Alexandria Daily Gazette, Commercial & Political

The Senate have passed a bill authorising the President to raise certain companies of Rangers, for the protection of the frontiers.

Congress of the United States.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Tuesday, 24th December, 1811.
[Reported for this Gazette.]

Mr. Condit presented a petition from sundry inhabitants of the state of New-Jersey, praying encouragement from Congress in the culture of hemp. Mr. Morrow presented a similar petition from the state of Ohio. They were both referred to the committee of commerce and manufactures.

Mr. Poindexter offered the following resolution, which was ordered to lie on the table:
Resolved, That the president be requested to inform this house whether any negociations are now pending between the United States and Spain or any other foreign power respecting the claim of the United States to that tract of country taken possession of in virtue of the proclamation of November 1810, [West Florida;] and also whether he possesses any information which in his opinion requires that the legislative powers of Congress should be suspended with a view to future negociation.

Mr. Jennings offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the president be requested to lay before this house any additional information, verbal or otherwise, which he may have received relative and important to the public situation of the Indiana territory, which it may not be improper to communicate. Ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Stow offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That should a War ensue between the U.S. and G. Britain, it would be expedient to provide by law a bounty to impressed American seamen and their associates, for each British ship of war which they may capture and bring into an American port.

The resolution was referred to a committee of the whole house, and on motion of Mr. Blount, was made the order of the day for the first Monday in February next.

The house went into committee of the whole on the report of the committee of public lands on the petition of the corporation of New-Orleans, praying a grant of public land contiguous to the city on which to erect steam engines to supply the city with water. The report is favorable to the petitioners. After some debate, the report was rejected, yeas 55, nays 53. The committee of the whole then rose and reported their disagreement to the report of the committee on public lands. After some further discussion, the further consideration of the subject was postponed until the first Monday in February.

Mr. Williams moved that when the house adjourn it adjourn till Friday.

Mr. Bacon opposed this motion. He felt no inclination to join in festivity at this important crisis.

Mr. Williams said he should offer no reasons in favor of his motion. It grew out of one of the most sacred institutions of the country. It was so palpable, that he could
not conceive what objections the chancellor of the exchequer himself (Mr. Bacon) could find to it.

The motion was lost, yeas 47, nays 58.

Mr. Bacon then moved, that when the house adjourn, they adjourn till Thursday. Carried.

The house went into committee of the whole on the bill to continue in force for a further time the first section of the act further to protect the commerce and seamen of the U. States against the Barbary powers. [This imposes the duty called the Mediterranean fund.] The bill was agreed to without debate in committee of the whole, and was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading on Friday.

Mr. Poindexter offered the following Resolution; Resolved, That the committee of ways and means be instructed to enquire into the expediency of prohibiting by law the corporation of the city of Orleans from exacting any tax or duty on vessels, boats or other craft descending the river Mississippi, having on board articles growth or manufacture of the United States or such articles of foreign growth or manufacture as have been regularly imported into the U. States.