Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do carry the said resolutions to the Senate, and desire their concurrenee.

On a motion made and seconded that the House do come to the following resolution : "Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all transfers of the debt of the United States, on the books of the Treasury, by any of the States found indebted to the United States on the settlement of accounts between the United States and the several States, or by any person holding the evidences of the said debt, for the benefit of the said debtor States, to the amount of their respective balances, be, and the same are hereby, suspended, until the further order of Congress :"

The previous question was called for by five members, to wit: “Shall the main question to agree to the said motion, be now put?"

And on the previous question, to wit: "Shall the said main question be now put

The yeas and nays being demanded by one-fifth of the members present,

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On motion,

Resolved, That a committee be appointed to inquire whether any, and what, amendments may be necessary to the act to ascertain and fix the military establishment of the United States.

Ordered, That Mr. Samuel Smith, Mr. Hartley, Mr. Parker, Mr. Van Cortlandt, and Mr. Dearborn, be appointed a committee pursuant to the said resolution.

On motion,

Ordered, That the Committee of the Whole House to whom was referred the report of the Attorney General, relative to the contract entered into between the United States and John Cleves Symmes, be discharged from the farther consideration thereof; and that the said report, together with the accompanying documents, be re-committed to Mr. Gallatin, Mr. Venable, Mr. Havens, Mr. Aines, and Mr. Sherburne; that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the House.

Ordered, That the report of the Secretary of War on the petition of Monsieur Poirey, formerly Secretary Aid-de-camp to the Marquis de Lafayette, made the fifth of February last, be committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow.

Ordered, That the report of the committee to whom was referred the petition of John Carr, made the twenty-seventh of May last, be committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Tuesday next

Resolved, That a committee be appointed to inquire into the progress made in carrying into effect the act, 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, also, whether any, and, if any, what, alterations may be necessary in the

same.

Ordered, That Mr. Nicholas, Mr. Nathaniel Smith, Mr. Bard, Mr. Andrew Jackson, and Mr. Strudwick, be appointed a committee pursuant to the said resolution.

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 the twelfth of February last, to whom was referred the memorial of Nicholas J. Roosevelt and Jacob Mark, in behalf of themselves and their associates; and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Coit reported that the committee had, according to order, had the said report under consideration, and directed him to report to the House their disagreement to the same.

The House then proceeded to consider the said report at the Clerk's table, and the same being read, in the words following, to wit:

"That the said memorialists, having procured from the mining countries in Europe a number of men well skilled in the arts of mineralogy and metallurgy, have them now in the United States, either connected with, or employed by them.

"That, by their means, they offer to explore the territory of the United States for mines of metals, semi-metals, and all other minerals: provided a reasonable time be allowed them to make the search, and the right of working the mines, when discovered, be exclusively vested in them for a sufficient period; they rendering a proper proportion of the gross product to the United States.

"The committee are of opinion that their offers merit the attention and encouragement of Congress-the general use of all metals and of most minerals rendering it a very desirable object to possess them within our own limits. Appearances, too, as your committee are informed, justify the opinion that many valuable mines do exist within the territory of the United States, which can only be rendered useful by that skill and knowledge of the subject which the peculiar circumstances of Europe enable the memorialists to offer.

"Your committee, therefore, recommend the following resolutions :

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Resolved, That a right be granted to Nicholas Roosevelt and Jacob Mark, and their associates, during the term of years, to enter upon any of the waste lands in the territory of the United States, the Indian title whereof is extinguished, to search and explore the same for mines of metals, semi-metals, and all other minerals.

"Resolved, That the right of working all such mines as shall be discovered by the said Nicholas Roosevelt, and Jacob Mark, and their associates, shall be vested in them for the term of - years; they rendering an equitable proportion of the gross product of such mines to the United States."

The question was taken, that the House do agree with the Committee of the Whole House in their disagreement to the said report,

And resolved in the affirmative.

The several orders of the day were further postponed until to-morrow.

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

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 1797.

Another member, to wit: William Findley, from Pennsylvania, appeared, and took his seat in the House.

A petition of Richard R. Saltonstall, of New London, in the State of Connecticut, was presented to the House and read, praying to be indemnified for certain losses and expenses which he has incurred in attempting to establish a manufactory of sumac, within the United States; and that Congress will extend the patent which he has ob tained for that purpose, the better to protect him against interfering pretenders to the same invention, or grant him other relief.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures.

Mr. Dwight Foster, from the Committee of Claims, to whom were referred the petitions of John Porter, and of John Roff, made reports; which were read and considered: Whereupon,

Resolved, That the prayer of the petitions of the said John Porter and John Roff cannot be granted.

Mr. Dwight Foster, from the Committee of Claims, to whom was referred the petition of Amy Dardin, made a report; which was read, and ordered to lie on the table.

Ordered, That the report of the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, of the fourteenth of May last, to whom were referred a letter and report of the Secretary of the Treasury, on the memorial of sundry merchants of the City of Philadelphia, be recommitted to the same committee.

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 Claims, to whom were referred, on the twenty-fourth of December, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five, copies of the proceedings of the accounting officers of the Treasury, on certain claims not admitted to be valid; and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Coit reported that the committee had, according to order, had the said report under consideration, and made some progress therein.

Resolved, That this House will, on Monday next, again resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House, on the said report.

On motion,

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed to lay before the next, and every succeeding Congress, within ten days after the commencement of each session, respectively, such a statement of the internal revenues, as will ascertain, with precision, the nett product thereof, and the expense of collection; and, also, a list of all the officers employed in that service, and the compensations allowed to each of them.

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 Claims of the twenty-sixth ultimo, to whom was referred the memorial of Robert Harris; and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Coit reported that the committee had, according to order, had the said report under consideration, and directed him to report to the House their agreement to the same.

The House then proceeded to consider the said report at the Clerk's table; and the same being read in the words following, to wit:

"That the said Robert Harris was a Captain in the continental service in the time of the last war that he left service when bills of public credit were the only medium in circulation that his pay was delivered to the Paymaster of his regiment: that not having been received by the memorialist, the money was returned to the Paymaster General in January, one thousand seven hundred and eighty, who established the rule, in such cases, of paying the value of the money, so returned, reduced by the scale of depreciation at the time when returned to him, by the Paymaster.

Captain Harris has ever had it in his power to receive his specie for that paper money, calculated by that rule, He claims the worth of his paper, when it became due. "As very many, indeed nearly all the officers and privates, under similar circumstances, have received their wages, by the rule established as aforesaid; and as Captain Harris shews no reason why he did not receive his money from the Paymaster, the committee think it would be inexpedient to establish a new rule at this time; and are therefore of opinion, his memorial ought not to be granted, and that he have leave to withdraw the same."

The question was taken, that the House do agree with the Committee of the Whole House in their agreement to the said report ;

And resolved in the affirmative.

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Ordered, That so much of the report of the Committee of Claims, made the sixth of May last, as relates to the memorial of Samuel G. Fowler, and Christopher Fowler, administrators of Samuel Fowler, deceased, be re-committed to the same committee. The several orders of the day were further postponed until Monday next. And then the House adjourned until Monday morning eleven o'clock.

MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 1797.

A petition of Sebastian Bauman, Postmaster at the City of New York, was presented to the House and read, stating the insufficiency of the compensation allowed him by law; and praying that the same may be increased, and rendered more adequate to his

services.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee appointed to inquire if any, and what, alterations are necessary to be made in the act, entitled "An act to establish the Post Office and Post Roads within the United States."

Ordered, That the petition of Francis Wright, presented the seventeenth of Decem. ber, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five, be referred to the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures.

Mr. Dwight Foster, from the Committee of Claims, to whom were referred the memorial of William Alexander, and the petition of John Conrad Latour, made reports, which were read: Whereupon,

Ordered, That the report on the memorial of William Alexander be committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow.

Resolved, That the prayer of the petition of John Conrad Latour cannot be granted. Mr. Dearborn, from the committee appointed to inquire whether any, and what, alteration ought to be made in the compensations allowed by law to the officers of the United States, made a report; which was read, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Thursday next.

Mr. Dearborn, from the committee to whom was re-committed, on the twentic th ultimo, the bill to provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia of the United States, reported an amendatory bill, to amend and repeal in part, an act, entitled "An act more effectually to provide for the national defence, by establishing an uniform Militia throughout 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 Friday next.

Mr. Swanwick, from the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, presented, according to order, a bill for the better regulation of pilots within the bay and rivers of the Chesapeake; which was 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 Friday next.

On a motion made and seconded, that the House do come to the following resolution: "Resolved, That the third clause of the first section of the second article of the Constitution of the United States ought to be amended, in such manner as that the electors of a President and Vice President be obliged, in giving their votes, to designate the person for whom they vote as President, and the person for whom they vote as Vice President; and that the said amendment be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, to be ratified as part of the Constitution of the United States :"

Ordered, That the said motion be committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.

Mr. Swanwick from the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, to whom were referred the several memorials and petitions of Richard R. Saltonstall, of Jacob Broom, of Robert Dawson, of William Crowley Jordan, of the proprietors of the glass manufac tory of Boston, and of sundry manufacturers of hats in the States of Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, made reports; which were severally read and considered: Whereupon,

Resolved, That the prayer of the petitions of Richard R. Saltonstall, of Jacob Broom, of Robert Dawson, of William Crowley Jordan, of the proprietors of the glass manufactory of Boston, and of sundry manufacturers of hats in the State of Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, cannot be granted.

The House, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the report of the Secretary of War, of the fifth of February last, to whom was referred the petition of Monsieur Poirey, formerly Secretary Aid-de-camp to the Marquis De Lafayette; and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Muhlenberg reported that the committee had, according to order, had the said report under consideration, and come to a resolution thereupon; which he delivered in at the Clerk's table; where the same was twice read, and agreed to by the House, as followeth :

Resolved, That provision ought to be made by law, for settling the claim of Monsieur Poirey, against the United States.

Ordered, That a bill or bills be brought in pursuant to the said resolution; and that 'Mr. Madison, Mr. Swanwick, and Mr. Murray, 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 report of the Committee of Ways and Means, of the third instant, relative to the provisions requisite for improving and more effectually securing the collection of the internal revenues; 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 report under consideration, and come to a resolution thereupon; which he delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the same was twice read, and agreed to by the House, as followeth :

Resolved, That it will be expedient to abolish the tax laid on spirits distilled from materials of the growth or produce of the United States, at any other place than a city, town, or village, or at any distillery in a city, town, or village, at which there shall be one or more stills, which singly, if only one, or together, if more than one, shall be of less capacity than four hundred gallons; and to collect this branch of the revenue from a tax on the capacity of the stills.

Ordered, That a bill or bills be brought in pursuant to the said resolution, and that the Committee of Ways and Means do prepare and bring in the same.

The several orders of the day were further postponed until to-morrow.
And then the House adjourned until to-morrow morning eleven o'clock.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1797.

Another member, to wit: Wade Hampton, from South Carolina, appeared, and took his seat in the House.

Ordered, That John Michael, who presented a petition to this House on the fourth of April last, have leave to withdraw the same.

Mr. Dwight Foster, from the Committee of Claims, to whom were referred the petitions of George Lucas, and of John Wood, made reports, which were read and considered: Whereupon,

Resolved, That the prayer of the petitions of the said George Lucas and John Wood cannot be granted.

Mr. Thatcher, from the committee appointed, presented, according to order, a bill in addition to the act, entitled "An act to establish the Post Office and Post Roads within 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.

Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means be instructed to inquire into the propriety and expediency of laying a tax upon all theatrical exhibitions; and, also, to inquire whether any, and, if any, what, articles of foreign growth or manufacture imported into the United States, or articles manufactured or used within the United States, will allow of an additional duty to be laid upon them; and to report thereon.

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 Claims, of the twenty-ninth of April last, to whom was referred the petition of John Gibbons; 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 report 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 report.

Mr. Madison, from the committee appointed, presented, according to order, a bill