IST CONGRESS, IST SESSION CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD COMPILED FROM THE FIRST CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Petition of David Ramsay 1789 (April 15), Wednesday. House of Representatives.A petition of David Ramsay, of the State of South Carolina, was presented to the House and read, setting forth that he has at a great expense of time and money, published a book, entitled "The History of the Revolution of South Carolina, from a British Province to an Independent State; that he has also prepared, and purposes shortly to publish another book, under the title of the "History of the American Revolution," and praying that a law may pass for securing to the petitioner, his heirs and assigns, for a certain term of years, the sole and exclusive right of vending and disposing of the said books within the United States Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to a committee of three, and that Mr. Tucker, Mr. White, and Mr. Huntington, be the said committee. (Journal of the House of Representatives, 1st sess. of 1st Cong. 8°. Washington, 1826, p. 14). 1789 (April 16), Thursday. Senate. The petition of David Ramsay, that a law might pass, securing to him and his heirs an exclusive right of vending, etc., his "History of the American Revolution," was read. (Journal of the Senate, 1st sess. of 1st Cong. 8°. Washington, 1820, P. 13). 1789 (April 20), Monday. House of Representatives.— Mr. Tucker reported from the committee to whom was referred the petitions of . and David Ramsay, that the committee had, according to order, had the said petitions under their consideration, and agreed to a report thereupon, which he delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the same was twice read, and debated by clauses. The third clause, in the words following, to wit: "On the subject of (112) the petition of Doctor David Ramsay, your committee report it as their opinion, that a law should pass to secure to him the exclusive right of publishing and vending, for a term of years, the two works mentioned in the petition," was read, and, on the question put thereupon, agreed to by the House. On motion, Ordered, That a bill or bills be brought in, making a general provision for securing to authors and inventors the exclusive right of their respective writings and discoveries, and that Mr. Huntington, Mr. Cadwalader, and Mr. Contee, do prepare and bring in the same. (Journal of the House of Representatives, 1st sess. of 1st Cong. 8°. Washington, 1826, p. 18.) See Bibliography, II. Reports no. 1. 1789 (May 12), Tuesday. House of Representatives.— The Speaker laid before the House the petition of Jedidiah Morse, stating that he has, at great labor, expense, and risque, compiled and published a geographical and historical treatise of the United States, entitled "The American Geography, or a View of the present Situation of the United States of America," embellished and illustrated with two original maps, and praying that an exclusive right may be secured to him, of publishing the same for a limited time. (Journal of the House of Representatives, 1st sess. of Ist Cong. 8°. Washington, 1826, p. 33.) 1789 (May 14), Thursday. House of Representatives.Ordered, That the petition of Jedidiah Morse, which lay on the table, be referred to Mr. Huntington, Mr. Cadwalader, and Mr. Contee; that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the House. (Journal of the House of Representatives, 1st sess. of 1st Cong. 8°. Washington, 1826, p. 35.) 1789 (June 8), Monday. House of Representatives.—A petition of Nicholas Pike, of Newburyport, in the State of Massachusetts, was presented to the House, and read, praying that an exclusive privilege may be granted him for a limited time, in the publication of a work which he had lately written, entitled "A new and complete System of Arithmetic." Ordered, That the said petition be referred to Mr. Huntington, Mr. Cadwalader, and Mr. Contee; that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the House. (Journal of 10469-No. 8-05-8 IST CONGRESS, IST SESSION Petition of Jedidiah Morse Nicholas Pike IST CONGRESS, the House of Representatives, 1st sess. of 1st Cong. 8°. IST SESSION ΙΟ H. R. bill, no. Petition of Hannah Adams 1789 (June 23), Tuesday. House of Representatives.—Mr. Huntington, from the committee appointed, presented, according to order, a bill to promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries; which was received, and read the first time. (Journal of the House of Representatives, 1st sess. of 1st Cong. 8°. Washington, 1826, p. 52). See Bibliography, I. Bills, no. 1. 1789 (June 24), Wednesday. House of Representatives.— A bill to promote the progress of science and useful arts by securing to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries, was read the second time and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday se'nnight. (Journal of the House of Representatives, 1st sess. of 1st Cong. 8°. Washington, 1826, p. 52.) 1789 (July 6, Monday, to August 15, Saturday). House of Representatives. --The order of the day for the House to resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the bill to promote the progress of science and useful arts by securing to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries, was read and postponed [from day to day until August 15]. (Journal of the House of Representatives, 1st sess. of 1st Cong. 8°. Washington, 1826, pp. 58, 59, 61, 62, 63, 70, 71, 72, 73, 79, 80.) 1789 (July 22), Wednesday. House of Representatives.— A petition of Hannah Adams, praying that an exclusive privilege may be granted her for a limited time to publish and vend a work which she has compiled, entitled “An alphabetical compendium of the various sects which have appeared in the world from the beginning of the Christian era to the present day, with an appendix, containing a brief account of the different schemes of religion now embraced among mankind" [was presented to the House, with others, and read]: Ordered, That the said petitions do lie on the table. (Journal of the House of Representatives, 1st sess. of 1st Cong. 8°. Washington, 1826, p. 64.) 1789 (August 17), Monday. House of Representatives.On motion, the order of the day for the House to resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the bill to promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries, was postponed until the next session of Congress. (Journal of the House of Representatives, 1st sess. of 1st Cong., 8°. Washington, 1826, p. 80.) FIRST CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION 1790 (January 8.), Friday. Senate.-The Senate assembled: present as yesterday. Ordered, That the House of Representatives be informed that the Senate are ready to meet them in the Senate Chamber, to receive any communication the President of the United States may be pleased to make to the two Houses of Congress; and that the usual seats will be assigned them. The House of Representatives having accordingly taken their seats, the President of the United States came into the Senate Chamber, and addressed both Houses of Congress as followeth: "Fellow Citizens of the Senate and House of Representatives: . . . Nor am I less persuaded that you will agree with me in opinion, that there is nothing which can better deserve your patronage than the promotion of science and literature. Knowledge is, in every country, the surest basis of public happiness. In one in which the measures of government receive their impression so immediately from the sense of the community as in ours, it is proportionably essential. To the security of a free constitution it contributes in various ways: By convincing those who are intrusted with the public administration that every valuable end of government is best answered by the enlightened confidence of the public; and by teaching the people themselves to know and to value their own rights; to discern and provide against invasions of them; to distinguish between oppression and the necessary exercise of lawful authority; between burthens proceeding from a disregard to their convenience, and those resulting from the inevitable exigencies of society; to discriminate the spirit of liberty from that of licentiousness, cherishing the first, avoiding the last, and uniting a speedy but temperate vigi 2D SESSION . IST CONGRESS, lance against encroachments, with an inviolable respect to the laws. Whether this desirable object will be best promoted by affording aids to seminaries of learning already established, by the institution of a national university, or by any other expedients, will be well worthy of a place in the deliberations of the legislature . . . George Washington, United States, January 8, 1790." The President of the United States having retired, and the two Houses being separated: Ordered, That Messrs. King, Izard, and Paterson, be a committee to prepare and report the draft of an address to the President of the United States, in answer to his speech delivered this day to both Houses of Congress in the Senate Chamber. (Journal of the Senate, 2d sess. of Ist Cong., 8°. Washington, 1820, pp. 102, 103, 104; State papers and publick documents of the United States, 2d ed., v. I, 8°. Boston, 1817, p. 15.) See Bibliography, V. Miscellaneous, no. I. 1790 (January 8), Friday. House of Representatives.— A message from the Senate, by Mr. Otis, their secretary. Mr. Speaker: . . The Senate are also now ready in the Senate Chamber to attend this House in receiving the com- NOTE.-On January 9 it was resolved in the Committee of the |