John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

17. VI. Walk to Capitol Square— Cloudy—Fog—Rain

Watkins shewed me a Letter from Thurlow Weed, seeming to urge, a solicitation of Van Buren’s influence to obtain the election of Tracy, as the Senator from New-York; but this is neither practicable nor fitting— The two Colls. Johnson and O. B. Brown, came as a Committee from the Trustees of the Columbian College, to invite my attendance at their Commencement, at ten O’Clock next Wednesday Morning; which invitation I accepted. They also invited me to dine at the President of the College’s that day, which following the example of Mr Monroe last year, I declined— Crowninshield called on the case of persons having a claim on the Portuguese Government for a Brig Osprey and Cargo, taken by Genl. Lecor at Montevideo— He was referred to the Department of State, whence Instructions have been sent on the subject to T. L. L. Brent, Chargé d’Affaires at Lisbon— Messrs Burges and Pearce came jointly to recommend Mr R. W. Green as District Attorney for Rhode-Island— They said Mr Knight of the Senate agreed with them; and they spoke highly of his character— Tunstall is deputy Collector at Norfolk and applies for the appointment of Collector in the place of James Johnson; deceased— Marvin and Everett came upon visits of civility, and Mr Mercer to enquire with regard to the Execution of a Resolution of the House of Representatives at the last Session of Congress requiring that the P.U.S. should obtain and lay before the House at the Commencement of this Session, the legal proceedings, concerning certain Slaves, captured and sold in Alabama— I had spoken of this Resolution several times to Mr Clay, who had caused inquiry to be made of the clerk of the House, who had given assurance that no such Resolution had been adopted— I had relied upon this information, but Mr Mercer by a reference to the House’s Journal shewed that the Resolution had been adopted, and promised to see it carried into Execution. Mercer said he would send me some fresh Letters he had received complaining of the conduct of the judge and Marshal, and Owen of Alabama had told him he believed the charges to be true— He said also that he had forborne to speak upon the subject to Mr Clay, because his Son in Law was one of the persons implicated in the transaction— Rush brought a list of the Directors of the Bank of the United States appointed by the Government every year since the commencement of the Institution— Jennings came to enquire at whose recommendation Noah Noble had been appointed Receiver of Public Monies at Indianapolis— I told him by those of the whole delegation from Indiana, except himself, of the Governor of the State, the Marshal Vawter and many others— I read to him most of the Letters— He said Noble was well qualified for the Office, but there was dissatisfaction among the people of Indiana at his 36appointment, because he was a brother of the Senator Noble, and a brother also to the preceding Receiver— He seemed somewhat surprized at the recommendations of Hendricks and Test; but their practice in that State is to recommend or certify the qualification of every person who applies to them; and then each one by a private communication indicates his particular favourite— Mr Clay called to enquire respecting drafts of answers which he had prepared to a Letter from the Governor of Massachusetts concerning the Eastern Boundary, and to one from the French Minister, concerning the arrest of deserting Seamen. He also mentioned a Resolution introduced into the Legislature of Kentucky by Mr Crittenden, and said R. M. Johnson had told him of a long discussion, between Calhoun and Hayne in his presence on the question whether opposition should be made in Senate against the nominations of R. King, as Minister to Great-Britain, and his Son John A. King as Secretary of Legation— Hayne urging to the opposition and Calhoun advising against it.