Part 243

FRIDAY, February 5.

Encouragement to Public and to Private Armed Privateers.

On motion of Mr. MCKIM,

Resolved, That the Committee on Naval Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of relinquishing, in favor of the officers and crews of the public armed ships of the United States, a greater portion of the value of prizes than they are now by law entitled to; and, also, to inquire into the expediency of providing further encouragement to equipping and employing private armed vessels of war against the ships and commerce of the enemy; and that the committee have leave to report by bill, or otherwise.

WEDNESDAY, February 10.

A message was received from the Senate informing the House that, owing to the indisposition of Mr. GAILLARD, the Senate have appointed Mr. FRANKLIN the teller, on their part, at the counting of the votes of the Electors for President and Vice President of the United States.

Counting of Electoral Votes.

The hour of 12 having arrived, the Senate entered the Hall of Representatives, preceded by their President, Secretary, Sergeant-at-Arms, and Doorkeeper, and proceeded to seats prepared for them--the members of the House having risen to receive them, and remaining standing until all had entered. The President of the Senate took a seat which had been prepared for him at the Speaker's right hand, and the Secretary of the Senate was placed beside the Clerk of the House. The Tellers--Mr. FRANKLIN of the Senate, and Messrs. MACON and TALLMADGE of the House--were seated at a table in front of the Speaker's chair.

The President of the Senate then proceeded to open and hand to the Tellers the sealed returns from each State, which were severally read aloud by one of the Tellers, and noted down and announced by the Secretaries of each House.

The votes having all been opened and read, the following result was announced from the Chair, by the President of the Senate, viz:

+----------------+-------------------------+-------------------------+ | | President. | Vice President. | | +------------+------------+------------+------------+ | STATES. | James | De Witt | Elbridge | Jared | | | Madison. | Clinton. | Gerry. | Ingersoll. | +----------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+ | New Hampshire | - | 8 | 1 | 7 | | Massachusetts | - | 22 | 2 | 20 | | Rhode Island | - | 4 | - | 4 | | Connecticut | - | 9 | - | 9 | | Vermont | 8 | - | 8 | - | | New York | - | 29 | - | 29 | | New Jersey | - | 8 | - | 8 | | Pennsylvania | 25 | - | 25 | - | | Delaware | - | 4 | - | 4 | | Maryland | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | | Virginia | 25 | - | 25 | - | | North Carolina | 15 | - | 15 | - | | South Carolina | 11 | - | 11 | - | | Georgia | 8 | - | 8 | - | | Kentucky | 12 | - | 12 | - | | Tennessee | 8 | - | 8 | - | | Ohio | 7 | - | 7 | - | | Louisiana | 3 | - | 3 | - | | +------------+------------+------------+------------+ | Total | 128 | 89 | 131 | 86 | +----------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+

RECAPITULATION OF ELECTORAL VOTES.

For President of the United States.

JAMES MADISON, of Virginia, 128 DE WITT CLINTON, of New York, 89 --- 217

For Vice President of the United States.

ELBRIDGE GERRY, of Massachusetts, 131 JARED INGERSOLL, of Pennsylvania, 86 --- 217

The President of the Senate, in pursuance of the joint resolutions of the two Houses, then announced the state of the votes to both Houses of Congress, and declared "That JAMES MADISON, of the State of Virginia, was duly elected President of the United States, for four years, to commence on the fourth day of March next; and that ELBRIDGE GERRY was duly elected Vice President of the United States, for the like term of four years, to commence on the said fourth day of March next."

The two Houses then separated, and the Senate returned to their Chamber.

THURSDAY, February 11.

A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate have appointed a committee, on their part, to join such committee as this House may appoint on their part, to wait upon the President of the United States, and to inform him of his re-election, for four years, to commence on the fourth day of March next.

Regulation of Seamen.

The House resumed the consideration of the bill excluding foreign seamen from the service of the United States.

Mr. PITKIN'S motion to strike out the first section of the bill, for the purpose of inserting a proposed amendment, being still under consideration, considerable discussion took place on it, but it was eventually withdrawn to give way to the following motion.

Mr. RIDGELY moved to strike out of the first section all the words in brackets, as follows:

SEC. 1. Be it enacted, &c., That from and after the termination, by a treaty of peace, of the war in which the United States are now engaged with Great Britain, it shall not be lawful to employ as seamen, or otherwise, on board of any public vessel of the United States, or of any vessel owned by citizens of the United States, or sailing under their flag, any person or persons, except natural born citizens of the United States, or citizens of the United States at the time of such treaty being made and concluded, [or persons who, being resident within the United States at the time of such treaty, and having previously declared, agreeably to existing laws, their intention to become citizens of the United States, shall be admitted as such within five years thereafter in the manner prescribed by law.]

After some conversation, the motion was negatived by yeas and nays--for it 40, against it 80.

SATURDAY, February 13.

Encouragement for Privateering--Bounty for Prisoners.