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ABRIDGMENT OF THE DEBATES OF CONGRESS,

FROM 1789 TO 1856.

FROM GALES AND SEATON'S ANNALS OF CONGRESS; FROM THEIR REGISTER OF
DEBATES; AND FROM THE OFFICIAL REPORTED DEBATES, BY JOHN C. RIVES.

BY

THE AUTHOR OF THE THIRTY YEARS' VIEW.

VOL II.

NEW YORK:
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY,
448 AND 445 BROADWAY.
LONDON: 16 LITTLE BRITAIN.
1861.

ENTERED according to Act of Congress, in the year 1856, by
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY,
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court
for the Southern District of New York.




FOURTH CONGRESS.--SECOND SESSION.

BEGUN AT THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, DECEMBER 5, 1796.

PROCEEDINGS IN THE SENATE.


MONDAY, December 5, 1796.

PRESENT:

JOHN ADAMS, Vice President of the United States, and President of the
Senate.

JOHN LANGDON and SAMUEL LIVERMORE, from New Hampshire.

BENJAMIN GOODHUE, from Massachusetts.

WILLIAM BRADFORD, from Rhode Island.

JAMES HILLHOUSE and URIAH TRACY, from Connecticut.

ELIJAH PAINE, and ISAAC TICHENOR, from Vermont.

JOHN RUTHERFORD and RICHARD STOCKTON, from New Jersey.

WILLIAM BINGHAM, from Pennsylvania.

HENRY LATIMER, from Delaware.

HUMPHREY MARSHALL, from Kentucky.

WILLIAM COCKE, from Tennessee.

JACOB READ, from South Carolina.

JAMES GUNN, from Georgia.

The number of Senators present not being sufficient to constitute a
quorum, they adjourned to 11 o'clock to-morrow morning.


TUESDAY, December 6.

ALEXANDER MARTIN, from the State of North Carolina, and WILLIAM BLOUNT,
from the State of Tennessee, severally attended.

The VICE PRESIDENT communicated a letter from PIERCE BUTLER, notifying
the resignation of his seat in the Senate, which was read.

The credentials of the after-named Senators were severally read:--Of
BENJAMIN GOODHUE, appointed a Senator by the State of Massachusetts, in
place of GEORGE CABOT, resigned; of ISAAC TICHENOR, appointed a Senator
by the State of Vermont, in place of MOSES ROBINSON, resigned; of JAMES
HILLHOUSE, appointed a Senator by the State of Connecticut in place of
OLIVER ELLSWORTH, whose seat is become vacant; of URIAH TRACY, appointed
a Senator by the State of Connecticut, in place of JONATHAN TRUMBULL,
resigned; of JOHN LAURANCE, appointed a Senator by the State of New
York, in place of RUFUS KING, whose seat is become vacant; of RICHARD
STOCKTON, appointed a Senator by the State of New Jersey, in place of
FREDERICK FRELINGHUYSEN, resigned; also, of WILLIAM BLOUNT and WILLIAM
COCKE, appointed Senators by the State of Tennessee;--and, the oath
required by law being respectively administered to them, they took their
seats in the Senate.

A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate that a
quorum of the House of Representatives is assembled, and ready to
proceed to business.

_Ordered_, That the Secretary wait on the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES, and acquaint him that a quorum of the Senate is assembled.

_Ordered_, That the Secretary acquaint the House of Representatives that
a quorum of the Senate is assembled, and ready to proceed to business.

A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate that
they have appointed a joint committee, on their part, together with such
committee as the Senate may appoint, to wait on the PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES, and notify him that a quorum of the two Houses is
assembled, and ready to receive any communications that he may be
pleased to make to them.

_Resolved_, That the Senate concur in the above resolution, and that
Messrs. READ and LIVERMORE be the joint committee on the part of the
Senate.

_Ordered_, That the Secretary acquaint the House of Representatives
therewith.

Mr. READ reported, from the joint committee appointed for that purpose,
that they had waited on the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, and had
notified him that a quorum of the two Houses of Congress are assembled,
and that the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES acquainted the committee
that he would meet the two Houses in the Representatives' Chamber, at
twelve o'clock to-morrow.


WEDNESDAY, December 7.

JOHN HENRY, from the