ers, and, in common with them, those of their fellow shipwrights throughout the United States.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.

And then the House adjourned until to-morrow morning eleven o'clock.

TUESDAY, APRIL 14.

Mr. White presented, according to order, a bill to regulate the taking the oath or affirmation prescribed by the sixth article of the Constitution; which was received and read the first time.

Mr. Boudinot reported, from the committee to whom was re-committed certain clauses of the report for establishing additional rules and orders of proceeding to be observed in this House, that the committee had, according to order, re-considered the same, and agreed to a report thereupon, which he delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the same was twice read, the blanks therein filled up, and, on a question put thereupon, agreed to by the House as followeth:

"Resolved, That it is the opinion of this committee, that the rules and orders following ought to be established, as additional standing rules and orders of this House, to wit: A Serjeant-at-Arms shall be appointed, to hold his office during the pleasure of the House, whose duty it shall be to attend the House during its sitting, to execute the commands of the House from time to time, and all such process, issued by authority thereof, as shall be directed to him by the Speaker.

A proper symbol of office shall be provided for the Serjeant-at-Arms, of such form and device as the Speaker shall direct, which shall be borne by the Sergeant when in the execution of his office.

The fees of the Serjeant-at-Arms shall be, for every arrest, the sum of two dollars; for each day's custody and releasement, one dollar; and for travelling expenses, going and returning, one-tenth of a dollar per mile."

The House, according to the standing order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.

Mr. Speaker left the chair.

Mr. Page took the chair of the committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Page reported that the committee had, according to order, had the state of the Union under consideration, but had come to no resolution thereupon.

And then the House adjourned until to-morrow morning eleven o'clock.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15.

A petition of David Ramsay, of the State of South Carolina, was presented to the House, and read, setting forth that he has, at a great expense of time and money, published a book, entitled "The History of the Revolution of South Carolina, from a British Province to an independent State;" that he has also prepared, and purposes shortly to publish, another book, under the title of the "History of the American Revolution," and praying that a law may pass for securing to the petitioner, his heirs and assigns, for a certain term of years, the sole and exclusive right of vending and disposing of the said books within the United States.

Also, a petition of John Churchman, setting forth that, by several years' labor, close application, and at great expense, he hath invented several different methods by which the principles of magnetic variation are so explained, that the latitude of a place being given, its longitude may be easily determined; and praying that a law may pass for vesting in the petitioner, his heirs and assigns, an exclusive right of vending of spheres, hemispheres, maps, charts, and tables, on his principles of magnetism, throughout the United States; as also, that he may receive the patronage of Congress to enable him to perform a voyage to Baffin's Bay, for the purpose of making magnetical experiments to ascertain the causes of the variation of the needle, and how near the longitude may be thereby ascertained.

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to a committee of three, and that Mr. Tucker, Mr. White, and Mr. Huntington, be the said committee.

A petition of David Ramsay, of the State of South Carolina, was presented to the House and read, setting forth that Mr. William Smith, a member returned to serve in this House as one of the Representatives for the State of South Carolina, was, at the time of his election, ineligible thereto, and came within the disqualification of the third

paragraph of the new Constitution, which declares "that no person shall be a Repre sentative who shall not have been seven years a citizen of the United States;" and praying that those allegations may be inquired into by the House.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Committee of Elections, and that the said committee do report a proper mode of investigating and deciding thereupon. Mr. Boudinot reported, from the committee appointed to confer with a committee from the Senate, respecting the mode of conducting conferences, and the appointinent of chaplains, that the committee had, according to order, met and conferred with the committee of the Senate thereupon, and had agreed to a report; which he delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the same was read, and ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Benson reported, from the committee to whom it was referred to consider of and report to the House respecting the ceremonial of receiving the President, and to whom was also referred a letter from the Chairman of a committee of the Senate to the Speaker, communicating an instruction from that House to a committee thereof, to report, if any, and what, arrangements are necessary for the reception of the VicePresident, and that the committee had, according to order, considered of the same, and had agreed to report thereupon; which he delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the same was twice read, and, on the question put thereupon, agreed to by the House as followeth:

"That Mr. Osgood, the proprietor of the house lately occupied by the President of Congress, be requested to put the same, and the furniture therein, in proper condition for the residence and use of the President of the United States, and otherwise, at the expense of the United States, to provide for his temporary accommodation.

That it will be most eligible, in the first instance, that a committee of three members from the Senate, and five members from the House of Representatives, to be appointed by the Houses respectively, attend to receive the President, at such place as he shall embark from New Jersey for this city, and conduct him, without form, to the house lately occupied by the President of Congress, and that, at such time thereafter as the President shall signify it will be most convenient for him, he be formally received by both Houses.

That a committee of two members from the Senate, and three members from the House of Representatives, to be appointed by the Houses, respectively, wait on the Vice President of the United States, as soon as he shall come to this city, and, in the name of the Congress of the United States, congratulate him on his arrival."

The House then, according to the standing order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.

Mr. Speaker left the chair.

Mr. Page took the chair of the committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Page reported that the committee had, according to order, had the state of the Union under consideration, but had come to no resolution thereupon.

And then the House adjourned until to-morrow morning eleven o'clock.

THURSDAY, APRIL 16.

A bill to regulate the taking the oath or affirmation prescribed by the sixth article of the Constitution, was read the second time, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday next.

The House proceeded by ballot to the appointment of a committee of five, to attend with a committee from the Senate, to receive the President of the United States, at such place as he shall embark from New Jersey for this city.

The members elected, Mr. Boudinot, Mr. Bland, Mr. Tucker, Mr. Benson, and Mr. Lawrance.

On motion,

Ordered, That Mr. Gilman, Mr. Ames, and Mr. Gale, be a committee, in conjunction with a committee from the Senate, to wait on the Vice President of the United States, upon his arrival in this city, and to congratulate him thereupon in the name of the Congress of the United States.

The House, according to the standing order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.

Mr. Speaker left the chair.

Mr. Page took the chair of the committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Page reported that the committee had, according to order, had the state of the Union under consideration, but had come to no resolution thereupon.

Ordered, That Mr. Schureman have leave to be absent from the service of this House until Thursday next.

The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Honorable John Langdon, President pro tempore of the Senate, communicating the appointment of two committees of that House, agreeably to the report of the committee of both Houses, agreed to yesterday; which was read, and ordered to lie on the table.

And then the House adjourned until to-morrow morning eleven o'clock.

FRIDAY, APRIL 17.

Another Member, to wit: Benjamin Contee, from Maryland, appeared and took his

seat.

The House, according to the standing order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.

Mr. Speaker left the chair.

Mr. Page took the chair of the Committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Page reported, that the committee had, according to order, had the state of the Union under consideration, but had come to no resolution thereupon.

The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Honorable John Langdon, President pro tempore of the Senate, communicating two orders of that House, the one for regulating proceedings in cases of conference with this House, and the appointment of Chaplains, and the other appointing a committee to confer with such commitmittee as may be appointed on the part of this House, in reporting a mode of communication to be observed between the two Houses with respect to papers, bills, and messages; which was read; and

On motion,

Ordered, That Mr. Lec, Mr. Burke, and Mr. Seney, be a committee to confer with a committee of the Senate, in reporting a proper mode of communicating papers, bills, and messages, between the two Houses.

The House then proceeded to consider the report of the committee appointed to confer with a committee of the Senate, for the purpose of regulating proceedings in cases of conference, and the appointment of Chaplains, which lay on the table, and the same being again read, was, on the question put thereupon, agreed to by the House as followeth :

"That in every case of an amendment of a bill agreed to in one House, and dissented to in the other, if either House shall request a conference, and appoint a committee for that purpose, and the other House shall also appoint a committee to confer, such committees shall, at a convenient hour, to be agreed on by their Chairman, meet in the Conference Chamber, and state to each other, verbally, or in writing, as either shall chuse, the reasons of their respective Houses for and against the amendment, and confer freely thereon.

That two Chaplains, of different denominations, be appointed to Congress for the present session; the Senate to appoint one, and give notice thereof to the House of Representatives, who shall thereupon appoint the other; which Chaplains shall commence their services in the Houses that appoint them, but shall interchange weekly." And then the House adjourned until to-morrow morning eleven o'clock.

SATURDAY, APRIL 18.

Mr. White reported, from the Committee of Elections, that the Committee had, according to order, examined the certificates and other credentials of the members returned to serve in this House, and had agreed to a report thereupon; which he delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the same was twice read, and agreed to by the House, as followeth :

"It appears to your Committee, that the credentials of the following members are sufficient to entitle them to take their seats in this House, to wit:

A petition of the mechanics and manufacturers of the city of New York, whose names are thereunto subscribed, was presented to the House and read, setting forth that, in the present deplorable state of trade and manufactures, they look with confidence to the operations of the new Government for a restoration of both, and that relief which they have so long and anxiously desired; that they have both subjoined a list of such articles as can be manufactured in the State of New York, and humbly pray the countenance and attention of the National Legislature thereto.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.

Mr. Clymer reported, from the Committee of Elections, to whom it was referred to report a proper mode of investigating and deciding on the petition of David Ramsay, of South Carolina, suggesting that William Smith, returned a Member of this House, as elected within that State, was, at the time of his being elected, ineligible; that the Committee had agreed to a report thereupon; which he delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the same was read, and ordered to lie on the table.

The House, according to the standing order of the day, resolved itself into a Com mittee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.

Mr. Speaker left the chair.

Mr. Page took the chair of the committee.

VOL. 1-3

Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Page reported that the Committee had, according to order, had the state of the Union under consideration, but had come to no resolution thereupon.

And then the House adjourned until Monday morning eleven o'clock.

MONDAY, APRIL 20.

Two other Members, to wit: Abraham Baldwin, and James Jackson, from Georgia, appeared, and took their seats.

Mr. Tucker reported, from the committee to whom was referred the petitions of John Churchman and David Ramsay, that the committee had, according to order, had the said petitions under their consideration, and agreed to a report thereupon; which he delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the same was twice read, and debated by clauses.

The first clause, in the words following, to wit: "That the committee have conferred with Mr. Churchman, and find that he has made many calculations which tend to establish his position, that there are two magnetic points which give direction to the needle; that upon this doctrine he has endeavored to ascertain from a given latitude, and a given variation, what must be the longitude of the place; and having applied his principles to many instances in Cook's voyages, has found the result to correspond with considerable accuracy with the real facts, as far as they could be determined by the reckoning of the ship: That the object to which Mr. Churchman's labors are directed, is confessedly of very high importance, and his ideas on the subject appear to be ingenious: That, with a view of applying them to practice, he has contrived a map and a globe, whereby to shew the angles which are made by the intersection of the real and the magnetic meridians in different parts of the earth: That he is also engaged in constructing tables for determining the longitude at sea upon magnetic principles: That the committee are of opinion that such efforts deserve encouragement, and that a law should pass to secure to Mr. Churchman, for a term of years, the exclusive pecuniary emolument to be derived from the publication of these several inventions ;" was again read, and, on the question put thereupon, agreed to by the House.

The second clause, in the words following, to wit: "With respect to the voyage proposed by Mr. Churchman to Baffin's Bay, the committee are cautious of recommending, in the present deranged state of our finances, a precipitate adoption of a measure which would be attended with considerable expense; but they are of opinion that at a future day, if Mr. Churchman's principles should be found to succeed in practice, it would be proper to give further encouragement to his ingenuity;" was again read, and on a motion made, ordered to lie on the table.

The third clause, in the words following, to wit: "On the subject of the petition of Doctor David Ramsay, your committee report it as their opinion, that a law should pass to secure to him the exclusive right of publishing and vending, for a term of years, the two works mentioned in the petition," was read, and, on the question put thereupon, agreed to by the House.

On motion,

Ordered, That a bill or bills be brought in, making a general provision for securing to authors and inventors the exclusive right of their respective writings and discoveries, and that Mr. Huntington, Mr. Cadwalader, and Mr. Contee, do prepare and bring in the same.

The House, according to the standing order of the day, resolved itself into a Com Imittee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.

Mr. Speaker left the chair.

Mr. Page took the chair of the committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Page reported, that the committee had, according to order, had the state of the Union under consideration, but had come to no resolution thereupon.

The House then, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the bill to regulate the taking the oath or affirmation prescribed in the sixth article of the Constitution.

Mr. Speaker left the chair.

Mr. Page took the chair of the committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Page reported that the committee had, according to order, had the said bill under their consideration, and made some pro