The amendment to the said third section, to fill up the blank at the end thereof, with the words "thirty thousand," being then again read, and the question put, that the House do agree to the same, It was resolved in the affirmative, Yeas 29, 22. The yeas and nays being demanded by one-fifth of the members present, The other amendments to the said bill were then severally again read, and agreed to. Ordered, That the said bill, with the amendments, be engrossed, and read the third time to-morrow. The House then, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House, on the bill "providing for the settlement of the claims of persons under particular circumstances barred by the limitations heretofore established;" and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Smith, of South Carolina, reported that the Committee had, according to order, had the said bill under consideration, and gone through the same, and made several amendments thereto; which he delivered in at the Clerk's table. The House proceeded to consider the said amendments, and made some progress therein, when an adjournment being called for, The several orders of the day were further postponed until to-morrow. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Otis, their Secretary : Mr. Speaker: The Senate disagree to the last, and agree to all the other amend ments proposed by this House to the bill sent from the Senate, entitled "An act relative to the election of a President and Vice President of the United States, and declaring the officer who shall act as President in case of vacancies in the offices both of President and Vice President." The Senate have also appointed a committee, jointly, with such committee as shall be appointed on the part of this House, to consider and report what business is necessary to be done by Congress in the present session, and what part of the business now depending may, without great inconvenience, be postponed to the next Session, that the proceeding may be so regulated as to close this Session by the first Tuesday in April next. And then he withdrew. Ordered, That Mr. Goodhue, Mr. Wadsworth, Mr. Laurance, Mr. White, and Mr. Macon, be appointed a committee on the part of this House, for the purpose expressed in the message from the Senate. The House then proceeded to re-consider their last amendment, disagreed to by the Senate, to the bill sent from the Senate, entitled "An act relative to the election of a President and Vice President of the United States, and declaring the officer who shall act as President, in case of vacancies in the offices both of President and Vice President:" Whereupon, the said amendment being read as followeth : Strike out the ninth section in the words following: "And be it further enacted, That, in case of removal, death, resignation, or inability, both of the President and Vice President of the United States, the President of the Senate pro tempore, and in case there shall be no President of the Senate, then the Speaker of the House of Representatives, for the time being, shall act as President of the United States, until the disability be removed, or a President shall be elected:" And, in lieu thereof, insert, "And be it further enacted, That, in case of removal, death, resignation, or inability, both of the President and Vice President of the United States, the Secretary of State, for the time being, shall act as President of the United States, until the disability be removed, or a President shall be elected." A motion was made, and the question being put, that the House do recede from the said amendment, It was resolved in the affirmative, Yeas. .31, .24. The yeas and nays being demanded by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative, are, Abraham Venable, John Vining, Hugh Williamson, and Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do acquaint the Senate therewith. An engrossed bill for an apportionment of Representatives among the several States, according to the first enumeration, and making provision for another enumeration, and an apportionment of Representatives thereon, to compose the House of Representatives, after the third day of March, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, was read the third time, and the blanks therein filled up; and, on the question that the said bill do pass, It was resolved in the affirmative, Yeas..... 2 Nays.... .34, ..16. The yeas and nays being demanded by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative, are, Abraham Baldwin, Robert Barnwell, Egbert Benson, Abraham Clarke, William Findley, Thomas Fitzsimons, Philip Key, John W. Kittera, Nathaniel Macon, James Madison, Andrew Moore, Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg, Those who voted in the negative, are, Fisher Ames, Shearjashub Bourne, Benjamin Bourne, Jonathan Dayton, Nicholas Gilman, Benjamin Goodhue, James Hillhouse, Aaron Kitchell, William Vans Murray, John Page, Josiah Parker, Cornelius C. Schoonmaker, Anthony Wayne, Hugh Williamson, and Amasa Learned, Samuel Livermore, Jonathan Sturges, George Thatcher, and Resolved, That the title of the said bill be, "An act for an apportionment of Representatives among the several States, according to the first enumeration, and making provision for another enumeration, and an apportionment of Representatives thereon, to compose the House of Representatives, after the third day of March, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven. Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do carry the said bill to the Senate, and desire their concurrence. The House resumed the consideration of the amendments reported by the Committee of the Whole House yesterday, to the bill providing for the settlement of the claims of persons under particular circumstances, barred by the limitations heretofore established; and the same, being read, were agreed to. The said bill was then further amended at the Clerk's table, and, together with the said amendments, ordered to be engrossed, and read the third time to-morrow. The House, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the bill more effectually to provide for the national defence, by establishing an uniform Militia throughout the United States; and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Smith, of South Carolina, reported that the committee had, according to order, had the said bill under consideration, and made some progress therein. Resolved, That this House will, to-morrow, again resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the said bill. The several orders of the day were further postponed until to-morrow. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22. An engrossed bill providing for the settlement of the claims of persons under particular circumstances, barred by the limitations heretofore established, was read the third time. Resolved, That the said bill do pass, and that the title be, "An act providing for the settlement of the claims of persons, under particular circumstances, barred by the limita tions heretofore established." Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do carry the said bill to the Senate, and desire their concurrence. Mr. Fitzsimons, from the committee to whom were referred the written message from the President of the United States, of the eighth of this month, and a letter from the Secretary of State accompanying the same, together with an account of John Brown Cutting, against the United States, made a report; which was read, and ordered to lie on the table. A petition of Thomas Murray was presented to the House and read, praying compensation for his services as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Pennsylvania Flying Camp, during the late war. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Secretary of War, with instruction to examine the same, and report his opinion thereupon to the House. The petitions of William Baker and John Skillman were presented to the House and read, respectively praying the renewal of certain Continental Loan Office or final certificates, the property of the petitioners, which were destroyed by fire. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Secretary of the Treasury, with instruction to examine the same, and report his opinion thereupon to the House. The petitions of Jacob Craft and Darby Oram were presented to the House and read, respectively praying compensation for services rendered in the Army or Navy of the United States, during the late war. Also, A petition of Andrew Wilson, praying relief in consideration of a wound received in the Army of the United States, during the late war, which has rendered him unable to procure a livelihood by labor. Ordered, That the said petitions do lie on the table. A petition of sundry merchants of the City of New York was presented to the House and read, praying to be allowed a farther time for the payment of the duties on a quantity of teas imported by the petitioners, and which still remain unsold. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to Mr. Laurance, Mr. Fitzsimons, and Mr. Gerry; that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the House. A petition of Cornelius Jones, of New York, was presented to the House and read, praying to be relieved against the depreciation of certain Continental Certificates, and, also, of certain Continental bills of credit received for property sold the public, during the late war. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Secretary of State, accompanying a copy of the laws adopted and published by the Governor and Judges of the territory Northwest of the Ohio; which were read, and ordered to lie on the table. On a motion made and seconded that the House do come to the following resolution: "Whereas the late Major General Nathaniel Greene, on the eighth day of April, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three, the more effectually to procure rations and supplies for the Southern Army of the United States, became bound as surety for John Banks and Company, to Newcomen and Collet, merchants in Charleston, for the payment of eight thousand seven hundred and forty-three pounds, fifteen shillings and sixpence, sterling money, being the condition of said bond: "And whereas, on the first day of May, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-six, the balance of principal and interest of said bond, being then eight thousand six hundred and eighty-eight pounds six shillings sterling, was paid by the said General Greene: Therefore, 46 Resolved, That the United States shall indemnify the estate of the said General Greene for the said sum last mentioned, and the interest thereof: Provided, The Execu tors of the said General Greene shall account for a sum, being about two thousand pounds, be the same more or less, received of John Ferrie, one of the partners of the said Banks and Company, to be in part of the indemnification aforesaid; and also shall make over, for the use of the United States, all mortgages, bonds, covenants, or other counter-securities whatsoever, now due, which were obtained by the said General Greene in his lifetime, from the said Banks and Company, on account of his being surety for them as aforesaid, to be sued for in the name of the said Executors, for the use of the United States:" Ordered, That the said resolution be committed to a Committee of the Whole House immediately. The House accordingly resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the said resolution; and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Muhlenberg reported that the committee had, according to order, had the said resolution under consideration, and made some progress therein. Resolved, That this House will, to-morrow, again resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the said resolution. The several orders of the day were further postponed until to-morrow. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23. A petition of John Carr was presented to the House and read, praying the renewal of a pension heretofore granted him, in consideration of a disability incurred in the service of the United States, during the late war. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Secretary of War, with instruction to examine the same, and report his opinion thereupon to the House. A petition of John Smyth, of the State of Pennsylvania, was presented to the House and read, praying compensation for the hire of a wagon and team employed in the public service, and also for a horse captured from him by the British, while he was in the service of the United States, during the late war. Also, A petition of John Hayden, praying the renewal of a final settlement certificate, the property of the petitioner, which was destroyed by accident. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Secretary of the Treasury, with instruction to examine the same, and report his opinion thereupon to the House. A petition of sundry inhabitants of the county of Hardy, in the State of Virginia, was presented to the House and read, praying that so much of the act passed at the last session, imposing a duty on spirits distilled within the United States, as respects a duty on stills, may be revised and amended. Ordered, That the said petition do lie on the table. Mr. Boudinot, from the committee to whom were referred sundry petitions of the tanners of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, made a report; which was read, and ordered to lie on the table. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Otis, their Secretary: Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed the bill, entitled "An act for making farther and more effectual provision for the protection of the frontiers of the United States,' with several amendments, to which they desire the concurrence of this House. then he withdrew. On motion, That the House do come to the following resolution: And "Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury cause to be laid before this House, a statement of the balances remaining unpaid, if any, which may have been due by individuals to the United States, previous to the fourth day of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine, and whether any, and what, steps have been taken to recover the same. And also a statement of the sundry sums of public money which may have been entrusted to individuals, previous to the said fourth day of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine, and have not been accounted for:" It was moved and seconded that the said resolution be committed; and, on the ques tion for commitment, It was resolved in the affirmative, Yeas Nays. 31, 27. The yeas and nays being demanded by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative, are, Fisher Ames, Abraham Baldwin, Robert Barnwell, Egbert Benson, Elias Boudinot, |