New Hampshire Statesman And Concord Register

U.S. CONGRESS.

Monday, Dec 8.

SENATE. Mr Benton's bills, of which he had given notice, were brought forward, read, and passed to a second reading.

Internal Improvement. Mr Benton also asked and obtained leave to bring in A joint resolution for the care and preservation of the Cumberland Road, and of other Roads, made, or to be made, by the Federal Government within the limits of the different States.

The purport of this resolution is, that the Federal Government, when it has authorized a public road through any State or States, acquires no right of soil, and therefore should not charge itself with the expense of repairs—this must be left to the respective State governments.

The resolution was read a first time, passed to a second reading, and ordered to be printed.

Mr Benton submitted the following resolution for consideration; which lies on the table till to-morrow:

Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to cause a detailed statement of the amount expended by the Federal Government upon works of Internal Improvement, within the limits of the different States, to be laid before the Senate, so as to show how much has been expended in each State, upon such works, from the adoption of the Federal Constitution to the first day of October last; with an estimate of the amount necessary to complete any work which is begun and not yet completed.

The resolution offered by Mr Barton, on Friday last, was taken up, and agreed to.

The bill for the preservation and repair of the Cumberland Road was read a second time, and ordered to lie on the table till the appointment of the Standing Committees.

Mr Tyler presented the petition of George Taylor, of Washington City, praying that Congress will grant him relief for sundry losses sustained by the depredation of French privateers, previous to the year 1800; which petition was referred to a select committee.

Standing Committees of the Senate.—The Senate then, agreeably to the orders of the day, proceeded to the election of their Standing Committees; the ballot being, in each case, first taken on the election of a chairman. The following were the only committees appointed.

On Foreign Relations. Messrs. Tazewell. Sandford, White, Berrien and Bell.

On Finance. Messrs. Smith, of Maryland, M'Lane, Smith, of S. C. Branch and Silsbee.

On Commerce. Messrs. Woodbury, Silsbee, Johnston, of Louisiana, Williams and M'Lane.

On Manufactures. Messrs. Dickerson, Ruggles, Knight, Barnard and Ridgely.

On Agriculture. Messrs. Bateman, Bouligny, Willey, Marks and Chambers.

On motion of Mr Eaton, the balloting was then suspended until to-morrow.

A message of a confidential nature from the President of the United States, was also communicated by the chair; when,

On motion of Mr Chase, the Senate proceeded to the consideration of Executive Business: and, after remaining a short time with closed doors.

Adjourned.

HOUSE. Among the petitions presented to-day, which were very numerous, was one by Mr Johnson, of Richard Ward, who claims the invention of the torpedo shot, for sea service, the projective for defence of harbors, and the dove-tailed tongued and grooved piles, longitudinally for sloping off the water, for the purpose of making dry docks. Referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs.

Mr Strong moved the following—

Resolved, That a committee be appointed. to ascertain the probable cost, economy, and advantages of publishing a stereotype impression of the laws of the United States.

The resolution was carried, and a Select Committee of five members appointed in conformity thereto.

On motion of Mr Allen of Mass. it was

Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means be instructed to inquire into the expediency of bringing in a bill for the reduction of the duties on Teas

On motion of Mr Ramsay,

Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of reporting a bill making provision for creating and supporting an Army Asylum, by retaining from each officer, non-Commissioned officer and private, in the Army of the United States, a certain portion of their monthly pay, for the purpose of creating a fund to be called "the Army Asylum Fund," for the support of all infirm, poor and disabled soldiers, who have served in the army of the United States since the American Revolution.

On motion of Mr Everett, it was

Resolved, That a committee of three members be appointed, who, with three members of the Senate to be appointed by that body, shall direct the expenditure of the money appropriated for the purchase of Books and Maps for the use of the two Houses of Congress.

On motion of Mr Bartlett. it was

Resolved, That the Committee of Commerce be instructed to inquire into the expediency of making an additional appropriation for the construction of a Light House upon the rock called Whale's Back, near the Harbor of Portsmouth, in the State of New-Hampshire.

Mr Mercer gave notice that on Friday next he would call up the bill for the repair and preservation of the Cumberland Road.

The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Comptroller of the Treasury,

transmitting,

1st. A list of balances on the Books of Receipts and Expenditures in the Register's Office, which have remained unsettled for the last three years.

2d. A similar list rendered by the Fourth Auditor of the Treasury.

3d. A list of officers who have failed to render their accounts to the Fourth Auditor of the Treasury for settlement, pursuant to law.

This letter, and the lists accompanying it, were laid on the table.

Tuesday. Dec. 9.

SENATE. The President communicated the Annual Report of the Secretary of the Treasury on the state of the Finances: which was read, and 1500 extra copies ordered to be printed for the use of the Senate.

Mr Silsbee submitted the following resolution; which lies on the table till to-morrow :

Resolved, That the committee On Commerce be instructed to inquire into the expediency of abolishing the existing difference of two and a half per centum, between the duties of imported goods and the drawback allowed on their re-exportation. And also to inquire whether some of the Custom House charges, to which importers and exporters of merchandise and owners of vessels are now subjected, ought not to be discontinued.

The resolutions yesterday submitted by Mr Benton and Mr Johnston, of Louisiana, were severally taken up and agreed to.

The bills yesterday introduced by Mr Benton were ordered to lie on the table, until the appointment of the Standing Committees.

STANDING COMMITTEES

On motion of Mr Benton, the Senate then proceeded to ballot for the remainder of the Standing Committees of the Senate, five only having been elected yesterday. The following Committees were appointed :

On Military Affairs—Messrs. Benton, Johnson of Ky. Barnard, Chandler and Hendricks.

On the Militia—Messrs. Chandler, Marks, Tyler, M'Kinley and Branch.

On Naval Affairs—Messrs. Hayne, Robbins, Seymour, Woodbury and Tazewell.

On the Public Lands—Messrs. Barton, King. Eaton. Ellis and Kane.

On Private Land Claims—Messrs. Smith, of S. C., M'Kinley, Thomas, Kane and Barton.

On Indian Affairs—Messrs. White, Foot, King, Prince and Benton.

On Claims—Messrs. Ruggles, Bell, Chase, Rowan and Webster.

On the Judiciary—Messrs. Berrien, Seymour, Webster, Rowan and Hayne.

On the Post Office and Post Roads—Messrs. Johnson, of Ky. Ellis, Tyler, Johnson of Lou. and Silsbee.

On Pensions—Messrs. Noble, Marks, Chase. Foot and Prince.

On the District of Columbia—Messrs. Eaton, Bouligny, Chambers, Noble and Ridgely.

On the Contingent Expenses of the Senate -Messrs. Kane, Hendricks and Chambers.

On Engrossed Bills—Messrs. Marks, Willey and Bateman.

HOUSE. On motion of Mr Bartley, it was

Resolved, That the petitions presented at the last session, for the location and construction of a road from Pittsburg, in Pennsylvania, to some point on the south shore of Lake Erie, be referred to the Committee on Roads and Canals.

DUTY ON SALT.

Mr Conner moved the following resolution—

Resolved, That the Committee on Manufactures be instructed to inquire into the expediency of reducing the duty on Salt.

The question on agreeing to this resolution was decided, without debate, by yeas and nays, as follows—Yeas 75—Nays 93.

So the resolution was rejected.

FINANCES

The Speaker laid before the House the annual Report of the Secretary of the Treasury, on the state of the Finances. Referred to the Committee of Ways and Means —and six thousand copies ordered to be printed.

NATIONAL PAINTINGS.

The Speaker laid before the House a letter from Col. John Trumbull, the artist whose pencil produced the National Paintings in the Rotunda, in relation to the manner of preserving those Paintings. Read, and laid on the table.

TERRITORY OF HURON.

The House then, on motion of Mr Strong, went into Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union, Mr P. P. Barbour in the Chair, and took up the bill for the erection of a new Territory to be called the Territory of Huron.

The residue of the day's sitting was occupied in the consideration of various amendments to the bill, proposed chiefly by Mr Strong, Chairman of the Committee on the Territories. The most important were those which went to fix the compensation of the several Territorial Officers.

The Bill having been reported to the House, was ordered to be printed as amended : and then

The House adjourned.

Wednesday, Dec. 10.

SENATE. Mr White submitted the following resolution : which was twice read, by unanimous consent, and agreed to :

Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire and report the manner in which Jefferson's Manual, the Treasury Reports, and the Executive Journal, which have been published by order of the Senate, ought to be distributed.

Mr Eaton submitted the following resolution; which lies on the table until to-morrow:

Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs inquire into the necessity and propriety of adding to the present number of Surgeons and Assistant Surgeons of the Army ; and whether their present compensation should not be so arranged as to have reference to the length of time any one of them may have been in service, or shall hereafter continue in service.

The resolution yesterday offered by Mr Silsbee, was taken up and agreed to.

The eight bills introduced by Mr Benton, on Monday last, were severally taken up, read a second time, and referred.

On motion of Mr Willey, the Senate proceeded to the election of a Chaplain on its part. The whole number of votes taken was 32; of which the Rev. William Ryland received 23, and the Rev. Henry Van Dyke Johns 9. So the Rev. William Ryland was duly elected Chaplain on the part of the Senate.

The Senate then adjourned.

HOUSE. Mr Johnson presented a memorial from Merchants of New-York. subscribed by about ten thousand individuals residing in the city, praying that Congress would impose a duty on Sales by Auction.—

[At the last Session of Congress, the Committee of Ways and Means had this subject under consideration; but, for the want of time, as the Session was near a close, did not act definitely on the subject. The petition was referred to that Committee.]

Mr Strong, from the Committee on the Territories. reported a bill for ascertaining the latitude of the southerly bend of Lake Michigan, and ascertaining other points, for the purpose thereafter of fixing the true Northern boundary lines of the States of
U. S. CONGRESS.

Concluded from first page.

Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Twice read and committed.

Mr Verplanck, from the Committee of Ways and Means, reported a bill to refund the moiety of the forfeiture of the Schooner Volante. Twice read and committed.

Mr Richardson moved the following, which was laid on the table, under the rule:

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed to lay before this House a statement of the amount of import duties on which, at the several custom houses of the United States, credit has been allowed during the eight years next preceding the 4th of March, 1828, together with a statement of the effects of the credit allowed by Government.

1st. On the Revenue;
2d. On the Navigation;
3d. On the Mercantile Interest;
4th. On the Manufacturing Interest of the United States.

On motion of Mr Owen, it was

Resolved, That the Committee of Commerce be instructed to inquire into the expediency of making an additional appropriation for improving the Harbor of Mobile.

Mr Condict moved the following resolution:

Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means be directed to inquire into the expediency of modifying the revenue laws in such a manner as to levy the duties upon the value of the goods at the place of importation, instead of the cost at the place whence exported.

The question of consideration on this resolution being called for and put—

The House decided not to consider the same.

Mr Weems offered the following:

Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means be instructed to inquire into the expediency of repealing such laws as may have been enacted contrary to the restraining provisions of the Constitution and the limited powers granted therein, by the States, to the General Government, and to report a Tariff Bill, compatible with the power "to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian tribes," and fully adequate to meet all the demands of revenue.

The resolution having been read,

Mr W. moved to lay it on the table for consideration; but, before the question was taken,

Mr Mallary called for the question of consideration.

On this question,

Mr Taylor, of New-York, demanded the yeas and nays, and they were ordered by the House—Yeas 51—Nays 122.

So the House refused to consider the resolution, by a vote of 122 to 51.

The House then went into Committee of the Whole, Mr Taylor in the Chair, on the bill "Extending the term within which Merchandize may be exported with the benefit of drawback."

Mr Cambreleng briefly explained the object and operation of the bill, which simply extends the time within which goods imported are entitled to drawback from one year, as it is now limited to two years. This, Mr C. stated, would obviate a great inconvenience, at present experienced, and would relieve the carrying trade from a restriction which operated injuriously upon it. In adopting this course, the United States would only be treading in the steps of Great Britain, France, and other commercial nations. The bill also abolishes the 2 1/2 per cent. at present retained by the Government, and permits the whole duty to be refunded.

The Committee then rose and reported the bill without amendment, and it was ordered to a third reading,

And then the House adjourned

Thursday, Dec. 11.

SENATE. Mr Silsbee presented the petition of Jos. Vincent of Mass. praying to be remunerated for losses sustained by the depreciation of the currency in which he was paid for cordage and rigging furnished during the revolutionary war.

Also—A petition from Amasa Stetson of Mass. praying that the unpaid items of his account, as a purchasing and issuing commissary, and as agent for clothing and other supplies, for the troops in the late war, and for interest paid by him for loans for the United States, may be allowed and paid.—

Both referred to the Committee on Claims.

Mr Woodbury submitted two resolutions, instructing the Committee on Finance to inquire into the expediency of reducing the duties on coffee and teas; and of allowing a drawback on the exportation of nails, spirits and cordage, when manufactured here from foreign materials.

The Senate went into the consideration of Executive business, and then adjourned to Monday, 15th.

HOUSE. Petitions were presented by Mr Mclntire of Maine, and Mr Crowninshield, of Mass.

The bill extending the term within which merchandise may be exported, with benefit of drawback, having been read a third time, and the question being on its passage, Mr Wickliffe made some remarks in opposition to the bill, and on his motion the ayes and noes were ordered. The bill was supported by Messrs. Cambreleng, Barney and Buchanan. The question on the passage of the bill was then taken by ayes and noes, when there appeared—Yea 152, Nays 28.

On motion of Mr Butman, the committee on Roads and Canals were instructed to inquire into the expediency of amending an act passed at the last session of Congress, providing for opening and making a military road in the State of Maine.

On motion of Mr White, of Florida. the committee on Public Lands were instructed to inquire into the expediency of granting the right of pre-emption to those persons in Florida whose improvements were sold in 1825, and those included within the lands ceded to the Indians, and who would have been entitled to pre-emption if the sale and cession had not been made before the passage of the pre-emption law in 1826.

Mr Bartlett moved the following:

Resolved, That the Clerk be directed to procure 4000 printed copies of the Report of the Secretary of the Treasury, on the state of the Finances, in addition to those already ordered by the House.

Mr McDuffie asked if an extra number of this document had not already been ordered to be printed.

Mr Bartlett replied that his object was to have 4000 printed in addition to the 10,000 already ordered. It was an important document, and it was desirable that it should be generally in the possession of the people.

Mr McDuffie said he was willing to extend to an administration going out of power every courtesy: but he wished that the House should have more time to reflect upon it. He therefore moved to lay the resolution on the table, which was carried—ayes 81, noes 56.

The House went into committee of the whole on the bill authorizing the President to erect military store houses at New-York and New-Orleans, Mr Wilde in the chair.
and it was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading on Friday.

Also, on the bill to ascertain and survey the northern boundary of Illinois, Mr M'Coy in the chair. Mr Wing of Michigan Territory, moved to lay the bill on the table, which was carried, and the House adjourned.