Mr. Davis hoped the passage of this bill would not be insisted upon to-day. This subject had but very lately been referred to a select committee, and they had made an expeditious report. He had just given his vote in favor of the bill's passing to a third reading; but if, contrary to the usage of the House, he should be called upon to vote on the passage of the bill to-day, he should vote against it.
Mr. Varnum said, since the bill would become a law as soon if passed on Monday, as to-day, he could not see why the motion was objected to. This question, Mr. V. said, was of the greatest importance, as it went to plunging the country into a war from which it might not be extricated for many years to come. Yet gentlemen act as if they were afraid intelligence should be received before this bill becomes a law, which shall make it unnecessary. Indeed, it appeared to him, that there are certain gentlemen in the House who are determined to have a war with France, at any rate.
Mr. V. said, it had been complained that an allusion had been made to the coffee-house books of this city, respecting certain information from France; he did not think that was more out of order, than what was heard one day about French privateers having landed men on the coast—another, about their being in our harbors, and taking our vessels from thence. All which stories, he had no doubt, were raised to influence the votes of members of this House. The public would doubtless see them in this light.
Mr. Sitgreaves said, as the gentleman last up appeared to have some doubt as to the fact of a French privateer's being within the bay of Delaware, he would read the information lately given by a Captain Canby, on oath, at the office of the Secretary of State. [This certificate has appeared in the papers: it speaks of having seen a French privateer four miles within the bay.] He would add, that with respect to the vessel arrived from Bordeaux to-day, she brings information that our Commissioners were yet in Paris, but not received by the Directory. She left Bordeaux the 8th April, so that the hope of receiving any favorable news by her could not be indulged. Mr. S. observed, that this bill was intended to meet a case of emergency, and it was proper to get it passed as soon as possible. If he saw it passed to-day, he should be sure there could be no difficulty about it next week; but, if it was postponed till Monday, he should be afraid of further time being spent upon it. The gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Davis) had already said, it would not be proper to pass this bill while our Envoys are in Paris; therefore, though the question were postponed till Monday, his vote could not be expected. He, therefore, saw no reason for the delay.
The question on the bill's being read a third time on Monday, was put and negatived, 49 to 41. The question on reading it a third time to-day, was then put and carried.
The bill was accordingly read the third time and passed by yeas 50, nays 40, as follows:
Yeas.—John Allen, George Baer, jr., Bailey Bartlett, James A. Bayard, David Brooks, Stephen Bullock, Christopher G. Champlin, John Chapman, James Cochran, Joshua Coit, William Craik, Samuel W. Dana, John Dennis, George Dent, William Edmond, Thomas Evans, Abiel Foster, Dwight Foster, Jonathan Freeman, Henry Glenn, Chauncey Goodrich, Roger Griswold, William Barry Grove, Robert Goodloe Harper, Thomas Hartley, William Hindman, Hezekiah L. Hosmer, James H. Imlay, John Wilkes Kittera, Samuel Lyman, James Machir, William Matthews, Daniel Morgan, Lewis R. Morris, Harrison G. Otis, Josiah Parker, John Read, James Schureman, Samuel Sewall, William Shepard, Thomas Sinnickson, Samuel Sitgreaves, Nathaniel Smith, George Thatcher, Richard Thomas, Mark Thompson, Thomas Tillinghast, John E. Van Allen, Peleg Wadsworth, and John Williams.
Nays.—Abraham Baldwin, David Bard, Lemue Benton, Thos. Blount, Richard Brent, Nathan Bryan, Dempsey Burges, Thomas Claiborne, William Charles Cole Claiborne, John Clopton, Thomas T. Davis, John Dawson, Lucas Elmendorph, John Fowler, Albert Gallatin, James Gillespie, Andrew Gregg, John A. Hanna, Carter B. Harrison, Jonathan N. Havens, Joseph Heister, David Holmes, Walter Jones, Matthew Locke, Matthew Lyon, Nathaniel Macon, Blair McClenachan, Joseph McDowell, John Milledge, Anthony New, William Smith, Richard Sprigg, jr., Richard Stanford, Thomas Sumter, Abram Trigg, John Trigg, Philip Van Cortlandt, Joseph B. Varnum, Abraham Venable, and Robert Williams.