SENATE.] Adjournment. took up the bill to authorize the surveying and making a road in the Territory of Arkansas. Mr. CHAMBERS moved to add to this bill a section appropriating 45,000 dollars for the repair of the Cumberland road. Mr. EATON moved to lay the bill on the table, as being calculated to involve important principles; and which would give rise to much discussion. Mr. CHAMBERS withdrew his motion, and the bill was then laid on the table. On motion of Mr. KING, the Senate insisted on their amendment to the bill for the relief of the Florida Indians, but the Senate subsequently receded from it. On motion of Mr. NOBLE, the Committee on Pensions were discharged from the further consideration of the bill from the other House for the relief of invalid pensioners; stating, as a reason, that the bill had been kept back in the other House until so late a day, that there was not time for the committee to investigate the great number of cases embraced by the bill, and that it could not, therefore, be acted on at the present session, having been received only two or three days since. On motion of Mr. EATON, the Senate proceeded to reconsider the vote on the bill making appropriations for the public buildings in Washington; and Mr. CHAMBERS then offered the amendment relative to the Cumberland road, which had been before offered and with drawn. Some discussion ensued, in which Messrs. EATON, CHAMBERS, CHANDLER, BERRIEN, EDWARDS, HAYNE, HARRISON, FINDLAY, and TAZEWELL, took part. Mr. MARKS moved to amend the amendment by striking out $45,000 and inserting $30,000. Mr. TAZEWELL inquired of the Chair whether the bill had not passed which the gentleman from Tennessee wished to reconsider? Was not the question which was now pending, whether the vote for passing the bill should be reconsidered or not? And he wished to know, after a bill had passed a third reading, and the question for reconsideration coming on, whether an amendment could be offered to a bill that had passed? The Chair decided that the bill now stood as it did on its third reading, and an amendment could not be offered-it could only be got at by recommitment. Mr. CHAMBERS then moved to recommit the bill to the Committee on the District of Columbia, with instructions to report an amendinent of 30,000 dollars for the repair of the Cumberland road. Mr. HAYNE moved to lay the bill on the table; stating that the public buildings must suffer the fate of the Cumberland road appropriation, if gentlemen would insist on tacking the one to the other; and the motion was decided in the negative, by yeas and nays, as follows: [MAY, 1826. YEAS.-Messrs. Berrien, Chandler, Harper, Hayne Macon, Tazewell, White-7. NAYS.-Messrs. Barton, Bouligny, Branch, Chambers, Chase, Dickerson, Eaton, Edwards, Findlay, Harrison, Hendricks, Holmes, Johnston of Lou siana, Kane, King, Lloyd, Marks, Noble, Robbins, Ruggles, Seymour, Smith, Thomas, Williams, Woodbury-25. The question was then taken on the recommitment, and decided in the affimative, by yeas and nays, as follows: YEAS.-Messrs. Barton, Bouligny, Chambers, Eaton, Findlay, Harrison, Hendricks, Holmes, Johnston of Louisiana, Kane, Lloyd, Marks, Noble, Ruggles, Seymour, Smith, Thomas-17. NAYS.-Messrs. Berrien, Branch, Chandler, Chase, Robbins, Tazewell, White, Woodbury—14. Dickerson, Edwards, Harper, Hayne, King, Macon, The committee, in a short time, reported the bill, with the aforesaid amendment. Mr. TAZEWELL inquired whether the bill, having been already once read this day, could be again read? The Chair decided that the recommitment took the third reading off, and that every thing that regarded the passage of the bill went for nothing when it was recommitted. The question was then put on considering the report of the committee, (proposing the Cumberland road appropriation,) and was decided in the affirmative-ayes 17. The question then was on agreeing to the amendment of the bill, reported by the committee. After some discussion between Messrs. TAZE WELL, SMITH, HOLMES, CHANDLER, CHAMBERS, NOBLE, BERRIEN, and HARRISON— Mr. WOODBURY offered an amendment to the amendment, "providing that a sum equal in amount to the said appropriation remains unexpended of the two per cent. fund;" which was decided in the negative, by yeas and nays, as follows: YEAS.-Messrs. Berrien, Branch, Chandler, Dickerson, Edwards, Harper, Hayne, King, Macon, Rowan, Tazewell, White, Woodbury—13. NAYS.-Messrs. Bouligny, Chambers, Chase, Eaton, Findlay, Harrison, Hendricks, Holmes, Johnston of Louisiana, Kane, Lloyd, Marks, Noble, Ruggles, Seymour, Smith, Thomas-17. The question was then taken on agreeing to the amendment reported by the committee, and was decided in the affirmative, by yeas and nays, 17 to 14. And the bill was then ordered to a third reading, and subsequently passed, as amended, and sent to the House of Representatives for concurrence in the amendment. And then, at 4 o'clock on Sunday morning, the Senate adjourned. MAY, 1826.] Adjournment. [SENATE. tives that the Senate, having finished the Leg- Mr. SMITH reported, from the Joint Comislative business before them, are about to ad-mittee, that they had waited on the President journ. The Senate concurred in the joint resolution to wait on the President of the United States, with the information, that the two Houses, having concluded their Legislative business, were about to adjourn; and Messrs. SMITH and LLOYD were appointed the committee on the part of the Senate. Soon after, of the United States, who informed them that he had no further communication to make. The President of the Senate, pro tempore, made a short address, wishing the members of the Senate a safe return home, that they might find their families well, and that their days might be many. And then the Senate adjourned. Kerr, Joseph Kent, Peter Little, Robert N. Martin, George *LIST OF MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRE- E. Mitchell, George Peter, Thomas C. Worthington. SENTATIVES. Maine.-John Anderson, Wm. Burleigh, Ebenezer Herrick, David Kidder, Enoch Lincoln, Jeremiah O'Brien, Peleg Sprague. New Hampshire.-Ichabod Bartlett, Titus Brown, Nehemiah Eastman, Jonathan Harvey, Joseph Healy, Thomas Whipple, Jr. Massachusetts.-Samuel C. Allen, John Bailey, Francis Baylies, B. W. Crowninshield, John Davis, Henry W. Dwight, Edward Everett, Aaron Hobart, Samuel Lathrop, John Locke, John Reed, John Varnum, Daniel Webster. Rhode Island.-Tristram Burges, Dutee J. Pearce. Connecticut.-John Baldwin, Noyes Barber, Ralph J. Ingersoll, Orange Merwin, Elisha Phelps, Gideon Tomlin son. Vermont.-Wm. C. Bradley, Rollin C. Mallary, John Mattocks, Ezra Meech, George E. Wales. New York.-Parmenio Adams, Wm. G. Angel, Henry Ashley, Luther Badger, Churchill C. Cambreleng, William Deitz, Nicol Fosdick, Daniel G. Garnsey, John Hallock, jun., Abra. B. Hasbrouck, Moses Hayden, Michael Hoffman, Charles Humphrey, Jeromus Johnson, Charles Kellogg, William McManus, H. C. Martindale, Henry Markell, Dudley Marvin, John Miller, Timothy H. Porter, Henry H. Ross, Robert S. Rose, Joshua Sands, Henry R. Storrs, James Strong, John W. Taylor, (Speaker,) Egbert Ten Eyck, Stephen Van Rensselaer, Gulian C. Verplanck, Aaron Ward, Elisha Whittemore, Bartow White, Silas Wood. New Jersey.-George Cassedy, Lewis Condict, Daniel Garrison, George Holcombe, Samuel Swan, Ebenezer Tucker. Pennsylvania.-William Addams, James Buchanan, Samuel Edwards, Patrick Farrelly, John Findlay, Robert Harris, Joseph Hemphill, Samuel D. Ingham, George Kremer, Joseph Lawrence, Samuel McKean, Philip 8. Markley, Daniel H. Miller, Charles Miner, James S. Mitchell, John Mitchell, Robert Orr, George Plumer, Andrew Stewart, James S. Stevenson, Alexander Thompson, Espy Van Horne, James Wilson, Henry Wilson, George Wolfe, John Wurtz. Delaware.-Louis McLane. Maryland.-John Barney, Clement Dorsey, John Leeds Virginia.-Mark Alexander, William S. Archer, William Armstrong, John S. Barbour, Burwell Bassett, Nathaniel H. Claiborne, Thomas Davenport, Benjamin Estill, John Floyd, Robert S. Garnett, Joseph Johnson, William McCoy, Charles F. Mercer, Thomas Newton, Alfred H. Powell, William C. Rives, William Smith, Andrew Stevenson, John Taliaferro, Robert Taylor, James Trezvant. [One vacancy.] North Carolina.-Willis Alston, John H. Bryan, Samuel P. Carson, Henry W. Conner, Weldon N. Edwards, Richard Hines, Gabriel Holmes, John Long, Archibald McNell, Willie P. Mangum, Romulus M. Saunders, Lemuel Sawyer, Lewis Williams. South Carolina.-John Carter, William Drayton, Joseph Gist, Andrew R. Govan, James Hamilton, George McDuffie, Thomas R. Mitchell, Starling Tucker, John Wilson. Georgia.-George Cary, Alfred Cuthbert, John Forsyth, Charles E. Haynes, James Merriwether, Edward F. Tattnall, Wiley Thompson. Kentucky.-Richard A. Buckner, James Clarke, Robt. P. Henry, James Johnson, Francis Johnson, Joseph Lecompte, Robert P. Letcher, Thomas Metcalfe, Thomas P. Moore, Dsvid Trimble, Charles A. Wickliffe, Wm. 8. Young. Tennessee.-Adam R. Alexander, Robert Allen, John Blair, John Cocke, Samuel Houston, Jacob C. Isacks, John H. Marable, James C. Mitchell, James K. Polk. Ohio.-Mordecai Bartley, Philemon Beecher, John W. Campbell, James Findlay, David Jennings, William McLean, John Sloane, John Thompson, Joseph Vance, Samuel F. Vinton, Elisha Whittlesey, Wm. Wilson, John Woods, John C. Wright. Louisiana.-Wm. L. Brent, Henry W. Gurley, Edward Livingston. Mississippi.-Christopher Rankin. Indiana.-Ratliff Boon, Jonathan Jennings, John Test. Illinois.-Daniel P. Cook. Alabama.-John McKee, Gabriel Moore, George W. Owen Missouri.-John Scott. DELEGATES. Michigan Territory.-Austin E. Wing. Arkansas Territory.-Henry W. Conway. Florida Territory.-Joseph M. White. DECEMBER, 1825.] Unclaimed Dividends on United States Stock. [H. OF R. of a Speaker; and, on the first balloting, there | pose by the Senate, to wait upon the President JOHN W. TAYLOR, JOHN W. TAYLOR, having the constitutional number of votes, was accordingly announced to have been elected Speaker of the House, | and was conducted by Mr. NEWTON (the Father of the House) to the chair, whence he delivered the following address: "GENTLEMEN: When I see around me so many Representatives whose virtues and talents adorn our country-whose services, at home and abroad, in the cabinet and in the field, in Halls of Legislation and Judicial tribunals, have largely contributed to our national prosperity-I am penetrated with gratitude for the favorable opinion which has recalled me to this distinguished station. My brief experience has served rather to assure me that its duties are arduous, than to create confidence in my ability to discharge them to your satisfaction. Every effort, however, of which I am capable, shall be faithfully directed to merit your support. "In the complex questions frequently presented to the Chair for prompt decision, unerring accuracy is scarcely attainable. When mistakes occur, my best endeavors shall not be wanting to correct them, and to repair whatever injury they may have occasioned. "With an anxious desire that your countenance and advice will not be withheld, and that the just expectations of your constituents may be fulfilled, in our legislative labors, I enter upon the duties of this important trust." The members having respectively taken the oath of office, On motion of Mr. LATHROP, MATTHEW ST. CLAIR CLARKE, Esq., former Clerk of the House, was appointed Clerk for the present Congress; JOHN OSWALD DUNN, Sergeant-at-Arms; BENJAMIN BURCH, Doorkeeper; and OVERTON CARR, Assistant Doorkeeper. These officers having been sworn, The usual resolutions were adopted, continuing the Rules of Order adopted by the last Congress; appointing 12 o'clock as the stated hour of meeting, and directing the Clerk to furnish the members with newspapers. A message was received from the Senate, that they were assembled, and ready to proceed to business; when, Messrs. TRIMBLE and LATHROP were appointed a Committee of the House, to join such committee as should be appointed for that pur of the United States, and inform him that a quorum of the two Houses were met, and ready to receive any communication he might have to make. A farther message was received from the Senate, that they had appointed a similar committee, consisting of Messrs. SMITH and LLOYD, of Massachusetts. And then the House adjourned. TUESDAY, December 6. Mr. TRIMBLE, from the joint committee appointed to wait on the President of the United States, reported that the committee had performed the duty assigned them, and that the President had replied that, at 12 o'clock this day, he would send to each House a message in writing. At twenty minutes past 12, the Message (which will be found in the Senate Debate) was brought in by the President's Secretary, (Mr. JOHN ADAMS, jr.,) and read at the Clerk's table. The reading occupied one hour. The message was accompanied by reports to the President from the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Navy, and the Postmaster General, with other documents. The Message and reports were referred to the Committee of the whole House on the state of the Union. Six thousand copies of the Message, and six hundred copies of the reports, &c., were ordered to be printed. THURSDAY, December 15. Unclaimed Dividends on United States Stock. The following resolution, yesterday offered by Mr. LIVINGSTON, was taken up: "Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed to lay before this House a detailed account, containing the names of the several persons to whom the unclaimed dividends of the funded debt of the United States appear to be due; the amount due to each; the species of stock on which they have grown due; and the period since which the dividend has not been claimed. And that he also give a like detailed account of all such dividends as, having been unclaimed for three years or more, have afterwards been paid to any one appearing to represent the stockholder, or his representative, as attorney in fact; together with the name and residence of such attorney." Mr. LIVINGSTON, on introducing the above resolution, observed that he had done so in consequence of a report made by the Secretary of the Treasury in answer to a call by this House, which directed him to state the gross amount only of the dividends referred to in the resolution. The report of that officer was in strict accordance with the terms of the call. It gave the gross amount only, and from that report, it appeared that the Treasurer of the United States had in his hands $226,845 89 of moneys, belonging to individuals, but which remained H. OF R.] Western Armory. [DECEMBER, 1825, unclaimed by those to whose credit it stood to pay money which is not ours, and which upon the books; and the simple question was, we wish to keep. That is the fraud. But this whether the Government will give to these in- danger of fraud, of which gentlemen speak, if it dividuals the knowledge of this fact, in order exist at all has been greatly magnified, and, inthat they may ask for that which is their due. stead of being prevented, is greatly favored and When, at the last session of Congress, he had increased by the present state of things. The presented this subject for consideration, he had existence of such an amount of unclaimed div done so in the unsuspecting assurance that it idends cannot be an entire secret-that is imwould meet with no opposition from any quar- possible in the nature of things. The knowlter. He had not conceived that opposition edge of it will exist somewhere; somebody was possible. He had presumed that the first will know what these amounts are, and to rules of probity, which govern nations, as they whose credit they stand. But where is this govern individuals, would, as a matter of knowledge now? In the Branch Bank of this course, induce the United States to tell the city. The president and cashier of that bank persons in whose name these sums stood, that know it; all their clerks know it; and through their money was ready for them. To his in- the indiscretion or carelessness of these clerks finite surprise he had since heard such objec- a few of their friends probably know it. Now, tions as he never could have anticipated. It sir, is fraud likely to be prevented by keeping was most clear that the persons referred to that a secret among some ten or twenty per must be ignorant of the rights which they pos- sons, which ought to be known to all the world! sessed. This was evident from the fact that If any powers of attorney are likely to be forged, large sums had been suffered to lie useless and are they not most likely to be so when the seunemployed, some of them for very many cret remains in a few hands? And is there, or years. And it appeared to him quite as clear can there be any better mode of preventing that they ought to be apprised of their rights. such frauds than by laying the whole case open This was the object of the resolution. His de- to the knowledge of the whole community sire was, that, so soon as this report shall be received, it shall immediately be made public, for the benefit of all concerned, that every man may apply for, and receive, his due. Let it be remembered by the House that the amounts thus to be published were not amounts of doubtful or unliquidated claims, but the amount of acknowledged and ascertained rights, and that the only effect to the Government would be, that it would cause it to restore property which it could not, with probity, retain. Yet, strange as it might appear, some gentlemen had urged objections to a measure thus palpably equitable. What were they? It had, in the first place, been urged, that, as these sums were unknown to the owners there was no necessity of publishing them. That they were unknown to the owners is undoubtedly true. They must have been unknown or they would have been demanded. But, it was said, if we publish to the world these names and sums, others besides the true owner will get the intelligence, powers of attorney will immediately be forged, the moneys will be drawn by those who have no right to them, and a general scene of fraud and speculation will infallibly ensue. This, perhaps, to a certain extent, might happen; but, which was worse-that the Government should keep money which does not belong to it, or that it should give the rightful owners at least a chance of receiving what was their own? Fraud! On whom? On those who do not know their rights-are not demanding them and, in the present state of things, will never obtain them. Such persons surely cannot be defrauded; for they cannot be more "Resolved by the Senate and House of Representa injured than they are, by keeping their money tives of the United States of America in Congress as forever in the Treasury. They do not get it assembled, That the President of the United States be it is, and they could but lose it in any case. authorized and required to procure the officers of No, sir, the fraud is, that we should be obliged the Engineer Department, who are now engaged in Mr. WICKLIFFE observed, that he recollected the gentleman's having, at the last session, of fered a resolution similar to this, but that, after some discussion, the House refused to adopt it. He had now listened with interest to the arguments the gentleman had urged in support of it, and which were certainly entitled to consideration. He believed, however, that more mischief was likely to arise from the publication of this list of balances, than the gentleman was aware of. The amount of them struck him as very extraordinary to have been suffered to remain thus long uncalled for. He rose, however, not directly to oppose the resolution of the gentleman from Louisiana, but merely to ask that it be permitted to lie on the table for a few days. He felt very sure that the publication would cause a vast scene of speculation through the country, by persons buying up the rights of unconscious owners; and before the House consented to the call, he was desirous that further time be allowed for reflection upon it. He then moved that it lie on the table; but withdrew the motion to give an opportunity for reply. The question being put on this motion it was carried, and the resolution of Mr. LIVINGSTON was accordingly laid upon the table. Western Armory. On motion of Mr. BLAIR, the House went into Committee of the Whole, Mr. LATHROP in the chair, and took up the joint resolution offered some days since, by Mr. BLAIR, in the following words: |