John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

21. IV. Round Capitol Square— Cloudy—

Mr. Graham brought with him maps of the States of Indiana and Ohio, with the Letter from Messrs. Noble and Test, requesting a suspension of the Sales of Lands, on the banks of the Wabash river, where the Canal projected by the State of Indiana will be laid out, and for which a grant of five Sections of Land to the State of Indiana was made by Congress at their last Session— We traced on the maps the course in which the Canal must be directed, from the Wabash to the Miami of the Lake, and I requested Mr Graham to give Instructions at the Land Office to suspend the Sales within the distance from the river which may be occupied by the reservations both for the United States and for the grant to the State— Mr Graham said this Canal would make the shortest passage from New-Orleans to New-York— Mr Nourse brought me a warrant for admission as a Cadet at West-Point for Henry Van Rensselaer, which I enclosed to his father, the Patroon, at Albany, of which John gave notice to J. Blunt of New-York, as he had requested— Mr Southard read me a Letter he had received from John Wurtz, a member of the last Congress from Philadelphia; to whom he had enclosed his Correspondence with General Jackson, about the Conversation at the Fredericksburg dinner. Wurtz’s opinion of the whole affair is correct and candid, and he thinks as I did that Mr Southard ought not to reply to General Jackson’s last Letter to him. Dr Watkins came and introduced a Mr John Davis, from Augusta Maine, who delivered to me several Letters from respectable persons in the State, recommending him for the appointment of Collector at Penobscot— I observed it was too late—the appointment having been already made; a day or two since— He enquired who it was, and upon being informed it was a Mr. Gilman of Hallowell, said it was a very unfortunate appointment; but did not explain himself further— Mr Davis said he had been in the last Presidential Canvas in favour of Mr Crawford; and among the Letters which he brought me was one from William King— R. Forrest brought me to sign, an Exequatur for a person named Delgado, as Mexican Vice-Consul at Boston— Mr Burges called concerning the money which it has been agreed to apply to a Marine Hospital at Providence; for the present 5000 dollars. He thought the Collector of the Port, though a very good Officer, would not superintend the expenditure of the money so advantageously as the Marine Society if it should be placed under their direction. I desired him to see the Secretary of the Treasury upon the Subject, and said I should readily agree to any arrangement of the matter which he should find to be customary, or approve. Mr Burges has been detained here since the close of the Session of Congress, by the illness of two of his daughters— They are however recovering and he proposes going homewards to-morrow— Mr Rush called to introduce his brother James, who is on a visit to him, from Philadelphia— Mary Roberdeau who has been spending some days with Mrs Adams, this Evening went home.