2 March 1842
adams-john10 Neal Millikan African Americans
65 Washington Wednesday 2. March 1842

2. VI. Wednesday.

Munday George H. Mrs Greenough Greenough His wife Ferris Phillips of Sicily Richardson

Committee on the Smithsonian bequest—present Adams, Underwood Randall. No Quorum— Conversation upon the manner of canvassing votes at elections in Kentucky— Treating— Barbecues. Small loans of one or two dollars to be forgotten. Tavern bills paid half and half by the candidates— In the house, on the motion of Fillmore a Resolution was adopted that from and after next Wednesday the daily hour of adjournment shall be 11. O’Clock A.M. till further order— But Taliaferro gave notice that he should move a reconsideration of this vote to morrow— And if that should fail he would move that the standing Committees should be discharged from the further consideration of the subjects referred to them— A message was received from the President in answer to my call for the correspondence respecting the laws of South-Carolina for the imprisonment of coloured Seamen— He says he is not aware of any decision by judge William Johnson that the Act of South Carolina was unconstitutional— A memorial from Thomas Allen, about the printing of the census compendium was received, and after much debate, referred to the Committee of Claims— A memorial from Blair and Rives on the same subject had already been referred to the same committee. A report from the Secretary of State also relating to this knavery was this day at first referred to the Committee of the whole on the state of the Union; but afterwards on my motion transferred to the Committee of claims.— There was a long and ludicrous retrenchment debate always made so by specifications of petty parsimonies soaring to the glory of reform— The Committee propose to abolish the Office of draughtsman to the house— J. G. Floyd moved to add, and that of Postmaster. then came all the appendages of the post office; and an interminable discussion, renewed in Committee of the whole upon the state of the Union, Briggs in the Chair on the general appropriation Bill. Briggs decided that an amendment proposed by the chairman of the ways and means was not in order, but the Committee of the whole reversed his decision, and amendment crawled upon amendment till the house adjourned— Evening visits from Mrs Greenough and her Son and daughter— Then from Mr Ferris, a member of the house from New-York, and his friend an American, settled 25 years in Sicily, and now on a visit to his native land—from Mr Richardson, and from George H. Monday, a benevolent lunatic he urged me to read the eightieth psalm, and to sign a petition to the Governor of Pennsylvania to pardon two convicted murderers.

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