Friday, January 28.
Presents to a Minister's Wife.
Mr. Speaker laid before the House a letter from Col. Humphreys, late Minister at the Court of Madrid, stating that, when he was about to leave that Court, the Minister of State urged his acceptance of the customary present from His Majesty. Col. Humphreys informed him that he could not, consistently with the constitution of his Government, accept the present. The Minister continued to press the acceptance, and urged that as he was no longer an officer of the United States, there could be no impropriety in his receiving it. Col. H. replied that, though he was then out of office, there would still, in his opinion, be an indelicacy in the acceptance, and that if he should receive the present designed for him, he should consider it as his duty to deliver it into the hands of the President of the United States, to be disposed of at the pleasure of the Government.
Under these circumstances he left the Court of Madrid; and upon his arrival in the United States, he found a casket of valuable female ornaments addressed to Mrs. Humphreys, which, though unaccompanied by any letter, he presumed to be a present from the Queen of Spain. Doubting the propriety of accepting it under such circumstances, Mrs. Humphreys presented the casket to the President of the United States, who put it into the hands of the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State declining to decide the constitutional question, whether Mr. Humphreys could with propriety retain it, ordered it to be returned to him for the purpose of being sent back to Spain, or otherwise disposed of as he may think proper. Mr. Humphreys refused to receive it back on such terms: it consequently remains with the chief clerk in the Department of State, and Mr. H. now requests Congress to give orders for sending it back to Spain, or for disposing of it in such other way as they may think proper. He makes the same request respecting a sword presented him by the Dey of Algiers, which is also in the hands of the chief clerk of the Department of State, under similar circumstances.
The subject, after considerable conversation in the House, was referred to a select committee to report their opinion thereon.
French Spoliations.
Mr. Mitchill called up his resolution respecting French depredations, as follows:
"Resolved, That a committee be appointed to inquire by what means the value or amount of property taken from citizens of the United States by the French during the late war in Europe can be best ascertained, and the several sorts of captures distinguished and classed, and report thereon to this House, to the end that indemnification be made."
Mr. Bayard offered an amendment, which was agreed to, striking out the latter part of the resolution, and instructing the committee to report their opinion whether indemnification shall be made.
After a very desultory debate on referring the resolution to a Committee of the Whole, or to a select committee, and the rejection of a motion of reference to a Committee of the Whole, the question was taken on the resolution as amended, which was determined in the negative—ayes 34, noes 39.
The House adjourned.