On a motion made and seconded that the House do come to the following resolution: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of War be notified that this House intend, on Wednesday next, to take into consideration the report of the committee appointed to inquire into the causes of the failure of the late expedition under General St. Clair, to the end that they may attend the House, and furnish such information as may be conducive to the due investigation of the matters stated in the said report, It was moved and seconded to strike out the words, "to the end that they may attend the House, and furnish such information as may be conducive to the due investigation of the matters stated in the said report:" And, on the question that the House do agree to the said amendment, It was resolved in the affirmative. And then the main question being put, that the House do agree to the said resolution as amended, It passed in the negative. On motion, Resolved, That the Committee of the Whole House to whom is referred the report of the committee appointed to inquire into the causes of the failure of the expedition under Major General St. Clair, be empowered to send for persons, papers, and records, for their information. Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed to cause to be laid before this House a statement of the several disbursements of money made by the Department of War, in the years one thousand seven hundred and ninety, and one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one. The several orders of the day were further postponed until to-morrow. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14. Another member, to wit: William Barry Grove, from North Carolina, appeared and took his seat in the House. A petition of John Blake, Joseph Bindon, John D. Mercier, and Benjamin Thompson, on behalf of themselves and other Canadian refugees, was presented to the House and read, praying compensation for losses and injuries sustained in their persons and property, by adhering to the American cause, during the late war. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to Mr. Dayton, Mr. Benjamin Bourne, and Mr. Murray; that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the House. A petition of Patrick Daugherty was presented to the House and read, praying to be placed on the list of pensioners, in consideration of wounds received in the service of the United States, during the late war. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to Mr. William Smith, Mr. Benjamin Bourne, and Mr. Lee; that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the House. A petition of William Dunbar, executor of George Galphin, deceased, was presented to the House and read, praying compensation for the services of the said Galphin, as a Commissioner of Indian Affairs, during the late war. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to Mr. Tucker, Mr. Ashe, and Mr. Orr; that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the House. A petition of Griffith Jones, of the City of Philadelphia, tanner, was presented to the House and read, praying to receive compensation for a quantity of leather impressed for the use of the Army, during the late war. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Secretary of the Treasury, with instruction to examine the same, and report his opinion thereupon to the House. Ordered, That a committee be appointed to prepare and bring in a bill or bills to regulate trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes; and that Mr. White, Mr. Clark, and Mr. Williamson, do prepare and bring in the same. Ordered, That Mr. Fitzsimons be added to the committee to whom was referred the petition of James Warington, attorney in fact for Joseph Blachford, surviving partner of Harris and Blachford, late of Charleston, in the State of South Carolina. A petition of Richard Chinowith was presented to the House and read, praying com. pensation for work and services rendered on behalf of the State of Virginia, during the late war; his claim for which has been referred to the United States. Also, A petition of Henry Vowles, praying compensation for rent and injury done to a house, the property of the petitioner, which was taken as barracks for the use of the Army, during the late war. Also, A petition of Lucy Bond, widow of the late Colonel William Bond, deceased, praying the liquidation and payment of a claim against the United States for military services rendered by the said deceased, during the late war. Ordered, That the said petitions do lie on the table. The Speaker laid before the House a letter and report from the Secretary of the Treasury, accompanied with estimates of the sums necessary to be appropriated for the service of the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-three; which were read, and ordered to lie on the table. Ordered, That a committee be appointed to take into consideration that part of the President's speech which relates to the transmission of newspapers, and report whether any, and what, alterations may be necessary in the act passed last session for the regulation of the Post Office; and that Mr. Murray, Mr. Baldwin, Mr. Gilman, Mr. Ames, and Mr. Barnwell, be the said committee. The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Secretary of War, together with a memorial of Samuel Hodgdon, late Quartermaster General to the Army, respectively praying that they may be heard, and permitted to give information and explanations as to the causes of the failure of the expedition under Major General St. Clair; which were read: And then the order of the day that the House do resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the report of the committee appointed to inquire into the causes of the failure of the expedition under Major General St. Clair, being called for, It was, on a motion made and seconded, Resolved, That the Committee of the Whole House to whom was committed the report of the committee appointed to inquire into the causes of the failure of the expedi tion under Major General St. Clair, be discharged from the consideration thereof; and that the said report, together with the documents relating thereto, including the letter of the Secretary of War, and the memorial of Samuel Hodgdon, be recommitted to Mr. Fitzsimons, Mr. Giles, Mr. Steele, Mr. Clarke, and Mr. Findley. The several orders of the day were further postponed until to-morrow. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15. Another member, to wit: Theodore Sedgwick, from Massachusetts, appeared, and took his seat in the House. Mr. Goodhue, from the committee appointed, presented, according to order, a bill concerning the registering and recording of ships or vessels; which was received, and read the first time. On motion, The said bill was read the second time, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday next. The House then proceeded to consider the petition of Henry Vowles, which lay on the table; and, A motion being made and seconded that the said petition be referred to the Secretary of the Treasury, to examine and report thereupon, It passed in the negative. Another motion was then made and seconded that the said petition be referred to the consideration of a committee; and on the question thereupon, It passed in the negative. Resolved, That the said petition be rejected. Ordered, That the petition of Richard Chinowith, which was presented yesterday, be referred to Mr. Greenup, Mr. Hartley, and Mr. Gordon; that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the House. A petition of Gifford Dally was presented to the House and read, praying to be reimbursed the expense incurred for necessary labor in performng the menial services of the House. Ordered, That the said petition do lie on the table. The several orders of the day were further postponed until to-morrow. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Otis, their Secretary: Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a bill, entitled "An act regulating foreiga coins, and for other purposes," to which they desire the concurrence of this House: I am also directed to bring to this House a letter from Messieurs Hebert and Company, of the City of Paris, addressed to the Congress of the United States, which was received and read in the Senate, stating certain propositions for the purchase of a quantity of vacant lands, the property of the United States. And then he withdrew. The letter referred to in the said message was read, and ordered to lie on the table. The bill sent from the Senate, entitled "An act regulating foreign coins, and for other purposes," was read the first time. Ordered, That Mr. Venable and Mr. Steele be added to the committee appointed to take into consideration that part of the President's speech which relates to the transmission of newspapers, and report whether any, and what, alterations may be necessary in the act passed last session for the regulation of the Post Office. The several orders of the day were further postponed until Monday next. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19. Another member, to wit: John Francis Mercer, from Maryland, appeared, and took his seat in the House. The bill sent from the Senate, entitled "An act regulating foreign coins, and for other purposes," was read the second time, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday next. The Speaker laid before the House a letter and report from the Commissioners appointed by the act, entitled "An act making provision for the reduction of the public debt, stating the amount of the purchases which have been made of the public debt, in pursuance of the powers vested in them by the said act ;" which were read, and or dered to lie on the table. The petitions of George Bradford and William Haburn were presented to the House and read, respectively praying that they may be placed on the list of pensioners, in consideration of wounds and injuries received in the service of the United States, during the late war. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to Mr. William Smith, Mr. Benjamin Bourne, and Mr. Lee; that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the House. A memorial and address of the People called Quakers, from their several religious societies in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, was presented to the House and read, praying that Congress will adopt such measures as, in their wisdom may be deemed salutary and effectual, for securing peace and friendship with the original holders of this land. Ordered, That the said memorial and address do lie on the table. A petition of Thomas Screven, executor of Brigadier General James Screven, deceased, was presented to the House and read, praying the renewal of sundry Continental Loan Office certificates, the property of the said deceased, which were burnt, or otherwise destroyed by the enemy, during the late war. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the consideration of the Committee of the Whole House to whom is committed the report of the Secretary of the Treasury respecting lost and destroyed certificates. The petitions of Andrew Pepin and Patrick Campbell, were presented to the House and read, respectively praying relief, in consideration of wounds and injuries received in the service of the United States, during the late war. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Secretary of War, with instruction to examine the same, and report his opinion thereupon to the House. Ordered, That a committee be appointed to prepare and bring in a bill or bills for the relief of sick and infirm seamen, and that Mr. Williamson, Mr. Laurance, Mr. Goodhue, Mr. Benjamin Bourne, and Mr. Barnwell, do prepare and bring in the same. Ordered, That the report of the Secretary of the Treasury concerning Marine Hospitals, which was made on the seventeenth of April last, together with the report of a committee thereupon, which was made on the twenty-eight of the same month, be referred to the committee last appointed. Ordered, That a committee be appointed to prepare and bring in a bill or bills for promoting commerce, by the increase of American seamen, and that Mr. Williamson, Mr. Laurance, Mr. Goodhue, Mr. Benjamin Bourne, and Mr. Barnwell, do prepare and bring in the same. The House, according to the order of the day, again resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the specch of the President of the United States to both Houses of Congress; and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Laurance reported that the committee had, according to order, again had the said speech under consideration, and made a farther progress therein. Resolved, That this House will, to-morrow, again resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the said speech. The several orders of the day were further postponed until to-morrow. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20. A motion was made and seconded, that the House do come to the following resolu tion : Resolved, That a committee be appointed to bring in a bill to amend the militia law, passed last session; And after debate, the question being taken thereon, It passed in the negative. On a motion made and seconded that there be allowed to Joseph Henderson, per annum, in compensation for his services as Naval Paymaster to the Navy Board, for the Eastern Department, from the fifth day of August, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-eight, to -, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-two: Ordered, That the said motion, together with the report of the Secretary of the Treasury on the petition of the said Joseph Henderson, which was made to this House on the thirtieth of April last, be referred to the consideration of a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow. A petition of Miranda Steger, executrix of William Steger, deceased, was presented to the House and read, praying the settlement of a claim against the United States for moneys due to the estate of the deceased. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to Mr. Giles, Mr. Macon, and Mr. Niles; that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the House. A memorial of William Constable and Company, merchants, of the city of New York, was presented to the House and read, praying to be allowed the amount of the drawback on a quantity of teas exported from the port of New York, and duly landed at the port of Dunkirk, in France, in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety, of which they are possessed of sufficient evidence, although not in the form prescribed by law. Ordered, That the said memorial 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 William Mackey was presented to the House and read, praying relief, in consideration of losses and injuries sustained in the Army of the United States, during the late war. Ordered, That the said petition do lie on the table. A petition of John Bartlett was presented to the House and read, praying the settlement of a claim for pay and rations due him as Physician and Surgeon General of the Army, in the Northern Department, during the late war. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to Mr. Benjamin Bourne, Mr. Clark, and Mr. Kittera; that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the House. The House, according to the order of the day, again resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the speech of the President of the United States to both Houses of Congress; and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the ehair, and Mr. Laurance reported that the committee had, according to order, again had the said speech under consideration, and come to several resolutions thereupon; which he delivered in at the Clerk's table. Ordered, That the said resolutions do lie on the table. The several orders of the day were further postponed until to-morrow. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21. On a motion made and seconded that a committee be appointed to bring in a bill to repeal so much of the first section of the militia law as relates to the arming of the militia, The yeas and yeas being demanded by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative, are, Benjamin Bourne, Philip Key, John Francis Mercer, Those who voted in the negative, are, Fisher Ames, John Baptist Ashe, William Barry Grove, James Hillhouse, Daniel Huger, William Vans Murray, Thomas Sumpter, and Richard Bland Lee, James Madison, Andrew Moore, 623 Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg, Alexander D. Orr, John Page, Josiah Parker, Cornelius C. Schoonmaker, Theodore Sedgwick, Peter Silvester, George Thatcher, Thomas Tredwell, Thomas Tudor Tucker, Aaron Kitchell, John Wilkes Kittera, John Laurance, Amasa Learned, Abraham Venable, Artemas Ward, Alexander White, and Hugh Williamson. A petition of John Sinclair, Solomon Trowe, and William Thomas, in behalf of him self and others, was presented to the House and read, praying compensation for ser vices rendered, and supplies furnished the Army, during the late war. Ordered, That the said petition do lie on the table. A petition of John Smith was presented to the House and read, praying to be placed on the list of pensioners, in consideration of injuries received in the service of the United States, during the late war. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to Mr. William Smith, Mr. Benjamin Bourne, and Mr. Lee; that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the House. A petition of Thomas Faulkner and Edward Faulkner was presented to the House and read, praying that compensation may be made to them out of the unappropriated lands in the Western Country, for the quantity to which they are entitled, as refugees from Nova Scotia, under a resolution of the late Congress, of the thirteenth of April, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-five. 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 the dealers in painters' colors in the city of Philadelphia, was presented to the House and read, praying that the duties on dry paints may be so reduced, as to afford encouragement for grinding them within the United States. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Secretary of the Treasury, with instruction to examine the same, and report his opinion thereupon to the House. Ordered, That a committee be appointed to prepare and bring in a bill or bills to establish an uniform system on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States, and that Mr. William Smith, Mr. Boudinot, Mr. Laurance, Mr. White, and Mr. Gerry, be the said committee. The House proceeded to consider the resolutions reported yesterday by the Committee of the Whole House on the speech of the President of the United States; which were read, as follow: "Resolved, That it is the opinion of this committee, that provision be made by law, for the widows and orphans of those persons who may have been killed, while under the protection of flags of truce to the Indian tribes. |