I
'
'''"" 4 ,""''"v" " Tet'tlintliweeii'tieSted by aValledg- al misinformed, is to tie merits of the qaeJotj.' ifenswetltb' tlii letter, you will'Dermit ' 1
Jt--. i!rjioiii Three dollar iber ytarpie rfalfl ;
; W hep iaadvance Np paper Jo be; continued loo
"er.than three months after a yearVsubseription be-,
" tomes due, and noucc wereoi na mure Efs"
...'...ii itM oTrwHinr U lines, are inserted
thrice for, cm dollar j, for twenty -five tents eacB wbr
r Tet tfcl iciUinoabsf Veen ieited by 'iujtt mumforraed, ft to tie meriti of the tpttiiioii. Mtn iinswetlto Ms k(tjr. you will'Mrmit
"nN subscription eain sny ca"be reoVty4 without
pjivment legt '.'50 P dT vimd no-di-cootiaaance
without pay wit of"arrear, unless t the
option of the etof. . " , ."...
' ' 1111,1 " P 111 " IP '
CougresMonul Debates.
, ; ' compensation law.
; t hvc copied the following'- Speech (J jl. P.ckcriny,
in faTor of the conapenaatwn, on accoMOt chieflf of Uie
. any tere8Hp fcw whi it dtt.U. ; '
Mc. PUkertng a& JksjfM oppoaea tithe
amendment offer: 4 by the hoootirabio gentle
man from Virginia. (Mr. Randolph.) I cannot
consent sajd Air. P. to refund the eompenca
tiou granted by the law of the last setf ion.
It was a compbasation for service rendered
It was conformable to the conotttulion, whjeh"
declares that the senators and Kepreienta
tives shall receive a compensation. For V,Lat ?
To defray ;their expeuses,- as some have eon
tended ? No but for their services." Ami
ho w. these ph,oul(l be "compensated, was bet an
derstood byvth'e einlaent' men who framed the
constitution, abd who, in the several Mateeou-
, rentions, accepted and ratib'ed it. JUatfytof
these distinguished men were members of the
first Congress, in 1789 j what the original
compensation was fixed, and what .they pro
posed, was approved at Washington, than
whom no man entertained a more correct sense
of personal dignity, nor more justly estimated
what, was due to character ami station j at the
same time, no man observed a more exact
economy in the expenditure of money, whether
his country s or his own.
No one can be ignorant oflhe comparative
value of money in 1789 and in 1816 : that the
priees of the articles necessary for decent liv
ing, were in the latter period, at least dou
ble what they were in the former. Take, to
example, wheat the price of which did no
then exceed one dollar a- bushel.. The eenllc
man from . Virginia, before me, (Mr. Kau-d
dolph) beekons, and says it was only three shjl-j
tings ana six pence nuy-eignt cents; a pasa
el. But suppose it to have been a dollar ; si;
bushels, of wheat., Ooiijh aix dallaMSnMt
tily ekjal to the aatly pay of a member of
Uongress- 1 lie same six bushels of wheat,
in 1816, would bring from twelve to fifteen
dollars. Hence it follows, that the compen
sation to Members of Congress in 1789, was
-Rouble in value tolhe compensation as it stood
prfhwo the law of March, I81i Nay, more
than double ; for tho six dollars for every
twenty miles travel in 1789, was equal, to
twelver dollars in 1816; and by the law orhe
last; eession, the allowance fur travel remain
ed unchanged -six dollars only for every twen
ty miles. Imagine that the compensation in
1789,had been set at 6 bushels of wheat per
day and continued to this time, would any one
now think of receiving only three bushels a
day, and distribute the other three among his
constituents? If some gentleman are willing
to serve for a bare reimbursement of their ex
penses, receiving the residue in honor, I am
too poor to join that class. I must have stayed
at home to cultivate my little farm.. I must
he paid for" services." If indeed, the present
compensation, so much below what it .was In
1789, greatly surpasses the services I am ca
pable of rendering this should have been look
ed to by those who sent mahere. I did not
send myself, nor offered myself as a candidate.
1 koow not by whom my name was proposed
originally for the Senate, latterly for this
House. All I know of the matter, is, that for
merly! was there and now am here, in eonse-
ed increase as well as a chankeiiklb mpdfepi of.ivrttf the publication of the able and tAjiiar &.t
compensation. a-c . k:-- 'tiiv jpu coinum wn xne'sooiect, snen men
correct. v One instance was presented in answer
i. ... .- . ' s. . .
; But th timt wheu tbitrwpposeA increase
was enacted, has" been . p"ronouncetl,'imppeP
and onuropitibas rittst -wben the eonntry hftd;
emerged from an expensive war, and the po-j
me were ourtneaea who taxes, obi who
y ty - " " .
country froni.those dUtreses -Henee estnaeree
ana an oiner orancue ui iQutuirj iiuiguiauou.
A debt (the sacred debt of the ref olution, the
priee of oar independence) of more than seren
tv milions unpaid. The public menue was
then incipient ; and the whole receipts from
eommeree in 1789 and the i tw following years,
united, amounted to "but about six millions
4nd a half f dUarri wherai tbeferenue freia
tWiaose euree i tbe-fingte year of-4l,
amounted to about twenty mtllioKa or aoiiars ;
and the entire revenue from the 'csstoms and
other sources in that one year, amounted to a
to a Member of this House written en another
s ubh3ct,$an 3 in whieh thU.mattr of the ompen-
sation was mentioned tnctdeotally. It n a let
ter from an honest and intellirent'sailor. Vho
cowJives in the country. iq Pennsylvania, tiro-
W'4 as a farmer. . Ho ?att 1 edder,
irm iu commmee s report on xne eompetaa
tiou law, that it should net be repealed, hut I
tbeiiWbt otherwise until I ssrlnusly perused-the
solid, distinct and clear repojrfctherjou,,1( ; Had
that report gone forth wiUt the law, no such elaj
raourna we have witnessed would hate been
raised j and we should Bat ho vr be debating the
iHM'Nji - .
Massachusetts 4patms. By n, report made
t the Senate bv the Actio fie
Itl'innaiira tli rlA JVI I a 1 l... I
. . . .... . ' . .t i ki'- ihi ku iiHiuniue answer inis wren
bouirty n,,l ,ons, at the same, goVernment to the letter ef
tic 5v r y; WAME & VVaiA , SpMNEa,the agents
twenty millions. , Since the year 1789, the pof tne of MftMa;uU8eUg ehalf of her
puiauon oi uie u. o . u, -u ( claims Tor tailitia services during the Ute war.
and the style of
the increase or pr
. . .
P ?! i f ' ,i " i , i Copy'of alettcr fivni , thefAbtiiitf j Secretery of War. to
Mr. P. .id. we ha.ve heard somelhtnfaboutt v.. . . r A Vl r w
fiuence of the elections j and the compensation I
received, ! shall retain, nor unless it be forced
r . ...avw iv L lt
riAi iq
1 W1 observed that yesterday he
Jart hastily man5 a few remarks ou the st.h-
jcl under ; consideration, but the moment when
ine question was t0 :bc put on an amendment
propped by the honourable gentleman from
XSi & bef?rc hinl (Mr- Randolph.) He
?-nrladJa few re. The comparative
-e.rw ' ;tfihe .mPen8ation to members of Con-
of S I . m J?89. and that by the law
x the last session .u .i :.n.:i
jtatecientr
CoTiT.8Ahftver,8 length of the sessions o
a vas ai nvn mnn.i,. i .t
rearvftlii. e .1 ' or-iou aays : anu me
double an(l ;he l?,Pen8atn of fo b
i vaiue of 0,. anm; :
rfthi vi. " wrtainly more than dou
ej me valuo nft. ; . . .
this ieJeS"U of ; 11,6 eomparison would be
Thc.ver,fT &! 812 ' 81800
eatof trav?1 ot niembers to ihe ,
ffalfirW mites, .tnuk-s 1
member" 8fl"v'ra'Sc compensation to a '
BuiI e Uowed a salary 6f 5
480
rv 5n 3?u,ra sm of sixdoUs. fbr.. .
travel ge8nlJnSe(!UeBtly tbe 4t,daJ
cb I" value thllfl momkuFii u.a,'n.!
y 8 dolIMa the money of 48 U.-
,2880
1500
'
:..p40
patriotism on this occasion ; but there waa no
room for; it tn this subject. He trusted nvgen-
liemftirwonia laae ouenee, 11 uesaia mat patri
otism had not brought a single member into that!
House j that there was in truth no more reason !
that men should labor for the public than for
individualsyvithout being paid for it : and the
compensation should comport with the hih and
important natarenif the services to be perform
ed. As to the power to fix the compenVation of
the members, it had been repeatedly stated,
that it U expressly granted to Crtngres by the
constitution; and it was right that Congress
should always possess theVpewer, in order (as
in all other things,) todopt the laws to the
state ind eircumitanees of the ti.Tie9. Let then
the compensation law be left as it now stands
an inheritance to our successors. If they com
mit wasteupon it, or throw it away let thsm be
responsible for the consequences.
,tew words ou instructions to members of
ongress. Mr. P. said he bad received instruc
tions frui Ibe legislature of Massachusetts in
Which tae eompensation law 1 censured as
changing the mode, and greatly increasing the
cfiijDaaiioA i etembeira of Conyrow a
innovation npon the custom, and not congenial
with the republican principles or our govern
meat: and requesting the Senators and Repre
sentatives from that state to use their influence
to enect its repeal. If bad shown that the
compensation bad not-been increased f tbftf if
is really of less value than it vfas m 1789. And
as to its being an innovation, the venerable
zentlemati from Pennsylvania (Mr. Findley)
kbad informed us that the idea of jl salary com
pensation was not a novel one; for that in 1796,
when an increase of the compensation was under
consideration . id Congress, it was proposed to
change it from a daily to' an annual compensa
tion : tho' neither one nor the other was then
accomplished. A to instructions; whether
front the legislature, or the people ot a district,
Mr. Pickering did not admit their validity.
If they contain reasons for or against any mea
sure, these will merit a respectful consider
ationbut instructions unaecompanied by rea
sons were not entitled to the observance of repre
scntatives. Ho felt humbled that the legisla
ture of Massachusetts should have descended to
this small business ; especially as it was one
exclusively entrusted to Congress by the consti
tution, ir on any important public measure
a state legislature think proper to elpress their
sentiments with their reasons ; and especially
if a national measure operate unequally,, the
stale aggrieved will rightfully remonstrate and
instruct its representatives accordingly. If the
ease be1 clear, they will of course obey 7 if it be
doubtful, the opinion of their constituents will
turn the gcale'f But they should go no farther;
beeause they are bound not to contravene the
general welfarej for any partial or local inter
ests. . :
Mr. Pickering would Say one w ord more on
patriotinm. Tho only patriotism belonging to
this subject, is that which, by providing liberal
compensations for the service, shall induce
those who - best -understand, and are most able
to promote, the great interests of our country,
to accept of seats in Congress, To brinj; forth
such raenr he wUhed the law to remain as it is.
Buf'the public voice has been raised against
the law of the last session ! Yes, a lying spirit
had gone forth (as one gentleman had said) and
deceiyed the people. From every part of tire
House, gentlemen had ascribed the publie ela
mour to artifice and intrigue. Some federalists
(and they probably began the outcry) remem
bering the - charge of extravagance formerly
made, as one means' to undermine the federal
administration ; and the " odious" compeiisa
tionJaw having a democratic origin ; those
federalists' seized the occasion to attack their
political adversaries with their own weapon.-
Others . denounced -the-law- in order to redder
unpopular those who voted for it, or who avail
ed themselves of its provisions and thus' to sup
plant them ia the public favour, and step into
their places Others joined in the clamour to
be In fashion, or to aequire some stock of popu
larity JorJutureuseJOthers, again, and those
alone whose opinions deserve attention, honest-
I ly disapproved of the law, because uninformed.
Messrs Jiraes oyd and Will iam " II. Summer, t,
3f " "'' TletitrSnenf of WAIl iflW '
. -Va'r cVuYuuication of the 3d inst. in rela
tion o the elaim of the State of lassacluisetts
fottsereimburaemeut of expenses incurred, and
fafsspplics" furnished for the service of its mj-
inia uunng tne ate war, Has received the con
sideration due to jt. "" -
As it appears that, with one exception, the
militja oii whose account the expenses were in
curred were called out and kept in service by
the state authorities, independently of the au
thority of the United States ; and were with
held frou; the command of the officers oflhe
United Status, ulaced by the President within
the lOiIiUry (iidtrict of which Massachusetts
formed a part, with authority to call for" and
take militia into the service of the United
States ; the claim with which you have been
charged is excluded from the recognition of the
executivs authority of the United States, by
tho principles explained in the answer of the
Secretary of War to the communication of the
governor of Massachusetts, of the7th Sept
v.w answer to jtnis letter, you viwv permitme '
(9 obscrvefhst, iathe conference referred (uKt
had he honor to exbibif to you the foil power! .".f
of my sovereign, in vhich he anthorizetf pie ta I '
negotiate adjust, .iinJ sign a treaty, er conven- '
tion vith the United 8tates, in which should be
arranged not only the indemnities doe to the
subjects and citizens of both DationS for the
injuries, they ha3 sSered fromile Iart war htiT$;
yiyeen his majesty UmvBriraia to the pre t
f, : " '.
wiu uiB eiiBffug ireaiy Between tne two powers
uui aiseto ox me repeetivs limits to the satis
faction of
'A
Aotb. Xhe intention of hts maiestr
auo in ilia ! 1 oeiieve tne t wo roveriimenti a
grea) is noUenfibed to a partial arrangement,
which raiftt leaf e in exjstencs the disagree
menti w hici bare unhappily arisen between
theuifrom the effect of cirenmalani Hla .
tcuiiuii MM QB4tiy-BiMt ojuess is 19 lOVBQeu IU--
equality and tnutual conteuieheej : has particu.
larly directed me, that, keeping in mind th6 -reciprocal,
'political and eemmereial interests
which unite the twb nations,! should" so abjust
the' definitive arrangement with he, person
whom the President shotild authorize to that efV
feef, that Tq controversy conld ever again arise '
betwf en themv . ; . ;
rcsnnot 'concial I'roth you that, to arrive at
this end, it is indispensable to begin by arnica
bly discussing and agreeing upon the rights of
eaeh of the two pewefs, and that the result of C
this discussion is, what ongbt to gufde uiaiuar-- i,
tanging the jndembities ej jBiinglhejimtttY
which may be josranif mutually convenient t V
the two nations; You had the goodness to say
to me, that (bis method had been adopted by
you and Mr, Ccvalles, and that, if we renewed
it, precious tingle would be ibst without our be
ing able to agree. In such a dilemma, and anx
ious to contribute on my part to' accelerate the
negotiation, f took the liberty to propose to you
the only other method which appeared to me to
exist, besides the one whieh I have just men
tioned, to arrange these differences, which is
this : that the two powers, throwing off all idea
of aggrandizement, and sacrificing resentments
and complaints of little importance,' should pre
eeed,with good fa; th to fix limits between them
which should be mutually convenient, whieh
should not be liable to controversy,, or be un
known td, or violated by, the respective subjects
of .each. - '
You did me the honor to applaud a proposi
tion so frank and liberal, as dictated by equity
and good fail h and made known to me, wiln
the same iraDkness, that the United States de-
18H, copies of which are herewith eiifiioaeuU"' k TTtr VTPSr
ThoVrucipIe. have been kept in view by. "fj ."f t&i? ' M.s-
the Elecutive of the United States, in all ca- '"t tlV L7 Tb-
(M iAA pTnhe ;rM,i 1... n ...... . t0 Spam those which were between the Rio del
iorie anu me voiorauo
count if militia services have been assumed.
But as pot only these
partU-tbe-elaim
the state of Massaehnsetts, eai he assumed by f"ver. .1ee" or .rmentao, tawtj ifs the
the Eiecntive, exeept for such eX,nsci rrB',Se'-iaV!r ?K J"" 7
were incurred for the payment tsuil kapnie.t 0n?a toatf8 Natch,tecbes,are a nar of
of the militia, who were detached ami ordered
into the serviee of the United States, from tho
pani, tbey were mustered in their several com
timees, until they arrived at thir places 0
the provinces of Texas, belonging to, and in the
Uninterrupted possession of his majesty, with
obt there having been, in relation thereto, any
' dispute between France and Spain, that dis-
rendezvous, and for the rations and supplies T'iS T 7' A , J? T
f..-:i..i h. ii. . J fort the treneh raised, uciustly, in the territo
ry of his catholic majesty; it results thr4 this
proposition not only does not offer eompentfation
to his majesty for West and East Florida, whose
cession tire United States intimate would be ve
ry agreeable to them, but it involves the relin
quishment oft he property and possession which
his majesty has of the territory in the province
of Texas, which lies between the Colorado and
the vicinity of Natchitoches.
To propositions so distant. from the equal
ity and, reciprocal convenience in whieh we
have agreed to treat these affairs, I answered",
t hat, as the powers of his majesty had 1 been
hastily sent to me, by Mr. Cevallos, to take ad
vantage of the departure of Mr. Brent, I have
not received express instructions' touching, the
entire cession of the two Floridas, whien the .
United States wished ; and, although they
prove to me the desire of his majesty to ac
commodate them io all arrangements whieh
may he compatible with his interest, 1 saw my
self obliged to wait for instructions on this ,
point, of so much the greater importance, as
it relates to he session by his Spanish majesty.
United States of the port of Pensaeola, which
was-the key of the Gulf of Mexico, the best
port of that Gulf, and which was the more ne
cessary to his maiesty for- the security of hii
possessions ; but that, in the mean time, if you
should propjose to me, oq the part-of .(hia-go
veintenftb make the Mississippi the . fron
tier,'! should 6eq in that proposition a disposi
tion on the part of the United States to offer
some-equivalent, and I would recommend it
to the consideration of. his majesty as a fixed
ami stable limit to assure the peace and tran
quility of the two nations. : '"
,1 hope that yon will recognize in this eipbsi
tion the sincerity and ingenuousness with whieh -I
proceed, and that you will, on a view fit a
dopt, of the two modes proposed for setting on
foot the negotiation, that which will be most a
greeable h the United States. The first, that
is to say,Jhat of discussing and agreeing Qpoa
thereciprocal rights .Sn'dpreteiaioBi'bf tH two.
nations, is the safest and that which dught to
conduct us, with the greatest precision, "to the ",
indemnities and to the, establishment of limits
between them, since nothing is mors easy than
mat, eaen point o jumto uciug agrccu uiuu,
furnished them after they were received into
the seryiee of Jhe United States, none havinc
been provided for them at the tinie.V
I have the honor to be, &e.
GEO. GRAHAM.
HALATIONS WITH SPAIN.
On the 2i;d ukimothe President tratiirnitt il ;n t!ic se
nate . ri'i.wt of the secretary yf state, cm'ru intr the
- information . caltcd for by the resolutioTTTif Mr. Wil
liac of Tt'Uesse. The documents "t-ihib ted con.
sist vPtwenty letters; or extracts of ' letters iVonri the
Secretary of-Stato to our minister in Spai'i)rand to the
Spanl'ih ftiii ister resident in the United St t.s, froin
these two gwitlemen to liim, from Mr. Bvvin to the
Spanish Secretary of State, arid his replies Tand one
from the Attorney of"lhe" United States, for the d
trictof Iouisiana, tpMrMOnroc, respecting the ah
leged preparations at the port of Ncw-Orl ... . , for as
sisting the Spanish patriots. Some of these are very
.dull and unin'erestinir. and as I nicsum the reader
,..:n 1 .:.. i,,...t...i c.t.:.: ....-
without the trouble of a tedious pcrus.iL I 'have taken
the librriy f presentinjr thenx ina condensed tliough
I trust satisfactory 'f.Tm-'J -
Copy of a letter from the Secretary Stat r to the Che
val.er de Onis, -dated .
Department of Stab, Jan. 11. 1317.
Sir -Having understood, in our late confer
ence,,, that you would no t agree-to'irr'iif range
ment, by which Spain should cede her elaims to
territory eastward of tho Mississippi, trntcss the
United States ceded their claims ton.l.t1ie ter
ritory westward pf;jtbat .river, aftd that, 'even
then.yonr" flgrecmejit would be restricted to a
recommendatiou to your government to adopt
an arrangement to that effect: it is deemed un
necessary to make you any further proposition,
or to prolong the hegocia'tion ou the subject of
limits. - t v
I have now to request, that you will have the
goodness to inform me, whether you are willing
to enter into a convention iq proviue compensa
tion for p6liationsLaod forlhe-injury fesulting
to the UVS. from the suppression of the depu-
'.'" TRASSLATtON. -'.'.;
Mr. Onis to"4he Secretary of Staff. 37
; v " V. ' ' l(llj;'anuaty,-13l7.
Sir I have reeeived your official letter of the
14flfHostrinvhichuTare pleased to make
known to me. that, 'Here follows a recapitula
tion of Mr. Monroe's letter, inserted above.
the eduivalent to- it should be arranged upon-
principles of equality and reciprocal conreni
euce. The seeond is shorter, but it requites a ':.
relinquishment of all views or aggrandizement ,
i
1
'4
,1