Resolved, That the title of the said bill be, "An act more effectually to provide for the national defence, by establishing an uniform Militia throughout the United States." Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do carry the said bill to the Senate, and desire their concurrence. A petition of John Tucker was presented to the House and read, praying compensation for his past services and extra expenses, while he was Clerk to the Supreme Court of the United States. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to Mr. Sedgwick, Mr. Murray, and Mr. Baldwin; that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the House. Mr. Gerry, from the committee appointed, presented, according to order, a bill for reducing the rates of postage on newspapers; which was received, and read the first time. The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, accompanying his report, made pursuant to two orders of this House, of the first and second of November last; the first directing the said Secretary to report to the House such information as he may have obtained respecting any difficulties which may have occurred in the execution of the act "repealing, after the last day of June next, the duties heretofore laid upon distilled spirits imported from abroad, and laying others in their stead; and, also, upon spirits distilled within the United States, and for appropriating the same;" together with his opinion thereupon. The second, directing him to report to the House whether any, and what, alterations in favor of the spirits, which shall be distilled from articles of the growth or produce of the United States, or from foreign articles within the same, can, in his opinion, be made in the act for laying duties upon spirits distilled within the United States, consistently with its main design, and with the maintenance of the public faith; which were read, and ordered to lie on the table. The several orders of the day were further postponed until to-morrow. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7. A petition of Elizabeth Lovell, relict of Robert Lovell, deceased, was presented to the House and read, praying to receive the depreciation of pay due to her said husband, for his services as a Lieutenant in the Army 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 memorial of sundry merchants, of the city of Philadelphia, was presented to the VOL. I.-67. House and read, in opposition to a petition of sundry other merchants, of the said city, trading to India and China, which was presented on the twenty-fourth of February, praying an increase of the duties on all China and East India goods imported into the United States from Europe. Ordered, That the said memorial be committed to a Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union. A bill for reducing the rates of postage on newspapers was read the second time, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Friday next. Mr. Page, from the committee appointed, presented, according to order, a bill to amend the act, entitled "An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned:" Also, a bill "to enable John Churchman to prosecute certain observations and discoveries relative to the Northern magnetic point," which were received and read the first time. The House proceeded to consider the amendments proposed by the Senate to the bill, entitled "An act for the relief of certain widows, orphans, invalids, and other persons;" and the same being read, some were agreed to, and others disagreed to. Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do acquaint the Senate therewith. A motion being made and seconded that the House do come to the following resolution: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed to report to this House his opinion of the best mode for raising the additional supplies requisite for the ensuing year;" and debate arising thereon; an adjournment was called for: Whereupon, The several orders of the day were further postponed until to-morrow And then the House adjourned until to-morrow morning eleven o'clock. THURSDAY, MARCH 8. A bill to amend the act, entitled "An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such such copies, during the times therein mentioned," was read the second time, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Wednesday next. A bill to enable John Churchman to prosecute certain observations and discoveries relative to the Northern magnetic point, was read the second time, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday se'nnight. Mr. Sedgwick, from the committee to whom was referred the petition of John Tucker, made a report; which was read, and ordered to lie on the table. Mr. Livermore, from the committee to whom was referred the petition of Thomas Claxton, made a report; which was read, and ordered to lie on the table. Mr. Sedgwick, from the committee to whom was referred the memorial and petition of the Directors of the Ohio Company of Associates, made a report; which was read, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Tuesday next. A petition of Hanse Bond, of Halifax, in the State of North Carolina, was presented to the House and read, praying compensation for supplies furnished the Army of the United States, during the late war. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Secretary of War, with instruetion to examine the same, and report his opinion thereupon to the House. A petition of William Jones, of Charles County, in the State of Maryland, was presented to the House and read, praying the renewal of certain Loan Office certificates, the property of the petitioner, which were destroyed by fire. Ordered, That the said petition do lie on the table. A petition of Henry Laurens, of Charleston, in the State of South Carolina, was presented to the House and read, praying that a claim presented, and referred to the Secretary of War, at the last session of Congress, and by him reported on, may now be considered and decided on. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to Mr. Smith, of South Carolina, Mr White, and Mr. Clarke; that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the House. The House resumed the consideration of the motion made yesterday, in the words following: "Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed to report to this House his opinion of the best mode for raising the additional supplies requisite for the ensuing year." And, after farther debate thereon, the question being put, that the House do agree to the same, It was resolved in the affirmative, S Yeas. ..31, ..27. The yeas and nays being demanded by one-fifth of the members present, Richard Bland Lee, The several orders of the day were further postponed until to-morrow. FRIDAY, MARCH 9. A message in writing was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Lear, his Secretary, as followeth : UNITED STATES, March 9, 1792. Gentlemen of the Senate and of the House of Representatives, I now lay before you a general account rendered by the Bankers of the United States at Amsterdam, of the payments they had made, between the first of July, one thousand seven hundred and ninety, and one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one, from the fund deposited in their hands, for the purposes of the act providing the means of intercourse between the United States and Foreign Nations, and the balance remaining in their hands, together with a letter from the Secretary of State on the subject. G. WASHINGTON. The letter and account referred to in the said message, were read, and ordered to lie on the table. The House, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the bill declaring the consent of Congress to a certain act of the State of Maryland; and to continue for a longer time, "An act declaring the assent of Congress to certain acts of the States of Maryland, Georgia, and Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations, so far as the same respects the States of Georgia and Rhode Island and Providence Plantations;" 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 no amendments thereto. The House then proceeded to fill up a blank in the said bill, and ordered the same to be engrossed, and read the third time to-morrow. The House proceeded to consider the resolution reported from the Committee of the Whole House on the twenty-fourth of February last, to indemnify the estate of the late Major General Nathaniel Greene for a certain suretyship entered into by the said Nathaniel, in his life-time, on public account; and debate arising thereon, an adjournment was called for: Whereupon, The several orders of the day were further postponed until to-morrow. SATURDAY, MARCH 10. An engrossed bill declaring the consent of Congress to a certain act of the State of Maryland; and to continue for a longer time an act, declaring the assent of Congress to certain acts of the State of Maryland, Georgia, and Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, so far as the same respects the States of Georgia and Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, was read the third time. Resolved, That the said bill do pass, and that the title be, "An act declaring the consent of Congress to a certain act of the State of Maryland; and to continue for a longer time, an act declaring the assent of Congress to certain acts of the States of Maryland, Georgia, and Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, so far as the same respects the States of Georgia and Rhode Island and Providence Plantations." Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do carry the said bill to the Senate, and desire their concurrence. A petition of Isaac Ledyard was presented to the House and read, praying compensation for services in the Military Hospital 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. On a motion made and seconded that the House do come to the following resolution: "Resolved, That this House hath received, with sentiments of high satisfaction, "the notification of the King of the French, of his acceptance of the constitution presented to him in the name of the Nation: And that the President of the United States be requested, in his answer to the said notification, to express the sincere participation of the House in the interests of the French Nation, on this great and important event; and their wish, that the wisdom and magnanimity displayed in the formation and acceptance of the constitution, may be rewarded by the most perfect attainment of its object, the permanent happiness of so great a People:" It was moved snd seconded that the said motion be committed; Yeas 17. It passed in the negative, Nays 35. The yeas and nays being demanded by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative, are, Fisher Ames, Benjamin Bourne, Benjamin Goodhue, Theodore Sedgwick, Jeremiah Smith, Israel Smith, William Smith, John Laurance, Amasa Learned, Samuel Livermore, And then debate arising on the said motion, a division thereof was called for: Whereupon, The question being put, that the House do agree to the first part of the said motion, in the words following: 66 Resolved, That this House has received, with sentiments of high satisfaction, the notification of the King of the French, of his acceptance of the constitution presented to him in the name of the Nation: And, that the President of the United States be requested, in his answer to the said notification, to express the sincere participation of the House in the interests of the French Nation, on this great and important event:" S Yeas It was resolved in the affirmative. Nays .... 50, 2. The yeas and nays being demanded by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative, are, On the question, that the House do agree to the second part of the said motion, in the words following: "And their wish that the wisdom and magnanimity displayed in the formation and acceptance of the Constitution, may be rewarded by the most perfect attainment of its object, the permanent happiness of so great a People:" It was resolved in the affirmative, S Yeas Nays 35, 16. |