ページの画像
PDF
ePub

and orders were issued that the vessel should depart in two days, with the consul and all the Americans then in Algiers.

The following day, on a settlement taking place between the American consul and the prime minister, respecting the annuities stipulated by the treaty, there appeared a difference of six months annuity in their statements, owing to the year being counted by the Algerines by the Mahometan calender, which consists of 354 days. The consul objected to this mode of calculation, but the objection was overruled, and he was informed that the balance due by the United States, amounting by the dey's account to $27,000, must be paid immediately in cash, or that he should be sent to the marine in chains, the vessel and cargo confiscated, all the citizens of the United States in Algiers be detained in slavery, and war instantly declared against the United States.

Several efforts were made by the consul, aided by the ministers of the dey, to induce him to alter this determination, and come to some accommodation, but all proved unavailing; and the consul was under the necessity of borrowing money at a discount of 25 per cent. to enable him to comply with the requisitions of this despotic chief. This step was taken, as the loss of that sum to the United States was deemed a smaller evil, than the confiscation of the vessel and cargo, the slavery of the Americans in Algiers, and the consequences that would result to the unprotected commerce of the United States from a war, without the possibility of communicating any previous notice.

The sum demanded was accordingly paid on the following day, and the consul and other Americans sailed immediately for Gibraltar*.

$21. 2. A message transmitting a correspondence between John Mitchell, agent for American prisoners of war at Halifax, and the British admiral commanding at that station; also a letter from commodore Rodgers to the secretary of the navy, throwing further light upon the impressment and treatment of American seamen.

622. 3. A message communicating resolutions of the legisla ture of Pennsylvania, approbatory of the measures of the general government with respect to our foreign relations.

$23. 4. Messages transmitting letters from captains Decatur, Jones, and Bainbridge, and lieutenant Elliot, reporting their brilliant exploits.

$24. 5. A message transmitting a proclamation of the British governor of Bermuda, providing for the supply of the British West Indies by a trade under licences, accompanied with a

This unfortunate vessel wamned at Gibraltar by the British.

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 à subsequent part of this volume, excepting the letters containing the account 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

For forage to officers,

militia in the actual service of the United States, $5,168,803

109,224

For the subsistence of the army, and volunteers

and militia,

2,977,531

For clothing,

2,015,884

For bounties and premiums,

557,740

For camp and field equipage,

270,000

For the medical and hospital départments,

200,000

[blocks in formation]

For the quarter-master-general's department, including fuel, straw, barrels, quarters, tools, and all expenses incident to transportation,

For contingencies,

For purchasing books, maps, and plans,

For the salary of the commissary-general of purchases,

For the salaries of the clerks employed in the offices of the adjutant-general, of the commissarygeneral, and of the quarter-master-general, For the purchase of books and apparatus for the military academy,

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, and 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,

90,000

100,000

For pay and subsistence of the marine corps, including provisions for those on shore, and

forage for the staff,

245,391 70

For clothing for the same

71,788 10

For military stores for the same,

27,608 75

For medicine, medical services, hospital stores,
and all other expenses on account of the sick
belonging to the marine corps,
For quarter-masters' and barrack-masters'
stores, officers' travelling expenses, armor-
rers' and carpenters' bills, fuel, premiums for
enlisting men, musical instruments, bounty
to music, and other contingent expenses of
the marine corps,

For building and equipping four seventy-fours
and six frigates,

For building six sloops of war, and for building vessels on the lakes,

For establishing a dock yard,

For defraying the expense of preparing, print-
ing, signing, &c., the treasury notes, and for
commissions on their sale,

For rewarding the officers and crews of the
Constitution and Wasp,

For alterations and repairs in the capitol,

20,000

46,000

2,500,000

900,000

100,000

65,000

125,000

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 expenses 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:

For Henry Clay
Timothy Pitkin

89

54

Scattering

5

« 前へ次へ »