It was resolved in the affirmative. 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, the following enrolled bills, to wit: one entitled "An act to provide more effectually for the settlement of accounts between the United States and receivers of public money" another entitled "An act to authorize the adjustment, and payment at the Treasury, of the expenses of George Smith and John Robertson, for their ran som from captivity at Algiers;" another entitled "An act for the relief of John Brown;" another entitled "An act making appropriations for the Military and Naval establishments, for the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven" another entitled "An act concerning the Circuit Courts of the United States ;" and another tled "An act to alter the time for the next annual meeting of Congress." Ordered, That Aaron Sheffield and John Robinson, who severally presented petitions to this House, on the sixth of May, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six, and the fourth of January last, have leave to withdraw the same. A message was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Craik, his Secretary, notifying that the President did, this day, approve and sign the following acts, which originated in this House, to wit: one entitled "An act to authorize the receipt of evidences of the public debt in payment for the lands of the United States:" another entitled "An act to suspend, in part, the act, entitled 'An act to alter and amend the act, entitled 'An act laying certain duties upon snuff and refined sugar,' and to grant relief in certain cases arising under the said act," another entitled "An act authorizing an expenditure, and making an appropriation, for the prosecution of the claims of certain citizens of the United States, for property captured by the Belligerent Powers ;" another entitled "An act authorizing the President of the United States to apply a further sun to the expense of negotiations with the Dey and Regency of Algiers" another entitled "An act providing for certain buoys to be placed in or near the harbor of Boston" another entitled "An act for the remission of the duties of tonnage on the vessels of James O'Brien and James Aylward;" another entitled "An act for mitigating or remitting the forfeitures, penalties, and disabilities, accruing in certain cases therein mentioned;" another entitled "An act in addition to the act, entitled 'An act to establish the post office and post roads within the United States;" another entitled "An act to provide more effectually for the settlement of accounts between the United States and receivers of public money ;" another entitled “An act making appropriations for the Military and Naval establishments for the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven" another entitled “An act for the relief of John Brown ;" and another entitled "An act to authorize the adjustment, and payment at the Treasury, of the expenses of George Smith and John Robertson, for their ransom from captivity at Algiers-" Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do acquaint the Senate therewith. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Otis, their Secretary: Mr. Speaker: I am directed to inform this House, that the President of the United States did, this day, approve and sign two acts, which originated in the Senate, to wit: one entitled "An act concerning the Circuit Courts of the United States ;" and another entititled "An act to alter the time for the next annual meeting of Congress." And then he withdrew. A petition of Putnam Catlin, and others, holders of lands in the County of Luzerne, in the State of Pennsylvania, under the charter of the late colony of Connecticut, was presented to the House and read, praying that the petitioners may be enabled to ob tain a trial in the case of a controversy between them and sundry other persons, claireing the said lands under the charter of Pennsylvania, by an impartial jury, in some State which is not interested in the said controversy; or that such other relief may be granted in the premises, as to the wisdom of Congress shall seem meet. Also, a petition of Thomas Morse and William Stanwood, junior, of the District of Maine, in the State of Massachusetts, in behalf of themselves and others, owners of the fishing schooners Atlas and Betsey, praying that they may receive the bounty al· lowed by law to vessels employed in the cod fisheries of the United States. Ordered, That the said petition do lie on the table. Mr. Swanwick, from the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, to whom was referred, on the thirteenth ultimo, the petition of William Ellison, made a report which was read, and ordered to lie on the table. Mr. Nicholas, from the committee to whom was referred, on the twentieth ultimo, the petition of Thomas Butler, and others, - made a report; which was read, and order ed to lie on the table. Mr. Swanwick, from the committee to whom was referred, on the twelfth of De cember last, the petition of Joseph Rittenhouse, made a report; which was read, and ordered to lie on the table. Mr. Abiel Foster, from the Joint Committee for Enrolled Bills, reported that the committee had examined the following enrolled bills, to wit: one entitled "An act repealing, in part, the act concerning the duties on spirits distilled within the United States," passed the eighth of May, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, and imposing certain duties on the capacity of stills of a particular description ;" another entitled "An act to amend, and repeal, in part, the act, entitled An act to ascertain and fix the military establishment of the United States ;" another entitled "An act extending the time for receiving on loan the domestic debt of the United States ;" another entitled "An act to revive and continue the act, passed the thirtieth of May, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six, entitled 'An act to regulate the compensation of clerks;" also, an enrolled resolve "for the distribution of an edition of the laws of the United States ;" and had found the same to be truly enrolled: Whereupon, Mr. Speaker signed the said enrolled bills and resolve. Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do acquaint the Senate therewith. On motion made and seconded, That the thanks of this House be presented to Jonathan Dayton, in testimony of their approbation of his conduct in discharging the arduous and important duties assigned him while in the chair, It was resolved unanimously: Whereupon, Mr. Speaker made his acknowledgments to the House, in manner following: "Gentlemen: I feel myself deeply impressed with this fresh proof of your approbation of my conduct in the chair. The confidence and support which you have, in every instance, afforded me in the station assigned to me, have alone enabled me to discharge the important duty, with satisfaction to myself, and with advantage to the public." 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, the following enrolled bills, to wit: one entitled "An act repealing, in part, the act concerning the duties on spirits distilled within the United States,' passed the eighth of May, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, and imposing certain duties on the capacity of stills of a particular description;" another entitled "An act to amend and repeal, in part, the act, entitled "An act to ascertain and fix the Military establishment of the United States ;" another entitled "An act extending the time for receiving on loan the domestic debt of the United States;" and another entitled "An act to revive and continue the act, passed the thirtieth of May, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six, entitled "An act to regulate the compensation of Clerks ;" also, an enrolled resolve "for the distribution of an edition of the laws of the United States." A message from the Senate, by Mr. Otis, their Secretary: Mr. Speaker: The Senate have appointed a committee on their part jointly with such committee as may be appointed on the part of this House, to wait on the President of the United States, and inform him that Congress is ready to adjourn, without day, unless he may have any farther communication to make to them. And then he withdrew. The House proceeded to consider the said message: Whereupon, Resolved, That Mr. Sitgreaves, Mr. Parker, and Mr. Sherburne, be appointed of the said committee, on the part of this House. A message was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Craik, his Secretary, notifying that the President did, this day, approve and sign the following acts, which originated in this House, to wit: one entitled "An act repealing, in part, the act concerning the duties on spirits distilled within the United States,' passed the eighth of May, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, and imposing certain duties on the capacity of stills of a particular description;" another entitled "An act to amend, and repeal, in part, the act, entitled An act to ascertain and fix the military establishment of the United States;" another entitled "An act extending the time for receiving on loan the domestic debt of the United States ;" and another entitled "An act to revive and continue the act, passed the thirtieth of May, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six, entitled 'An act to regulate the compensation of Clerks;" also, an enrolled resolve "for the distribution of an edition of the laws of the United States." Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do acquaint the Senate therewith. On a motion made and seconded that the House do come to the following resolution: VOL. II.-94 "This House being strongly impressed with the important and disinterested services rendered to their country, during the late war, by their fellow-citizen Major General Lafayette; and deeply lamenting his present sufferings, from a long and afflicting captivity, which have equally excited their own sympathy, and the anxious solicitude of their constituents, Do Resolve, That the President of the United States be informed that the House will see, with the highest satisfaction, any measures which he may deem it expedient to adopt, towards effecting the restoration of their aforesaid fellow-citizen to the enjoy ment of liberty." The previous question thereon 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?" It passed in the negative. Mr. Sitgreaves, from the Joint Committee appointed to wait on the President of the United States, and inform him of the intended recess of Congress, reported that the committee had performed that service; and that the President signified to them, that he had no farther communication to make during the present session: Whereupon, Mr. Speaker adjourned the House sine die. A SUPPLEMENTAL JOURNAL Of such Proceedings as, during the time they were depending, were ordered to be kept secret. MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 1797. A message, in writing, was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Craik, his Secretary, as followeth : Gentlemen of the Senate and of the House of Representatives: Herewith I lay before you, in confidence, reports from the Departments of State and the Treasury, by which you will see the present situation of our affairs with the Dey and Regency of Algiers. United States, January 9th, 1797. G. WASHINGTON. The said message, and reports referred to therein, were read, and ordered to lie on the table. TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1797. On motion, Resolved, That a committee be appointed to select such parts of the confidential communication sent to this House, by a message of the President of the United States, of the ninth instant, as in their opinion may, with propriety, be printed. Ordered, That Mr. Madison, Mr. Ames, Mr. Sherburne, Mr. Davenport, Mr. Livingston, Mr. Grove and Mr. Baldwin, be appointed a committee pursuant to the said resolution. FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 1797. Mr. Madison, from the committee appointed to select such parts of the confidential communication from the President of the United States, of the ninth instant, as in their opinion may, with propriety, be printed, made a report; which was read, and ordered to lie on the table. TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1797. The House proceeded to consider the report of the committee appointed to select such parts of the confidential communication from the President of the United States, of the ninth instant, as, in their opinion, may, with propriety, be printed: Whereupon, The said report being read, in the words following, to wit: "That there be printed, for the use of the members only, copies of the reports to the President, from the Secretary of State, and Secretary of the Treasury, with an excep. tion of the passages marked by crotchets, and of the letter from Joel Barlow and Joseph Donaldson, Jun. accompanying the first of the said reports." A motion was made and seconded to amend the said report, by inserting, after the words "for the use of the members only," the words "under such guards as the Speaker shall direct." And on the question thereupon, It was resolved in the affirmative. The said report, as amended, being again read at the Clerk's table, The question was then taken that the House do agree to the same, And resolved in the affirmative, Yeas.. 53, 36. The yeas and nays being demanded by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative, are, Theodorus Bailey, Abraham Baldwin, Thomas Blount, Richard Brent, Nathan Bryan, George Dent, William Findley, Jesse Franklin, William B. Giles, Thomas Hartley, John Hathorn, Jonathan N. Havens, James Holland, Those who voted in the negative, are, William Lyman, Samuel Maclay, Frederick A. Muhlenberg, Anthony New, Alexander D. Orr, John Page, Josiah Parker, John Patten, Theophilus Bradbury, Daniel Buck, Gabriel Christie, Joshua Coit, William Cooper, William Craik, Samuel W. Dana, Abiel Foster, Dwight Foster, Nathaniel Freeman, Jun. Ezekiel Gilbert, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1797. Ordered, That the confidential message of the President of the United States, of the ninth ultimo, enclosing reports from the Departments of State and of the Treasury, relative to the present situation of the affairs of the United States with the Dey and Regency of Algiers, be committed to a Committee of the Whole House immediately. The House, accordingly, resolved itself into the said committee; 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 message and reports under consideration, and made some progress therein. |