New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-02-18

its permanent seat several wealthy clIiLehs ~
vsnced on this emergency the sum OF -52,5Oo'
With these funds a remodeing and extensive re,
pairs were az once commenced and the renovated /
building renamed Federal Hall, was placed oy /
the City Council at the disposal OF the new Con |
gress. The day appointed for that body to meet /
was ushered in by the firing OF cannon ana tue /
ringing of bells repeated at noon and at sunset I
but. somewhat to the modification OF the more
jealous Federalists, only eight Senators and thr-
teen Representatives made their appearance
not enough TO form quorum OF either house'
Not having received any accession TO tneH mum
ber the Senators present issued, few days AFTER
a pressing circular letter to their absent col
LEAGUES. AT the end of another week a second
circular was issued but the month had almost
expired before either house could muster quo
rum In the latter days OF the Confederation, sad
habits had been introduced OF negligence ana oe
lay in all that related to federal AFFAIRS w ant OIL
punctuality was indeed far more eXcusaole then
than now As yet public conveyances were rare
indeed almost unknown. The Continental Oon
gress had lately authorized the Postmaster-den
eral to contract for the transmission OF the mau
over the great route along the sea coast oy d me
Of stages, to carry passengers also out tnls
scheme, as yet was very impertectly carried OUT
and most Of the Members were obliged to make
their way to New. York slowly on horseoacR' or
else by sea, at that time the usual and almost sole
means of communication between New I Ork ana
the extreme Southern States At that early sea,
son of the year. the roads in many places ana
especially the fords of the rivers, were apt 70 De
rendered impossible by 6oods-a topic In which
the New. York newspapers found consolation Tor
the hardness Of Congress in coming togetner'
Add to this that owing in some cases TO the iate
day fixed for the election, in Others to repeated
failures Of choice, part OF the Representatives
were not yet chosen. 1t accorded with TINS gen
eral system OF tardiness that Federal Hail. not
vet completed, was still under the hands OF the
carpenters.
An able andinteresting sketchofthe debates oil the
frat tariff is given by Mr. Hildreth, presenting some
facts in the history of early legislation, which
may not be familiar to the younger class Of read
ers The House did not wait for the inausura
ton OF the President before the subject was
brought up Within two days after counting the
votes the question was stated by Madison, in the
first Committee Of the Whole into which the
House had resolved itself. He suggested the
adoption of a temporary system Of imposts, based
on that proposed by the Continental Congress,
and which he'd been sssented to by all the States
except New-York With this view he intro
duced a resolution enumeratng certain articles as
subjects for specific duties, the amount being lett
blank proposing an ad vaorem duty on other
articles and a tunnage duty on vessels. The
tariff which grew out of this debate still lies at
the foundation of our existing revenue system
The points which have been made so prominent
in our more recent politics were fully developed
| in the discussions at that time with the single
exception that the idea was not broached Of
want of power in the Federal Government to lay
duties for protection.
Passing over the Congressional Debates for
period of two years. we come to the Session of
the Second Congress in 1891, in the City of Phla'
delphia. A lively sketch is presented by Mr..
| Hildreth Of several of its leading members.
MEMBERS OF THE SECOND CONGRESS.
Though the greater part of the retiring Sena-
tors had been reelected, some changes had taken
place in that body. Preterring to conhne himself
to his duties as President of Columbia College,
| Johnson had resigned, and his seat as Senator
from Connecticut was filled by the venerable
Sherman. Another new Member was George
Cabot of Massachusetts. since Bowdons recent
death the most distinguished merchant OF New
England. Bred originally a ship MASTER by sa-
gacity in mercantile matters he had acquired an
ample fortune, and being much more than mere
merchant, endowed with vigorous and compre-
hensive understanding, at the same time reader
of books and an observer OF men, lew persons
were better qualified for the difficult task OF judi
cious legislation. Moses Robinson, once Gov
ernor and repeatedly Chief Justice of Vermont,
appeared as one Of the Senators for that new
State; the other was Stephen w. Bradley, long
active POLITICIAN. d Ut the most TculdIhdOlC
| of the new Senators was Aaron Burr OF New
| York, successor to General Schuyler. There was
majority of Federalists in the New ork Assem-
bly, sufficient TO have secured the reelection OF
SCHUYLER but the plain, downright, and not very
| ceremonious manners of the old General placed
him at decided disadvantage when compared
with the arttul, atiabe, and fascinating Burr.
| In the late gubernatorial contest Burr had
supported the Anti. Cntonian candidate, aud he
doubtless succeeded in satisfying the Federallsts
that he, as well as Schuyler, was on their side.
Bur's grandfather was German, who had set
tied originally in Fairfield, in Connecticut; his
father minister of Newark, in NewJersey, was
the first President of Princeton College; his
| mother was daughter of the celebrated Jonathan
| Edwards After graduating at Princeton at an
early age, he had commenced the study oil the
law; but the war of the Revolution breaking out,
he had Joined the camp before Boston, and had
followed Arnold in his expedition to Canada.
Montgomery appointed him Aid de. Camp, and
| he stood at that Generals side when he was
| killed in the assault on Quebec. He was alter
ward an Abide. Camp to Putnam, in which csPacl
| ty he served during the retreat from Newly ork.
| Upon the organization OF the permanent army he
was so fortunate as TO obtain the command OF one
| Of the New York battaliOns. Not thinking him
self sufficiently noticed by Washington, who
seems to have early penetrated his character he
conceived a bitter hostility against the Command
er in Chief and actively participated In the In
trigue of Conway and Mitilin. He also sided with
Lee in the difficulty growing out of the battle OF
Monmouth in which engagement Burr bore
part. After two active campaigns be resigned
his commission and recommended the study OF
the law, upon the practice of which he entered at
! New.York shortly after its evacuation by the
British. An act had been passed by the Legsla
ture just before the peace and in anticipation OF
it, dsquaifying from practice all attorneys and
counselors who could not produce satisfactory
certificates of Wing principles. This Law remain,
ed in force for three or four years, and it enabled
| Burr, Hamilton, and other young advocates TO OBJ
| tain run of practice which otherwise they might
not have reached so early. Hamilton was indeed
very able lawyer, but Burr, though regarded as