RC (DLC: Madison Papers, Rives Collection); unsigned; at foot of text: “Mr. Madison.” PrC (DLC).

On 16 June 1797, William L. Smith reported a bill prohibiting United States citizens from serving on foreign vessels or entering the military of any foreign power. The House debated the bill on 20 and 21 June 1797 before deciding to postpone action on it until the next session (JHR description begins Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States, Washington, D.C., 1826, 9 vols. description ends , iii, 36, 39–42; Annals description begins Annals of the Congress of the United States: The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States … Compiled from Authentic Materials, Washington, D.C., Gales & Seaton, 1834–56, 42 vols. All editions are undependable and pagination varies from one printing to another. The first two volumes of the set cited here have “Compiled … by Joseph Gales, Senior” on the title page and bear the caption “Gales & Seatons History” on verso and “of Debates in Congress” on recto pages. The remaining volumes bear the caption “History of Congress” on both recto and verso pages. Those using the first two volumes with the latter caption will need to employ the date of the debate or the indexes of debates and speakers. description ends , vii, 349–57).