more happiness in his retirement
than he possibly could in his present situation.' For his part he did
not consider Washington's administration either "wise or firm," as the
address said. Gallatin made a distinction between the administration and
the legislature, and in lieu of the words, wise, firm, and patriotic
administration, proposed to address the compliment directly to the
wisdom, firmness, and patriotism of Washington. But Ames defended his
report, and it was adopted by a vote of 67 to 12. Gallatin voted with
the majority, but Livingston, Giles, and Macon held out with the small
band of disaffected, among whom it is amusing also to find Andrew
Jackson, who took his seat at this Congress to represent Tennessee,
which had been admitted as a State at the last session.[5]

The indebtedness of the States to the general government, in the old
balance sheet, on the payment of which Gallatin insisted, was a subject
of difference between the Senate and the House. Gallatin was appointed
chairman of the committee of conference on the part of the House. The
reduction of the military establishment, which he wished to bring down
to the footing of 1792, was again insisted upon. Gallatin here
ingeniously argued against the necessity for the number of men
proposed, that it was a mere matter of opinion, and if it was a matter
of opinion, it was not strictly necessary, because if necessary it was
no longer a matter of opinion. Naval appropriations were also opposed,
on the ground that a navy was prejudicial to commerce. Taxation, direct
and indirect, and compensation to public officers were also subjects of
debate at this session. On the subject of appropriations, general or
special, he was uncompromising. He charged upon the Treasury Department
that notwithstanding the distribution of the appropriations they thought
themselves at liberty to take money from an item where there was a
surplus and apply it to another where it was wanted. To check such
irregularity, he secured the passage of a resolution ordering that "the
several sums shall be solely applied to the objects for which they are
respectively appropriated," and tacked it to the appropriation bill. The
Senate added an amendment removing the restriction, but Gallatin and
Nicholas insisting on its retention, the House supported them by a vote
of 52 to 36, and the Senate receded.

Notwithstanding the apparent enthusiasm of the House in the early part
of the session, when th