Several other members, to wit: from Pennsylvania, JOHN B. C. LUCAS; from Maryland, DANIEL HEISTER; from Virginia, JOHN CLOPTON, and JOHN TRIGG; from North Carolina, SAMUEL D. PURVIANCE; and from Georgia, DAVID MERIWETHER, appeared, produced their credentials, were qualified, and took their seats in the House;
The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union; and, after some time spent therein, the Committee rose and reported the following resolutions:
1. _Resolved_, That so much of the President’s Message as relates to the regulations proper to be observed by foreign armed vessels within the jurisdiction of the United States; to the restraining of our citizens from entering into the service of the belligerent powers of Europe; and to the exacting from all nations the observance, towards our vessels and citizens, of those principles and practices which all civilized people acknowledge; be referred to a select committee.
2. _Resolved_, That so much of the President’s Message as relates to the adopting of measures for preventing the flag of the United States from being used by vessels not really American, be referred to the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures.
3. _Resolved_, as the opinion of this committee, That so much of the Message of the President of the United States as relates to our finances, ought to be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means.
The House proceeded to consider the said resolutions, and the same being again read, were agreed to by the House.
_Ordered_, That Mr. JOHN RANDOLPH, jr., Mr. NICHOLAS R. MOORE, Mr. GAYLORD GRISWOLD, Mr. CROWNINSHIELD, Mr. BLACKLEDGE, Mr. RODNEY, and Mr. JOHN RHEA, of Tennessee, be appointed a committee pursuant to the first resolution.
Another member, to wit, PETER EARLY, from Georgia, appeared, produced his credentials, was qualified, and took his seat in the House.
Mr. J. RANDOLPH observed that it had lately been announced to the public that one of the earliest patriots of the Revolution had paid his last debt to nature. He had hoped that some other gentleman, better qualified for the task, would have undertaken to call the attention of the House to this interesting event. It could not, indeed, be a matter of deep regret that one of the first statesmen of our country has descended to the grave full of years and full of honors; that his character and fame were put beyond the reach of that time and chance to which every thing mortal is exposed; but it became the House to cherish a sentiment of veneration for such men--since such men are rare--and to keep alive the spirit to which they owed the constitution under which they were then deliberating. This great man, the associate of Hancock, shared with him the honor of being proscribed by a flagitious ministry, whose object was to triumph over the liberties of their country, by trampling on those of her colonies. With his great compatriot he made an early and decided stand against British encroachment, whilst souls more timid were trembling and irresolute. It is the glorious privilege of minds of this stamp to give an impulse to a people and fix the destiny of nations.