- Adlington John
John Adlington, a man upwards of
80 years of age, a Yankee from the crown of his head to the soles of his
feet, came from Plymouth here, all the way, for an increase of pension
from 8 dollars a Month, as for a common Seaman, to 16 dollars a Month as
a Midshipman in 1775, before the Declaration of Independence— He came
also to claim arrears of pay (which he said he had never received for
subsequent services in the same War[)]. I took his papers to the pension
Office, and left them together—with others which I had received in a
Letter from Mr
Jacob H Loud of Plymouth, with Mr Edwards
the Commissioner— I then went to the Office of the Secretary of the
Navy, and left with him a Letter from my
nephew and namesake Midshipman, asking for orders—and I
made application for Thomas
Spooner now a private in the Marine Corps; soliciting an
appointment of Lieutenant in the Corps, which Mr
Dickerson told me could not be granted. H.R.U.S. Cambreleng from the Committee
of Ways and Means reported a Resolution that it is inexpedient to
charter a National Bank— The object of this is to supersede the
discussion of Wise’s Resolution for
an investigation of the Causes and conduct of the Florida War.— I had
presented the memorial of David
Strang, and had it referred to the Committee of Ways and
Means; and I had also presentedannexation
326annexation of Texas to the Union; and a budget of
those of the last Session for the abolition of Slavery in the District
of Columbia— Chambers of Kentucky
offered a Petition for a National Bank, and said he had several others
which he should in due time move to have referred to the Committee of
the whole on the Union; but he moved that this one should lie on the
table—which was done— Ewing asked
leave to offer a Resolution calling on the Secretary of the Treasury for returns of the specie and
paper received in payment for public Lands—but the leave, and the
suspension of the rules which he moved, were both refused— Buchanan Chairman of the Committee
of Elections made a report on the Mississippi Election, concluding with
a Resolution that Gholson and
Claiborne, have been duly
elected members of the 25th. Congress—
Maury, a member of the
Committee said the minority would not present a counter-report; but
would exhibit their views in the form of a proposed amendment to the
Resolution.— There was a discussion whether the subject should be
debated in the morning hour, or referred to the Committee of the whole
on the Union; and the morning hour prevailed— Postponed till Wednesday.—
Everett moved that the
Resolution of the inexpediency of a National Bank, should be laid on the
table— Lost, by yeas and nays 89 to 122. In Committee of the whole on
the state of the Union, the deposit postponement Bill was debated,
Haynes in the Chair till one
O’Clock in the Morning— Martin
of Alabama moved an amendment to the Bill, which the Chairman received,
while Pickens’s amendment was
yet undecided— The whole day was consumed in debating neither of the
amendments, but the Bill and the whole financeering system of the
administration—at dusk of evening an attempt was made to adjourn which
failed; a second and third motion for the Committee to rise were alike
unsuccessful, the third vote by tellers being 84 and 84. lost by the
casting vote of the chairman— Shortly before midnight I enquired if
Martin’s amendment was in order—the Chairman said, not strictly, but he
had entertained it for reasons which he was about to assign, when Martin
withdrew it— I then moved an amendment to Pickens’s
amendment—appropriating the balances due from all the late deposit Banks
to the payment of the 4th. deposit on the
1st. of January 1839. declaring that
they shall be applied to no other purpose whatever—providing that if the
balances recoverable from the banks should not prove sufficient for the
payment in 1839. the instalment due from the Bank of the United States
in October 1838. for Stock should be applied to the same purpose—and in
failure of that, pledging the faith of the United States that provision
shall be made by Congress for the payment— I made a very few
observations in offering the amendment, being so hoarse that I could
speak only with extreme difficulty, and so as scarcely to reach the
Chairman’s ear— W. Cost
Johnson, Chambers
and Underwood of Kentucky—and
Mr
Pope, afterwards addressed the Chair, till after one
O’Clock the motion for the Committee to rise was renewed by C. F. Mercer— The tellers reported 90
for and 89. against rising—the Committee rose and the House adjourned—
It was 2. A.M when I reached home.