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MONDAY, December 3, 1821.

At 12 o'clock, the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Mr. THOMAS DOUGHERTY, took his place, and called the roll of the members, pursuant to usage. Whereupon, the following gentlemen answered to their names:

From New Hampshire-Josiah Butler, Matthew
Harvey, William Plumer, jr., Nathaniel Upham, and
Thomas Whipple, jr.

* LIST OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Maine. Joshua Cushman, Joseph Dane, Ebenezer
Herrick, Mark L. Hill, Enoch Lincoln, Ezekiel Whitman,
William D. Williamson.

New Hampshire.—Josiah Butler, Matthew Harvey, William Plumer, jr., Nathaniel Upham, Aaron Watson, Thomas Whipple, jr.

Massachusetts.-Samuel C. Allen, Gideon Barstow, Francis Baylies, Lewis Bigelow, Henry W. Dwight, William Eustis, Timothy Fuller, Benjamin Gorham, Aaron Hobart, Jeremiah Nelson, John Reed, Jonathan Russell.

Rhode Island.-Job Durfee, Samuel Eddy.
Connecticut.-Noyes Barber, Daniel Burrows, Henry W.
Edwards, Gideon Tomlinson, John Russ, Ansel Sterling,
Ebenezer Stoddard.

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Maryland.-Thomas Bayly, Jeremiah Causden, Joseph Kent, Peter Little, Raphael Neale, John Nelson, Samuel Smith, Henry R. Warfield, Robert Wright.

Virginia.-Mark Alexander, William S. Archer, William Lee Ball, Philip P. Barbour, Burwell Bassett, John Floyd, Robert S. Garnett, Edward B. Jackson, James Jones, Jabez Leftwich, William McCoy, Charles F. Mercer, Thomas L. Moore, Hugh Nelson, Thomas Newton, John Randolph, Arthur Smith, William Smith, Alexander Smyth, Andrew Stevenson, Thomas Van Swearengen, George Tucker, Jared Williams.

North Carolina.-Hutchings G. Burton, William S. Blackledge, Henry Conner, Josiah Crudup, Weldon N. Edwards, Thomas H. Hall, Charles Hooks, John Long, Archibald McNeill, Romulus M. Saunders, Lemuel Sawyer,

Vermont.-Samuel C. Crafts, Elias Keys, Rollin C. Mal- Felix Walker, Lewis Williams. lary, John Mattocks, Charles Rich, Phineas White.

New York.-Charles Borland, jr., Churchill C. Cambreleng, Samuel Campbell, Cadwallader D. Colden, Alfred Conkling, John D. Dickinson, John Gebhard, John Hawks, Thomas H. Hubbard, Joseph Kirkland, Elijah Litchfield, Richard McCarty, John I. Morgan, Walter Patterson, Jeremiah H. Pierson, Nathaniel Pitcher, Solomon Van Rensselaer, William B. Rochester, Charles H. Ruggles, Peter Sharpe, Elijah Spencer, John W. Taylor, Albert H. Tracy, Reuben H. Walworth, Silas Wood, David Woodcock, William W. Van Wyck.

New Jersey-Ephraim Bateman, George Cassedy, Lewis Condict, George Holcombe, James Matlack, Samuel Swan.

Pennsylvania.-Henry Baldwin, John Brown, James Buchanan, William Darlington, George Denison, Samuel Edwards, Patrick Farrelly, Samuel Gross, Joseph Hemphill, Thomas G. McCulloh, James McSherry, William Milnor, James S. Mitchell, Samuel Moore, Thomas Murray, Thomas Patterson, John Philips, George Plumer, Thomas J. Rogers, John Sergeant, Andrew Stewart, John Tod, Ludwig Worman.

Delaware.-Louis McLane, Caesar A. Rodney.

South Carolina.-James Blair, Joseph Gist, William Lowndes, George McDuffee, Thomas R. Mitchell, James Overstreet, Joel R. Poinsett, Starling Tucker, John Wilson.

Georgia.-Joel Abbot, Alfred Cuthbert, George R. Gilmer, Robert Raymond Reid, Edward F. Tatnall, Wiley Thompson.

Kentucky.-James D. Breckenridge, Benjamin Hardin, Francis Johnson, John T. Johnson, Thomas Metcalfe, Thomas Montgomery, Anthony New, George Robertson, John Speed Smith, David Trimble, Samuel H. Woodson.

Tennessee.-Robert Allen, Henry H. Bryan, Newton
Cannon, John Cocke, Francis Jones, John Rhea.

Ohio.-Levi Barber, John W. Campbell, David Chambers.
Thomas R. Ross, John Sloane, Joseph Vance.
Louisiana.-Josiah Stoddard Johnston.
Indiana.-William Hendricks.
Mississippi.-Christopher Rankin.
Illinois.-Daniel P. Cook.

Alabama.-Gabriel Moore.

Missouri.-John Scott.

Michigan Territory.-Solomon Sibley, Delegate.
Arkansas Territory.-James Woodson Bates, Delegate.

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From New York-Charles Borland, jr., Churchill C. Cambreleng, Samuel Campbell, Alfred Conkling, John D. Dickinson, John Gebhard, James Hawks,

Thomas H. Hubbard, Joseph Kirkland, Elijah Litchfield, Richard McCarty, John J. Morgan, Walter Patterson, Jeremiah H. Pierson, Nathaniel Pitcher, William B. Rochester, Elijah Spencer, John W. Taylor, Albert H. Tracy, Solomon Van Rensselaer, William W. Van Wyck, Reuben H. Walworth, Silas Wood, and David Woodcock.

From New Jersey-Ephraim Bateman, George Cassedy, Lewis Condict, George Holcombe, James Matlack, and Samuel Swan.

From Pennsylvania—Henry Baldwin, John Brown, James Buchanan, William Darlington, George Denison, Patrick Farrelly, Samuel Gross, Joseph Hemphill, James McSherry, William Milnor, James S. Mitchell, Samuel Moore, Thomas Murray, Thos. Patterson, John Philips, George Plumer, Thos. J. Rogers, John Sergeant, John Tod, and Ludwig Worman. From Delaware-Louis McLane, and Cæsar A. Rodney.

From Maryland-Jeremiah Causden, Joseph Kent, Peter Little, John Nelson, Samuel Smith, Henry R. Warfield, and Robert Wright.

From Virginia-Mark Alexander, William S. Archer, William L. Ball, Philip P. Barbour, Burwell Bassett, John Floyd, Robert S. Garnett, Jabez Leftwich, William McCoy, Charles F. Mercer, Thomas L. Moore, Hugh Nelson, Thomas Newton, Arthur Smith, William Smith, Alexander Smyth, Andrew Stevenson, George Tucker, and Jared Williams.

From North Carolina-Hutchings G. Burton, Henry Conner, Josiah Crudup, Weldon N. Edwards, Charles Hooks, John Long, Archibald McNeill, Romulus M. Saunders, Lemuel Sawyer, and Lewis Williams.

From South Carolina-James Blair, Joseph Gist, Geo. McDuffee, Thos. R. Mitchell, James Overstreet, Joel R. Poinsett, Starling Tucker, and John Wilson.

From Georgia-Joel Abbot, George R. Gilmer,

Edward F. Tatnall, and Wiley Thompson.

From Kentucky-Benjamin Hardin, Francis Johnson, John T. Johnson, Thomas Metcalfe, Thomas Montgomery, Anthony New, John Speed Smith, David Trimble, and Samuel H. Woodson.

From Tennessee-Robert Allen, Newton Cannon, John Cocke, Francis Jones, and John Rhea.

From Ohio-Levi Barber, John W. Campbell, David Chambers, Thomas R. Ross, and Joseph Vance. From Louisiana-Josiah Stoddard Johnston, From Indiana--William Hendricks. From Mississippi-Christopher Rankin. From Illinois-Daniel P. Cook. From Alabama-Gabriel Moore.

From Maine-Joshua Cushman, Joseph Dane, Ebenezer Herrick, Mark L. Hill, and Enoch Lincoln. From Missouri-John Scott.

From Michigan Territory-Solomon Sibley, Delegate. A large majority of the members being present, the Clerk pronounced that a quorum was assembled for the transaction of business.

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[DECEMBER, 1821 [The House balloted seven times without making a choice, and adjourned. Mr. Philip P. Barbour, of Virginia, and Mr. John W. Taylor, of New York, receiving the highest number of votes.]

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This result having been reported by the Tellers, the Clerk pronounced, accordingly, that PHILIP P. BARBOUR, one of the Representatives of the State of Virginia, having received a majority of the whole number of votes, was duly elected Speaker of this House.

Mr. BARBOUR was conducted to the Chair, accordingly, by Mr. NELSON, of Virginia, and Mr. WARFIELD, of Maryland, and the Oath of Office was administered to him by Mr. WRIGHT, of Maryland.

Mr. SPEAKER then rose and addressed the House as follows:

Gentlemen of the House of Representatives :

you

I should do injustice to myself, if I did not express to you the warm feelings of gratitude which have been excited in my bosom by the appointment which you have just conferred upon me. Those feelings are produced, not only by the consideration that this mark of your confidence is a distinguished one, but by the further consideration that it is unexpected as it is distinguished. In accepting the office to which sincerity of my heart when I assure you that I feel a have thus called me, I speak in the most perfect fearful apprehension in relation to my ability to discharge its duties in a manner equal either to my own wishes or your expectations. I am sensible of the arduousness of the task; I am sensible, too, of my own want of experience. One thing, however, I can with safety promise: it is, that whatever can be done by diligent attention, and by an unceasing application of such capacity as I possess, shall be done. As it respects myself, the only hope which I entertain that I shall, in any tolerable degree, acquit myself of the responsibility which I am about to assume,

DECEMBER, 1821.]

Duty on Books-Petition from Mr. Jefferson.

rests upon a consciousness, that it will be my constant endeavor so to do; but my great reliance is on the support of this House, and its knowledge that the preservation of order is indispensably necessary to give dignity to the proceedings of any deliberative body.

After which, the SPEAKER administered to the members present, severally, the oath to support the Constitution of the United States.

Clerk and Doorkeeper.

Mr. WOOD, of New York, moved to dispense with the form of choosing a clerk by ballot, and appoint that officer by motion.-Carried.

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The memorial is as follows:

To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled: The petition of the rector and visitors of the University of Virginia, on behalf of those for whom they are in the office of preparing the means of instruction, as well as of others seeking it elsewhere, respectfully representeth:

Mr. WRIGHT, of Maryland, moved that Thomas Dougherty be appointed to the office of Clerk of the House of Representatives; and the moThat the Commonwealth of Virginia has thought tion was thereupon agreed to nem. con., and proper lately to establish a university for instruction, Mr. Dougherty was sworn into office accord- generally, in all the useful branches of science, of ingly. which your petitioners are appointed rector and visMr. WRIGHT moved that the Clerk be direct-itors, and as such, are charged with attention to the ed to communicate the usual message to the interests of those who shall be committed to their

Senate.-Carried.

On motion of Mr. WRIGHT, the form of voting by ballot was dispensed with in regard to the office of Sergeant-at-Arms, and Thomas Dunn appointed to that office on nomination.

The same course prevailed in relation to the apointment of Doorkeeper, and Benjamin Burch was thereupon appointed.

WEDNESDAY, December 5.

care.

by the laws of Congress on importations into the That they observe, by the tariff of duties imposed United States, an article peculiarly inauspicious to the objects of their own, and of all other literary institutions throughout the United States.

That at an early period of the present Government, when our country was burdened with a heavy debt, contracted in the war of Independence, and its resources for revenue were untried and uncertain, the National Legislature thought it as yet inexpedient to indulge in scruples as to the subjects of taxation, and, among others, imposed a duty on books imported from abroad, which has been continued, and now

A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate have assembled, and are ready to proceed to business. They have pass-is, of fifteen per cent. on their prime cost, raised by ed a resolution for the appointment of a comordinary custom-house charges to eighteen per cent., mittee on their part, to join such committee as and by the importer's profits to perhaps twenty-five may be appointed on the part of this House, to per cent., and more. wait on the President of the United States, and inform him that a quorum of the two Houses have assembled, and are ready to receive any communications he may be pleased to make to them; in which resolution they request the concurrence of this House.

The resolution was read and concurred in by the House; and Mr. HILL and Mr. TRIMBLE were appointed of the said committee on the part of the House.

THURSDAY, December 6.

JAMES WOODSON BATES appeared, produced his credentials, was qualified, and took his seat, as the delegate from the Territory of Arkansas.

MONDAY, December 10. Another member, to wit, from North Carolina, WILLIAM S. BLACKLEDGE, appeared, was qualified, and took his seat.

Duty on Books-Petition from Mr. Jefferson as

Rector of the Virginia University.
Mr. NELSON, of Virginia, presented a petition
of the Rector and visitors of the University of
Virginia, signed by Thomas Jefferson, Rector,

found that the reprinting of books in the United That, after many years' experience, it is certainly States is confined chiefly to those in our native language, and of popular characters, and to cheap editions of a few of the classics for the use of schools; while the valuable editions of the classical authors, even learned works in the English language, and books in all foreign living languages, (vehicles of the important discoveries and improvements in science and the arts, which are daily advancing the interest and happiness of other nations,) are unprinted here, and unobtainable from abroad but under the burden of a heavy duty.

That of many important books, in different branches of science, it is believed that there is not a single copy in the United States; of others, but a few; and these too distant and difficult of access for students and writers generally.

That the difficulty resulting from this mode of procuring books of the first order in the sciences, and in foreign languages, ancient and modern, is an unfair impediment to the American student, who, for want of these aids, already possessed or easily procurable in all countries except our own, enters on his course his foreign competitors, and often with that imperfect with very unequal means, with wants unknown to result which subjects us to reproaches not unfelt by minds alive to the honor and mortified sensibilities of their country.

That, to obstruct the acquisition of books from

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abroad, as an encouragement of the progress of liter- For Rev. Mr. Sparks ature at home, is burying the fountain to increase the flow of its waters.

That books, and especially those of the rare and valuable character, thus burdened, are not articles of consumption, but of permanent preservation and value, lasting often as many centuries as the houses we live in, of which examples are to be found in

every library of note.

That books, therefore, are capital, often the only capital of professional men on their outset in life, and of students destined for professions, (as most of our scholars are,) and barely able, too, for the most part, to meet the expenses of tuition, and less to pay an extra tax on the books necessary for their instruction; that they are consequently less instructed than they would be; and that our citizens at large do not derive from their employment all the benefits which higher qualifications would procure them.

That this is the only form of capital on which a tax of from 18 to 25 per cent, is first levied on the gross, and the proprietor then subject to all other taxes in detail, as those holding capitals in other forms, on which no such extra tax has been previously levied.

That it is true that no duty is required on books imported for seminaries of learning; but these, locked up in libraries, can be of no avail to the practical man, when he wishes a recurrence to them for the uses of life.

That more than thirty years' experience of the resources of our country prove them equal to all its debts and wants, and permit its Legislature now to favor such objects as the public interests recommend to favor.

That the value of science to a republican people; the security it gives to liberty, by enlightening the minds of its citizens; the protection it affords against foreign power; the virtues it inculcates; the just

emulation of the distinction it confers on nations foremost in it; in short, its identification with power, morals, order, and happiness, (which merits to it premiums of encouragement rather than repressive taxes,) are topics which your petitioners do not permit themselves to urge on the wisdom of Congress, before whose mind these considerations are always present, and bearing with their just weight.

And they conclude, therefore, with praying that Congress will be pleased to bestow on this important subject the attention it merits, and give the proper relief to the candidates of science among ourselves, devoting themselves to the laudable object of qualifying themselves to become the instructors and benefactors of their fellow-citizens.

And your petitioners, as in duty bound, shall ever pray, &c. THOMAS JEFFERSON,

Rector of the University of Virginia.

NOVEMBER 30, 1821.

Chaplain to the House.

On motion of Mr. BATEMAN, the House then proceeded to the election of a chaplain, and the following gentlemen were nominated, viz:

Rev. Jared Sparks, Rev. Maurice W. Dwight, Rev. Burgess Allison, Rev. John M. Bradford, Rev. Reuben Post, Rev. John Chalmers.

The fourth ballot terminated as follows: Whole number of votes, 155. Necessary to a choice, 78. Of which there were—

Allison Dwight Blank

[DECEMBER, 1821.

84

52

18

1

Whereupon it was declared that the Reverend JARED SPARKS was chosen Chaplain to Congress on the part of the House of Repre

sentatives.

TUESDAY, December 11.

Another member, to wit, from Georgia, ROBERT RAYMOND REID, appeared, produced his credentials, was qualified, and took his seat. Affairs in Florida-General Jackson (Governor) and Elegius Fromentin, Judge.

Mr. WHITMAN submitted the following resolutions, viz:

Resolved, That the Secretary of State be directed to lay before this House copies of any communications received at his office, having relation to any misunderstanding which may have existed between Andrew Jackson, as Governor of the Floridas, and Elegius Fromentin, as judge of the court therein. And also, in relation to any delay or omission on the part of the officers under His Catholic Majesty to surrender to the officers and commissioners of the United States, duly authorized to receive the same, any of the archives and documents which relate directly to the property and sovereignty in and over the said Floridas. And also, in relation to the means adopted by the officers and commissioners on the part of the United States to obtain possession of such archives and documents.

The resolutions were ordered to lie on the table until to-morrow.

WEDNESDAY, December 12.

Annual Treasury Report. The SPEAKER announced the receipt of the Annual Report of the Secretary of the Treasury; which, on motion of Mr. TAYLOR, was referred to the Committee of Ways and Means; and, on motion of Mr. MALLARY, 5,000 copies thereof were ordered to be printed. The report is as follows:

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Dec. 10, 1821. Sir: I have the honor to transmit a report prepared in obedience to the "Act supplementary to the act to establish the Treasury Department." I have, &c., WM. H. CRAWFORD. Hon. PHILIP P. Barbour,

Speaker, House of Representatives.

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