331Execution of Treaties, [14 April] 1796 (Madison Papers)
On 31 March, Washington nominated commissioners for the implementation of articles 5, 6, and 7 of Jay’s treaty, and the Senate confirmed them the next day. Sedgwick (Massachusetts) then moved in a Committee of the Whole on 13 April that the House ought to make provision by law to carry out the treaties concluded with Algiers, Great Britain, Spain, and the Northwest Indians. Republican members...
332Military and Naval Appropriations, [31 January] 1797 (Madison Papers)
The House went into a Committee of the Whole on a resolution calling for appropriations for the military and naval establishments in 1797. Gallatin (Pennsylvania) offered an amendment striking out naval appropriations until the House had decided to complete the building of the frigates already authorized by law ( Annals of Congress Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States …...
333Act respecting the Mint, [21 May] 1796 (Madison Papers)
The Senate bill respecting the Mint was passed on 20 May and received by the House. It was referred the next day to a committee including JM, Swanwick, and Smith (New Hampshire) ( JHR Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States (9 vols.; Washington, 1826). , 2:567, 569). Mr. Madison, from the committee to whom was referred the bill from the senate respecting the mint, reported...
334Compensation for Members of Congress, [8 February] 1796 (Madison Papers)
On 16 December 1795 the House appointed a committee to report bills for compensating members of Congress. The chairman, Goodhue (Massachusetts), reported legislation on 28 January 1796 which proposed that members of both Houses receive a salary of $1,000 annually instead of $6 per day. In the debate in the Committee of the Whole on 8 February, Giles (Virginia) moved to strike the word...
335Case of Randall and Whitney, [4 January] 1796 (Madison Papers)
After several members had testified as to the nature of their conversations with Randall and Whitney, Blount (North Carolina) moved to put the question whether any conversation had passed between Smith (Maryland) and Randall which had “an appearance of intending to corrupt the integrity of members of this House” ( Annals of Congress Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States...
336Jay’s Treaty, [15 April] 1796 (Madison Papers)
After agreeing on 14 April to resolutions to implement the treaties with Algiers and the Northwest Indians, the House, in a Committee of the Whole, then took up the remaining resolution of Hillhouse (Connecticut) that it was “expedient to pass the laws necessary for carrying into effect the Treaty lately concluded” with Great Britain. The debate continued in the Committee of the Whole the next...
337Manumitted Slaves, [30 January] 1797 (Madison Papers)
Swanwick (Pennsylvania) presented the petition of four manumitted slaves from North Carolina, requesting that Congress interpose whatever authority it could to relieve them and their families from harassment and efforts to return them to slavery ( Annals of Congress Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States … (42 vols.; Washington, 1834–56). , 4th Cong., 2d sess., 2015–18)....
338Jay’s Treaty, [7 March] 1796 (Madison Papers)
After Washington proclaimed the Jay treaty to be ratified on 29 February and sent it to Congress the next day, Livingston (New York) opened the Republican attack on 2 March by calling for Jay’s correspondence and instructions. The House seemed reluctant to take up the issue, so Livingston raised it again, on 4 and 7 March, the second time amending his original motion to except such papers “as...
339Post Offices and Post Roads, [2 February] 1797 (Madison Papers)
The House went into a Committee of the Whole on a bill for discontinuing and establishing various post roads within the United States. The last clause of the bill, authorizing the postmaster general to discontinue carrying mail on any road not producing more than one-fifth of the costs within three years, caused considerable debate ( Annals of Congress Debates and Proceedings in the Congress...
340Petition of John Storie, ca. 7 January 1796 (Madison Papers)
Document not found. Ca. 7 January 1796. Presented by JM to the House of Representatives, 7 Jan. 1796, and referred to the Committee of Claims. Reported in Philadelphia Gazette , 8 Jan. 1796. Probably John Story (1762–1840), who served as a private in the Virginia First Light Dragoons ( DAR Patriot Index National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Patriot Index...
341Domestic Debt of the United States, [9 February] 1796 (Madison Papers)
On 3 February, Smith (South Carolina) reported a bill to extend until the end of the year the time for receiving on loan the domestic debt of the United States. In debate on 9 February, Swift (Connecticut) moved a clause that “it shall be lawful for the offices of the Treasury to receive on Loan Continental bills.” Several speakers opposed the clause as violating statutes of limitations and...
342Contested Election, [11 February] 1796 (Madison Papers)
On 8 December 1795 Matthew Lyon petitioned the House, protesting the election of Israel Smith (Vermont). The petition was referred to the Committee of Elections, which returned to the House on 27 January 1796 a report in favor of Smith. Debate began 11 February on whether to recommit the report to allow Lyon to present further evidence on behalf of his petition ( Annals of Congress Debates and...
343Deed of Sale, 29 July 1796 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
29 July 1796, Orange County, Virginia. Indenture by which Boswell Thornton and his wife Lucy of Orange County sold to JM for £25 eight acres of Orange County land adjoining Nathaniel Gordon’s property, “with all woods, waters, quarries of lime and other stone and the Reversions and remainders to the same appertaining.” Letterbook copy ( Vi : Orange County Courthouse Records). 2 pp. Witnessed...
344Petition of Gilbert Dench, [11 January] 1797 (Madison Papers)
The House went into a Committee of the Whole to consider the report of the Committee of Claims on Gilbert Dench ( Annals of Congress Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States … (42 vols.; Washington, 1834–56). , 4th Cong., 2d sess., 1835–36). Messrs. Madison … were of opinion, that if Mr. Dench had any claim it was upon the state of Massachusetts, and not upon the United...
345Notes for Speech in Congress, [ca. 23 March–2 April] 1796 (Madison Papers)
These notes present a difficult editorial problem insofar as their contents do not clearly establish a structure for any of the three major speeches JM delivered during the Jay treaty debates in March and April of 1796. The notes cannot have served as JM’s preparation for his speech of 10 March since their organization, as well as other internal evidence (see nn. 4, 5, and 9, below), suggests...
346James and Dolley P. Madison v. Edward Heston, 10 January 1797 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
10 January 1797, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Dolley Madison and JM brought suit against Edward Heston to recover costs incurred by Dolley Madison and the late John Todd for nursing and burying Heston’s son, Isaac, in 1793. The plaintiffs abandoned the cause and agreed to a nonsuit. Ms ( InU ). 3 pp. Notes on the case taken by Jonathan Williams, who was associate judge of the court of...
347Relations with Algiers, [13 January] 1797 (Madison Papers)
On 10 January the House had considered a motion that a committee be appointed “to select such parts of the confidential communication sent … by a message of the President of the United States” on 9 January “as in their opinion may, with propriety, be printed.” JM, Ames (Massachusetts), Sherburne (New Hampshire), Davenport (Connecticut), Livingston (New York), Grove (North Carolina), and...
348National University, [12 December] 1796 (Madison Papers)
In his address of 7 December, Washington had called on Congress to establish a national university and a military academy ( Annals of Congress Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States … (42 vols.; Washington, 1834–56). , 4th Cong., 2d sess., 1595). Mr. Madison presented a memorial from the commissioners appointed under the act respecting the fixing of the seat of government...
349Petition of Anna de Neufville, [7 February] 1797 (Madison Papers)
On 3 February 1797 Anna de Neufville had presented a petition to the House on behalf of herself and her infant daughter, “praying compensation for services rendered” by her late husband during the Revolution. It was referred to a committee of five headed by JM ( JHR Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States (9 vols.; Washington, 1826). , 2:678). Mr. Madison, from the...
350Petition of Anna de Neufville, [13 February] 1797 (Madison Papers)
Mr. Madison observed that he should be sorry to interfere with public business, but the peculiarity of the case of the family of De Neufville was such as to call for immediate attention, he therefore moved that the petition of the widow and daughter of the deceased John De Neufville, be now taken up. Merchants’ Daily Advertiser , 14 Feb. 1797 (also reported in New World , 15 Feb. 1797, and...
351Indian Trading Houses, [13 January] 1796 (Madison Papers)
The clerk read for the third time the bill establishing trading houses with the Indians. Salaries and penalties were fixed for the agents and the clerks, and $150,000 was proposed as the sum to be expended on goods ( Annals of Congress Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States … (42 vols.; Washington, 1834–56). , 4th Cong., 1st sess., 240). Mr. Madison after remarking that...
352Commercial Restrictions, [15 January] 1796 (Madison Papers)
Smith (Maryland) moved that a Committee of the Whole consider his resolution, introduced on 4 January, that foreign vessels be restricted from bringing into the United States any goods, wares, or merchandise except those that were the produce, growth, or manufacture of the nation to which the vessels belonged. Hillhouse (Connecticut) recommended referring the resolution to the Committee of...
353Appropriations for 1796, [19 January] 1796 (Madison Papers)
In the Committee of the Whole debate on the civil list for 1796, Williams (New York) moved to strike out the appropriation for officers of the Mint. Failing to persuade other members, he then limited his resolution to the appropriation for purchasing copper for the Mint ( Annals of Congress Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States … (42 vols.; Washington, 1834–56). , 4th...
354Assignment of a Share in the Library Company of Philadelphia, 22 February 1796 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
22 February 1796. JM, having by marriage to the widow of John Todd inherited a share in the Library Company, for valuable consideration assigns that share to George McCall of Philadelphia. Letterbook copy ( PPL ). 1 p. Witnessed by George Washington and Isaac Winston, Jr. Recorded by Benjamin R. Morgan, secretary, 24 Mar. 1796.
355Relations with Algiers, [17 January] 1797 (Madison Papers)
Mr. Madison moved that the house should resolve itself into a committee of the whole, on the Algerine business, for which purpose he supposed it would be necessary to clear the house and galleries. Claypoole’s Am. Daily Advertiser , 18 Jan. 1797 (reprinted in Philadelphia Gazette , 19 Jan. 1797, Gales’s Independent Gazetteer , 20 Jan. 1797, New World , 20 Jan. 1797, Aurora General Advertiser ,...
356Report on Sale of Ohio Company Lands, [3 May] 1796 (Madison Papers)
On 19 April, Henderson (New Jersey) had suggested that revenue be raised by selling lands reserved for public use from the lands sold to the Ohio Company and others. The next day JM was appointed to a committee of three to inquire into the amount of land available and the expediency of selling it ( Annals of Congress Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States … (42 vols.;...
357Impressed American Seamen, [28 March] 1796 (Madison Papers)
After the debate on 1 March, Livingston (New York) reported to the House on 14 March a bill for the relief and protection of American seamen. It was read twice and committed. The third reading of the bill began on 28 March with the blanks being filled to authorize an appropriation of $15,000 to pay the agents and to set the price of sailors’ certificates at twenty-five cents ( Annals of...
358Indirect Taxes, [23 February] 1797 (Madison Papers)
On 19 January 1797 the Treasury Department had recommended that the ad valorem duty on several items, including “cotton goods, not stained or colored,” be increased from 10 to 12 ½ percent but subject to some provision for the protection of the business of printing cotton goods. The House Ways and Means Committee on 23 January reported resolutions in favor, which were taken up in a Committee...
359Admission of Tennessee, [5 May] 1796 (Madison Papers)
Washington submitted to Congress on 8 April the application of Tennessee to join the Union. Debate in a House Committee of the Whole on a report favoring Tennessee’s admission began on 5 May, with Smith (South Carolina) and Sedgwick (Massachusetts) speaking in opposition ( Annals of Congress Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States … (42 vols.; Washington, 1834–56). , 4th...
360Northwestern Land Offices, [5 April] 1796 (Madison Papers)
After JM had spoken on 3 March, a Committee of the Whole rejected Williams’s resolution and continued its debate the next day. An amended bill was sent to the House, which returned it to a select committee. The chairman, Smith (South Carolina), reported a new bill on 28 March, which provided for rectangular surveys six miles square, for the sale of one-half of the townships in lots three miles...