PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES
IN
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Monday, November 17, 1800.
This being the day appointed by law for the commencement of the second session of the sixth Congress, the following members of the House of Representatives appeared, and took their seats in the House, to wit:
From New Hampshire.—Abiel Foster, and Jonathan Freeman.
From Massachusetts.—William Shepard, Jno. Read, Joseph B. Varnum, Theodore Sedgwick, (Speaker,) Peleg Wadsworth, Silas Lee, and Lemuel Williams.
From Connecticut.—John Davenport.
From New York.—John Smith, Philip Van Cortlandt, Jonas Platt, Henry Glen, John Thompson, and Theodorus Bailey.
From Pennsylvania.—Michael Leib, Richard Thomas, Joseph Heister, Robert Brown, Peter Muhlenberg, Henry Woods, and John Smilie.
From Maryland.—George Dent, Geo. Baer, William Craik, Gabriel Christie, John C. Thomas, and Joseph H. Nicholson.
From Virginia.—Leven Powell, John Nicholas, Robert Page, John Dawson, Anthony New, George Jackson, and David Holmes.
From North Carolina.—Nathaniel Macon, Richard Stanford, and Willis Alston.
From South Carolina.—Thomas Sumter, and Benjamin Huger.
From Tennessee.—William C. C. Claiborne.
A new member, to wit, John C. Smith, returned to serve as a member of this House, from the State of Connecticut, in the room of Jonathan Brace, who has resigned his seat, appeared and produced his credentials.
The Speaker observed that it had heretofore been the invariable practice of the House to admit new members to take their seats previously to being sworn, though the constitution directed directly the reverse. As there was a new member present, he suggested the propriety of administering the oath to him before he took his seat.
Mr. Macon thought such a step premature. He was of opinion that no inconvenience would arise from delaying to administer the oath until a House was formed, and he thought great caution should attend an innovation opposed to all precedent.
Mr. Nicholas asked whether it had heretofore been usual, in the case of a new House, to swear the members before the choice of a Speaker?
The Speaker replied that it had not.
Mr. Nicholas said, that though, on first thought, he was favorable to administering the oath at the present time, yet this precedent inclined him to think such a step improper.
The Speaker waived the question.
The members present not being sufficient to form a quorum, the Speaker adjourned the body till to-morrow.