th.— February 1846.
At the House, the reading of the Journal, of Saturday last was dispensed
with. A practise of evil tendency, creeping into the House— Hannibal Hamlin of Maine, moved to
reconsider the vote, to lay on the Table, the Bill, to grant the Patent,
to Dr. Charles.
G. Page, an Officer, in the Patent Office— This motion was
postponed for future consideration. This was the day for the
presentation of Petitions, but the House went into Committee of the
whole on the state of the Union on yeas and nays 106 to 67. Thomas Smith of Illinois, in the
Chair—and took up the River and Harbour Bill— Felix 443G. McConnell, after breathing a
blast against the Bill itself, moved to lay it aside, and take up
another—which Motion, was rejected— The Amount of the Appropriation, is
$1,348,450—besides an indefinit Sum, for the purchase, of the Louisville
and Portland Canal— McConnell, moved to
strike out, the first Section of the Bill, and sputtered a speech, of
about 10. minutes, when his Motion was rejected.— Robert. B. Rhett, moved to strike out,
all after the enacting clause, and delivered a diatribe, against the
whole system of internal improvements, to which, Thomasson of Kentucky replied—
Crosier of Tennessee, proposed
an Amendment, an appropriation of $250,000. to complete the Canal; round
the Muscle Shoals, of the Tennessee River— He complained, that the North
Western Members, of the Committee of Commerce, had lavished too much
Money, upon the Lakes, and that a grant, made several years ago of four
hundred thousand Acres of Land, to the State of Alabama, to dig a Canal,
round the Muscle Shoals, had not accomplished the object— Houston and Chapman of Alabama expatiated, upon
the faithful application of that grant, but admitted to be sure, that it
had not accomplished its purpose, but McConnell charged the State, with gross mis-management, and waste
of that Fund— Schenck of Ohio,
made an hour speech, in favor of the Bill, animadverting to the
composition of the Committee of Commerce, and defending them, against
the censure of Crosier— He complained also, that the Annual Message of
the President, had totally omitted all recommendation, not only of
Public improvement, but even of Harbour defences.— The Committee rose,
and the Speaker communicated to the
House, reports, from the Post Office, Navy, and Patent Office
Departments: The Report from the Commissioner of Patents, was ordered to be printed;
referred to the Committee on Patents. It comes this year from Edmund
Burke, late a member of Congress from New Hampshire, appointed in the
place of Henry L. Ellsworth,
removed, for extraordinary service in the Department. The House
adjourned soon after three— In the evening at 7. o’clock, I attended at
the Convention, for the observance of the Sabbath,—In the vestry of the
1st. Presbyterian Church in 4 1/2
street— Of which the Revd. Mr.
Sprole, is the Minister— My neighbour Albion. K. Parris, went with me.—
There were nearly 444two hundred persons present—
Delegates, from the Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, and Episcopalian
Churches, in the District of Columbia, but no Roman Catholics, Quakers,
nor Unitarians— Mr, Parris, was chosen
Chairman, and the Committee appointed, for organizing the Meeting— They
reported a list of Officers, nominating me as President, with several
vice-Presidents, and Secretaries, the first of whom was Matthew St. Clair Clarke. A business
Committee was appointed, who retired and Reported, rules for the
proceedings, and fifteen Resolutions, for discussion— They were
immediately debated, and with some Amendments adopted, and agreed to be
reported, to an adjourned Meeting of the Convention, in the Church at
10. o’clock tomorrow morning— It was past 10. o’clock, when with Mr. Parris, I returned home.