John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

13. IV:30. Wednesday

Note from Mrs Stewart; about Stapylton’s life of Canning, and the foreign quarterly review—Peru and other affairs, with a request that I would call in as I did— But I could not answer her enquiries not even with regard to the condition of her mother’s claim, which was the ultimatum of her wish to see me Call at the Pension Office—left with Mr Edwards the Letters of Major Charles Larrabee and of Phelps, requesting him to furnish me with the information necessary to answer them— Visit to Mr Silsbee at Fuller’s— Saw him and his two daughters. They are going to the Virginia white Sulphur Springs— Mr Legare came in while I was there— H.R.U.S. Reports of Committees— Legare from the Committee of Foreign Affairs. presented his Report upon the Petitions from the Peace Societies, which he had shewn me, and which I had rend— Ten thousand extra copies of it were ordered to be printed, opposed only by Petrikin. Then Dromgoole from the same Committee, reported a Resolution that 526that the Committee be discharged from the consideration of all the Resolutions of State Legislatures, and of the Memorials and Petitions of individuals relating to the annexation of Texas to the United States, and that they be laid on the Table.— Cushing another member of the Committee, objected to the report, and offered a Resolution that the report be recommitted with instructions to report upon the merits of the Resolutions and Memorials and Petitions referred—some debate arose— I enquired, if the Committee had given five minutes of consideration to the Resolutions of State Legislatures, and the Multitudes of Petitions and Memorials referred to them— Droomgoole immediately rose and denied my right to ask the question and said he would not be catechised by me— I said that was enough for me— The refusal to answer would warrant me and the People in the inference that the Committee never did consider the subject referred to them— Carter of Tennessee, opposed Cushing’s Resolution; and Pickens of South-Carolina supported it— Cushman said a proposition to annex an independent republic to this Union should come from that republic— No such proposition was before the House— The debate was irregular, and he moved the previous question— Confusion and Laughter. I asked him to withdraw the motion, to allow an answer to his Speech— He refused; but the vote upon his motion was 74 to 81. no second; and Howard, Chairman of the Committee of foreign Affairs took the floor— The hour had elapsed, and the Committee of the whole on the state of the Union took up again the pre-emption Bill— Chapman of Alabama and Prentiss of Mississippi made long Speeches in favour of the Bill, and Robertson of Virginia part of a Speech against it— The heat was so intense that through the day I was often obliged to leave my Seat, and go to breathe at one of the windows— Mr C. S. Daveis called me from my Seat, and enquired where he could find, my discussion of the right to the fisheries to which Howard of Maryland had lately referred with commendation in a Speech— This commendation had been excessive; but I did not know to what he had specially alluded— I asked Howard what it was and he said it was the discussion in the pamphlet I had published— I took Mr Daveis into the Library, and there found the pamphlet— The Duplicate Letters, the Fisheries and the Mississippi, and pointed out to him page 184. the passage to which Howard had referred. I shewed himself also my two Letters on the right to the fisheries in Gales and Seatons State papers Foreign Relations Vol. 4. pages 352 and 356. He said Mr Webster wished to see those papers, and would make a Speech tomorrow on the North-eastern boundary Bill— The time of the recess from 2 to 1/2 past 3 I spent in the chamber of the Committee of manufactures, and finished a Letter in answer to Origen Bacheler, declining the invitation to address the Peace Society on my passage through New-York— At the meeting after the recess Robertson finished his Speech against the pre-emption Bill, and Cushing followed with a Speech in its favour Cushing avowed the most licentious of the doctrines subversive of property, and the most comprehensive principles of the right of individual occupancy He takes his cue from Webster, and hazards opinions unpopular now in our State and Section, but which he knows will prevail here, and against which he sees that all resistance is vain— Rice Garland made two or more Speeches for his substitute, for the Bill and a multitude of petty amendments were moved, debated, and adopted 527adopted or rejected— Two or three votes taken without a Quorum, and at last by common consent the bill and amendments were reported to the House, more by lassitude of hearing than exhaustion of eloquence— Adjourned at 1/2 past 8— Near 10 when I got home.