House and read, respectively praying that effectual measures may be taken to carry into operation the late treaty made between the United States and Great Britain. Also, the memorials and petitions of sundry citizens and inhabitants of the towns of Salem, Milton, Saratoga, Westfield, Hamilton, Claverack, Canaan, Kinderhook, Sangerfield, Whitestown, Paris, Johnstown, Rome, and Steuben, in the State of New York, whose names are thereunto subscribed, to the same effect. Also, the memorials and petitions of sundry citizens and inhabitants of Yorktown, in the State of Pennsylvania; of Kent County and Fredericktown, in the State of Mary land, whose names are thereunto subscribed, to the same effect. Ordered, That the said memorials and petitions do lie on the table. A memorial of Alexander Macomb and William Edgar, of the City of New York, was presented to the House and read, praying that they may be permitted to complete the payment of the purchase money of a quantity of land in the territory of the United States Northwest of the River Ohio, on the original terms of the purchase, and to obtain a grant for the same; or, that a law may be passed for granting to the memorialists so much of the said land, as will be in the proportion which the sum heretofore paid by them bears to the whole amount of the purchase money. Also, a petition of James Betts, of Dutchess County, in the State of New York, praying compensation for his services as a Lieutenant in the Army of the United States during the late war. Ordered, That the said memorial and petition be referred to the Committee of Claims. Ordered, That the Committee of the Whole House to whom was committed the bill for discontinuing the drawback on the exportation of snuff from the United States, be discharged from the consideration thereof; and that the said bill be re-committed to the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Otis, their Secretary: Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed the bill, entitled "An act authorizing the erection of a light-house on Cape Cod, in the State of Massachusetts," with an amendment; to which they desire the concurrence of this House. And then he withdrew. The House proceeded to consider the said amendment, and the same being read, was agreed to. Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do acquaint the Senate therewith. Ordered, That the report of the committee on the petition of sundry inhabitants of the Counties of St. Clair and Randolph, in the territory Northwest of the River Ohio, which lay on the table, be committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday next. The House, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the report of the committee appointed to take into consideration the state of the fortifications of our harbors; the measures which have been pursued for obtaining proper sites for arsenals; and for replenishing our magazines with mili tary stores; and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Bourne reported that the committee had, according to order, had the said report under consideration, and made some progress therein. On the question that this House will, to morrow, again resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the said report: It passed in the negative, S Yeas 14, 64. The yeas and nays being demanded by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative, are, Theodorus Bailey, William Cooper, Ezekiel Gilbert, William Smith, Uriah Tracey, John E. Van Allen, Philip Van Cortlandt, and John Williams. Theophilus Bradbury, Richard Brent, Nathan Bryan, Dempsey Burges, Samuel J. Cabell, Thomas Claiborne, Thomas Henderson, James Hillhouse, William Hindman, James Holland, Aaron Kitchell, Richard Winn. Ordered, That the Committeee of the Whole House be discharged from the farther consideration of the said report. Mr. Tracey, from the Committee of Claims, to whom was referred the petition of Catharine Greene, widow of the late Major General Greene, deceased, made a report ; which was read, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday next. The House, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the report of the Committee of Ways and Means, of the seventh instant, relative to a provision for the payment of various incidental demands occasioned by the trial of persons for crimes and offences, during the late insurrection; and, also, for allowing an additional compensation to marshals, jurors, and witnesses, in the courts of the United States; and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Bourne reported that the committee had, according to order, had the said report under consideration, and come to two resolutions thereupon which he delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the same were severally twice read, and agreed to by the House, as follow: "Resolved, That dollars be appropriated for the payment of various incidental demands, occasioned by the trial of persons for crimes and offences, during the late insurrection, for the payment of which, no special provision has been made by law. Resolved, That an additional compensation ought to be made for the services of marshals, jurors, and witnesses, in the courts of the United States." Ordered, That a bill or bills be brought in pursuant to the said resolutions; and that the Committee of Ways and Means do prepare and bring in the same. The House, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the bill sent from the Senate, entitled "An act to regulate the compensation of clerks ;" and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Bourne reported that the committee had, according to order, had the said bill under consideration, and made no amendment thereto. The bill was then amended at the Clerk's table; and, together with the amendment, ordered to be read the third time to-morrow. Mr. Venable, from the Committee of Elections, to whom was re-committed the petition of Matthew Lyon, of the State of Vermont, complaining of an undue election and return of Israel Smith, to serve as a member of this House, for the said State, made a report; which was read, and ordered to lie on the table. The several orders of the day were further postponed until to-morrow. SATURDAY, MAY 14. 1796. Memorials and petitions of sundry citizens and inhabitants of Kent county, in the State of Delaware, and of Loudoun county, in the State of Virginia, whose names are thereunto subscribed, were presented to the House and read, respectively praying that such law or laws as may be necessary to carry into effect, with good faith, the treaty lately made between the United States and Great Britain, may be enacted. Ordered, That the said memorials and petitions do lie on the table. A petition of James Stuart, in behalf of himself and James Barr, of the city of Philadelphia, merchants, was presented to the House and read, praying a remission of the duty on a quantity of salt, the property of the petitioners, which was imported in the brigantine Jenny, into the State of North Carolina, from Lisbon, some time in the month of April last, and lost by the craft employed to bring it on shore being foundered in a gale of wind. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures. A petition of Edward Thompson was presented to the House and read, praying to be placed on the list of pensioners, in consideration of a wound received whilst a soldier in the Army of the United States, in an engagement with the enemy, during the late war, which has rendered hi'n incapable of obtaining his livelihood by labor. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Committee of Claims. The bill sent from the Senate, entitled "An act to regulate the compensation of clerks," together with the amendment agreed to yesterday, was read the third time. On motion, Ordered, That the said bill and amendment be re-committed to the Committee of Ways and Means. Ordered, That Mr. Clopton have leave to be absent from the service of this House, after Monday next, for the remainder of the session. Mr. New, from the Joint Committee for Enrolled Bills, reported that the committee had examined two enrolled bills; one entitled "An act providing for the sale of the lands of the United States in the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, and above the mouth of Kentucky River" and another, entitled "An act authorizing the erection of a light-house on Cape Cod, in the State of Massachusetts," and had found the same to be truly enrolled: Whereupon, Mr. Speaker signed the said enrolled bills. Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do acquaint the Senate therewith. Mr. Bourne, from the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, to whom was referred the memorial of Parker, Hopkins, and Meers, together with the report of a committee thereupon, made a report; which was read: Whereupon, Ordered, That the consideration of the said report be postponed until the first Monday of December next. The House, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the bill making an additional allowance to certain public officers, for the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six; and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Bourne reported that the com mittee had, according to order, had the said bill under consideration, and made an amendment thereto; which he delivered in at the Clerk's table where the same was twice read, and agreed to by the House. Ordered, That the said bill, with the amendment, be engrossed, and read the third time on Monday next. Mr. Nichola, from the committee to whom was re-committed the bill sent from the Senate, entitle! An act for the relief of persons imprisoned for debt," reported several amendments thereto; which he delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the same were severally read, and, together with the said bill, ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday next. Mr. Bourne, from the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, to whom was referred the report of the Secretary of the Treasury, on the memorial of sundry merchants of Philadelphia; and to whom it was also referred to inquire and report whether any, and what, further measures ought to be adopted, for the benefit, security, protection, and preservation, of the navigation of the ports of the United States, or any of then, 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 to establish trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes, and to preserve peace on the frontiers." The 1796.] Senate have also passed a bill, entitled "An act to continue in force, for a limited time, the acts therein mentioned;" to which they desire the concurrence of this House. And then he withdrew. The said bill was read the first time. The House, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the report of the committee to whom were referred so much of the report of the Secretary of State, made the thirteenth of July, one thousand seven hundred and ninety, and the message from the President of the United States, of the eighth of January, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five, as relate to weights and measures; and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Bourne reported that the committee had, according to order, had the said report under consideration, and come to two resolutions thereupon; which he delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the same were severally twice read, and agreed to by the House, as follow: Resolved, That the President of the United States shall be authorized to employ such persons, of sufficient mathematical and philosophical skill, as he shall think moşt proper, for the purpose of making the following experiments; the result of which shall be reported to Congress at their next session: "1. To ascertain the length of a pendulum rod of iron, of a cylindrical form, whose diameter shall not exceed the one hundred and twentieth part of its length, which shall perform its vibrations in one second of mean time, in an arc not exceeding four degrees, and in the latitude of the city of Philadelphia, at any place between the rivers Delaware and Schuylkill, and at a known height above the level of common high water in the river Delaware, and in a known temperature of the atmosphere, according to Farenheit's thermometer, both to be ascertained when the experiment shall be made; and, after its length shall be ascertained by one or more experiments for that purpose, a standard foot, to be the unit of all measures in length for the United States shall be derived from it, which shall be equal to, or shall not sensibly vary from, the present foot now in use, and which shall bear an even proportion to the length of such pendulum rod. "To ascertain the weight of a cube of rain water, of a known degree of heat, according to Farenheit's thermometer, to be ascertained at the time when the experi ment shall be made, which shall be equal in quantity to the one-thousandth part of a cube whose side shall be equal to the standard foot ascertained by the pendulum rod, in manner as above directed; which weight of water, when so obtained, shall be the standard ounce avordupois, sixteen of which shall make the pound avoirdupois; and the. pound, when so determined on, shall be the unit of weights for the United States. "3. To ascertain the respective weights of the following divisions of the pound and the ounce : "I. The division of the pound, in a decimal ratio, unto one thousand parts; and the least of these again into seven parts. "II. The division of the pound, in a decimal ratio, unto ten thousand parts. "III. The division of the ounce into eighteen parts; and each of these into twenty. four parts. "IV. The division of the ounce, in a decimal ratio, unto one thousand parts. “Resolved, That a sum, not exceeding one thousand dollars, ought to be appropriated for the purpose of defraying the expenses that may arise in making the foregoing experiments. Ordered, That a bill or bills be brought in pursuant to the said resolutions; and that Mr. Harrison, Mr. Sherburne, Mir. Maclay, Mr. Page, and Mr. Havens, do prepare and bring in the same. Mr. Bourne, from the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, to whom was referred a resolution of the fifth of February last, directing them to report if any, and what, alterations are necessary to be made in the laws relating to commerce and navigation, made a report; which was 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 regulating the grants of land appropriated for military services, and for the Society of the United Brethren for propagating the Gospel among the Heathen; and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Bourne reported that the committee had, according to order, had the said bill under consideration, and made an amendment thereto; which he delivered in at the Clerk's table. Ordered, That the said bill, with the amendment, do lie on the table. Mr. William Smith, from the Committee of Ways and Means, presented, according to order, a bill making an appropriation to satisfy certain demands attending the late insurrection, and to increase the compensation to marshals, jurors, and witnesses, in the courts of the United States; 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. Mr. New, from the Joint Committee for Enrolled Bills, reported that the committee did, this day, wait on the President of the United States, and present for his approbation two enrolled bills; one entitled "An act providing for the sale of the lands of the United States in the territory Northwest of the River Ohio, and above the mouth of Kentucky River;" and another entitled "An act authorizing the erection of a light-house on Cape Cod, in the State of Massachusetts." The several orders of the day were further postponed until Monday next. MONDAY, MAY 16, 1796. The bill sent from the Senate, entitled "An act to continue in force, for a limited time, the acts therein mentioned," was read the second time; and ordered to be com mitted to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow. An engrossed bill making an additional allowance to certain public officers, for the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six, was read the third time, and the blanks therein filled up. And, on the question that the same do pass, It was resolved in the affirmative, 49, SYeas The yeas and nays being demanded by one-fifth of the members present Those who voted in the affirmative, are, Samuel Lyman, Francis Malbone, John Milledge, Francis Preston, John Reed, Robert Rutherford, Samuel Sitgreaves, Nathaniel Smith, Samuel Smith, Albert Gallatin, |