2 March 1841
adams-john10 Neal Millikan Supreme Court Amistad
265 Washington Tuesday 2. March 1841.

2. V:15. Tuesday.

Freeman Russel Jackson William Lovering Mary E. E. Cutts

I found on my table last evening, Wheeler’s Report of my speech, on the Treasury Note Bill; delivered planting the standard against that of Wise— There were 109. pages of it in Wheeler’s writing—with only 5 lines to a page. I sat up till near one this morning to revise it, and only finished hastily the revisal this morning.— It needs a more thorough revisal— Russel Freeman here. Shewed me copy of his application for restoration to the Collectorship of New-Bedford. His anxiety intense—piteous. Visit from William Jackson of Newtown with Mr Lovering of Boston— I called at the Office of the National Intelligencer and left with Mr Gales the Report of my Speech—but it will not be published within a week. H.R.U.S. The house yesterday resolved to meet the two remaining days of the Session at 10. of the morning; and to devote 2 hours each day, from 10 to 12 to private business. W. Cost Johnson renewed his attempt to call up the District Banks bill from the Senate and failed again— Committee of the whole on private Bills, Briggs in the chair— At 11. I went into the Supreme Court. The judges Catron and Wayne, delivered each one decision of the Court, and judge Story, two— That of Wayne, was in favour of the Bank of the Metropolis vs the U.S. and one of those delivered by judge Story reversed the decision of the U.S. Circuit Court in Missouri in the case of U.S. vs Charles Gratiot— The delivery of these opinions occupied an hour and a half— Walter Jones, Counsel for Lieutt. Gedney, upon his claim for salvage in the case of the Amistad and the captives, rose to deliver an argument, but was stop’d by Chief-Justice Taney, who said the Court would hear no argument upon that claim until after their decision upon the motion to dismiss the appeal of the U.S.— The Attorney General Gilpin then closed the argument on the part of U.S. in about 3 hours—reviewing with great moderation of manner, chiefly Mr Baldwin’s argument, and very slightly noticing mine— When he finished, the Court adjourned— The judges present were Taney, Story, Thompson, M’Lean, Baldwin, Wayne and Catron— Barbour having been taken away by death in the midst of the trial; and M’Kinley, having been throughout the trial absent— When the house met after the recess, Wise was in the chair of the Committee of the whole upon the West Point Academy Bill— I came home and dined. Returned to the house at 6. p.m. My wife and Mrs. W. S. Smith, went with me as far as Mrs Hellen’s— West-point Bill reported and passed— Committee of the whole Medill in the Chair— Chaos— Stanly introduced Mr Badger to me. Patterson of New-York— Solomon Lincoln rode with me to his lodgings: and Mr Saltonstall, who is quite unwell— Home at 10. P.M.

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