527
2. April 1836.
2. V:45. Saturday.
- Smith W. S.
Began reading Sir James
Mackintosh’s History of the reign of James the second. My catarrhal cough and my
lameness yet disable me, for all vigorous action— The deaf and dumb
young man named W. S. Smith came for
the third time, to me for employment which I am unable to find or to
procure for him—
At the House, upon the call for Reports from standing and then from
Select Committees, there were only two or three presented which
occasioned no debate Mr Patton, Chairman of the Committee of the
Territories moved to suspend the rules of private business for one hour
to take up a Bill from the Senate for establishing the Territory of
Wisconsin which was agreed to.— Committee of the whole on the Union,
Speight in the Chair— The
Bill was long, and Patton said the question of boundary would not be
involved in it at all— But it bounded the new Territory, on the
North-east corner of the State of Illinois May of that State moved to insert the words 42 degrees
30. minutes North Latitude—to which Patton, and Jones the delegate from the proposed
territory acquiesced in; but which I opposed— I made a very few remarks,
but found that I could use my voice so as to be heard— I saw my
opposition would be useless; but the hour expired and the orders of the
day, private business was called— Two successive Committees of the whole
were raised, Ward first and then
Fuller. Philo. C, in the
Chair, and private Bills passed from Committee to the House and
to a third reading— The House adjourned near four O’Clock and I went to
see Mr
Tippets improved Steam engine, which is never to explode,
but it was out of order— In the Evening I went to the Capitol, and heard
a Lecture two hours and a half long from Mr
Reynolds in support of his old project of a scientific
naval expedition to the South Pole and pacific Ocean— I came home
between 10 and 11. Sick and wearied out.
