John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

566

10. IV:30. Tuesday

Met at 9. O’Clock the Committee of Manufactures— Present Adams, Denny, Dickerson, Granger, Judson, Lee, M’Comas, Webster—absent Holsey— I laid before the Committee the Bill prepared for incorporating the Manufacturing company at Georgetown—which after adopting a proviso reserving the right of Congress to alter, or repeal the act at their discretion, I was directed to report to the House— Denny alone voted against reporting the Bill, but proposed two proviso’s one forbidding the company to issue notes in the nature of Bank Bills—and the other requiring some provision for the education of the children employed in the factory— But they failed— In the House the Resolution offered yesterday by Horace Everett, was adopted without opposition— I read an Article published in the Globe this morning, stating that the President of the United States had declared that he had no recollection of having been consulted concerning the boundary in the Florida Treaty of 1819— I reasserted the fact in the most explicit manner— Reports of Committees were then called, and after them Bills from the Senate. A question whether the Bill for distributing the proceeds of the Public Lands, should be referred to the Committee of the whole on the Union, to the Committee of Ways and Means, and or to the Committee on the Public Lands—was ardently debated till one O’Clock— Then three Bills reported by the Chairman of the Military Committee, were debated till two in Committee of the whole and reported to the House. Some discussion of a bill to make a military road of 1000 miles through the territory, West of Missouri and Arkansas— Then at two O’Clock, the House went into Committee of the whole on the Union, Abijah Mann in the Chair upon the Army Bill; and M’Comas made a Speech of 2 hours to about 50 members—the rest being all at the races— The Committee rose, and in the House an amendment by the Senate to the exploring expedition section of the Navy Appropriation Bill was sharply debated, by Graves of Kentucky—and me— The amendment was finally agreed to by yeas and nays 80 to 65— I met Reynolds and told him the result— He said he could now die content.