Memoirs of John Adams Dix; comp. by his son, Morgan Dix.

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MEMOIRS OF JOHN ADAMS DIX.

of learning, and would form by itself an interesting chapter
in the history of the United States from 1777 to 1800.
I come now to a subject of much greater importance.
General Dix took his seat in the Senate on the 27th of January; on the 30th he was appointed a member of the Committee on Commerce, by Mr. Mangum, then President pro
tempore of that body. At the next session he was elected a
member of the same committee, and for two sessions was
its chairman. His labors on that committee were indefatigable, and their result is nowhere better known or more highly
appreciated than in the city of New York. It had long been
a cherished object among commercial men to secure by law
the right to convey foreign importations through the country,
and to re-export them with the privilege of drawback. At
the commencement of this session Mr. Ashley, of Arkansas,
had called the attention of the Senate to this subject, so far as
it related to the adjacent Mexican States. To secure this object a bill was reported by the Committee on Commerce, and
had passed the Senate before General Dix took his seat. The
bill was returned from the House with an amendment extending this privilege to the British North American possessions
adjoining the United States. These amendments were vastly
more important than the original bill itself, and especially to
the State of New York. The bill as amended was referred
to the Committee on Commerce on the 22d of February. On
the amendments the committee were divided, General Dix
sustaining them. Mr. Huntington, the chairman, consented to
report the bill and amendments, he stating to the Senate the
condition of the committee. The question of concurring in
the House amendments came up on the last day of the session,
and elicited an interesting debate. General Dix was the principal advocate of the amendments, which were finally adopted.
But for his exertions they would not have been favorably reported upon by the committee. But for his defence of them
it is not probable they would have received the favorable consideration of the Senate. To his efforts is New York mainly