Sunday, July 5.
Volunteers Bill.
The amendment to the bill, entitled "An act supplementary to the act, entitled 'An act authorizing the President of the United States to accept and organize certain volunteer military corps,'" having been reported by the committee correctly engrossed, the bill was read a third time as amended.
On the question, Shall this bill pass as amended? it was determined in the affirmative—yeas 14, nays 6, as follows:
Yeas.—Messrs. Anderson, Bibb, Brent, Condit, Crawford, Franklin, Gaillard, Giles, Howell, Robinson, Smith of New York, Tait, Taylor, and Varnum.
Nays.—Messrs. Bayard, Gilman, Goodrich, Leib, Lloyd, and Smith of Maryland.
So it was resolved, that this bill pass with an amendment.
Monday, July 6, 6 o'clock, p.m.
Recess of Congress, and adjournment.
The Senate proceeded to consider the resolution from the House of Representatives for the appointment of a joint committee to wait on the President of the United States, and notify him of the intended recess, and concurred therein, and Messrs. Robinson and Anderson were appointed a committee on the part of the Senate.
The following Message was received from the President of the United States:
To the Senate of the United States:
I transmit to the Senate copies and extracts of documents in the archives of the Department of State, falling within the purview of their resolution of the fourth instant, on the subject of British impressments from American vessels. The information, though voluminous, might have been enlarged with more time for research and preparation. In some instances it might, at the same time, have been abridged, but for the difficulty of separating the matter extraneous to the immediate object of the resolution.
July 6, 1812.
JAMES MADISON.
The Message and documents were read, and ordered to be printed for the use of the Senate.
A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate, that the House, having finished the business before them, are about to adjourn.
Mr. Robinson, from the committee, reported that they had waited on the President of the United States, who informed them that he had no further communications to make to the two Houses of Congress.
Ordered: That the Secretary inform the House of Representatives that the Senate, having finished the legislative business before them, are about to adjourn.
Agreeably to the joint resolution, the President then adjourned the Senate, to meet on the first Monday in November next.
Executive Proceedings.
[Confidential.]
Saturday, June 20, 1812.
A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Harper and Mr. Fisk, two of their members—Mr. Harper, chairman.
Mr. President: The House of Representatives have passed a "resolution authorizing the President of the United States to issue a proclamation to the inhabitants of the British American Continental Provinces," in which they request the concurrence of the Senate.
The resolution was read, as follows:
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That in case it shall be deemed necessary, in order to vindicate the just rights, or to secure the safety of the United States, to invade the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, or either of them, the President of the United States be, and he hereby is authorized and empowered to issue a proclamation, addressed to the inhabitants of said provinces, assuring them, in the name of the people of these States, that in case the said provinces, or any of them, shall come into the possession of this Government, the inhabitants of such province or provinces shall be secured and protected in the full enjoyment of their lives, liberty, property, and religion, in as full and ample manner as the same are secured to the people of the United States by their constitutions; and that the said proclamation be promulgated and circulated, in the manner which, in the opinion of the President, shall be best calculated to give it general publicity.
Ordered, That the resolution pass to a second reading.