Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-05-05
CONGRESS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
C.r,,.,, ~. Aprii 25. 1912.

:
Senate to authorize the President OF the Sc
nate and Speaker of the House OF Represen-.
tatiyes to adjourn their respective Houses on
the 29th inst. to the 9th day OF June and the
same having been twice read
Mr.. Roberts moved to refer it to commit
tee eff the whole. Negatived.
Mr.. Bibb stated to the house that the joint
committee had agreed to arecess to the ! 9th
May. Perceiving that the Senate had not con-
Cured in this proposition, he moved tostrlke
out {" the 9Th day Of June" and insert the
18th day of MAY" He remarked that II must
be obvious to all that the original object OF
such recess, as he had contemplated when ne
first proposed it, was entirely lost by the re-
fusal of the Senate for some days to take up
the subject. He had proposed then to adjourn
to 18th June, time which would have allow
ed ain opportunity to all to visit their family,
and might have been agreed to I'D his opinion
without public detriment. Buttwo weeks had
since elapsed, & his object was defeated. lie
had before stated that he apprehended there
was no intention on the part OF either house
to take any ultimate step till the expiration OF
the embargo; inasmuch as most OF the mea-
sures concerning our foreign relations had
been taken, he saw no improperly IN recess
for the intermediate time which would be
better spent at home than here IN dong no.
thing. But now, so far as he could collect
the sentiments OF the house, he dad not IND
that there was an intention to delay their hnal
proceedings to the close OF the embargo
Although he would agree to adjourn Tor tsw
DAYS because he believed there was nothing OF
pressing importance requiring attention De-
fore such recess would explrc !; yet as he
vas willing himself to proceed TO the tnai
step whenever propositl1n Tor that purpose
should be made, and as he believed II "ouid
be earlier than had been supposed, he was not
now willing to adjourn. The only Objection
he had heard to a short recess, was, that II
would have an nnfavorable effect on the pub
lie feeling. He held no such opinion Every
one must have seen how weary the members
had become, and that daily applications were
made for leave of absence. Now tor hlmSct,
though he should have no opportunity to visit
his family, Mr. B said he had no objection to
give those who lived nearer an opportunity to
see theirs; and to others permission mean
while to spend their time as agreeable as they
could.
instead Of 9Th June WAS negatised
For the motion ~
Against it 64
Mr.. Little moved to strike out " the 9Th day
of june SO as to leave the resolution blank
as to the time to which they should adjourn
The motion was negatiycd, Ayes -.
Mr.. Wright moved to strike out the 29th
inst. and insert the 9th May as the day OF adj
ieurnment.
Mr.. Blackledge doubted whether time
would be allowed, even with this amendment,
r. do the necessary business before they ad-
iourned.
Mr.. Grundy stated the Importance of this
Question, about now to be decided upon too
hastily he adyerted to the multiplicity OF bu
sincss before congress, and the necessity tor
certain amendments to existing laws, which
could not be prepared by Wednesday next.
To give little time to reflect on this subject
he moved to postpone the further considera-
ton of il to Monday.
For Postpenement 50
Against postponement. GO
A motion was made to adjourn, and mega
lived. Ayes 46.
Mr.. Calhoun supported Mr.. Wrlght's a.
and detailed several bills actually
necessary to be acted on before an adjourn
ment. Amongst those objects, he enumerat-
ed amendments to the laws establishing quar-
termaster and Commissary Generals Depart
ment, the regulation Of the ordnance, sc. &c.
Mr.. Newton added that there was rule
of the Senate by which one member, by OBJ
iecting, could prevent bills being read twice
in one day. If they were to agree to this re-
solution, therefore, they could tie the house
neck and heels and deliver it over into the
power of the Senate; as three Legislative days
only would intervene between this day and the
day proposed for the adjournment, and no
measure could be got through If any one mem