The Rhode Island American, And General Advertiser

Seventeenth Congress.
IN SENATE.
Tuesday, January 28.
Several private and local bills were passed
and sent to the House for concurrence. After
spending some time on Executive business, the
Senate
Adjourned.
Wednesday, January 29.
Mr. Rodney resigned his seat in the Senate,
in consequence of his acceptance of the Mission to Buenos Ayres.
GEORGIA MILITIA CLAIMS.
A resolution to appropriate $129,375.66 in
full discharge of the claims of Georgia for militia
services performed in 1792, 3, and 4, was
agreed to without a count.
The following resolution (as modified) was
agreed to by the Senate, on motion of Mr. Eaton,
of Tennessee.
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury
be requested to inform the Senate if any
loans of money, to any amount, and for what
purpose, have been made from the Treasury to
any individuals or banking institution, since
the 3d day of March, 1789, and whether such
loans, so made, have yet been repaid, or in any
manner adequately secured, so that the government
may and will ultimately be satisfactorily
reimbursed.
[In explanation of his motion, Mr. Eaton
stated, that information had been given to a
committee of the Senate, that loans to a large
amount had been made by the Treasury Department
to the Mechanicks and Franklin
Banks, when one of them had lost its credit,
and the other was notoriously insolvent—that
he had no personal motives in making the motion,
and that it was due to the Secretary of
the Treasury to institute the inquiry. A debate ensued, in which Messrs. Lowrie, Eaton,
Smith, Elliott, Holmes, Lloyd, of Maryland,
and Macon, each offered some remarks, by
which it appeared, that the loans alluded to
were the deposites of the Department in the
Banks, which had been customary from the
first organization of the department; and that
the inquiry, if made, ought to extend back to
1789. This last suggestion was adopted, and
the resolution passed.]
Adjourned.
Thursday, January 30.
Mr. Dickerson submitted a proposition for
amending the Constitution, in regard to the
mode of electing the President and Vice-President
of the United States, and providing that
no person who has been twice elected President,
shall be again eligible to that office.
A bill appropriating 1000 dollars for the
erection of a monument over the tomb of the
late Vice-President Gerry, was passed and
sent to the House for concurrence.
The Committee on the Publick Lands was
instructed to inquire into the expediency of
causing the publick lands and private claims,
in Louisiana, to be immediately surveyed;
and also, into the propriety of granting patents
for all claims to lands in the said State, which
have been confirmed by the government of the
United States.
Adjourned.
Friday, January 31.
The supplementary Pension Act from the
House was twice read and referred. Mr.
Williams, from the Military Committee, reported
a bill to establish a National Armory
on the western waters. Mr. W. also reported
a bill, agreeably to instructions, directing the
payment of the Georgia militia claims for services
rendered during the years 1792, '3 and
'4. A bill making an appropriation (of $100,000
a year for ten years) for the gradual armament
of the new fortresses of the United
States was twice read and referred. After
spending considerable time in Executive business, the Senate
Adjourned to Monday.