Fahrenheit 10.
I went to the Capitol at 10 this morning, and sat an hour to Mr Lambdin
for my Portrait. He asked me to sit again on Monday; which I promised to
do, if practicable.— In the house the day which should have been devoted
to public business, was consumed in debate upon subjects irregularly
introduced— First Clifford of
Maine called up a Bill reported by the Committee of foreign Affairs,
appropriating 75000 dollars for continuing the Survey by Commissioners
of the North-eastern boundary— He got the house after some difficulty
into Committee of the whole on the state of the Union upon this Bill,
Linn Banks in the Chair. The
Bill had been sent to the Printers.— French acting Clerk, was about reading the original
manuscript draught of the Bill— Some pettifogger demanded where was the
Bill, and upon being told it was at the Printers objected to proceeding
without the Bill— Up started a debate of an hour, upon the question
whether a bill could be debated in Committee of the whole or in the
house upon a manuscript copy— I never knew this question made before—
The universal practice is to debate any sort of a copy manuscript or
printed till the 3d. reading when it must be
engrossed; no amendments are then admitted, and the question taken is
upon the engrossed bill— But now nothing would do but the Committee must
have the bill— Dromgoole who
is recovering from a long and severe indisposition and has returned to
his Seat argued and descanted upon the absolute necessity of having the
Bill. Motion after Motion was made to take up other Bills and to rise—
The Committee did rise once for lack of a Quorum; but returned into
Committee again as soon as the quorum was ascertained; till at last the
Bill was brought in from the Printers.— Then another debate was sprung
upon the amount of the appropriation 50000— 37500 25000. 20000 were
thought enough by some and the morning hour expired before a question
could be taken.— Pickens
Chairman of the Committee of foreign relations made a report,
professedly upon the correspondence relating to the case of M’Leod a Canadian now under
indictment for murder in the State of New-York at the burning of the
Steamboat Caroline.—but really an inflammatory invective against the
British Government— This Report by a bare majority of the Committee was
by a close party majority of the house laid on the table, and ordered to
be printed. Everett moved an
amendment, to print documents relating to the burning of the Caroline
which was rejected. I moved to recommit the report; but the Speaker said the motion was not in
order. The debate was sharp. I called at the Office of the National
Intelligencer, and requested of Mr Seaton to revise the
Reporter’s Notes of my Speech—