4 April 1844
adams-john10 Neal Millikan Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
285 Washington Thursday 4. April 1844

4. II to IV. and VI.15

Pratt Orson Page John E Mrs Mary M. Telfair. Abbott Amos Baker Osmyn Hudson Charles Rockwell Julius Adams Joseph T.

Sleepless Night.

After the decision of the house yesterday on the Resolutions reported from the select Committee on the Resolves of the Massachusetts Legislature, and the postponement to this day of the motion to print all the reports and the journal of the Committee; the house was engaged the rest of the day in a very warm debate on the bill authorising the President to sell the lead mines in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin, which on the question of engrossment was rejected by yeas and nays 69 to 81—upon which a motion of reconsideration was immediately made, and lies over— In the evening I attended the meeting of the National Institute at the Presbyterian Church in 4 1/2 Street, and heard a Discourse by A. D. Bache on the history of Science in Europe and America—an Essay on the Indian Summer by Professor Jacobs of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; and an account of the petrified forest near Cairo in Egypt by Dr A. D. Chaloner of Philadelphia— The Secretary of the Treasury J. C. Spencer presided at the meeting and the new Secretary of State John C. Calhoun was there I shook hands with him in silence— The weather is intensely warm and I passed the night without closing my eyes— At 2 in the morning I rose and forced my hand to write, struggling with the angel of death for two hours— Then returned to bed for two more sleepless hours— At half past 10 this morning, with four other members of the Massachusetts delegation I met in the chamber of the Committee of Manufactures the Mormon agent Pratt, and preacher Page, who set forth at large the grounds of their complaints against the Government and People of Missouri, and the persecutions for relief from which their memorials claim the interposition of Congress— The power of Congress to interfere is questionable— The right is doubtful. The memorials must be presented by a member from Illinois, and we agreed to act upon them, as the proper sense of our duties would require.— At the house, after long and wide spreading debate the bill to regulate the pay of the army was passed by yeas and nays 109 to 36— The reports from the Committee on the Massachusetts Resolves were in despite of Burt ordered to be printed, 85 to 60. And the joint Resolution from the Senate to close the Session on the 27th. of May, was postponed for consideration till the 13th. of that month.

A A