Resolved, That the committee to whom was referred so much of the President's Message, at the commencement of the session, as relates to the Spanish American colonies, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of authorizing the President of the United States to occupy East and West Florida without delay.
And then the doors were opened.
Monday, June 22.
On motion made, and leave given, Mr. Mitchill, from the committee appointed on that part of the President's Message, at the commencement of the session, which relates to Spanish American colonies, presented a bill authorizing the President of the United States to take possession of a tract of country lying south of the Mississippi Territory, of the State Georgia, and for other purposes; which was read the first time. When a question was taken whether the subject matter of the said bill required secrecy; and passed in the affirmative—yeas 71, nays 44.
The said bill was then read the second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole to-morrow; and the doors were then opened.
Thursday, June 25.
The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the bill authorizing the President to take possession of a tract of country lying south of the Mississippi Territory, of the State of Georgia, and for other purposes; and, after some time spent therein, the Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Lewis reported that the committee had had the said bill under consideration, and made an amendment thereto; which he delivered in at the Clerk's table, where it was again read, and concurred in by the House. The question was then taken that the said bill be engrossed, and read the third time; and passed in the affirmative—yeas 70, nays 48, as follows:
Yeas.—William Anderson, Stevenson Archer, Burwell Bassett, William W. Bibb, William Blackledge, Robert Brown, William Butler, John C. Calhoun, Francis Carr, Matthew Clay, James Cochran, John Clopton, Lewis Condict, William Crawford, Richard Cutts, Roger Davis, John Dawson, Joseph Desha, Samuel Dinsmoor, William Findlay, James Fisk, Meshack Franklin, Thomas Gholson, Peterson Goodwyn, Isaiah L. Green, Felix Grundy, Bolling Hall, Obed Hall, John A. Harper, John M. Hyneman, Richard M. Johnson, Joseph Kent, William R. King, Abner Lacock, Peter Little, Aaron Lyle, Nathaniel Macon, George C. Maxwell, Thomas Moore, William McCoy, Alexander McKim, Samuel L. Mitchill, James Morgan, Jeremiah Morrow, Hugh Nelson, Anthony New, Thomas Newton, Stephen Ormsby, Israel Pickens, William Piper, Samuel Ringgold, John Rhea, John Roane, Jonathan Roberts, Ebenezer Sage, Ebenezer Seaver, John Sevier, Samuel Shaw, John Smilie, George Smith, John Smith, William Strong, John Taliaferro, George M. Troup, Charles Turner, jr., Robert Whitehill, David R. Williams, William Widgery, and Robert Wright.
Nays.—Ezekiel Bacon, John Baker, Abijah Bigelow, Harmanus Bleecker, James Breckenridge, Elijah Brigham, William A. Burwell, Epaphroditus Champpion, Langdon Cheves, Martin Chittenden, Thomas B. Cooke, John Davenport, jr., William Ely, James Emott, Asa Fitch, Thomas R. Gold, Charles Goldsborough, Edwin Gray, Aylett Hawes, Jacob Hufty, Richard Jackson, jr., Philip B. Key, Lyman Law, Joseph Lewis, jr., William Lowndes, Archibald McBryde, Jas. Milnor, Jonathan O. Mosely, Joseph Pearson, Timothy Pitkin jr., James Pleasants, jr., Elisha R. Potter, Josiah Quincy, John Randolph, William M. Richardson, Henry M. Ridgely, William Rodman, Thomas Sammons, Adam Seybert, Daniel Sheffey, Richard Stanford, Philip Stuart, Lewis B. Sturges, Samuel Taggart, Pierre Van Cortlandt, jr., Laban Wheaton, Leonard White, and Thomas Wilson.
Ordered, That the said bill be read the third time to-day.