circular instruction, confining, if practicable, the trade to the eastern ports of the United States. This message contains some remarks on the policy of Great Britain, and her mode of warfare, and recommends to the consideration of congress, the better to guard against the effects of individual cupidity and treachery, the expediency of an effectual prohibition of any trade whatever, by citizens or inhabitants of the United States, under special licences, and, in aid thereof, a prohibition of all exports under foreign bottoms. $25. 6. A message transmitting a correspondence relative to the repeal of the Berlin and Milan decrees, and touching the relations between the United States and France, in pursuance of a resolution of the house of representatives of the first of March, 1813. The subject of this message gave rise to a great deal of discussion in the following session of congress, and resolutions were passed by the house of representatives, requesting further information on the subject, in consequence of which a more full elucidation was laid before them, a particular account of which will be found in the proceedings of that session. The whole of the presidential messages with the accompanying documents will be found in a subsequent part of this volume, excepting the letters containing the accounts of the naval captures, which are given in their proper place in volume 2. § 26. The following appropriations were made by congress during the session. For defraying the expenses of the military establishment of the United States, including the volunteers and militia in actual service, for the year 1813, for the Indian department, and for the expense of fortifications, arsenals, and armories, the following sums, that is to say: For the pay of the army of the United States, including the pay of the artificers and labourers in the quarter-master-general's and ordnance departments, and of the private servants kept by officers, and for the pay of the volunteers and militia in the actual service of the United States, $ 5,168,808 For forage to officers, For the subsistence of the army, and volunteers 109,224 and militia, 2,977,531 For clothing, 2,015,884 For bounties and premiums, 557,740 For fortifications, For arsenals, magazines, and armories, For the quarter-master-general's department, including fuel, straw, barrels, quarters, tools, and all expenses incident to transportation, 497,000 352,208 For contingencies, For purchasing books, maps, and plans, For the salary of the commissary-general of pur- For the salary of the clerks employed in the offi- For the Indian department, For the repayment of the sum of 527 dollars, being a balance due the state of Maryland of monies paid by that state to the United States, as the purchase money of public arms, which had not been fully supplied. 2,300,000 305,317 2,500 3,000 8,000 12,000 164,500 527 For defraying the expenses of the navy, during the year 1813, the following sums, that is to say: For the pay and subsistence of the officers, and pay of the seamen, $ 1,668,000 For pay due to the officers and crews of the public ships and other vessels in commission for the year 1812, 365,000 For provisions, 775,000 For medicines, instruments, hospital stores, and all expenses on account of the sick, 100,000 For repair of vessels, 640,000 For freight, store rent, all other contingent expenses, 250,000 For expenses of navy-yards, comprising docks and other improvements, pay of superintendants, store-keepers, clerks, and labourers, For ordnance, and for ordnance and military stores, For pay and subsistence of the marine corps, including provisions for those on shore, and forage for the staff, For clothing for the same For military stores, for the same, For medicine, medical services, hospital stores, 90,000 100,000 245,391 70 71,788 10 27,608 75 and all other expenses on account of the sick belonging to the marine corps, For quarter-masters' and barrack-masters' stores, officers' travelling expenses, armorrers' and carpenters' bill, fuel, premiums for enlisting men, musical instruments, bounty to music, and other contingent expenses of the marine corps, 20,000 46,000 For building and equipping four seventy-fours and six frigates, 2,500,000 For building six sloops of war, and for building vessels on the lakes, 900,000 For establishing a dock yard, 100,000 For defraying the expense of preparing, print ing, signing, &c., the treasury notes, and for commissions on their sale, 65,000 For rewarding the officers and crews of the 125,000 For alterations and repairs in the capitol, 5,000 § 27. This session of congress ended on the 3d of March, 1813, by the expiration of their constitutional term. 13th CONGRESS-1st SESSION. CHAPTER IV. § 1. Meeting of the 13th congress. 2. Election of speaker. § 3. Message of the president. 4. Russian mediation. 5. Conduct of the war. 6. Internal revenue. §7. Treasury report. § 8. Report of the committee of ways and means. 9. Direct Tax. § 10. Tax on stills. 11. On refined sugar. § 12. On licences to retailers. § 13. On sales at auction. § 14. Duties on carriages. § 15. Stamp duties. § 16. Commencement of the taxes. 17. Penalties. § 18. Terms of payment. § 19. Collection. § 20. Assessment and collection of the direct taxes. § 21. Continuance of the internal duties. § 22. Debate on the tax bills. § 23. Votes on their passage. § 24. Tax on imported salt. $1. A NUMBER of important objects having been left unfinished by the constitutional demise of the 12th congress on the 4th of March, 1813, particularly the settling a revenue to meet the increased expences incident to a state of war, and to make up the deficiencies occasioned by the consequent stagnation of commerce, it became necessary to hold an extra session early in the ensuing summer. The 24th of May had therefore been fixed by law for that purpose. Accordingly, at 12 o'clock of that day, Elbridge Gerry, esq. the vice-president of the United States, took his seat in the senate chamber. On calling over the roll it appeared that there were 25 members present, which being more than a quorum, the vice-president rose and delivered an appropriate address, and the usual preparatory orders were adopted. In the house of representatives, the late clerk called to order precisely at 12; the roll of the members was then called over by states, when it appeared that 148 members had answered to their names. § 2. A large majority having been thus ascertained to be present, the house proceeded to the choice of a speaker. Three tellers were named by the clerk, who, after counting the ballots, reported the votes as follows: 89 For Henry Clay Scattering 5 Mr. Clay being accordingly declared duly elected, was conducted by the tellers to the chair, from which, after having been sworn, he addressed the house in an appropriate speech. The members were then sworn in by states, after which the house elected their clerk, door-keepers, and sergeant at arms*. After the usual orders were adopted in respect to furnishing the members with newspapers, &c., a committee was appointed jointly with a committee from the senate, to wait on the presi dent, and inform him that the two houses were ready to receive any communication he might have to make. 3. The following day the president, as usual, transmitted his message to both houses. 4. In this communication, the president commences by noticing his acceptance of the formal offer made by the emperor of Russia, of his mediation, as the common friend of both parties, for the purpose of bringing about a peace between the United States and Great Britain, and of the appointment of the American commissioners without waiting for the acceptance of Great Britain, to avoid the delay incident to the distance of the parties. After observing, that, although no adequate motives exist on the part of Britain to prefer a continuance of war to the terms on which the United States are willing to close, the president suggests that it is our true policy, to adapt our measures to the supposition, that the only course to that happy event is in the vigorous prosecution of the war. 5. As an encouragement to perseverance, he notices the brilliant achievements of our infant navy, the success of the army at York, and the repulse of the enemy at fort Meigs. 6. The president then, adverting to the situation of the treasury, urges the necessity of providing a well digested system of internal revenue. This, he observes, will have the effect not only of abridging the amount of necessary loans, but of improving the terms on which they may be obtained. In recommending, continues he, "this resort to additional taxes, I feel great satisfaction in the assurance, that our constituents, who have already displayed so much zeal and firmness in the cause of their country, will cheerfully give every other proof of their patriotism which it calls for." He then adds, "by rendering the public resources certain, and commensurate to the public exigencies, the constituted authorities will be able to prosecute the war more rapidly to its proper issue; every hostile hope founded on a calculated failure of our resources will be cut off;" and thus "the best security will be provided against future enterprizes on the rights or the peace of the nation." * The chaplain was chosen on the Wednesday following. |