Tuesday, November 6.
Several other members, viz: from New York, James Gordon; from Pennsylvania, John Wilkes Kittera; and from Virginia, Samuel Griffin and John Page, appeared, and took their seats in the House.
A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate are now ready, in the Senate Chamber, to attend this House in receiving the communication from the President of the United States, agreeably to his notification to both Houses yesterday.
The Speaker, attended by the members of this House, then withdrew to the Senate Chamber for the purpose expressed in the message from the Senate; and, being returned, the Speaker laid before the House a copy of the Speech delivered by the President of the United States to both Houses of Congress, in the Senate Chamber. [A copy of the Speech appears in the proceedings of the Senate.]
Ordered, That the said Speech be committed to the consideration of a Committee of the whole House to-morrow.
Wednesday, November 7.
Defeat of General St. Clair.
Ordered, That the report of the committee appointed to inquire into the causes of the failure of the late expedition under Major General St. Clair, which was made on the 8th day of May last, be referred to the consideration of a Committee of the whole House on Wednesday next.
Answer to the President.
The order of the day being called for, (Mr. Laurance in the chair,) the Speech of the President, delivered yesterday to Congress, was taken up; and, on motion of Mr. Smith, of South Carolina, the following resolve was agreed to: "That a committee be appointed to prepare and report a respectful Address to the President of the United States, in answer to his Speech delivered to both Houses of Congress at the opening of the present session; with assurances, that they would take into consideration the important matters therein contained." An amendment was now moved, to strike out the word "important;" but it was negatived, as being a word of too much importance to be neglected. The resolution was carried, in substance, as above, and the committee rose and reported it. The House immediately agreed, and a committee of three—Messrs. Madison, Benson, and Murray—were appointed by the Speaker to prepare the answer in conformity with the said resolve.
The following Message was received from the President of the United States:
Gentlemen of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives:
I lay before you copies of certain papers relative to the Spanish interference in the execution of the treaty entered into in the year 1790, between the United States, and the Creek nation of Indians, together with a letter from the Secretary of State to the President of the United States, on the same subject.
G. WASHINGTON.
United States, November 7, 1792.
The papers accompanying the said message were read and ordered to lie on the table.
The Speaker laid before the House two letters from Thomas Barclay, Consul of the United States at the Court of Morocco, one dated the 28th of May, the other the 17th of July, 1792, enclosing petitions from Richard O'Brien, in behalf of himself and other citizens of the United States, now in captivity at Algiers, stating the peculiar hardships they have undergone during the time they have been kept in slavery, and praying that Congress will consider their distressed situation, and take such measures for their releasement as to their wisdom shall seem meet.
Ordered, That the said letters and petitions be referred to the Secretary of State, for information.