Harpers-Ferry free press. [volume], December 31, 1823, Image 2

About Harpers-Ferry free press. [volume] (Harper's Ferry, Va. [i.e. Harpers Ferry, W. Va.]) 1821-1824

Image provided by: West Virginia University

                
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
TUESDAY, DEC. 16.
Mr. Cronvninahield, from the Commit
tee on Naval Affairs, reported a bill for
the relief of Sarah Perry, mother of the
late Oliver H. Perry; which was read
twice and committed.
Mr. Kent) of Maryland offered the fol
lowing resolution for consideration:
Resolved, That a Committee be appoint
ed to inquire into the expediency of mak
ing such an appropriation of the public
lands to the purposes of education in
those states to which no grants have yet
been made, as will correspond in a just
proportion with the appropriations which
have been heretofore made in favor of
other states—and that said committee
have leave to report by bill or otherwise.
On motion of Mr. Hemphill, the consi
deration of the bill providing for the ob
taining of Surveys and Plans on the sub
ject'of Roads and Canals, was made the
order of the day for the 10th of January.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 17.
On motion of Mr. Strong', it was
Resolved, That the committee on Na
val Affairs be instructed to inquire into
the expediency of selling the schooners
and vessels purchased under the act, en
titled “ An act authorising an additional
naval force for the suppression of piracy.”
On motion of Mr. Storrs, it was
Resolved, That the Committee of Ways
and Means be instructed to inquire into
the expediency of providing by law for
compensation for a Private Secretary to
the President of the United States.
THUBSDAY, DEC. 18.
Mr. Williams, of N. C. submitted the
following:
Resolved, That the President of the
United States be requested to lay before
this House any information he may have
received, and which he may not deem it
improper to communicate, relating to the
present condition and future prospects of
the Greeks.
This lies over one day of course.
On motion of Mr. Trimble, it was
Resolved, That the Committee on Mili
tary Affairs be instructed to inquire into
the, expediency of authorizing the Presi
dent of the United States to direct sales
to be made, from time to time, of such
arms, ammunition, aud military stores,
as are not wanted, or are unfit for public
service.
Mr. Crowninshield, from the- Commit
tee on Naval Affairs, reported a bill fur
ther extending the term of half pay pen
sions to the widows and children of offi
cers, seamen., and marinesrwho have died
in the public service; which was twice
read and committed.
Mr. Crowninshield, from the same Com
mittee, reported a bill making provision
for the support of Penelope Denny, mo
ther of James Denny, late a quarter gun
ner in the Navy of the United States ;
which was twice read and committed.
[The bill proposes to grant her a pension
of one hundred dollars for five years from
the 9th of November, 1822.]
FRIDAY, DEC. 19.
Mr. Webster took this occasion to state
to the House that he should move for the
consideration, on Monday fortnight, of
the resolution which he submitted some
days ago, proposing to send a Mission to
Greece.
Mr. Beecher, of Ohio, moved that the
bill for the continuation of the Cumber
land Road, reported yesterday, be now
taken up and considered; and the ques
tion being taken, it was decided in the
negative—ayes 65, noes 81.
MONDAY, DEC. 22.
Mr. MlDuffie, from the committee to
whom was referred the consideration of
the expediency of recommending to the
several states, the adoption of certain
amendments to the Constitution, made a
report, accompanied by a joint resolution.
[This resolution proposes to make the
election of electors of President and Vice
President uniform throughout the United
States, by districts. Should there be no
election on the first balloting, there is to
be a second; and,if none at the second,
the members of the Senate and House
of Representatives shall, by voting indi
vidually, and not by states, proceed to
the election of a President, a majority of
the whole being necessary. The same
proceeding is to be had in regard to the
Vice President, except that, if the elec
tion should devolve on Congress, and a
Preside»t be chosen on the first ballot,
and no Vice President elected, then the
Senate shall choose the Vice President.]
The resolution was twice read, and re
ferred to a committee of the whole on the
state of the Union.
Mr. MiDuffie also reported a resolu
tion to make the election of Representa
tives to Congress uniform throughout the
states, by districts ; which was also com
mitted to the same committee.
Mr. Breck offered the following resolu
tion, which lies one day, of course :
Resolved, That the Secretary of the
Treasury be directed to furnish this house
with the amount of exports from the U.
States to Greece, Asia Minor, and Egypt,
during the years 1820, 1821, and 1822 :
also, the amount of imports therefrom
for the same period : distinguishing, in
separate columns, the countries now un
der the control of the Turkish govern
ment from those possessed by the Greeks
in arms : also, the amount of duties paid
on said imports into the Treasury of the
United States.
TUESDAY, DEC. 23.
Mr. Mallary submitted the following
resolution, which lies one day according
to a rule of the House :
Resolved, That the President of the United
States be requested to lay before this House such
information as he may possess (and which may be
disclosed without injury to the public good) rela
tive to the determination of any sovereign or com
bination of sovereigns to assist Spain in the subju
gation of her late colonies on the American conti
nent, and whether any government of Europe is
disposed or determined to oppose any aid or assis
tance which such sovereign or combination of so
vereigns may afford to Spain for the subjugation
of her late Colonies above mentioned.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 24.
The resolution yesterday offered by Mr.
Mallary, calling- on the President for any
information he may possess, (and which
may be disclosed without injury to the
public good,) relative to the determina
tion of any Sovereign or Sovereigns to
aid Spain in regaining her American Co
lonies; ?,imposition of any ^ther
European government to oppose it, was
taken up.
In support of his resolution, Mr. Mal
lary rose, and observed, that it would be
recollected, by every gentleman present,
that the Message received at the opening
of the present session from the President
of the United States, was of an extraor
dinary and strongly marked character.—
Its introduction prepared the House for
subjects of great importance; nay, the
President went so far as to say that
“ there never was a period, since the Re
| volution, when, regarding the condition
of the civilized world and its bearing on
us, there was greater necessity' for devo
tion in the public servants, to their respec
tive dutives, or for virtue, patriotism, and
union, in our constituents.” When we
come to examine the body of the Mes
sage, said he, we discover nothing to
which this language can apply, except
the situation of the great European Pow
ers, and the bearing which that situation
may have upon this country. Those
powers had united their efforts against
the cause of freedom on the Continent of
Europe, and successfully put down every
struggle to maintain it. It was possible
they might extend their plans across the
Atlantic, and that their attention would
next be directed to the Republics of
South America. Such appeared to be
the impression of the President; and if
such were actually the state of things,
the United States must probably become
deeply involved in the event of such a
contest. It was impossible we could be
indifferent to the attempts of despotic
power to crush the cause of freedom in
our own hemisphere. That some plans
of this sort were in agitation, was plain,
from the tenor of the Message. The
President would not have warned the
two Houses ot Congress that all their
firmness would be called for, if there was
not something of serious moment in the
political horizon, not seen by all. And
as, in this public document, the Chief
Magistrate had thought proper to go so
far, it was certainly proper in the House
to meet his communication by requesting
such information, on the subject to which
he had alluded, as he might deem it con
sistent with the public welfare to disclose.
It was proper and desirable that we
should know as much as possible of the
dangers to which we are exposed.
The question was then taken on the
resolution, and it was agreed to without
opposition.
FRIDAY, DEC. 26.
The engrossed bill extending the half
pay pension of officers, widows, See. was
read a third time, passed, and sent to the
Senate for concurrence.
The engrossed bill for the relief of Ja
cob Schaffer, was then read a third time;
and the question being on the passage of
the bill—
Mr. Taylor moved th at it be recommit
ted to the Committee on Private Land
Claims, with instructions “ to inquire in
to the expediency of so amending the
same, as to provide for the allowance of
bounty land to the non-commissioned of
ficers and privates of the United States’
Army, and to their representatives, who
enlisted for five years or during the war,
and were honorably discharged previous
to the expiration of the respective terms
of their enlistment.”
The case of this claimant may be stat
ed as follows : He enlisted as a private
in the Army of the United States for fi>e,
years; but, after serving some eighteen
months, he was discharged, the war be
ing over, and he being anxious to rejoin
his family, on condition of relinquishing
his claim to bounty land. He now asks
for the passage of a law to give him his
bounty land. [There was an additional
ground for his claim for 160 acres of
land, viz. that he had purchased the as
signment of the claim of another soldier
to his bounty land, but not with sufficient
formality to give him a legal title to it ;
but this ground wa9 little relied upon, the
debate turning upon the principle mvelv- !
ed in the other claim.]
Ou the principle of this bill a debate
arose, in which considerable eloquence
and ingenuity were displayed, which oc
cupied the whole day; in the course of
which, the claim was opposed by Messrs.
Taylor, Whittlesey, Sterling, Wright,
Livermore, Kremer, Rankin, and Cook;
and advocated by Messrs. W. Smith, and
A.Smyth, (of Virg.) Campbell, (of Ohio,)
Mallary, Houston, Webster, and Storrs.
The motion of Mr. Taylor was nega
tived by a large majority.
After further debate, the question was
at length taken on the passage of the
bill, the Yeas and Nays having been, re
quired by Mr. Taylor, of New York, and
decided as follows :
Yeas—79 ; Nays—-85.
So the bill was rejected. And then
The House adjourned.
VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE.
Dec. 19.—Mr. Thomas, of Mason, sub
mitted the following preamble and reso
lution :
Whereas experience, the best of all human teach
ers, has satisfactorily proven, that the present peni
tentiary system of punishment has not answered,
nor is there a reasonable prospect that it ever will
answer* any of the benevolent purposes supposed
by its founders $ nor is its discipline a sufficient pun
ishment to deter even its own victims from the per
petration of even more horrid crimes, soon, very
soon, after their liberation from the confines of the
Penitentiary ; and, so far from deterring' those who
never have experienced a probationary discipline
within its walls, it rather holds out inducements to
the poor vagrant to try his skill at converting' his
neighbour’s property to his own use, certain to pro
fit by the adventure, if he escapes detection, and
conscious, if detected, of finding within the Peni
tentiary that subsistence which he is too indolent
to labor for, without extraneous excitement: Thus,
instead of holding,, as it were, the rod of correction
over the vicious part of the community, our pre
sent system of punishment offers a premium to the
perpetrators of crime: And,, instead of punishment
falling upon the wicked, we find, by well tested
experience, that it is the moral and useful classes of
our citizens who are daily suffering, by continual
depredations of those well-taught fellows who do
not fear the consequences of a second incarceration
in the public jail; and, indeed, in many instances,
they have all to gain, and nothing to lose, by being
sent back to the society of their former fidnd-like
companions. And, believing that a more propiti
ous time to make a change in our criminal code
may not occur again: Be it therefore
Resolved, That the Committee appointed to ex
amine into the state of the Penitentiary institution,
| be instructed to inquire into the expediency of
abolishing the penitentiary system of punishment,
at this time; and that they report their opinion
thereon by bill or otherwise.
! On Mr. Blackburn’s motion, this pre
amble and resolution were laid upon the
table.
A letter was received from the clerk to
the Board of Public Works enclosing a
Report from the Board, relating to the
Slate River company. The Board recom
1 mend to the Legislature to subscribe, on
certain conditions, 69 shares to the stock
of the company—the residue g 13,100 out
of the g20,000 being already subscribed
by individuals :—Referred to the C. of R.
and Internal Navigation.
Mr. Carter, ot JX. Ceorge, submitted
the following resolution:
Resolved, That the Committee for courts of jus
tice be instructed to inquire into the expediency
of so amending' the laws of this commonwealth as
to take from the single magistrate the power of re
quiring from any individual who has committed a
breach of the peace or good behaviour, security
for a longer period than until the sitting of the next
county or corporation court, to be held after the
commission of the said olfence, with leave, &c.
Mr. Yancey, from the Committee of
Roads and Internal Navigation, reported
a Resolution, to direct the Board of Pub
lic Works to subscribe on the part of the
State for 69 shares of the stock of the
Slate River Company. The House adopt
ed this Resolution.
Mr. Morris of Hanover, from the Com
mittee of Schools and Colleges, reported
a bill “ concerning the University of
Virginia, which was read the 1st and 2d
times, and re-committed to the same com
mittee. (This bill proposes to relieve
the annuity from the interest on the mo
ney loaned by the State in the University;
with a view of enabling this Institution
to go into operation as soon as possible.)
On Mr. Colston’s motion, the 33d rule
of the House was suspended for the pur
pose of receiving petitions^—and then one
was presented from sundry inhabitants of
Berkeley, suggesting the propriety of
enacting a law, giving the constables of
this commonwealth the right of levying
executions against the body of debtors,
for sums under the control of justices of
the peace,who have had cognizance there
of. Referred to the committee for courts
of justice.
Dec..22—On motion of Mr. Rives of
Nelson,
Resolved, That the Com- of Schools
and Colleges be instructed to inquire in
to the most expedient mode of investing
that portion of the capital and revenue of
the Literary Fund now remaining unap
propriated in the treasury of this com
monwealth, with leave, &c.
The Speaker laid before the House a
letter from the Governor, covering an ex
tract from the Report of the Superinten
dent of the Public Edifices, in relation to
the condition of the Armory and Capitol.
Referred to the Armory Committee.
On motion of Mr, Watkins of Powhat
an, it was
Resolved, That the Committee of Roads
and Iuland Navigation, be instructed to
inquire into the expediency of making
provision oy law ior a resort to sluice
vigation in James River whenever
navigation is interrupted in the new can^j^
that has gone into operation, and repore V
by bill or otherwise. ^
Mr. Davis of H. offered the following fu
resolution : #
Resolved, That the Committee of S. %
and C. be instructed to inquire into the ^
expediency of making such an allowance jeI
to'school commissioners, as may defray^,
their expenses, while in the discharge of
their public duties—See.
CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO CANAL. f'!l
At a meeting of the Central Commit^ :
tee of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal s?
Convention, held, pursuant to notice, its $
Georgetown, in the District ot Columbia, i
on the 17th of December, 1823, the fol- $
lowing resolutions were unanimously \
adopted: 5
Resolved, That, in conformity with .
the spirit of the resolutions adopted by
the Convention of the friends of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Shis com
mittee do regard the several Delegations
elected to serve in the said Convention,
but who, for unavoidable reasons, could
not attend, as Corresponding Committees
for the purpose set forth in the said reso
lutions.
And it was further Resolved, 1 hat the
Chairman of the Central Committee be
instructed, in behalf of the Committee, to
address a circular letter of invitation to
the several Counties and Corporations of
Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Vir
ginia, who may have been prevented by
want of time, or accident, from appoint
ing Delegates to the said Convention, to
proceed, nevertheless, to appoint for their
respective Counties and Corporations,
Committees of Correspondence, which,
in any future meeting of the said Con
vention, shall be introduced to the Con
vention by this committee, as Delegates
therein.
And be it further resolved, That a co
py of the minutes of the proceedings of
the Convention accompany the circular
letter of the Chairman.
Extract from the Journal of the Cen
tral Committee, kc. C. F. MERCER,
Chairman of the C. C. Committee.
The Baltimore Meeting—-We have not
room for a full account of the Meeting
held at Baltimore on Saturday last, nor
time to digest an account of it. We
shall only say, for the present, that Mr.
Harper’s liberal resolutions were voted
out by a majority of voices, and a set of
resolutions adopted of a different tenden
cy. In a few words, the Meeting resolv
ed that they consider the Susquehanna
Canal capable of being accomplished;,
that it would be “premature and impro
per” to express any opinion, good or bad,
as to the means of uniting the Ohio to
the Chesapeake, by the Susquehanna
the Potomac; that there is no chantIP
to the Lakes but the Susquehanna ! and
that a committee of eight persons should
be chosen, to go to Annapolis,, to hold a
consultation upon the best measures to
support the Susquehanna Canal. The
Committee consists of Messrs. Theodo
rick Bland, George Winchester, John
Patterson, Luke Tiernan, Henry Payson,
John M‘Kim, Jr. Hezekiah Niles, and
Upton S. Heath; and so the matter now
rests.'—[JVat. Int.
On the 12th instant, Mr. Semmes presented a
memorial from the committee appointed by a Con
vention held at the City of Washington, to propose
and present a memorial, requestingthe concurrence'
of the state of Maryland in the incorporation of a
company to form a connection of the Atlantic and
Western waters by a Canal—which was referred to.
a committee appointed on that subject.
The Legislature of the State of Indi
ana assembled on the 1st inst. and is now
in session. David II. Maxwell is Speak
er of the House of Representatives.
In Pennsylvania, the Governor has ap
pointed Molton C. Rodgers, of Lancaster,
to be Secretary of State, and Frederick
Smith, of Berks county, to be Attorney of
the Commonwealth.
In the Maryland Legislature, a bill
amending the constitution, so that the
Legislature in future will not meet till
after Christmas, passed both branches
by very large majorities, hut must be
again passed by the next Legislature, be
fore it can become a law. A recess of
the Legislature has taken place from the
20th to the 29th inst.—[Nat. Int.
Arkansas.—The Legislature of the
State of Arkansas has established a Cir
cuit Court for the Territory, comprising;
three Districts ; in which Thomas P. Esk
ridge., Richard Searcy, and William Trim
ble, are respectively appointed Judges of
the Circuit Court.—[lb.
’ VWVWIJ
The Story from Tampico about the
numerous deaths, is contradicted. The
United States schr. Grampus left there
on the 21$t of October. A sudden flaw
of northerly wind had reduced themer*
cury 40 degrees, and 16 of the crew were
affected, by the sudden change; but only
one, Mr. Somerby, the purser, died. The
report was, that she lost 18. The story
of 30.0 having died at Tampico, is not he
Sieved.