Wednesday, May 7.
A message from the Senate informed the House, that they have concurred in the amendments of this House, to the bill relative to the slave trade with several amendments, to which they desire the concurrence of the House; also, that the Senate insist on some of their amendments disagreed to by this House, to the bill supplementary to an act for an amicable settlement of limits within the State of Georgia, and for establishing a government in the Mississippi Territory.
Additional Army.
Mr. Harper said, that by the terms of enlistment of the additional army, they were engaged to serve for three years, or until an amicable adjustment of the differences existing between the United States and France; from which circumstance, the President was precluded, even if he knew the preliminaries of peace to be adjusted, from disbanding it until a treaty should be actually concluded and ratified by the two Governments—whereby the troops would be kept for perhaps six months in service unnecessarily. The Navy and other parts of our defensive system, were upon a different footing. He wished the Army to be placed on a similar one, and therefore moved the following resolution:
"Resolved, That it is expedient to authorize the President of the United States to discharge the additional army thereof, as soon as the state of things between the United States and the French Republic will warrant the measure."
The resolution was agreed to, and referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom was committed the bill from the Senate, to suspend part of the act entitled "An act to augment the Army of the United States."
Additional Revenue.
The House again resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the further report of the Committee of Ways and Means on the subject of revenue; and the tax on drawbacks being under consideration, Mr. Griswold and Mr. Harper again spoke for and against the motion. Mr. Nicholas, Mr. Huger, and Mr. Randolph, also spoke against the motion; after which the question was taken and negatived, only 23 votes being in favor of it.
The third resolution, to lay an additional duty of one half per cent. per pound on brown sugar and coffee imported into the United States was opposed by Mr. Griswold, who doubted much the propriety of laying an additional duty on coffee, and therefore moved to strike out that article. The motion was opposed by Mr. Harper, and advocated by Mr. Sewall, who was of opinion that this article was frequently smuggled, and was apprehensive it would be more so, if an additional duty were laid, and therefore would injure the revenue.
The motion was carried—yeas 38, nays 21.
The question on the resolution as amended, was, after some debate, put and carried—yeas 45, nays 28.
The fourth resolution reported, to retain two and a half per centum on all drawbacks allowed for goods re-exported from the United States, in addition to the sums heretofore directed to be retained by law, and also on the whole of the additional duty on goods imported in foreign ships or vessels, was agreed to without debate. The committee then rose, and, upon the question, Will the House concur with the committee in their agreement to the resolution laying an additional duty on sugar? the yeas and nays were called for, and taken—54 to 28.
The other resolutions, as amended, were also agreed to, and the Committee of Ways and Means directed to bring in a bill or bills conformable thereto.