ambassador lord Cathcart, who had the day before dispatched it by a messenger to his court. This friendly offer of the emperor Alexander was accordingly made known to the American government by Mr. Daschkoff in the most courteous terms. After mentioning the regret of his imperial majesty at the shackles which this event is about to oppose to the commercial prosperity of nations, he observes: The love of humanity and what he owes to his subjects, whose commerce had already sufficiently suffered, command him to do every thing in his power to remove the evils which this war is preparing even for those nations who will not take part in it ;" adding, that "his majesty, who takes pleasure in doing justice to the wisdom of the government of the United States of America, is convinced that it has done all that it could to prevent this rupture." The offer of mediation is then formally made, in similar terms to those used by count Romanzoff at St. Petersburg. The American secretary, in reply, states, that the president willingly accepts of the offered mediation, and pays some high compliments to the emperor Alexander for the friendly interest which his imperial majesty takes in the welfare of the United States. The British government, meanwhile, had rejected the offered mediation, intimating, in terms of much politeness, that there was no sovereign whose mediation they should more readily accept than that of the emperor, but that their differences with the United States were of a nature involving principles of the internal government of the British nation, and which it was thought were not susceptible of being committed to the discussion of any mediation. The prince regent, however, is declared to be nevertheless ready to nominate plenipotentiaries to treat directly with those of America, at London, or, if that place should be objected to, at Gottenburg. The sentiments of the prince regent were accordingly communicated to the American government by lord Castlereagh, with an assurance that the British government was actuated by an earnest desire for the adjustment of the differences subsisting between the two states, upon principles of perfect reciprocity, not inconsistent with the established maxims of public law, and with the maritime rights of the British empire, at the same time intimating that this business could not be mixed with the affairs of the continent of Europe. This new proposition was immediately acceded to by the American government, and its readiness declared to treat on conditions of reciprocity consistent with the rights of both parties, as sovereign and independent nations; but it was remarked, that the president had seen with regret the rejection of the mediation of the emperor by the prince regent, which could not, it was added, have been for the purpose of keeping the United States unconnected, against Great Britain, with any affairs of the continent, there being nothing in the proposed mediation tending to such a result, but merely an offer to bring the parties together, not as an umpire, but as a common friend. In pursuance of the acceptance of the offer of Great Britain to treat at Gottenburg, John Quincy Adams, James A. Bayard (the commissioners appointed under the Russian mediation), Henry Clay, Jonathan Russell, and Albert Gallatin, were nominated to the senate; and being approved of, were appointed by the president as commissioners to proceed to Gottenburg to meet those appointed by the British government. 4. Shortly after the offer of the British government to treat was laid before congress, Mr. Gaston submitted the following resolution in the house of representatives : Resolved, That pending the negociations with Great Britain, it is inexpedient to prosecute military operations against the Canadas for invasion or conquest. The house refused to consider the resolution, 92 to 67. 95. In consequence of his appointment as minister to treat with Great Britain, Mr. Clay, on the 19th of January, resigned his station as speaker of the house of representatives, and Mr. Cheves, of South Carolina, was chosen in his place. After Mr. Clay left the chair, the following resolution was passed by the house, 144 to 9. Resolved, That the thanks of this house be presented to Henry Clay, in testimony of their approbation of his conduct in the arduous and important duties assigned to him as speaker of this house. 6. On the 13th of April Mr. Gaston moved the following resolution : Resolved, That the president of the United States be requested to communicate to this house any information in his possession touching our relations with France, which in his judgment it is not improper to disclose. This motion having been modified, on the suggestion of Mr. Grundy, by the insertion of the words "not heretofore communicated," was agreed to without a division. For the president's answer to this communication see the State Papers in a subsequent part of this volume, p. 109]. § 7. The two following resolutions were adopted by the senate, on the 18th of March, on motion of Mr. Gaillard: Resolved, That it be the duty of the secretary of the navy to devise and digest a system for the better organization of the department of the navy of the United States, and to report the same to the senate at the commencement of their next session. Resolved, That it be the duty of the secretary of the navy to digest or cause to be digested all laws now in force relative to the naval establishment and the marine corps, and to report the same to the senate at the commencement of their next session. 8. The following sums were appropriated during this ses sion: For the Military Department. For the pay of the army of the United States, including the private servants kept by officers, and for the pay of the volunteers and militia in the actual service of the United States, For forage to officers, $7,965,360 264,576 For subsistence of the army, and of volunteers and militia, 4,917,470 For contingencies, For the quarter-master's department, For ordnance and ordnance stores, including arsenals, magazines, and armories, For fortifications, For the Indian department, 460,000 255,000 2,540,000 2,036,000 3,500,000 700,000 500,000 700,000 464,500 For the Navy. For pay and subsistence of the officers, and pay of the seamen, $2,579,341 For provisions, 1,439,902 52 For medicines, hospital stores, and all expenses on account of the sick, 120,000 For repairs of vessels, 1,500,000 For contingent expences, including freight, transportation, and recruiting expences, For the Expenditure of the Civil List. For compensation granted by law to the members of the senate and house of representatives, their officers and attendants, For the expence of fire-wood, stationary, printing, and all other contingent expenses of the two houses of congress, For the expenses of the library of congress, in- For compensation to the president and vice- For compensation to the secretary of the trea- For expence of translating foreign languages, allowance to the person employed in transmitting passports and sea-letters, and for stationary and printing in the office of the secretary of the treasury, For compensation to the comptroller of the treasury, clerks and persons employed in his office, including the sum of $1,889, for compensation to his clerks, in addition to the sum allowed by the act of the 21st of April, 1806, For expense of stationary and printing, and contingent expenses in the comptroller's office, $ 252,255 50,000 800 30,000 15,938 1,072 50 20,250 13,299 81 1,500 14,866 800 For compensation to the auditor of the treasury, For expense of stationary and printing, and con- For expense of stationary and printing, and con- For expense of stationary and printing, and contingent expenses of the revenue office, including the sum of $5,325 73 cents, the amount of expenditures for these objects during the year 1813, for which no appropriation has been made, For compensation to the register of the treasury, clerks and persons employed in his office, For additional compensation to the clerks in the treasury department, not exceeding 15 per cent. on the sum allowed by the act entitled "An act to regulate and fix the compensation of clerks, and to authorize the lay-. ing out certain public roads, and for other purposes," For compensation to the messenger of the For expense of stationary and printing, and con- For the purchase of books, maps, and charts, For compensation to a superintendant, and two 12,221 500 7,227 45 300 12,410 3,700 9,410 9,978 36 16,052 02 6,634 09 90 2,800 4,000 400 |