other emoluments allowed him by law; and praying that the same may be increased, and rendered more adequate to his services.

Ordered, That the said memorial be referred to the Attorney General, with instruction to examine the same, and report his opinion thereupon, to the House.

Ordered, That the memorial of George Turner, which lay on the table, together with the petition of sundry inhabitants of the county of St. Clair, in the territory Northwest of the river Ohio, presented the twenty-fifth of April last, and the report of the Attorney General thereon, made the tenth of May, be referred to Mr. Bradbury, Mr. Gilman, Mr. Hartley, Mr. Heath, and Mr. Orr; that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the House.

Mr. Dwight Foster, from the Committee of Claims, to whom was referred the petition of Sarah Fenton, widow of Joseph Fenton, deceased, made a report, which was read, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow.

Mr. Abiel Foster, 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, an enrolled bill, entitled “An act to alter and amend an act, entitled * An act to ascertain and fix the military establishment of the United States,"

On a motion made and seconded that the House do come to the following resolutions: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed to lay before Congress, annually, until the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight, a statement of the amount of duties and drawbacks for each year, from 1792, inclusive; and after the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight, similar annual statements, each to include, respectively, the six years immediately preceding the year in which it is made Resolved, That in the statements required by the foregoing resolution, the amount of duties and drawbacks, after the present year, on each of the enumerated articles, paying a rate of duty ad valorem, and also, on woollens, shall be separately stated that woollens shall be distinguished into three classes;--and that the said amount on all unenumerated articles paying such rate of duty, (woollens excepted) shall be comprised in one item, containing, however, an enumeration of the articles of which that item may be composed.

Ordered, That the said motion be committed to Mr. Harper, Mr. Coit, and Mr. Venable; 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, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the bill in addition to the act "authorizing the grant and conveyance of certain lands to John Cleves Symmes, and his associates;" and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Mullenberg reported that the committee had, according to order, had the said bill under consideration, and made no amendment thereto.

Ordered, That the said bill be engrossed, and read the third time to-morrow.

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 twenty-first instant, to whom was re-committed their report on a resolution of the Senate, "for obtaining information relative to the amendment proposed by Congress to the Constitution of the United States, concerning the suability of States;" 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. Livingston, from the committee appointed, presented, according to order, a bill in addition to the act, entitled "An act for the relief and protection of American seamen," 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.

The House proceeded to consider the amendments reported on the fifteenth instant, from the Committee of the Whole House, to the bill relative to the compensations and duties of certain officers employed in the collection of impost and tonnage, which lay ou the table; and the same being read, were agreed to.

The House then proceeded farther to amend the said bill at the Clerk's table,

When an adjournment being called for,

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

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

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1797.

An engrossed bill in addition to the act "authorizing the grant and conveyance of certain lands to John Cleves Symmes, and his associates," 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 authorizing the grant and conveyance of certain lands to John Cleves Symmes, and his associates."

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

A petition of Reuben Smith, of the city and State of New York, merchant, for himself and Nathan Strong, of Hartford, in the State of Connecticut, merchant, partners in trade, under the firm of Reuben Smith and company, was presented to the House and read, praying that they may receive the bounty on the exportation of a quantity of beef and pork, from the port of New York, to the port of L'Orient, in France, in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-four; the certificate of the landing of which beef and pork without the limits of the United States, owing to unforeseen causes, could not be obtained by the petitioners, within the time, and in the manner prescribed by law.

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

A petition of Thomas Glentworth and others, Custom-house bargemen at the port of New York, was presented to the House and read, stating the insufficiency of the compensation allowed them by law; and praying that the same may be increased, and rendered more adequate to their services.

Ordered, That the said petition do lie on the table.

The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Secretary of State, accompanying his report on the memorial of Antonia Carmichael, widow of William Carmichael, deceased, referred to him by order of the House, on the twenty-fourth of February, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six, which were read, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow.

Mr. Swanwick, from the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, presented, according to order, a bill making an appropriation for the prosecution of the claims of certain citizens of the United States, for property captured by the belligerent Powers; 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. Swanwick, from the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, to whom was referred the petition of Pierre Joseph Flamend, in behalf of Louis le Guen, made a report, which was read, and ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Swanwick, from the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, to whom was referred the petition of North and Vesey, merchants in Charleston, South Carolina; made a report, which was read, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow.

Mr. Swanwick, from the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, to whom were referred the memorials and petitions of sundry manufacturers of soap and candles in Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and Baltimore, of sundry manufacturers of cordage in the States of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York, and of Stephen Addington, callico printer in Germantown; made a report, which was read, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow.

The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Treasurer of the United States, accompanying his account of the receipts and expenditures of public moneys, from the first of October to the thirty-first of December, one thousand seven hundred and ninetysix, inclusive; which were read, and ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Dwight Foster, from the Committee of Claims, to whom was referred the petition of William B. Gould, made a report; which was read, and ordered to lie on the table. The House resumed the consideration of the bill relative to the compensations and duties of certain officers employed in the collection of impost and tonnage; and the same being further amended at the Clerk's table, was, together with the amendments, ordered to be engrossed, and read the third time to-morrow.

Ordered, That the Committee of the Whole House, to whom was committed on the sixteenth instant, the report of the Committee of Claims on the petition of James Warington, be discharged from the consideration thereof; and that the petitioner have leave to withdraw his said petition.

The House, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the

Whole House on the bill for raising a further sum of money by additional duties on certain articles imported; and for other purposes; 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 inade several amendments thereto, which he delivered in at the Clerk's table.

Ordered, That the said bill, with the amendments, do lie on the table.
The several orders of the day were further postponed until to-morrow.
And then the House adjourned until to-morrow morning ten o'clock.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1797.

An engrossed bill relative to the compensations and duties of certain officers employed in the collection of impost and tonnage, was read the third time, and the blanks therein filled up.

Resolved, That the said bill do pass, and that the title be, "An act relative to the compensations and duties of certain officers employed in the collection of impost and tonnage."

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

A petition of James O'Brien and James Aylward, late inhabitants of the island of Newfoundland, now at the town of Plymouth, in the State of Massachusetts, was presented to the House and read, praying a remission of the duties of tonnage on two small. schooners, the property of the petitioners, which they have delivered, together with the registers belonging to the same, to the Collector of the port of Plymouth, as security for the payment of the duties aforesaid; and, also, that the said schooners may be restored to the petitioners.

Also, a memorial of sundry inhabitants of the town of Champlain, in the State of New York, in behalf of themselves and others, inhabitants of the northern part of the town of Plattsborough, in the said State, whose names are thereunto subscribed, praying that a Custom House may be established as near the line which divides the said State of New York from the province of Canada, as a convenient situation can be found for that purpose.

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

Mr. Dwight Foster, from the Committee of Claims, to whom it was referred, on the twentieth of December last, to inquire into, and report the expediency or inexpediency of designating certain claims against the United States, to be excepted from the operation of the acts of limitation, made a report; which was read, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday next.

The House proceeded to conside the report of the Committee of Claims, of the sixth ultimo, to whom was referred the petition of Amy Dardin, which lay on the table: Whereupon,

The said report being read at the Clerk's table, in the words following, to wit:

"That the most important, and all the material facts respecting this claim, are stated in the former report of the committee appointed to consider the said petition. To that report the committee now ask leave to refer. Whatever justice there might originally have been in this claim against the United States, it is now, and for many years past, has been as clearly within the statutes of limitation, as a multitude of others, which have been rejected. The committee regret that no relief can, with propriety, be granted to the petitioner, upon her application. So many evils would result from a suspension of the limitation acts, for the admission of claims similar to the one under consideration, the committee cannot recommend that measure to be adopted. They are of opinion the prayer of the petition ought not to be granted."

The question was taken, that the House do agree to the said report,

And passed in the negative.

And then a motion being made and seconded that the House do come to the following resolution:

Resolved, That a committee be appointed to prepare and bring in a bill for the relief of Amy Dardin.

Ordered, That the said motion, together with the petition of the said Amy Dar din, presented the twenty-eighth of February, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-four, be committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday next.

Mr. Swanwick, from the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, to whom were referred the petitions of John Brown, partner of the late House of Brown and Francis.

and of Hendrick Doyer; and to whom was re-committed on the sixth instant, their report on a resolution of the House, of the sixteenth ultimo, relative to the fixing a number of buoys in, and near the harbor of Boston, made a report; which was read and considered: Whereupon,

Resolved, That provision ought to be made by law for the relief of John Brown, and to entitle him to a drawback of duties paid on certain gin and bottles exported in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one, by the House of Brown and Francis, on proof, to the satisfaction of the Comptroller of the Treasury, that the same were delivered without the limits of the United States.

Ordered, That so much of the said report, as relates to the petition of Hendrick Doyer, do lie on the table, until Monday next.

dol

Resolved, That provision be made by law, for certain buoys, not exceeding six larger, and ten smaller buoys, and the whole expense of which, shall not exceed lars, to be placed under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, in and near the harbor of Boston,

Ordered, That a bill or bills be brought in pursuant to the said resolutions; and that the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures do prepare and bring in the same.

The House proceeded to consider the amendments reported yesterday, from the Committee of the Whole House, to the bill for raising a further sum of money, by additional duties on certain articles imported, and for other purposes: Whereupon, The amendments to the first section being again read, as followeth :

Strike out the words "cotton goods not printed, stained, or coloured," and in lieu thereof, insert "that class of goods which now pays a duty of ten per centum ad valorem.” The question was taken, that the House do agree with the Committee of the Whole House in the said amendment,

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

Those who voted in the affirmative, are,

The other amendments reported by the Committee of the Whole House, being again read at the Clerk's table, were, on the question severally put thereupon, agreed to by the House.

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

The House, according to the order of the day, again resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the report of the committee of the twenty-first instant, to whom was re-committed their report on a resolution of the Senate "for obtaining information relative to the amendment proposed by Congress, to the Constitution of the United States, concerning the suability of States; and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Muhlenberg reported that the committee had, according to order, again had the said report under consideration, and directed him to report to the House their disagreement to the same.

The House proceeded to consider the said report at the Clerk's table: Whereupon, The resolution contained in the same, being again read, in the words following, to wit: "Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to apply, as speedily as may be, to all those States, by which, as far can be known from the official documents, heretofore transmitted, all or any of the amendments at any time proposed by Congress, still remains to be ratified; and to obtain from them, authentic information of the proceedings had by them, respectively, on the subject of those amendments, or any of them."

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

And resolved in the affirmative.

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

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President be requested to adopt some speedy and effectual means of obtaining information from the States of Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and South Carolina, whether they have ratified the amendment proposed by Congress to the Constitution, concerning the suability of States; if they have, to obtain the proper evidences thereof?"

The question was taken, that the House do agree to the said resolution,
And resolved in the affirmative.

Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do acquaint the Senate therewith.

Mr. Harper, from the Committee to whom was referred a motion of the twentysecond instant, "directing the Secretary of the Treasury to lay before Congress, annually, statements of the amount of duties and drawbacks, from the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, inclusive," 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 to provide for mitigating or remitting the forfeitures, penalties, and disabilities, accruing under the revenue laws, in certain cases therein mentioned; 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 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 amendments be engrossed, and read the third

time to-morrow.

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