John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

3. V. Friday.

Finished the version of the 73d. and began that of the 74th. Psalm— I called at the Senate chamber about half an hour before their meeting, and gave Mr Silsbee the Letter from the Hedges of Plymouth, and he promised to use his exertions to get their case provided for, in the Bill before the Senate— There was a great crowd assembled to hear the Speech of Mr Clay; which was continued but not finished— Just before the time of meeting I went to the House where the day was consumed chiefly upon private Claims. Mr Evans of Maine made a reply to the yesterday’s speech of C. C. Clay, upon Edward Everett’s Resolution calling for the 5th. Article of the Chickasaw Treaty of 1830— Then the hour expired— Mr Philemon Thomas of Louisiana, some days since had moved for a joint Committee to consider and Report upon the expediency of a centennial celebration of General George Washington’s Birth day— I asked Thomas to strike out the word General to which he consented. Adair proposed to insert the words Major-General, but withdrew his motion. Other formal amendments were made and the Resolution was adopted— The Committee on the part of the House is to consist of one member from each State— Mr Whittlesey of Ohio, Chairman of the Committee of Claims reported a joint Resolution to authorise the payments upon sundry contracts of the Commissioners of the Navy-Board, suspended by an opinion of the Attorney-General. Mr Whittlesey in his Report had made one mistake with regard to the contract of Newcomb, Richards, and Bryant, which he stated to be still in progress; but which I told him had been completed— He promised if he should find it so, to amend the report before it would be printed. There was no opposition to the Resolution which was read three times and passed— Three private Bills were considered in Committee of the whole, Wickliffe in the Chair— Two of them went through the Committee of the whole one with an Amendment— The third was the Bill for the relief of Mrs Susan Decatur—which was postponed till next Friday. Sutherland came to me, and said he wished to introduce some provision for the M’Knights, Decatur’s collateral Relations—and told me that Dr. Harvey Klapp, Ann M’Knight’s husband was dead, which I had seen in the newspapers— Carson came to me, and said he hoped I should assist 366him in carrying through the Bill for Mrs Decatur— I said I would assist him at least with my vote— Mr Wayne of Georgia laid on my Table a pamphlet being a Report of a Committee of the Georgia Legislature, upon the imprisonment of the Missionaries to the Indians— The House adjourned before 3. I went in to the Library, and took out the first Volume of Smith’s Wealth of Nations— Rode home— After dinner Coll Towson and Mr Skinner informed me that the Board of Directors of Columbia College had chosen me to be one of their members— I expressed my thanks for the offer but declined accepting it from a consciousness of being unable to discharge its duties. They asked me not to decline positively but to take it into consideration which I promised I would— Coll. Howard, the member of the House from Baltimore, had introduced to me this Morning at the door of the House, a Mr Gibson of that place an importing merchant who wished to have some conversation with me— I appointed 7. O’Clock this Evening to see him, and he came. Mr Du Ponceau and Mr D’Homergue were here, at the same time— Mr Gibson complained of the frauds practiced upon the Revenue in the importation of Woollens—and said he had a partner in England, who had informed him frequently of the devices resorted to there by exporters for that purpose— The complaints are much the same as were those of Mr Schenk from New-York— Mr Gibson is to return to-morrow to Baltimore, and at my request promised to write to me, and to send me extracts from his partners Letters— Mr. Du Ponceau had sent as a present to Mrs Adams a piece of silk of American production manufactured in England—for a gown— At the motion of Genl. Root, Chairman of the Committee of Agriculture, next Tuesday week had this day been appointed as a special order to consider the Bill for Silk-reeling School reported by him— Mr Duponceau remains here till the decision upon that Bill.