a report; which was read, and ordered to be committed to the Committee of the Whole House to whom are committed the reports of the Committee of Claims, on the petitions of the widow of the late Scolacuttaw, or Hanging Maw, and of James Ore.

Mr. Jeremiah Smith, from the committee to whom was referred, on the thirteenth ultimo, the memorial of the Illinois and Wabash Land Company, by James Wilson, their President, made a report; which was read, and ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Nicholas, from the committee, to whom were referred the petitions of Nathaniel Cushing, by Dwight Foster, his attorney, and of James Garnett, legatee and executor of James Mercer, deceased, made reports; which were severally read, and ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Nicholas, from the committee to whom it was referred, on the twenty-fourth ultimo, to inquire into the progress made in carrying into effect the act, entitled "An act 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, also, whether any, and, if any, what, alterations may be necessary in the same, made a report; which was read, and ordered to lie on the table.

The House proceeded to consider the amendments, reported yesterday by the ComImittee of the Whole House, to the bill in addition to the act, entitled "An act to establish the Post Office and Post Roads within the United States," and, the same being read, some were agreed to, and others disagreed to.

The said bill was then further amended at the Clerk's table, and, together with the amendments agreed to, ordered to be engrossed, and read the third time on Monday next.

The House, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the bill to alter and amend an act, entitled "An act to ascertain and fix the Military Establishment of the United States;" and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Dent reported that the committee had, according to order, had the said bill 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 bill.

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

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1797.

Ordered, That Mr. Giles have leave to be absent from the service of this House for the remainder of the session.

An engrossed bill in addition to the act, entitled "An act to establish the Post Office and Post Roads within the United States;" was read the third time.

Resolved, That the said bill do pass, and that the title be, "An act in addition to the act, entitled 'An act to establish the Post Office and Post Roads within the United States."

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

A memorial of Stephen Addington, of Germantown, in the State of Pennsylvania, calico printer, was presented to the House and read, praying the aid and patronage of Congress, in the establishment of a manufactory for printing and staining of muslins and linens, within the United States.

Also, a petition of Francis Brinley and others, manufacturers of cordage in Newport, in the State of Rhode Island, praying that an additional duty may be imposed on foreign cordage, imported into the United States; or that such other encouragement may be given to the manufacture of cordage within the United States, as to the wisdom of Congress shall seem meet.

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

A petition and memorial of Samuel Clap and others, auctioneers, of the town of Boston, in the State of Massachusetts, was presented to the House and read, praying a revision and amendment of an act of Congress, passed the ninth of June, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-four, entitled "An act laying duties on property sold at auction."

Ordered, That the said petition, and memorial be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means.

Ordered, That David Organ, who presented a petition to this House on the tenth day of February, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five, have leave to withdraw the same.

Mr. Maclay, from the committee to whom was referred the memorial of Jacob Cazad, made a report; which was read and considered: Whereupon,

Resolved, That the said Jacob Cazad have leave to withdraw his memorial.

Mr. Dwight Foster, from the Committee of Claims, to whom was referred a letter from the Secretary of War, of the twentieth ultimo, accompanying a list of the names of certain claimants to be placed on the pension list, who have been examined by physicians; and, also, the returns of the examining physicians thereon, made pursuant to a resolution of the two Houses of Congress, of the eighteenth of April last, made a report; which he delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the same was twice read, and on the question put thereupon, agreed to by the House, as followeth :

"That, on a full investigation of the documents referred to them, they find the persons hereafter named, have complied with the requisitions of the law respecting pensions for invalids; and are entitled to the several rates of pension annexed to their names, respectively; that is to say:

OF THE DISTRICT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE,

Joseph Goodrich, a private, half a pension; Joseph Patterson, a private, half a pension.

OF THE DISTRICT OF VERMONT,

Joseph Tyler, a private, half a pension; Isaac Webster, a sergeant, half a pension.

OF THE DISTRICT OF NEW YORK,

Stephen Kellogg, a private, a full pension; Garret Oblenis, a private, half a pension: William Scott, a major, a full pension; Finley Stewart, a batteauman, three-fourths of a pension; Thomas Ward, a corporal, a full pension.

OF THE DISTRICT OF MARYLAND,

Philip Casson, a lieutenant, a full pension.

OF THE DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA,

Joshua Davidson, a dragoon, three-fourths of a pension; Jonathan Dyer, a private full pension.

OF THE DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA,

Daniel M'Kissick, a captain, half a pension; Joseph Singletary, jun. a private, threefourths of a pension; Ithamar Singletary, a private, one-fourth of a pension; William Simpson, a private, half a pension; Joseph Wasson, a private, a full pension.

66

Resolved, That the Secretary for the Department of War be, and he is hereby, directed to place on the pension list of the United States, the several persons before named, who have been returned as pension claimants, by the Judges of several Dis tricts, pursuant to an act of Congress, passed the twenty-eighth day of February, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-three, entitled "An act to regulate claims to invalid pensions," at the rates and proportions annexed to the names of the said persons, respectively.

"Resolved, That the pensions allowed by this act, shall be estimated at the same rates, receivable on the same conditions, and payable in the same manner, as directed in like cases, by the act of the twentieth day of April, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six, entitled "An act authorizing and directing the Secretary of War, to place certain persons therein named, on the pension list."

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

Mr. Swanwick, from the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, to whom were referred the petitions of Robert Sage, and of Thomas Hall; also, a resolution of the House, of the sixteenth ultimo, relative to the expediency of fixing a number of buoys in and near the harbor of Boston, made a report; which was read: Whereupon,

The House proceeded to consider the said report at the Clerk's table; and so much thereof as relates to the petitions of Robert Sage and of Thomas Hall, being again read,

Resolved, That the prayer of the petitions of the said Robert Sage and Thomas Hall cannot be granted.

The other parts of the said report, which relate to the fixing of buoys in and near the harbor of Boston, being again read, were, on a motion made and seconded, ordered to be re-committed to the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures.

Mr. Swanwick, from the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, presented, according to order, a bill in addition to an act, entitled "An act concerning the registering and recording of ships or vessels ;" and to an act, entitled "An act for enrolling and licensing ships or vessels employed in the coasting trade and fisheries, and for regulating the same;" 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 to-morrow.

Mr. Coit, from the committee, to whom was referred a motion of the first instant, relative to a provision, by law, under specific restrictions, for the renewal of destroyed certificates, of certain descriptions, made a report; which he delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the same was read, as followeth :

"That no provision appears to have been made by the United States, for the renewal of destroyed certificates of any kind, except those of the description called Loan Office Certificates, and those called final settlements.

"That, by resolutions of Congress of the tenth of May, and eighteenth of July, one thousand seven hundred and eighty, provision was made for the renewal of Loan Office certificates destroyed, on proper proof made of the destruction of such certificates to the Officers of the Treasury.

"That, by the act of Congress of the twenty-fourth of April, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-four, the provisions of the said act were extended to certificates of the description called final settlements; other regulations were made respecting the renewal of loan office certificates, and those called final settlements; and it was declared that all claims for renewal of loan office certificates and final settlements, not presented at the Treasury on or before the first day of June, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five, should be barred.

"That, by act of Congress of the third of March, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five, all certificates, commonly called loan office certificates, final settlements, and indents of interest, outstanding at the time of passing the said act, and which should not be presented at the office of the Auditor of the Treasury, on or before the first day of January, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, were declared to be forever after barred or precluded from settlement or allowance.

"That most of the cases where certificates of the public debt are said to have been destroyed, took place long before the passing of the said act of the twenty-fourth of April, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-four; and, probably, a great proportion of them before the passing of the said resolution of the tenth of May, one thousand seven hundred and eighty; from which circumstance, as well as the nature of the subject, it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, at this time, to guard against fraud and imposition, should further provision be made for renewing them; and the committee cannot find stronger reasons in favor of keeping in force the statutes of limitations, in relation to any class of claims, than to that contemplated in the resolution referred to them: They are, therefore, of opinion that the House ought not to agree to the same."

The House proceeded to consider the said report; and the same being again read, was, on the question put thereupon, agreed to by the House: Yeas 49, Nays 37. The yeas and nays being demanded by one-fifth of the members present,

Mr. Swanwick, from the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, to whom was recommitted, on the 30th ultimo, the bill relative to the compensations of certain officers employed in the collection of the duties of impost and tonnage, reported aa amendatory bill relative to the compensations of certain officers employed in the collection of impost and tonnage; 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 Wednesday next.

On motion,

Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means, to whom it was referred, on the twenty-first day of December last, to inquire and report whether any, or what, alterations are necessary in the laws to enforce the payment of moneys due from the various revenue officers of the United States, be instructed to report thereon by bill or otherwise.

Mr. William Smith, from the Committee of Ways and Means, presented, according to order, a bill to provide more effectually for the settlement of accounts between the United States and the Receivers of Public Money; 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.

On motion,

Resolved, That a Committee be appointed to inquire into the expediency of repealing the restriction in the fifty-sixth section of the act, entitled "An 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 in the United States, and for appropriating the same," so far as the said restriction respects any domestic distilled spirits, which may be exported from the district of Louisville, in the State of Kentucky; or from any district which may be hereafter established on the rivers Mississippi or Ohio, or the branches thereof; and to report by bill or otherwise. Ordered, That Mr. Gallatin, Mr. Coit, and Mr. Skinner, be appointed a Committee, pursuant to the said resolution.

The House, according to the order of the day, again resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the bill to alter and amend the act, entitled "An act to ascertain and fix the Military Establishment of the United States ;" and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Dent reported that the committee had, according to order, again had the said bill 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 bill.

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, FEBRUARY 7, 1797.

Another member, to wit: Thomas Sprigg, from Maryland, appeared, and took his seat in the House.

A petition of Charles Jackson, of the city of Savannah, in the State of Georgia, was presented to the House and read; praying the renewal of a land warrant granted him in consideration of his military services as an ensign in the Army of the United States, during the late war; which warrant was delivered to the legal attorney of the petitioner, and afterwards casually lost or mislaid.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Committee of Claims.

Mr. Dwight Foster, from the Committee of Claims, to whom were referred the me morials and petitions of Augustine Biddle, of Dempsey Burges, of Philip Bush, of Samuel Brook Beale, of Mary S. Jones, of Emory Saddler, junior, and Elizabeth his wife, executrix of William Wright, deceased, and of John Ward, made a report; which was read: Whereupon,

Ordered, That the consideration of the said report be postponed until the first Monday in December next.

Mr. Dwight Foster, from the Committee of Claims, to whom was referred the memorial of Anna Welsh, made a report; which was read, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday next.

A message from the Senate, by Mr. Otis, their Secretary:

Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a bill, entitled "An act for increasing the compensations allowed to the members of the legislature, and certain officers of the Government, for a limited time," to which they desire the concurrence of this House. And then he withdrew.

The said bill 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 to-day.

The House, according to the order of the day, again resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the bill to alter and amend an act, entitled "An act to ascertain and fix the Military Establishment of the United States ;" and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Dent reported that the committee had, according to order, again had the said bill under consideration, and made an amendment thereto; which he delivered in at the Clerk's table.

The House proceeded to consider the said bill at the Clerk's table: Whereupon, The amendinent reported by the Committee of the Whole House being read, for striking out the second section, in the words following, to wit:

"And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States cause to be arranged the officers, non-commissioned officers, privates, and musicians, of the four regiments of infantry, and two companies of light dragoons, now in service, in such manner as to form and complete out of the same, three regiments of infantry; and the supernumerary officers shall be considered, from and after the last day of June next, discharged from the service of the United States :"

The question was taken that the House do agree with the Committee of the Whole House in the said amendment,

And resolved in the affirmative,

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

Those who voted in the affirmative, are,

Fisher Ames,

Abraham Baldwin,

Theophilus Bradbury,
Gabriel Christic,