loss of time, upon being notified of the need of his presence, and on the sixth of April took the oath of office before Judge Cranch, chief justice of the District of Columbia. Mr. Tyler was in his fifty-second year, and had served as governor of Virginia, and as representative and senator in Congress from that State. On the ninth of April President Tyler issued an address to the people of the United States, in which there was no indication of a departure from the policy announced in the inaugural of General Harrison. He WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. | crisis had involved thousands of merchants in hopeless bankruptcy, and under the old laws they had no means of recovering their lost position, as they were crushed down by their debts. Neither their creditors nor the country at large derived any benefit from this state of affairs, and Congress at once passed a general bankrupt law for the relief of persons thus situated. It was highly beneficial to the country, and was repealed in 1843, when the necessity for it had ceased to exist. Important Veto by President Tyler. Efforts were made to revive the Bank of the United States, and a bill was passed establishing an institution known as the "Fiscal Bank of the United States." Mr. Tyler, who was a member of the strict constructionist school, now found himself at variance with a majority of his party in both Houses of Congress. As he did not believe that Congress could constitutionally charter such an institution, he vetoed this bill. The advocates of the measure could not command the requisite two-thirds majority for the passage of the bill over the president's veto, and his action was sustained. Another bill was passed by Congress of a similar character, establishing "The Fiscal Corporation of the United States," but this also was retained the cabinet ministers of his prede- vetoed by the president for the same reasons. cessor in their respective positions. On the thirty-first of May the Twentyseventh Congress convened in extra session. It was known as the "Whig Congress," as a large majority of its members were of that party. Had this party remained united they - could have controlled the action of Congress to suit themselves, but as we shall see, the policy of the executive soon divided them. The first act of this Congress was to repeal the sub-treasury bill which had been passed in 1840. The effects of the commercial His veto was sustained by Congress in this instance also. The vetoes of these measures were generally approved by the strict constructionists throughout the Union, without regard to party; but they were bitterly denounced by the majority of the Whigs, who charged the president with having violated the implied pledges upon which he was elected, and with having betrayed his party. The Whigs were for the time forgetful of the fact that at the time of his nomination. to the vice-presidency Mr. Tyler was known to be opposed to the Bank of the United The second session of the Twenty-seventh Congress met in December, 1841, and continued its sittings until August, 1842. It was noted as the longest session ever held up to this time. It found the Whig party divided, and the opposing factions bitterly hostile to each other. The majority, led by Mr. Clay, opposed the administration. The minority, because of their support of the President, received the name of "Tyler Whigs." The principal question agitated during this session was the tariff. According to the compromise act of 1833, the duties this year were to be regulated according to a revenue standard. no regard to the pledge given in this compromise, and a new tariff bill was passed by both Houses of Congress, regulating the duties on a strongly protective basis, and with the avowed object of reviving the protective policy. It was vetoed by the Presi JOHN TYLER. dent. Another measure of a similar though slightly modified character was passed, and this was vetoed also. Congress then passed the tariff of 1842, in which the principles of the compromise of 1833 were altogether set The majority in Congress, however, paid aside, and the duties made strictly protective It required a sharp struggle in Congress to secure the passage of this bill, which received the executive signature on the thirtieth of August. Settlement of Disputes. In the meantime Mr. Webster succeeded in bringing the negotiations with Great Britain to a successful close. These negotiations had grown out of the revolutionary disturbances in Canada, and the controversy respecting the northeast boundary of the United States during the administration of Mr. Van Buren, which we have related. The boundary question was of older origin than the former controversy, and had been pending between the United States and England for fifty years. Mr. Webster, immediately upon his entrance upon the office of secretary of state, had, with the approval of the President, signified the desire of this country to terminate the controversy, and Lord Ashburton had been sent by the British government as special minister to the United States, with full power to settle all the controversies between the two countries. The treaty of Washington was concluded in 1842, and was accepted by both countries as a settlement of the questions at issue between them. By the terms of this treaty the northeastern boundary was arranged as it exists at present; the United States obtained the free navigation of the St. John's river to the sea; and gained possession of the important military position of Rouse's Point, at the outlet of Lake Champlain. The two countries mutually agreed to surrender upon proper demand all fugitives from justice escaping from the territory of one into that of the other; and to maintain a certain number of ships of war on the African coast to aid in suppressing the slave trade. When the treaty was completed two sub | jects presented themselves to the negotiators. One of these was the right claimed by Great Britain for her cruisers to stop and if necessary to search merchant vessels belonging to other nations on the high seas; the other was the impressment of seamen from American merchant vessels by British cruisers Mr. Webster, in a paper of great ability, ad dressed to the American minister at London, but intended for the British foreign minister, denied the right of search, and sustained his position by arguments that were simply irrefutable. In a letter to Lord Ashburton Mr. Webster refused to consider the impressment question, as the United States could in no case admit such a claim on the part of Great Britain, and declared that every case of impressment would be considered an act of hostility and would be repelled as such. He declared as the unalterable policy of this country the doctrine that " Every merchant vessel on the high seas is rightfully considered as a part of the territory to which it. belongs;" that "in every regularly documented American merchant vessel the crew who navigate it will find their protection in the flag which is over them;" and that "the American government, then, is prepared to say that the practice of impressing seamen from American vessels cannot hereafter be allowed to take place." The tone of the secretary of state, though firm, was courteous and conciliatory, and the negotiations were conducted in the same spirit of conciliation by the British minister. Insurrection in Rhode Island. With this treaty the United States formally took their position as one of the great powers of the world. The negotiations being completed, Mr. Webster resigned his place in the cabinet in May, 1843, and was succeeded by Abel P. Upshur, of Virginia. من In 1842 an insurrection broke out in the | removed to the west. They settled at first State of Rhode Island, which required the in Missouri, but so exasperated the people intervention of the United States for its suppression. It is known as the Dorr rebellion. The old charter of the colony, granted by Charles II., in 1663, had up to this time served as the constitution of the State. It was found to be unsuited to the requirements of the people in their more prosperous condition, and an effort was made to change it. Two parties were formed, one in favor of the proposed changes, the other opposed to them. Each party nominated its candidate for the office of governor and elected him. The "suffrage party," which favored the changes, elected Thomas W. Dorr governor, took up arms, and attacked the State arsenal for the purpose of arming their followers. They were repulsed by the State militia assisted by the United States troops. Dorr was arrested, tried for treason, and sentenced to imprisonment for life. He was released in 1845. The opponents of the "suffrage party deemed it best to yield to the popular wish, however, and in November, 1842, a new constitution, embracing the desired changes, was adopted by the legislature. Mormons Found a City. About the same time a series of disturbances occurred in the State of Illinois, which were but the forerunners of a more serious embarrassment to the general government at a later period. A new religious sect had sprung up some years before in the western part of New York. They called themselves Mormons, and were founded by a remarkable man named Joseph Smith, who professed to have received a new revelation from God, written on plates of gold. Among the articles of the Mormon faith is one which teaches the doctrine of a plurality of wives. Feeling that the east was not favorable to their growth, the Mormons at an early day LEDUTA Z17I T 2 I (c, HH|ll| ± 2174 = FAC-SIMILE, ACCORDING TO JOE SMITH, OF THE writing on tHE ORIGINAL PLATES of the "BOOK OF MORMON." of that State by their conduct, that they were soon driven out of Missouri. |