Wednesday, May 14.
The Vice President having, by letter, intimated his desire to be excused from further attendance, as it would probably be the last day of the session, the Senate proceeded to the choice of a President pro tempore, as the constitution provides, and Uriah Tracy was duly elected.
Mississippi Slave Act.
The bill entitled "An act to permit, in certain cases, the bringing of slaves into the Mississippi Territory," was read the third time. On the question to agree to the final passage thereof, it passed in the negative—yeas 5, nays 14, as follows:
Yeas.—Messrs. Anderson, Cocke, Marshall, Pinckney, and Read.
Nays.—Messrs. Baldwin, Bingham, Bloodworth, Brown, Dayton, Foster, Franklin, Greene, Hillhouse, Laurance, Livermore, Mason, Morris, and Ross.
A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate that the House disagree to the amendment of the Senate to the bill regulating the grants of land for the refugees from the British provinces of Canada and Nova Scotia.
The Senate considered the resolution of the House of Representatives on the amendment of the Senate to the bill last mentioned.
Resolved, That they adhere to their amendment.
Mr. Ross, from the committee on the bill making grants of lands to the inhabitants of Vincennes, and Illinois country, reported the bill without amendment, and it was agreed to postpone the bill to the next session of Congress.
Adjournment.
A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate that they have appointed a committee on their part, with such as the Senate may join, to wait on the President of the United States and notify him that, unless he hath any further communications to make to the two Houses of Congress, they are ready to adjourn; and they desire the appointment of a committee on the part of the Senate.
The Senate agreed to the resolution of the House of Representatives appointing a committee, jointly with such as the Senate may appoint, to wait on the President of the United States, and notify him of the proposed adjournment of the two Houses of Congress; and it was ordered that Messrs. Bingham and Wells be the committee on the part of the Senate.
Mr. Bingham reported, from the joint committee last mentioned, that the President of the United States had no further communication to make to Congress at this time than his best wishes for their safe return to their respective places of abode.
On motion that it be
Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to instruct the proper law officer to commence and carry on a prosecution against William Duane, editor of the newspaper called the Aurora, for certain false, defamatory, scandalous, and malicious publications, in the said newspaper, on the 19th of February last past, tending to defame the Senate of the United States, and to bring them into contempt and disrepute, and to excite against them the hatred of the good people of the United States:
It passed in the affirmative—yeas 13, nays 4, as follows:
Yeas.—Messrs. Bingham, Dayton, Foster, Greene, Gunn, Latimer, Laurance, Livermore, Morris, Read, Ross, Tracy, and Wells.
Nays.—Messrs. Bloodworth, Brown, Cocke, Franklin.
Ordered, That the Secretary lay an attested copy of the foregoing resolution before the President of the United States.
Resolved, That the thanks of the Senate of the United States be presented to the Commissioners of the city and county of Philadelphia, for the convenient and elegant accommodations furnished by them for the use of the Senate, during the residence of the National Government in the city; and that the President of the Senate be requested to convey this resolution in a letter to the said Commissioners.
The President, agreeably to the joint resolution of the 12th instant, adjourned the Senate, to meet again on the third Monday of November next, as the law provides.