fact, I have never witnessed such a Debate. The Question was taken by yeas and nays on the postponement, and lost by one majority. Several other motions were made to evade the main Question, but could not be carried. The Abettors of the late measure, appropriating $2,000,000 to purchase the Floridas, and in this way, for aught we know, committing this Country for millions more, began now to look thunderstruck, and seemed to look almost willing to call to the rocks and mountains to fall on them. The vote was taken on the Resolution about half past 5 o'clock, and carried. Our late secret proceedings will therefore be now made public, and the papers, I have no doubt, will be filled with the same.

I write in great haste, and am,

DR. CUTLER.

Sincerely and respectfully yours,

BENJ. TALLMADGE.

[From Timothy Pickering.]

CITY OF WASHINGTON, March, 1806. Dear Sir-I received your letter of the 15th ult. If Mr. Collins sends me the letter from Sweden, I will forward it to

you without delay. I will also take the packet on my

return.

McMahon has, within a few days, informed me that his book on gardening is published, and asked my orders concerning your copy. It being so late in the session, I have desired him to retain it until I return. But is it not probable that he will send some copies to Boston? I believe I had better hint that to him; and, in that case, to send a copy for you, because it is not improbable that Congress may sit to a late day in AprilI understand that the President has intimated as much—and you may wish for your copy early in the spring.

With great regard and esteem, I am yours,

T. PICKERING.

P. S.-Mr. Rind has failed in sending some of your papers; but you will not lose much thereby. No Minister is nominated for London. I presume Monroe will remain there alone. Least of all will Burr.

[From Timothy Pickering.]

WASHINGTON, March 8, 1806. Dear Sir-It gives me pleasure that at length I can inclose you one Washington Federalist in which you will find some

amusement.

John Randolph has repeated in public the reproaches which, with closed doors, he had uttered against our noble President, who is, indeed, a most miserable visionary in politics, and ridiculously credulous in all things, even in his favorite pursuit, Natural History. I do not think any Federalists view him with more contempt than many of his own adherents.

He is evidently fast sinking into contempt; and, before his term expires (going on as of late), he will be glad to seek refuge in Carter's or any other mountain, not from an enemy, but from the scorn of the whole American world.

Adieu!

T. PICKERING.

[From Hon. Samuel Taggart.]

WASHINGTON, March 4, 1813.

My Dear Sir:-I received yours of the 25th ult. on the evening of the second instant. From some things in it I am rather led to expect to hear from you to-day, but as I shall be so busy packing up that I shall not have time to write after the mail comes in, I thought I would write a few lines this morning for the last time during my present residence in Washington. My fellow-boarders are all gone, so that for the day I am left alone, but shall, I hope, be on the road to-morrow morning, when I expect to find the traveling, especially this part of the way, to be bad in the extreme. The 12th Congress closed its political existence last evening at nearly 12 o'clock. I was not in at the death. I retired to my lodgings between nine and ten. The house had then nothing to do, and was waiting for the Senate. Some bills were afterwards returned from the Senate with amendments, which were lost in the House for the want of a quorum. Some exertions were made to obtain a quorum by sending for members at their homes, and a number returned, but not enough to make

a quorum. I did not return, although sent for-partly, because I was in bed, and felt no inclination again to traverse the mud in a dark night between my lodgings and the Capitol, and partly because I thought it likely that the license bill and the non-exportation bill had been returned with amendments, and these I felt willing to defeat in any way. As it happened, however, these bills were postponed in the Senate. One or two bills which were lost in this way it would, perhaps, have been well enough to have had passed, but I trust the nation will receive no great detriment by their failure.

One very foolish bill, authorizing the destruction of the enemy's vessels by torpedoes, or other submarine explosions, was taken up in a frolic and passed. Those who voted to take it up for the purpose of hearing a drunk man make a speech, could not afterward vote it down. I understood, however, that the President did not sign it, and for this act I am willing to allow, abstaining to do one bad thing which he had in his power. The retaliation bill, however, has passed, and is, in my opinion, a disgrace to our statute book.

A resolution passed the House of Representatives on Monday, on the motion of Mr. Goldsborough, calling on the President for information in relation to the state of our foreign. relations with France. Late last evening an answer was returned, containing a stingy correspondence between Barlow and the Duke of Bassano, partly in May and partly in October of the last year. The October correspondence gave encouragement of an almost immediate conclusion both of a treaty of commerce and a convention in relation to spoliations. He was summoned to Wilna, to close the business there; but Bonaparte, when he passed through Wilna, on his return, was in such a hurry for fear the Cossacks would catch him that he had not time to pay any attention to his humble friend; and Joel died suddenly, on his return, of an inflammation of the lungs, at a small village near to Cracow in Poland. There is a whisper that he was assassinated, but I know not on what foundation it rests. The circumstance of his leaving the mild climate of Paris at that season of the year, and encountering the rigors of winter in the North of Europe in such a long journey, is sufficient both to account

for his death and the disorder by which he is said to have died. He is said to have left his papers, both public and private, in a state of the utmost disorder, and to have effected nothing. There may be something particularly providential to the United States in his death at this critical moment. It may retard an entangling alliance, and eventually break the snare. News, I can give you none which you will not get as soon and more fully in the papers; and I have now time to write but little more. You will have heard of the capture of the Post at Ogdensburg by the British. This is another sample of success in the conquest of Canada. Harrison's Great Battle proves all to be a hum, as I believe I wrote in my last. I hope I shall hear from you, either by the mail of to-day or on my return home. I shall now bid you farewell until I return to Washington, unless I should receive a letter from you which requires an answer before the twenty days expire. I rest yours affectionately, SAML. TAGGART.

P. S. In speaking on Mr. Calhoun's non-exportation bill, Mr. Quincy took the opportunity of giving the Cabinet another most severe lashing.

[From Hon. Samuel Taggart.]

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19, 1815. My Dear Sir:-I calculate that there is some probability that I may hear from you by to-morrow's mail, and therefore write this by anticipation; but I shall not inclose nor put it in the post-office until after the usual time of the arrival of to-morrow's mail, as it will not leave Washington before Tuesday morning. If I receive any thing from you to-morrow, I shall notice it in this.

I long to receive some letters from New England, giving the account of the manner of their reception of the news of peace. Last Monday it was received in the town of Greenfield, the county town of our county of Franklin, merely by the report of a passenger in the stage. The only bell in the place was set to ringing, and the firing of cannon was kept up for as much as two hours. Their informant, however, was a gentleman of character, personally known in the place, who

had come direct from New Haven after the news had been received there.

I shall begin this where I closed my last, which I believe was when the treaty was before the Senate undecided. The decision took place without a dissenting voice as soon as it could consistent with their established rules, i. e., after it had lain over one day. This was on Thursday last. Friday morning it was expected the treaty would have been published in form; and the reason why it was not was that Mr. Baker, who was the bearer of the ratification of the Prince regent, which he was to exchange for that of the President of the United States, had not arrived in Washington. He arrived on Friday evening about 8 o'clock. The ratification was presently exchanged, and on Saturday morning the treaty, together with the President's proclamation, declaring it to be ratified and become the supreme law of the land, was published. The treaty will probably meet your eye before you receive this letter, as it will be on the way two, if not three, days sooner than this.

As

The treaty I call a ood one, because it secures to us the blessing of peace, which is beyond all price; and even if it was much less advantageous than it is, I should rejoice in it. I think it is as good as we had any right to expect, and better than I expected we could obtain. But it falls far short of the extravagant demands of our government at the commencement of the war, and what they would have still continued to be had Bonaparte continued all-powerful in Europe. good, and probably a better, treaty might have been obtained when a cessation of arms was asked for by Admiral Warren, and an immense saving both of blood and treasure have been made. Our war-hawks, some of them at least, affect to speak of it as a glorious war and an honorable peace; but the treaty guaranties no one object for which the war was commenced. It is entirely silent about free-trade and sailors' rights, or the doctrine of blockades and impressment, nor does it say a word about either the India trade or the fisheries, which may, notwithstanding this treaty, be placed upon a worse footing than before the war; and it is thought that the stipulated running of the lines will take something off from our terri