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PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES

OF

THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES,

AT THE SECOND SESSION OF THE TWELFTH CONGRESS, BEGUN AT THE CITY OF WASHINGTON, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1812.

MONDAY, November 2, 1812.

The second session of the twelfth Congress commenced this day at the City of Washington, conformably to the act passed at the last session, entitled "An act fixing the time for the next meeting of Congress ;" and the Senate assembled in their Chamber.

PRESENT.

NICHOLAS GILMAN and CHARLES CUTTS, from New Hampshire.

JOSEPH B. VARNUM, from Massachusetts.
CHAUNCEY GOODRICH, from Connecticut.
JEREMIAH B. HOWELL, from Rhode Island.
JONATHAN ROBINSON, from Vermont.
JOHN LAMBERT, from New Jersey.
MICHAEL LEIB, from Pennsylvania.
OUTERBRIDGE HORSEY, from Delaware.
SAMUEL SMITH, from Maryland.

JESSE FRANKLIN and JAMES TURNER, from North Carolina.

JOHN GAILLARD, from South Carolina. WILLIAM H. CRAWFORD and CHARLES TAIT, from Georgia.

GEORGE W. CAMPBELL, from Tennessee. THOMAS WORTHINGTON and ALEXANDER CAMPBELL, from Ohio.

There being no quorum, the Senate adjourned till to-morrow.

TUESDAY, November 3.

ANDREW GREGG, from the State of Pennsyl vania, and JOHN TAYLOR, from the State of South Carolina, severally attended.

WILLIAM H. CRAWFORD, President pro tempore, resumed the Chair.

Ordered, That the Secretary acquaint the House of Representatives that a quorum of the Senate is assembled and ready to proceed to business.

A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate that a quorum of the House is assembled and ready to proceed to business. The House have appointed a committee on their part, jointly, with such committee as may be

appointed on the part of the Senate, to wait on him that a quorum of the two Houses is assemthe President of the United States and notify bled and ready to receive any communication that he may be pleased to make to them.

The Senate concurred in the appointment of a joint committee on their part, agreeably to the resolution last mentioned; and Messrs. GAILLARD, and SMITH, of Maryland, were appointed the committee.

A committee was appointed, agreeably to the 42d rule for conducting business in the Senate. Messrs LEIB, FRANKLIN, and GREGG, are the committee.

Resolved, That each Senator be supplied, during the present session, with three such newspapers printed in any of the States as he may choose, provided that the same be furnished at the usual rate for the annual charge of such papers: and provided, also, that if any Senator shall choose to take any newspapers other than daily papers, he shall be supplied with as many such papers as shall not exceed the price of three daily papers.

Mr. GAILLARD reported, from the joint committee, that they had waited on the President of the United States, and that the President informed the committee that he would make a communication to the two Houses at twelve o'clock to

morrow.

WEDNESDAY, November 4.

OBADIAH GERMAN, from the State of New York, took his seat in the Senate.

On motion, by Mr. LEIB, a committee of three of the House of Representatives, to be appointed members were appointed, who, with three members by the said House, shall have the direction of the money appropriated to the purchase of books and maps for the use of the two Houses of Congress; and Messrs. LEIB, TAIT, and CAMPBELL, of Tennessee, were appointed the committee on the part of the Senate.

Mr. WORTHINGTON submitted the following motion for consideration:

Resolved, That Mountjoy Bayly, Doorkeeper and Sergeant-at-Arms to the Senate, be, and he is hereby,

SENATE.

President's Annual Message.

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Resolved, That two Chaplains, of different denominations, be appointed to Congress during the present session, one by each House, who shall interchange weekly.

On motion, by Mr. GREGG, a committee was appointed agreeably to the 22d rule, for conducting business in the Senate; and Messrs. ROBINSON, HOWELL, and GREGG, were appointed the committee.

PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL MESSAGE.
The following Message was received from the
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES:
Fellow-citizens of the Senate

and House of Representatives:
On our present meeting, it is my first duty to invite
your attention to the providential favors which our
country has experienced, in the unusual degree of
health dispensed to its inhabitants, and in the rich

tions and thankfulness.

NOVEMBER 1812.

them from taking either side in the war, the enemy has not scrupled to call to his aid their rutless ferocity, armed with the horrors of those instruments of carnage and torture which are known spare neither age nor sex. In this outrage against the laws of honorable war, and against the feelings sacred to humanity, the British commanders cannot resort to a plea of retaliation; for it is committed in the face of our example. They cannot mitigate it, by calling it a self-defence against men in arms; for it embraces the most shocking butcheries of defenceless families. Nor can it be pretended that they are not answerable for the atrocities perpetrated; since the savages are enployed with a knowledge, and even with menaces, tha: their fury could not be controlled. Such is the spectacle which the deputed authorities of a nation, boasting its religion and morality, have not been restrained from presenting to an enlightened age.

The misfortune at Detroit was not, however, without a consoling effect. It was followed by signal procis that the national spirit rises according to the pressure on it. The loss of an important post, and of the brave men surrendered with it, inspired every where new ardor and determination. In the States and districts

least remote, it was no sooner known, than every citizen was ready to fly with his arms, at once, to protect his brethren against the blood-thirsty savages let loose by the enemy on an extensive frontier, and to convert a partial calamity into a source of invigorated efforts. This patriotic zeal, which it was necessary rather to limit than excite, has embodied an ample force from the States of Kentucky and Ohio, and from parts of addition of a few regulars, under the command of BrigPennsylvania and Virginia. It is placed, with the adier General Harrison, who possesses the entire confidence of his fellow-soldiers, among whom are citizens, some of them volunteers in the ranks, not less distin

frontier post, and in several incidental operations against hostile tribes of savages, rendered indispensable by the subserviency into which they had been seduced by the enemy; a seduction the more cruel, as it could not fail to impose a necessity of precautionary severities against those who yielded to it.

abundance with which the earth has rewarded the labors bestowed on it. In the successful cultivation of other branches of industry, and in the progress of general improvement favorable to the national prosperity, there is just occasion, also, for our mutual congratulaWith these blessings are necessarily mingled the pressures and vicissitudes incident to the state of war, into which the United States have been forced by the perseverance of a foreign Power in its system of in-guished by their political stations, than by their perjustice and aggression. sonal merits. The greater portion of this force is proPrevious to its declaration, it was deemed proper, as ceeding on its destination, towards the Michigan Tera measure of precaution and forecast, that a consider-ritory, having succeeded in relieving an important able force should be placed in the Michigan Territory, with a general view to its security, and, in the event of war, to such operations in the uppermost Canada as would intercept the hostile influence of Great Britain over the savages, obtain the command of the Lake on which that part of Canada borders, and maintain co-operating relations with such forces as might be most conveniently employed against other parts. Brigadier General Hull was charged with this provisional service; having under his command a body of troops composed of regulars and volunteers from the State of Ohio. Having reached his destination after his knowledge of the war, and possessing discretionary authority to act offensively, he passed into the neighboring territory of the enemy, with a prospect of easy and victorious progress. The expedition, nevertheless, terminated unfortunately, not only in a retreat to the town and fort of Detroit, but in the surrender of both, and of the gallant corps commanded by that officer. The causes of this painful reverse will be investigated by a military tribunal.

A distinguishing feature in the operations which preceded and followed this adverse event, is the use made by the enemy of the merciless savages under their influence. Whilst the benevolent policy of the United States invariably recommended peace and promoted civilization among that wretched portion of the human race; and was making exertions to dissuade

At a recent date, an attack was made on a post of the enemy near Niagara, by a detachment of the regu lar and other forces, under the command of Major General Van Rensselaer, of the militia of the State of New York. The attack, it appears, was ordered in compliance with the ardor of the troops, who executed it with distinguished gallantry, and were, for a time, victorious; but not receiving the expected support, they were compelled to yield to reinforcements of British regulars and savages. Our loss has been considerable, and is deeply to be lamented. That of the enemy, less ascertained, will be the more felt, as it includes, among the killed, the Commanding General, who was also Governor of the Province; and was sustained by veteran troops, from inexperienced soldiers, who must daily improve in the duties of the field.

Our expectation of gaining the command of the Lakes, by the invasion of Canada from Detroit, having been disappointed, measures were instantly taken to provide, on them, a naval force superior to that of the enemy. From the talents and activity of the officer charged with this object, everything that can be

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