills be severally postponed to the first Monday in December next.

The report is as follows:

That in considering the subject referred to them, they could not avoid being struck with the immense size of the Territory proposed to be erected into a State, a size disproportionate to the size of any of the largest States which now compose our confederation.

It embraces, in its present form, and without any extension, to the Gulf of Mexico, (as is proposed in the bill referred to us,) nearly six and a half degrees of geographical longitude, and four entire degrees of latitude, and affords an area of twice the surface of the State of Pennsylvania.

Your committee are strongly impressed with the propriety and expediency of dividing the said Territory, so as to form of the same two States, whenever the population, within the limits of each section, shall render it just and proper; and they respectfully submit to the Senate the following divisional line, between the western and eastern sections of the said Territory, viz: up the Mobile river, to the point nearest its source, which falls on the eleventh degree of west longitude from the city of Washington; thence a course due north until the line intersects the waters of Bear Creek; thence down the said creek to its confluence with the Tennessee River; thence down the said river to the northern boundary line of the said Territory. By a view of the map of this country it will appear that the above divisional line will divide the Territory into nearly two equal parts, and it has, for the most part, a delineation by nature.

By the 5th section of the 1st article of the treaty of cession from the State of Georgia the United States are bound to erect the said Territory into one State. It has, however, been suggested that the State of Georgia would not, upon a proper representation, withhold her consent to the proposed division.

To the end, therefore, that an opportunity may be afforded to the State of Georgia to express this consent, by a legislative act of the said State, as they shall think proper, your committee recommend that the said bill shall be postponed to the first Monday in December next.

MONDAY, April 20.

Death of the Vice President.

The PRESIDENT addressed the Senate as follows:

"GENTLEMEN: Upon me devolves the painful duty of announcing to the Senate the death of our venerable fellow-citizen, GEORGE CLINTON, Vice President of the United States.

"By this afflictive dispensation of Divine Providence the Senate is deprived of a President rendered dear to each of its members by the dignity and impartiality with which he has so long presided over their deliberations; and the nation bereaved of one of the brightest luminaries of its glorious Revolution."

The Senate being informed of the decease of their distinguished fellow-citizen, GEORGE CLINTON, Vice President of the United States, do

Resolve, That a committee be appointed, jointly with such as may be appointed on the part of the House of Representatives, to consider and report measures proper to manifest the public respect for the memory of the deceased, and expressive of the deep regret of the Congress of the United States on the loss of a citizen so highly respected and revered.

Ordered, That Messrs. SMITH of New York, SMITH of Maryland, GERMAN, GILMAN, and BRADLEY, be the committee.