Protection to American Manufactures. county of Grafton, and State of New Hampshire; and that said company have expended a large sum of money in erecting furnaces, forges, and machinery, in the town of Franconia, in the same county, for the purpose of manufacturing bar iron and various sorts of cast iron ware; that their works have been in operation for more than three years, but, owing to the high price of labor, and the low price they been obliged to receive for their manufactures, the said company have never realized one dollar, for the use of their capital stock, which amounts to more than one hundred thousand dollars; and that they have but little prospect of making their works profitable, or worth pursuing, while European manufactures, of the same kind, can be imported and sold in this country, for the prices at which they have been sold, for several years past. They therefore pray, that, when commerce is laboring under great embarrassments, from the oppressive measures of belligerent Powers, that Congress, in their wisdom, would extend their fostering aid and encouragement to American manufactures, by imposing heavy duties on all imported hollow iron ware, and shapes of various kinds, an abundant supply of which, with proper encouragement, may be cast in our own country. This, we believe, will afford to merchants a prospect of employing part of their capital, withdrawn from the ocean, to some advantage, in establishing, and carrying on. useful manufactories. And, as in duty bound, will ever pray the New Hampshire Iron Factory Company, by their directors. EBEN'R BECKFORD, and others. SALEM, January 16, 1812. [Communicated to the House, February 3, 1812.] To the Senate and House of Representatives in Congress assembled: The subscribers, brewers of malt liquor, in the city of New York, having long had to encounter with many impediments to the extension of their business, so as to render it profitable either to themselves, or as an useful branch of manufactory to the community at large, take the liberty to suggest to Congress, that, while the consumption of ardent spirits continues to form so common a drink, for the generality of people, particularly among the laboring part of society, it will operate against the use of malt liquors, which circumstance, together with the quantity of foreign beer heretofore imported, has lessened the consumption of the article manufactured at home, and which, in the event of the intercourse being opened, may again be the case. With this view of the subject, we are induced to solicit the attention of Congress, in order that some legislative aid and encouragement may be afforded in the premises. It is not for us to expatiate on the benefits which may result to the community, as to the preference, in point of health, which malt liquor may have to that of ardent spirits, or of the policy of encouraging the one, and of discouraging the other, even in a moral point of view; these are considerations, so connected with individual and general good, and so according with the system adopted by Congress, for promoting the manufactories of our country, and so congenial with the spirit of the nation, that we shall forbear expressing much on the subject. We, therefore, submit to your consideration the propriety of adopting such measures as may be promotive of encouraging the manufactory, and use, of malt liquors, in the United States. MURRAY & MILBANK, and others. NEW YORK, 1st mo., 19, (January) 1812. [Communicated to the House, March 6, 1812.] To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, the underwritten citizens of the State of Connecticut respectfully represent That we have lately observed, among the various applications to Congress, on the subject of commerce, petitions for the importation of wire from Great Britain, on a suggestion, as we believe, altogether unfounded, that a supply of wire cannot be made in the United States, and that such importation is necessary to our infant manufactories. We therefore beg leave to state, that, since the first of August last, we have erected, in the towns of Simsbury and Winchester, in this State, two manufactories for making iron wire, wherein, without any previous knowledge of the business, we have succeeded in making the various species of iron wire, of the best quality, from native ore, which with suitable encouragement, may be increased to any quantity required, and afforded at a moderate price. We therefore humbly request, that, instead of allowing the importation of wire, as heretofore, free of duty, whenever the importation thereof may be again allowed, it may be done on payment of such duties as to your honors may appear reasonable. And, as in duty bound, will ever pray. SAMUEL HEADLEY & Co. As a proof of our success, we enclose herewith, two samples of card wire, made in said Simsbury. HARTFORD, February, 25, 1812. From an examination of several samples of iron wire, made in Simsbury and Winchester, and a knowledge of the reputation of the petitioners, we believe the facts stated in the foregoing petition are true. JOHN J. PETERS, and others. HARTFORD, February, 25, 1812. [Communicated to the House, March 20, 1812.] To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled, at their session, now in 1812, the petition of the subscribers, citizens, inhabitants, and iron manufacturers, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, on behalf of themselves and others, humbly showeth : That, in order to improve their estates, respectively, as well as to aid the manufactories of the United States, in general, they have, at large, Report of the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund. expense erected a number of furnaces, forges, rolling and slitting mills, steel furnaces, and tilt hammer forges, for manufacturing iron and steel, for the use of the citizens of the United States. That, in common with other citizens of the United States, pursuing the same branches of business, they expected a reward, by a just and reasonable sale of their productions, for the expenses and industry necessary to erect, carry on, and support, works of such public utility to the American people. That the balance of moneys advanced on account of Together with the sums disbursed from I. 8,001,972 43 $8,362,972 11 Have been accounted for in the following manner : There was repaid into the Treasury, during the year That, to their surprise, they find that the subjects of those Governments, or Kingdoms, in Europe, who have endeavored to injure, if not to And amounting, together, to annihilate, the commerce of the United States, are bringing into the American market their wrought iron, and endeavoring to undersell the American manufacturers of those articles, whilst the commerce of the United States is subjected, in those countries, to such restrictions, duties, risk, and danger, so as nearly to destroy all the advantages the United States have any right to calculate on by commerce. Your petitioners beg leave further to state, that they have succeeded in their several branches of iron manufacture equal to their expectations; and that the iron they make is equal, if not superior, to any imported from beyond sea, for the various purposes to which it is necessary to apply it in the United States. [Communicated to the Senate, February 5, 1812.] The Commissioners of the Sinking Fund respectfully report to Congress as follows: That the measures which have been authorized by the Board, subsequent to their last report, of the 2d of February, 1811, so far as the same have been completed, are fully detailed in the report of the Secretary of the Treasury to this Board, dated the first day of the present month, and in the statements therein referred to, which are here with transmitted, and prayed to be received as part of this report. G. CLINTON, President of Senate, - The Secretary of the Treasury respectfully reports to the Commissoners of the Sinking Fund: II. 1. 1810, on account of the principal of moneys hereto- The sums actually applied, during Paid in reimbursement of the principal of the debt, including the whole of the exchanged six per cent. stock outstanding 2. Paid on account of the interest and char- $5,153,328 16 2,703,830 41 Suspension of Payment of certain Bills. Which disbursements were made out of the follow- III. The sums actually applied, during ing funds, viz: I. From the funds constituting the annual appropriation of eight millions of dollars, for the year 1811, viz: And, together, also, with the further sum of £4,900 sterling, in bills. taken in payment of the principal. of an equal sum of protested bills, as will appear by the same statement D, and equal, at par, to Making, together $8,000,000 00 148,095 00 8,148,095 00 493,174 17 56,726 14 21,777 78 $8,719,773 09 Will be accounted for in the next annual report, in conformity with the accounts which shall then have been rendered to the Treasury Department. the year 1811, to the principal and 1. Paid in reimbursement of the prin-. As will appear by the estimate F 537,485 69 $8,719,773 09 That, in conformity with the resolution of the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, of April 24, 1811, (L,) there was reimbursed, at the close of the year 1811, in the manner prescribed by the eighth section of the act of February 11, 1807, a portion of the converted stock created by the third section of that act, of $1,294,452 29; which sum of $1,294,452 29, forms a part of the sum of $5,543,470 89, above stated, as the amount of the principal of the public debt reimbursed in the year 1811. And that the statement H exhibits the amount of stock transferred to the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, and to the Treasurer of the United States, in trust for said States, and standing to their credit on the books of the Treasury, on the 31st December, 1811, no stock having been transferred in payment for lands during the year 1811. All which is respectfully submitted. ALBERT GALLATIN. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Feb. 1, 1812. SUSPENSION OF PAYMENT OF CERTAIN BILLS. [Communicated to the House, April 6, 1812.] COMMITTEE ROOM, March 4, 1812. SIR: Your several letters, of December 29th, and of the 25th ult., in relation to sundry bills drawn by Mr. Armstrong upon the Treasury of the United States, in favor of the Cashier of the French Treasury, for the amount of certain claims. arising under the Louisiana convention, in favor of American citizens, have been received, and, with the documents accompanying them, submitted to the Committee of Ways and Means. That, in the meanwhile, the manner in which the said sum has been applied, is estimated as follows: I. The repayments into the Treasury, on account of I am instructed by the committee to inform the principal, including the amount of sundry bills you, as the result of their consideration, that, in received in exchange for others previously purchased, the present state of that transaction, and from a which had been protested, have, during the year 1811, view of the circumstances under which it is preamounted, as by the abovementioned statement Esented to them, they have deemed it their duty $168,444 45 to Suspension of Payment of certain Bills. not to interfere in the regular course of accountability to which it is now subject. I have the honor to be, &c. EZEKIEL BACON.' Hon. A. GALLATIN, Sec'y Treasury. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Feb. 25, 1812. SIR: I had the honor, on the 2d December last, to address you on the subject of Mr. Armstrong's accounts, and now enelose a letter lately received from him. Washington, I pressed the reference on this ground, and even invited you to suspend the payment of the bills, should they arrive, until the directions of Congress should be procured. This, you then thought, you had no power to do, which gave, and continues to give to the affair, an importance, as it relates to myself, which must be my apology for pressing it again on your notice. If you will have the kindness to advise me of the time you mean to offer it to the committee, I will not hesitate to go to Washington, and carry with me all that part of my correspondence with the French Government, which has any relation to the subject. There is, I find, much of it, and I would choose to be the bearer of it myself. When I recollect the labor and vexation I have already had in executing the convention; that it was a duty altogether wide of my ministerial functions, and entirely without remuneration of any kind; I do think (as you have very frankly acknowledg Permit me to remind the committee, that the Secretary of the Treasury is bound to pay the bills drawn by the Minister: and that the law having vested him with no discretion in that respect, the bills alluded to in my former letter will be paid whenever presented for that purpose. If, therefore, it is the opinion of the committee that they should not be paid, a law to that effect is necessary. On the other hand, if it be intended that they should be paid, a law is equally requi-ed in one of your letters to me) that I ought to site to authorize the accounting officers to credit Mr. Armstrong for the amount. The detention of the bills in France (for causes not known at the Treasury) having afforded an opportunity to obtain the sense of Congress on the subject, it would seem hard not to decide on it: for, if no decision be made, the bills will be paid, and Mr. Armstrong will remain accountable for the amount; whilst, on the contrary, he has no interest in the nature of the decision, provided it shall be made, since it is immaterial to him whether the bills be refused payment, in which case he will not be charged at all, or whether, being paid, he receives credit for their amount. ALBERT GALLATIN. P. S. I would wish to be enabled to inform Mr. Armstrong whether his presence be thought necessary, Hon. EZEKIEL BACON, Chairman, &c. RED HOOK, 7th February, 1812. DEAR SIR: Not having yet seen a reference to any committee of Congress, of that part of my bill account which you have not hitherto thought yourself authorized to settle without the intervention of that body, and seeing much new business growing up for you, I begin to fear that the present session, like the last, will pass over without obtaining a decision on this subject. If Congress should not approve the arrangement made between the Minister of the French Treasury and myself, which was left in the hands of the Cashier General, bills to a certain amount, for the purpose of discharging a given number of specified claims which had been liquidated in the ordinary form, but which, from various causes, had not, after a lapse of more than two years, been paid to the claimants, it is important that they should do so while they have a power over the funds. In this case they could, by their Minister in Paris, institute a new negotiation, and give such other form to the business as they might think safer and better than that which had been adopted. You will remember, that, when at be as little embarrassed by it, hereafter, as possible. To me, no embarrassment could have arisen, had the reference been made as you promised and intended, at the last session of Congress; because, at that time, the remedy, whatever it might have been, would have been interposed before the bills were presented and paid, and of course before any charge of them against me could have been made. Had Congress approved the arrangement, there would have been an end of the business; had they disapproved it, they must, at the same time, have interdicted the payment of the bills. In either case, therefore, I should have been at my ease. Whether, however, the bills have, or have not, been paid since, I must entreat you to delay the as well from your good will as your justice, and reference no longer. This I have a right to claim, in both I have entire confidence. I should be much obliged, if, in acknowledging the receipt of this letter, you would be good enough to state whether the bills in question have arrived and been paid. With very great esteem and regard, I am, &c. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Dec. 2, 1811. SIR: Mr. Armstrong, in conformity with the second section of the act of November 10, 1803, "making provision for the payment of claims of the United States on the Government of France," &c., had been charged with the whole amount of bills drawn under the Louisiana Convention. As that instrument contained a provision which made the French Government the final judge of all the claims, Mr. Armstrong has been credited, on producing, as his voucher, a certificate from that Government, a copy of which is enclosed in the papers now transmitted. In point of form, however, there has been, in one instance, a deviation from the Convention, which renders the sanction of Congress necessary, before the accounts can be finally settled. In order to close the transaction, Mr. Arm Suspension of Payment of certain Bills. strong and the Minister of the French Treasury entered into an agreement for the disposition of a sum of 196,658 43 francs, which was the unapplied balance of the twenty millions payable by the convention on account of American claims. The accounting officers of the Treasury do not consider themselves authorized to credit Mr. Armstrong for the amount of the bills drawn by virtue of that agreement, principally because a portion (amounting to 115.534.41 francs) is drawn in favor of the Cashier of the French Treasury, for certain claims which the French Government has, on that account, assumed to pay, instead of being drawn, according to the convention, in favor of the claimants themselves. And for the same reason, a doubt arises whether those bills, which have not yet been presented for payment, ought to be paid by the Treasury. The objections, together with Mr. Armstrong's explanations of the arrangement, are enclosed. Although these embrace some other collateral points, the agreement above stated is the only one under the consideration of the Treasury, and which prevents a final settlement. It will be recollected, that it had, once before, been necessary to apply for a similar legislative sanction, which was given by the act of April Sth, 1806. I have the honor to be, &c. ALBERT GALLATIN. The Hon. EZEKIEL BACON, Chairman Committee Ways and Means TREASURY DEPARTMENT, April 2, 1812. SIR: I regret to be obliged, once more, to trouble you on the subject of Mr. Armstrong's account. But you will perceive, from the enclosed extract of his letter to me of the 19th ult., that he has received information that a part of the bills, drawn in the name of the Cashier General of the French Treasury, has been diverted from the objects of the agreement, and been vested in a person who was not a claimant under the cononvention. The inference drawn from that fact by Mr. Armstrong is, that it authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to refuse the payment of the bills until evidence shall be given, that the terms of the agreement, on the part of France, have been fulfilled. But, with that agreement, the Treasury has nothing to do, and its decision cannot be affected by the fulfilment or non-fulfilment of those terms, on the part of France. Provided the bills are drawn by the Minister of the United States at Paris, and provided they are, on the face thereof, expressed to be drawn under the convention, and are duly endorsed by the person in whose favor drawn, they must be paid at the Treasury. Yet it would be very unpleasant for the Secretary to be placed in that situation, after the information received from Mr. Armstrong. And as this information affords solid ground why the payment of the bills should be suspended until evidence, as above-mentioned, shall have been received, it seems proper to lay again the subject before the Committee of Ways and Means, who 12th CoN. 1st Sess.-66 France which essentially alters its circumstances,* "I have received information recently from and will, I think, make a ministerial injunction on the payment of the bills drawn to the order of the Cashier General, both proper and necesof the agreement on the part of France have sary, until evidence shall be given, that the terms been fulfilled. The substance of this information is, that part of these bills have been diverted from vested in a person of the name of Dauchy, who the objects of the agreement, and been actually in his own right or in that of another. In this was not a claimant under the convention, either information I have the most entire confidence. The man who gives it cannot mistake, and will not deceive. If anything in the form of an affidavit, with regard to the facts of my being possessed of such information, or of my belief that it may be relied upon, is requisite, it shall be immediately furnished." A. Extract of a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury to General Armstrong, dated September 4, 1809. "There are several bills drawn in the name of the Cashier General of the public Treasury, without any indication of the claim, or on whose account they are drawn. As he could have no right to draw bills in his own name, the claim out of which they arose ought to be made known to the Treasury of the United States. "The last claim on the second French list, which is made to include the whole balance remaining undrawn of the twenty millions of francs, appears to have been left by the Emperor to be drawn for in any name you should designate under certain conditions. The nature of this transaction, the claims which this sum is intended to satisfy, and the persons who are entitled to the money, must be explained before you can be discharged regularly at the Treasury from the amount. It must also be shown that Mr. Warden, in whose name the bills have been drawn, has paid over the money to the persons entitled to receive it." B. PARIS, February 6th, 1810. SIR: Your letter of the 4th September last, having made the detour of Amsterdam, did not *Circumstances of the case. |