Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-27
The house of
plainly marked prices
Handwriting Of Former
Presidents Is Preserved

Gentlemen of the Senate submits a long
list of nominations of judges, attorneys
and marshals. including the members or
the Supreme Court, as follows: John Jay
of New York, Chief Justice, and John
Rutledge of South Carolina. James VIII
son of Pennsylvania, William Gushing Of
Massachusetts, Robert II. Harrison of
Maryland and John Blair of Virginia, as
sociate justices. On March 3. 1895. Wash
ington sent brief message to the Sem
ate nominating Oliver Ellsworth of Con-
necticut.- in place of William Gushing of
Massachusetts.
The earlier messages of John Adams
are all in his own handwriting. His
first is remarkable from the fact that in
it he dominates his own son to be min
lister to Prussia. The message reads:
Gentlemen Of the Senate: I nominate
John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts to
be minister plenipotentiary from the
United States to the King of Prussia.
JOHN ADAMS,
United States, Goth Of May, 1897
This custom of dating his messages
Omitted States" was evidently peculiar
to Adams. It appears on none of the
other messages on file in the Senate
archives. There are more messages of
John Adams, all in his large, easily
read chirography. and then comes one
which is doubtless regarded by histo-
rianS and collectors of manuscripts as
greater in value than any of the
others. This is a message sent to the
Senate by Mr.. Adams July 2, 1898, and
reading thus:
Gentlemen Of the Senate: I nominate
George Washington of Mount Vernon
to be Lieutenant General and Com
mander-in-Chief OF the armies raised
in the United States"
An autograph collector. in recently
that he would, gladly give $4,000 foA
this piece Of paper. But 1T is needless
to remark that 1t would not be obtain
able for very much larger sum-
The first message from Adams to the
Senate not in his own handwriting
still dates the communication from
the United States. but the signature is
simply adams" The message reads:
Gentlemen OF the Senate: I nominate
be Chief Justice of the United States,
in the place Of John Jay, who has de-
clined the appointment"
One of the. most interesting docu-
ments in the book is the manuscript
of Thomas Jeffersons speech to the
Senate when he called that body to
order as Vice President at the COM
mencement of the session March 4.
1877. This manuscript was found lying
on the Vice Presidents desk after the
preserved by clerk.
The House Of Representatives sent to
the Senate February 10, 1903. a message
notifying 1t Of the passage of IAN act
making further provision for the ex-
penses attending the intercourse between
the United States and foreign nations. In
considering the bill in the House the
unusual course was adopted of going
into secret Legislative session. The pro-
cedure was communicated to the Senate
in the following message of admonition:
The nature and Importance of the
measure contemplated have induced us
to act upon the subject with closed doors.
You will, Of course, consider this COM
munication as confidential
This unique message is written in a
great. round, bold hand. and signed by
the first clerk OF the House of Repre-
sentatives, John Beckley. The available
record fails to show similar proceedings
by the House of Representatives since
that date.
Among original messages from Andrew
Jackson preserved in this historic col
| lection Is the first sent to the Senate. 1t
i, is date washington, December %. 1885, -
| and addressed simply ITO the Senate"
| It submits tho names and nominations
of all the members OF his cabinet. and
adds the following:
| Il nominate Roger B. fancy, ESQ, of