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Preface.

THE REGISTER OF DEBATES IN CONGRESS is intended to supply a deficiency in our Political Annals which the Editors have long perceived, and which has been universally acknowledged and regretted by those who have mingled in public affairs, and especially by such as have engaged in the active discharge of political duties. When we consider the importance of preserving the memorials of the Legislation of the country, it would be a matter of surprise that the undertaking should have been deferred so long as to fall into the present hands, if the magnitude of the undertaking, and its consequent hazard to the publishers, did not manifestly present serious obstacles to its execution. The favorable position of the Editors, their opportunities for obtaining accurate Reports of the Debates, operated upon by their conviction of the utility of such a work, have induced them to commence the Register, in defiance of its difficulties, without the aid or prospect of any other patronage than such as liberal and enlightened individuals may extend to it.

man.

The object of the Register is to present, from year to year, in a portable but durable form, with facilities for ready reference to its contents, the History of the Legislation of the Government of the United States. In the DEBATES, which form the bulk of the volume, will be found the grounds on which the various propositions of the session were, at the time of their discussion, advocated or opposed. These Debates are not in all cases literally reported, but their substantial accuracy may be entirely relied upon and, did this volume contain nothing more than the Debates, it might, as a manual for politicians, or a text book for students, claim a place in the library of every seminary, and in the closet of every reading But to render the volume still more valuable, there have been incorporated in it not only all the MESSAGES of the President of the United States to both Houses of Congress during the Session, but also, in the Appendix, such a selection of the most important REPORTS from the different departments of the Government, and from the leading committees of each House, as will afford a clear view of those features of the policy of the Government which may not be so fully developed in the Debates. To these are added the whole body of the ACTs passed during the Session, in a form to be as implicitly relied upon as the official edition the whole being rendered complete by an INDEX, by the aid of which the reader can instantly refer to any subject embraced in the volume. It pro

No merit is claimed for the contents of the Register on the score of originality. fesses to be no more than a careful compilation of authentic materials. The merit, however, to which this work may justly prefer a claim, is that of faithful History, free from the bias of prejudice or prepossession, and from the accidental distortions to which all traditionary accounts are liable. It is a History which cannot deceive, because it reflects, in the faithful mirror of Truth, not only the motives of public acts, but also the grounds on which those acts were opposed. Its impartiality may defy the most fastidious scrutiny.

Of the first attempt at a work of this kind, it would not be reasonable to expect that either the plan, or the execution of the plan, would be perfect. The Register makes no such pretension. The object of the work being to embody the Debates and striking Incidents only of the sittings of Congress, the possessor of this volume will be disappointed if he look to find in it a Journal of the two Houses of Congress. No part of their Proceedings is given except what involves Debate, or some Incident, novel or important in its character, and therefore worthy of preservation. The careful reader therefore will not be able to trace from

step to step, in these pages, each measure of which mention is made in the course of the Debates, &c.-but, by recurring to the Laws of the Session, at the end of the volume, he will be able to ascertain the final disposition of any particular measure, every measure not embraced in the body of the Laws having failed, by positive rejection, or, what is equivalent to a rejection, by not being finally acted upon during the Session. Nor will the curious or methodocal reader of this work discover a regular account of the adjournments or recesses of the two Houses. He will find, on some days, no account of Proceedings in either House; on others, an account of Proceedings in one House and not in the other. These apparent omissions will be explained, in part, by adverting to the fact, that, besides the Sabbath, Saturday is almost uniformly a day of rest for Congress, and occasionally Friday also; and when the Proceedings of any day are not of general interest, they are not preserved. Wherever, in short, the reader finds no Proceedings recorded on any given day, or Proceedings in one House only, he will understand, either that neither House sat on that day, that no important proceedings took place in either House, or that the Proceedings of one House only were of general in

terest.

With these brief explanations, the Editors submit the Register to the Public, claiming their indulgence for any errors of omission or commission which may be discovered in it, and pledging themselves that with every year there shall be found a progressive improvement in the execution, if not in the plan, of the work.

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IN SENATE-MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1824. This being the day fixed for the opening of the Second Session of the Eighteenth Congress, Mr. GAILLARD, president pro tempore, in the absence of the Vice President, took the chair; and the roll being called over, it appeared that a quorum of members was present, and a committee was appointed, jointly, with such committee as the House of Representatives might appoint, 10 wait on the President of the United States, and inform him that the two Houses were assembled, and ready to receive any communication he might have to make, &c.

[DEC. 6-8, 1824.

IN SENATE-WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8. Mr. BARBOUR, from the Joint Committee appointed to consider and report what respectful mode it may be proper for Congress to adopt to receive General LAFAYETTE, made the following report:

"The Joint Committee propose that each House adopt its own manner of receiving General LAFAYETTE, "The Committee on the part of the Senate recommend that the President of the Senate invite General LAFAYETTE to take a seat, such as he shall designate, in the Senate Chamber: that the Committee deliver the invitation to the General, and introduce him into the Senate, and the members receive the General standing.”

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.-SAME DAY. At 12 o'clock this day, the SPEAKER, (Hon. HENRY In delivering this report, Mr. BARBOUR stated that CLAY, of Kentucky,) took the chair; and the roll being the Joint Committee, entertaining every wish to make called, one hundred and eighty members answered to the reception of General LAFAYETTE as complimentary their names; and a committee was appointed on the part as possible, yet found difficulties in the way of any arof this House to join with such committee as should be rangement for a joint proceeding, which were not easily appointed on the part of the Senate, to wait on the Pre-removeable; and it was therefore thought by the comsident of the United States, and inform him that a quo rum of both Houses is assembled, and ready to receive any communication he may have to make to them. Mr. MITCHELL, of Maryland, offered the following resolution:

“Resolved, That the Honorable the Speaker invite our distinguished guest and benefactor, Gen. LAFAYETTE, to a seat within the Hall of this House, and that he direct the manner of his reception."

This resolution gave rise to some conversation as to what would be the most proper mode of expressing the respect felt by this House towards the illustrious individual referred to, which resulted in the adoption of the following resolution, which was proposed by Mr. A. STE. VENSON, as a substitute for the other:

"Resolved, That a committee be appointed on the part of this House, to join such committee as may be appointed on the part of the Senate, to consider and report what respectful mode it may be proper for Congress to adopt to receive General LAFAYETTE, and to testify the very high gratification which he has afforded it by bis present visit to the United States, made in pursuance of the invitation given to him by Congress, during its last session."

The committee was appointed, to consist, on the part of the House, of thirteen members.

IN SENATE-TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1824. On motion of Mr. BARBOUR, the Senate concurred in the resolution from the other House, respecting the

reception of General LAFAYETTE.

A written message was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. EVERETT, (which will be found in the Appendix.)

The message was read, and,

On motion of Mr. LLOYD, of Massachusetts, it was Ordered, That three thousand copies thereof be printed for the use of the Senate.

On motion of Mr. BARBOUR, it was

Ordered, That fifteen hundred copies of the documents accompanying said Message be printed for the

use of the Senate.

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mittee, best for each House to adopt its own arrangements, and its own form, in the reception of that distinguished individual.

It was resolved, unanimously, That the Senate do concur in the report.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.—SAME DAY. On motion of Mr. TAYLOR, of New York, the House resolved itself into a committee of the whole on the state of the Union, Mr. P. P. BARBOUR, of Virginia, in the chair, and distributed, by a number of distinct resolutions, the various parts of the President's Message to the proper committees.

The several select committees, established by these resolves, were ordered to consist of seven members each, with the exception of that in relation to a provision for General LAFAYETTE, which was ordered to consist of thirteen.

to determine in what manner Gen. LAFAYETTE shall be Mr. MITCHELL, from the Joint Committee appointed received by the two Houses of Congress, asked and obtained leave to report, and presented the following:

"The committee appointed on the part of this House, to join such committee as might be appointed on the part of the Senate, to consider and report what respectful mode it may be proper for Congress to adopt to receive General LAFAYETTE, and to testify the very high gratification which he has afforded by his present visit given to him by Congress, during its last session, report: to the United States, made in pursuance of the invitation

that subject, and that the committees have agreed to re"That they have met a committee of the Senate on commend to their respective Houses that each House receive General LAFAYETTE in such manner as it shall deem most suitable to the occasion, and the committee recommend to the House the following resolutions:

"Resolved, That the congratulations of this House be publicly given to General LAFAYETTE on his arrival in the United States, in compliance with the wishes of Congress, and that he be assured of the gratitude and deep respect which the House entertains for his signal and illustrious services in the Revolution, and the pleasure it feels in being able to welcome him, after an absence of so many years, to the theatre of his early labors and early renown.

"Resolved, That, for this purpose, Gen. LAFAYETTE be invited by a committee to attend the House on Friday next, at one o'clock; that he be introduced by the committee, and received by the members standing, uncovered, and addressed by the Speaker, in behalf of the House, in pursuance of the foregoing resolution."

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