John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

522 2. VII.30 Saturday.

The first business taken up by the House, was the Resolution reported by the majority of the Committee of Ways and Means, that the Public funds may safely continue to be deposited in the Bank of the United States against which Polk of Tennessee made a violent Speech— He was answered by Ingersoll, and afterwards by M’Duffie— The previous question was moved, and although Wayne of Georgia pleaded hard to speak was carried and the Resolution was adopted 110 to 46— Wayne voted against it, upon which I condoled with him— He was mortified to be compelled to give such a vote and afterwards read me a Letter that he had written to a friend saying that his vote was not owing to any doubt of the solvency of the Bank, but because the withdrawal of the Public Deposites was a discretionary power given by Law to the Secretary of the Treasury, and he would not divide with him the Responsibility— Wayne said that was ground which I had taken at the Commencement of the Session; which was true; but that was before the investigation referred by the House to the Committee of Ways and Means, and against the appointment of a Select Committee— The General Appropriation Bill was taken up and debated till four O’Clock, and then by the previous question, ordered to be engrossed for a third reading.— There was a recess from 4 to 6 O’Clock— I went and dined again with T. Newton, at his lodgings— Clement C. Dorsey was among the fellow lodgers there— At 6 we returned to the House— The Appropriation Bills were passed and sent to the Senate, who had half a Night to consider and pass them— The house went into Committee of the whole on the State of the Union, and hurried through an Indian Treaty Bill—the Bill to explain the 18th. Section of the Act of 14. July 1832—the Hard-ware Bill, upon which at my motion was engrafted as an additional Section a Bill from the Senate, restoring duties upon brass, copper, and Tobacco in leaves, which being a Bill to raise revenue would not constitutionally originate in the Senate— And the Light-house Bill, upon which there was much wrangling— The House sat till five O’Clock Sunday Morning— The President retained the Land-Bill, without signing it— Felix Grundy stopp’d the Light-house Bill in the Senate; by objecting to its being read the Second time on the same day— Howard of Baltimore moved the vote of thanks to Stevenson which was entered as passed unanimously, though when he came to the word impartiality there was a burst of laughter in the house. About two O’Clock in the Morning Chittenden Lyon of Kentucky, drunk 524as a Lord, presented Resolutions of the Legislature of Kentucky, which he said he had just received, and which he moved to be laid on the Table, and printed— On being asked what was the Subject of the Resolution, he drivelled out “Nullification”— Almost every quarter of an hour after Mid-night, business was suspended for want of a Quorum— Shortly before three O’Clock Whittlesey of Ohio, prevailed upon the House to go again into Committee of the whole— There was a call of the House and 116 members answered to their names— Several private Bills passed through the Committee; were reported to the House and passed— About 4. Sevier the Delegate from Arkansas moved and urged the house to go into Committee of the whole on three important territorial Bills, but on taking the question, only 90 members answered—of course 26 had withdrawn since the call, half an hour before— A Message was received from the Senate that they had appointed a Committee to wait on the President and inform him that unless he had further communications to make to Congress the Houses were ready to adjourn— Campbell P. White of New-York, and Polk of Tennessee were appointed the Committee on the part of the House— They soon returned and announced that the President had no further communications to make— Stevenson the Speaker, made a silly Speech in return for the vote of thanks, and adjourned the House without day. The hands of the Clock were pointing at five, as we passed under them out of the Hall— I took Edward Everett home, and we were in imminent danger of oversetting in the midst of the Pennsylvania Avenue, nearly opposite to Gadsby’s— We got out of the Carriage. Kirk was asleep, and the horses had stopped. I ordered Ball to take the reins, we re-entered the Carriage, and got into the Macadamized part of the Avenue. On reaching Mr Everett’s lodgings, I alighted with him, and thence walked home with Fahrenheit’s Thermometer at 6. the extremest cold of the Winter, and the ground covered with Snow— The day was dawning and I retired to bed, exhausted and dejected, but with blessings of gratitude to the Supreme disposer of Events, for the merciful dispensations of his Providence, in bringing the Affairs of the Country to a condition more favourable to Peace and Union, than it has been of late, though still surrounded with dangers— And also in the disposal of my own destiny for conducting me through the severe and humiliating trial, which I have endured, without absolute and irretrievable ruin— My Career is yet to be closed— It is in its last and lingering Stage— May its remaining afflictions be mitigated— May its last moments be serene— May its transition be to a happier state of existence.