The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-01-09 00:00:00

Welter Leaky; - • -R. Vic
The new Members probe!' haviees gedill‘d
(with the exception of the Senators (reQ Mississippi,
which State is not yet recognised by the Congress),
the usual rules of proceeding anti arrangement *me
adopted. A Committee was appointed to wait on
the President, jointly with such Committee as the
other House should appoiot. And the Senate ad.
join-fled.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
The !loose was called to order by the Clerk to
the last Congress (Mr. Thomas Dougherty), aod,
on calling over the roll of Representatives, it ap-
peared, tbat a large majority of Members were pre-
sent, viz.
From New Hampshire, Messrs. Josiah !killer,
Clifton Claggett, Salina Hale, Arthur Livermore, J.
F. Parrott, Nathaniel Upham.
From Massachusetts, Messrs. Benjamin Adams,
Simnel C. Allen, Walter Folger, jun. Joshea Gage,
John Holmes, Marcus Morton, Jeremiah Nelson,
Benjamin Orr, Albion K. Parris, Nathaniel Ruggles,
Kabdiel Sampson, Henry Shaw, Nathaniel Silsbee,
Silomon Strong, Ezekiel Whitman.
From Rhode Island, Mr. John L. Boss, iu,o. •
From Connecticut, Messrs. Uriel., lielmes, Ebe-
nezer Huntingdon, Jonathan 0. Moseley, Timothy
Pitkin, Samuel B. ,Sherwood, Nathaniel Terry,
Thomas S. Williams'
From Vermont, Messrs. Heman Allen, Samuel C.
Crafts, William Hunter, Orasmos C. Merrill, Charles
Rich, Mark Richards.
From New York, Messrs. Oliver C. Comstock,
Daniel Croger, John P. Cushman, John K. Drake,
Benjamin Ellicott, Josiah Hasbrouck, John Herki-
mer, Thomas 11. Hubbard, William Irving, Dorrance
Kirtland, Thomas Lawyer, John Palmer, James
'Porter, John Savage, Philip J. Schuyler, Tredwell
Scudder, John C. Spencer, Henry It. Storrs, James
Tallmadge, jun. John W. Taylor, Caleb Tompkins,
George Townsend, Peter H. Wendover, Rensellear
Westerlo, James W. Wilkie, Isaac Williams.
From New Jersey, Messrs. Benjamin Bennett,
Joseph Bloomfield, Charles Kinsey, John Linn, H.
Southard.
From Pennsylvania, Messrs. 'William Anderson,
Andrew Boden, Isaac Darlington, Joseph Hopkin.
son, Samuel D. Ingham, William P. Maclay, David
Marchand, Robert Moore, James Murray, 'nos.
Patterson, Levi Pawling, Adam Seybert, Jacob
Spangler, Christian Tarr, James M. Wallace, John
Whiteside, Wm. Wilson.
From lelaware, Mr. Louis M‘Lane.
From Maryland, Messrs. Thomas Culbretb, John
C. Herbert, Peter Little, George Peter, Philip Reed
Samuel Ringold, Samuel Smith, Philip Stuart.
From Virginia, Messrs.. Wm. Lee Ball, Philip P.
Barbour, Burwell Basset, William A. Burwell,
Edward Colston, Robert S. Garnett, Wm. M'Coy,
Charles F. Mercer, Hugh Nelson, Thomas Newton,
James Florian, James Pleasants, Alexander Smith,
George F. Strother, Henry St. George Tucker: John
Ty ler.
From North Carolina, Messrs. Daniel M. Forney,
Thomas H. Hall, George Momford, James Owen,
Lemuel Sawyer, Thos. (Settle, Jesse Stocumb, J. S.l
Smith, Felix Walker, Louis Williams.
From South Carolina, Messrs. Joseph Bellinger,
Wm. Low ndes, Henry Middleton, Stephen D. Miller,
Sterling Tacker.
From Georgia, Joel Abbott, Thomas W. Cobb,
Zadoc Cook, Joel Crawford, John Forsyth, WM.
Terrell.
From Kentucky, Richard C. Anderson, jun.. H.
Clay, Joseph Deshia, R. M. Johnson, Anthony
New, Tonstall Quarles, jun. George Robertson, T.
Speed, David Trimole, David Walker.
From Tennessee, Messrs. Wm. G. Blount, Frei
Jones, G. W. L. Mart, John Rbea.
From Ohio, Messrs. Levi Hubei Philemon Beech.
er, Job's W. Campbell, Samuel Herrick, Wm. H.

Harrison.
From Louisiana, Mr. T. B. Robertson.
From Indiana, Mr. Wm. Hendricks.
The House then proceeded to the choice of
ti
Speaker. On counting the votes, it appeared that
of 147 votes given in, there were for Henry Clay
143—For Samuel Smith 6 Blank 1 ; so that
Mr. Clay was declared to be duly elected Speaker ;
and, being conducted to the chair, the usual
oath was administered to him by Mr. Basset—
when the Speaker made his acknowledgments to the
House in the following terms :
" If we consider, Gentlemen, the free and illus-
trious origin of this Assembly; the extent and mug.
nitodc of the interests committed to its charge ; and
the brilliant prospects of the rising Confederacy,
whose destiny may be materially affected by the le-
gislation of Congress, the House of Representatives
justly milks amongst the most eminent deliberative
hodies that have existed. To be appointed to pre-
side at its deliberations is an emitted honour of which
I entertain the highest sense. And I pray you to
accept, for the flattering manner in which you have
conferred it, my profound acknowledgments.
" If I bring into the Chair, Gentlemen, the ad-
vantage of some experience of its duties, far from
inspiring me with undue confidence, that esperieEe
serves only to fill me with distrust of my own caps.,
city. I have been taeght by it how arduous those
duties are,and how unavailing would be any efforts of
mine to discharge them, without the liberal support
and cheering countenance of the House. I shall
anxiously seek, Gentlemen, to merit that support
and countenance by an undeviating aim at impar-
tiality, and at the preservation of that decorum,
without the observance of which the pubrte business
must be illy traosacted, and the dignity aid.* cha-
racter of the House seriossly impaired."
The Members !ming been severally qualified by
taking the oath to support the Constitution, the
,Hotrse peticeeded to elect a Clerk. On counting the
ballots, it appeared that 144 Tikes were glyen in, all
of which were for Thomas Delifteety, who resumed
his place as Clerk of the Haile.
After the usual incipient proceedings, and Inter-
changing messages with the Senate, the House ad-
journed till out day.

concu.. . the .
In the Noose of Representatives, Dec. 3, it was
agreed, that the President's Message should be re-.
ferred to different Committees, to one upon Foreign
Relations and Internal Affairs, and to one for Manu-
factures. Mr. Clay, the Speaker, moved a very im-
portant Amendment, which he stated to be occasion-
ed by the arrest of officers end ethers from Europe,
who were arrested in their progress through the Uni-
ted States, proceeding to join the Spanish insurgents.
The Amendment was as follows;
" And the said Committee (upon Foreign Affairs)
be instructed to enquire whether any, and if any,
what provisions of law are necessary to ensure to
the American Colonies of Spain a just observance of
the duties incident to the Neutral Relation in which
the United States stand in the existing War between
them and Spain."

PRICE. OF STOCKS THI
Rank Stock 4916
per Cent. Red. 81fiti
9 per Cent. Cowls Blii 81
Coml.' for Acc. 82iiii
4 per Ceut. 990

[S DAY AT ONE O'CLOCKi
5 per Cent. Navy 10611 e
India Banda kb 104 p
---- Stork
Lang Um. 2(
Exebower Bilk 19 2 p

THE STATESMAN.

LONbu :

TRICRAY, JANUARY 9, TATS

--..,i1i11i...--

We give to-day some further extracts from the
American Papers, containing the proceedings of
Congress on the two days after its opening. Dif.
ferent Committees have been appointed to take the
subjects in the PRISIDENY'S Message into considera-
tion. An important motion, by Mr. CLAY, the
Speaker, was agreed to in the House of Represents.
tives, on Wednesday, the 3d ult. It was to the effect
that the Committee on Foreign Relation should be in.
instructed to enquire whether any, and what provisions
of law are necessary to insure the American Colonies of
Spain a just observance of the duties incident to the
neutral relation in which the UnitedStates'staed in
the existing war between them and Spain. This in-
struction is intended to have reference to the cue of
the Officers and others from Europe who were ar-
rested in their progress through the United States to
join the South American Colonists. Mr. CLAY, io
proposing this Ameadment,eapressly stated the cases of
detention mentioned in the Public Prints, and towards
which the attention of the Courts of Jetties had been
directed. &particularly adverted to the aloof the Bri-
tish Officers at Philadelphia, end seemed to admit, not
only that the prosecution was at the instigation of
an agent of the SFinish Government, but that the

lit, 'plait another
case, the Law of Ne

State shall restrain the

not require that one

nation.. At Mr. CLAY justly obsetieci, if those
nations choose to permit their means: to be etnployed
in behalf of either party, " it is their business to
look to it, not ours." The observations of the Anti
rican Speaker are so satisfactorily explanatory en
the subject of the arrest of these Officers, and the
still more important topic of the views of the Ame-
' rican Government regarding the South American coo-
test, that we shall add the report of them in this
place. A knowledge of the fact of the arrest, he
says, had collie to the ears of •the Public Authorities,
or, perhaps, at the itstigation of some.agent of the
Spanish Government, a prosecution was commenced
against these Officers, who, from their inability to pr_
cure bail, had beta confined in prison. If, said Mc.
CLAY, the circumstances attending this transac-
tion be correctly stated, it becomes an imperious duty
in the Mule to institute the enquiry contemplated.
.That this was an extadrirdiniry case, was dernen-
strated by the fact of the general sensation which if
had excited on the Aubject in the place tchere it had
occurred. Pilled as Oat respectable and populous

city is with men differing widely on political topic',
and entertaining various views of public affairs, Gs t
one sentiment, Mr. CLAY ilid, prevailed on this sub-
ject, which was favourable to the persons thus ar-

reigned. With regard to the conduct of the Court
on this occasion, be would say nothing. The re-
spect which he should always shove to every depart.
111
nt of the Government ; the respect he entertained
the Honourable Judge who had presided, forbad
him from pronouncing the decision of that Court to
have been unwarranted by law, but he felt hims,,lf per-
fectly sustained in saying, that if the proceeding was
warranted by the existing law, it was the imperious
duty of Congress to alter the law in this reaped. For
what, he asked, was the neutral oation which one
nation owed to another engaged in war? The es-
sence of it is thii, that the belligerent means of tie
neutral shall not be employed in the war in favour of
either of the parties: that is the whole of the obli-
gation of a third party in a war between two others:
it certainly does not require of one nation to restrain
the belligerent means of other nations. If the
nations choose to permit their means to be employed
in behalf of either party, it is their Wiriness to look
to it, and not ours. Let the conduct of the per-
sons prosecuted be regarded in its most unflsenuroble
light; let it be considered as the passage of troops
through our country, and there . was nothing its
our neutral obligations forbiding it. The passage
of troops through a neutral country, according to
his impressions, was a question depending on the
particular interest, quiet, or repose of the country
traversed, and might be granted or refused at its dis-
cretion, without in any degree affecting the obliga-
tions of the neutral of either of the parties engaged
in controversy. But, sorely, Mr. CLAY said, this
was not a case of the passage of troop., the perilous
apprehended not being in sefficieet numbers, not
organized or equipped in such a manner as, under any
construction, to constitute a military corps. If 111
law justified the proceeding that had taken placer
that law ought to be immediately amended.
That the House agreed with this view of the mat-
ter, appears from the proposition being adopted,
that the law, if any such exists, authorising such
detentions shall be amended. There is certainty
great absurdity and injustice in that professoiu of
neutrality on the part of a Government which ad-
mits the flags of Nations or Colonies into ifs
pool:, whilst its laws pronounce that the moment
the flag and property of such persons enter the ports
of that State, they shall be seized, the one claimed
by the Spanish Minister or Consul, as the property
of Spain, and the others prosecuted as pirates. %Ise
nsay infer from this admission of the American Legis-
lature that its neutrality is to be confined to the con.
duct of its own subjects, and that this is to be rep-
hated according to the quiet, the inclinations, and the
interests of the country.
It would be seen by the Message of the Part-
in:ST, which we gave yesterday, that the indepen-
dence of the Spanish Colonies is anticipated as au
event likely to afford a desirable crmercial cognac.
tion to the United States. No spark of jealoesy
can be traced in any part of the &position, or the
proceedings of the Representatives of the People.--
As little will the legitimate Governments, that seek
to re- establish despotism and the Inquisition
in America, as well as in Europe, be able to
draw corresponding ' aid to their illiberal pro-
jects from the moderate, bat manly document
of the American Faestoeirr. We have already
pointed out the most strikiog and important
passages in this Expose, and remarkeditbe melancholy
contrast which the deficiences in oarßeeenue, the deb *
and berthene, aud miserable privations of this coun-
try, where palaces, and pensions, and hussar uniforo;s,
occasion such an enormous draft from the comforts of
the People, afford,
when compared with the prosper-
ensth situation of the American Citiztos, and "
state of their Treasury, which cut boast, after s- -
ti-fying the eppropriationr mzd: isi !a • for the s"."

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from North Carolina . &giallo! hj,acoe,c*oni ' .
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Jrahn J. Critt 6. 64 ' Teraina*, ga r . ;Obi ! a Committee appointed on that
point of legal Ti.
Williams
_,_. frowiio P. r• liPtiiteds Rlfiltlitlf"ii - A a Resolution for theAdmissios of e
Indiana, Messrs. filler ' Taylor and James obte it • State of in ssippi into the Union ; which was American (Woe of esea • la perfectly *ght
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