John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

15. Dr: Logan obtained leave to introduce his bill to suspend the commercial intercourse with the island of St: Domingo, by a large majority. It provides that no vessel shall be allowed to clear out for the Ports of that Island—to continue till the end of the next Session of Congress, and without any penalty annexed— It is therefore obviously a bill which can have no possible effect to obstruct the trade— Indeed it struck every body as so mere a dead letter, that the Dr: found himself reduced to account for its imbecility, which he did to me in this way— He told me that his only object was to have it in our power to tell the French Government that we had prohibited the trade, and that if the merchants would carry it on they must do it at their peril, as it would be out of our protection— His motion to refer part of the President’s Message was taken up, and he alledged as his motive that he had a memorial to present from the merchants of Philadelphia which he wished to have referr’d to the same Committee— As the multiplication of Committees upon one Subject has so manifest a tendency to produce disorder and confusion, I moved to amend the Resolution proposed by making the reference to the Committee on the New-York Memorial— This brought up Wright, who soon work’d himself into one of his violent passions, and stormed at the indelicacy of a member’s moving for the reference of a paper to a Committee of which he himself was a member. (which be it noted is every day’s practice) He was for having a new Committee, and he hoped it would be of seven members— Mr: Wrights Eloquence however producing little effect, Mr: Anderson bethought himself of a new expedient— He said my motion was not in order— That a paper could not be referred to a Committee already appointed; he alledged in proof of this the 15th: Rule for conducting business in the Senate, which says “All Committees shall be appointed by ballot, and a plurality of votes shall make a choice.”— And he appealed to the President to decide whether my motion was in order or not— Upon this appeal there could be no debate; and I was deprived of any opportunity, of replying either to Mr: Wright or Mr: Anderson— The President professed his ignorance of the practice in Senate; observed his decision on the meaning of the rule would depend on another question, which was, whether the paper moved to be referred to a Committee already raised, related to the same subject as that before them; and that on that ground he pronounced my motion to amend not in order, as there must be a new ballot— The rejection of my motion for an Amendment, prevents even an appearance of it upon 201the Journals— The question then on the reference of part of the President’s Speech, to a special Committee was taken by yeas and nays at the call of Mr: Wright, and I voted against the reference— It was however determined to refer it, to a Committee of Seven— On the return of the ballots, it appeared that the five members composing the Committee on the New-York Memorial, were again chosen; and two others added—Dr: Logan, and Mr: Baldwin— So that Mr: Wright still failed in his principal object, which was to get on the Committee himself.— But instead of Dr: Mitchill the Chairman of this Committee is Mr: Smith of Maryland— Dr: Logan then presented his memorial from the Philadelphia Merchants, and after it was read, moved its reference to the Committee just appointed on part of the President’s Message— Mr: Tracy then objected that by the decision just made on the 15th: Rule, there must be a New Committee. The Vice-President began by saying that he thought there was a manifest distinction between the two cases, but concluded by again deciding that there must be a new ballot— The same members were again chosen, but the chairman was again different; being now Mr: Anderson— The result therefore is that we have three Committees on one and the same Subject— On this transaction I remark first the singular Effects of the Spirit of Party.— When the New-York Memorial was presented, Wright wanted it to lay over untill the next day, for the purpose of having the Committee-Men agreed upon out of doors, by the party; but as he did not then carry his point, the next object was to get another Committee on the same subject— This the party had determined upon, and Dr: Logan’s motion to refer part of the President’s Speech was the means used to effect this purpose— But as the real motive could not be avowed, when the forcible objection to the multiplication of Committees on one subject was urged, the only refuge was to appeal to a construction of a Rule of Order, contrary to the uniform and invariable practice— This proved successful; but at the hazard of introducing inextricable confusion in the transaction of business. For Dr: Logan could not get the very paper upon which he founded his motion to refer the Message, referr’d to the same Committee. Secondly. The great importance of an intelligent and experienced man to Preside in the Senate of the United States— Mr: Clinton is totally ignorant of all the most common forms of proceeding in Senate, and yet by the Rules he is to decide every question of order without debate, and without appeal— His judgment is neither quick nor strong, so that there is no more dependence upon the correctness of his determinations, from his understanding than from his experience.— As the only duty of a Vice-President under our Constitution is to preside in Senate, it ought to be considered what his qualifications for that office are, at his Election— In this respect a worse choice than Mr: Clinton, could scarcely have been made. Thirdly the characters of men appear in their discourses as much as in their deeds; and in the same manner; not from the tenor of what they say, but from the inferences to be drawn from it— Anderson and Wright had the same end in view, and their motive was the same—but neither could acknowledge it— Wright whose temper is violent, and who has no sense of decency or delicacy thinks of nothing better than to charge as indelicacy in me, what he has done hundreds of times himself, and what every member is accustomed to do, who acts on Committees at-all— Anderson recurs to stratagem and surprize— He insists upon a Rule of order, to decide the point; and by an absurd, twisting Construction of the Rule, obtains his purpose.— Fourthly, this affair has proved that the jealousy and acrimony of party is roused against us, and that we shall therefore henceforth experience the same exclusion of all effectual agency in measures, which we have felt in the former Sessions— I dined at General Turreau’s, with a company of about 20 persons— Madame Turreau was there; and the Marquis de Casa-Yrujo, who had just arrived from Philadelphia. I came home early in the Evening; and suffered much from the cold.