John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

5. VII: T. Fuller, a member of Congress from Massachusetts was this morning at the Office, and had some conversation with me, upon a plan which he has formed for establishing by Law a tribunal corresponding as far as may be necessary with the English Court of Exchequer—a Court for the trial of claims upon the Government of the U. States, to spare the time now necessarily absorbed in the consideration of those claims by Congress, a body which he considers by its Constitution not well suited for the discussion or adjustment of them. I think his object a good one, and perceive no sound objection to the plan proposed by him, which is however not yet matured. He has also spoken to me of some other subjects. Hickey and B. L. Lear were likewise at the Office; upon the transaction of private business— Hickey, concerning Edwards’s Note, and a Deed from J. P. Van Ness—and Lear, concerning the Deed from the Way’s of the House in F. Street— Mrs Adams was unwell last Night, and all this day; so that I attended alone, the Drawing Room at the President’s. Baron Stackelberg, the Charge d’Affaires from Sweden, came and presented a Note, in which his Government proposes the addition of an Article to our existing Treaty of Commerce, with a view to guard against the infection of the yellow fever—by requiring not only bills of health, for all the persons, on board of vessels, but certificates that no part of the Cargo comes from infected places— I told Stackelberg, that I thought this would be impracticable—that no such precaution was thought necessary here— That such a regulation would prove extremely oppressive upon commerce, and useless as a guard against infection— That we had reason on the contrary to complain that the regulations in Sweden were rigorous beyond all necessity—they subjected vessels to quarantine, from all the Ports of the U. States, if the yellow fever was in one of them. It would be just as reasonable if we should subject Swedish Vessels coming from Stockholm or Gothenburg to quarantine, when the yellow fever should be at Cadix, as it was the last autumn. I added however that I would lay his application before the President and inform him of the result.