The Alexandria Herald

CONGRESS OF THE U. S.
IN THE SENATE...DEC.17.
No business of interest was transacted in the senate to-day.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Mr. Colden presented a memorial of Lawrence Kearney, commander of the U. S. brig Enterprize, on behalf of himself, the officers and crew of said brig, stating that, in execution of the orders of the navy department, he captured in the month of October, 1821, five piratical vessels, with two of their prizes; that he destroyed two of the piratical vessels, and, with the remaining three and the two prizes, arrived in the port of Charleston, in South Carolina, where the former were libelled for condemnation, and the latter for salvage; that the condemnation took place, and the claim for salvage was allowed; but that the costs of prosecution were so enormous as to amount to upwards of $700 more than was received for the sale of the prizes; which deficiency he has been compelled to pay; and that the costs of prosecuting the claim for salvage amount to almost as much as the proceeds of said claim, leaving but a small balance to be distributed among his crew as prize money; that the merchandize libelled for salvage paid upwards of nine thousand dollars duties into the treasury, and prayed that such part of said duties may be refunded as will make a reasonable compensation to himself, his officers and crew, for the risk and trouble they have had in the capture aforesaid.
The speaker presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the state of Missouri, praying for the establishment of an additional land office in said state, within the limits therein described which petition was referred to the committee on the public lands.
Mr. Rankin, from the committee on public lands, reported a bill extending the time for locating Virginia military land warrants, and returning the surveys thereof to the general land office; which was twice read and committed.
Mr. Eustis, from the committee on military affairs, reported a bill to continue the present mode of supplying the army of the U. States, (that is the commissariat system)—which was twice read and committed
Mr. E. from the same committee, reported the following resolution: That the president of the United States, be, and hereby is requested to cause a survey to be made of the bay and river Penobscot, and to determine on the expediency of constructing a battery or other fortification in or near the town of Prospect, on the west side of Penobscot river; and, in case such fortification shall be judged necessary, to cause a plan thereof, together with an estimate of the expense of erecting the same, to be laid before congress at their next session. Agreed to.
On motion of Mr. J. S. Johnson, Resolved, That the committee on public lands, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of renewing a law, granting a pre-emption of back lands in Louisiana which expired in May last.
On motion of Mr. Fuller, it was Ordered, That the petition of James H. Clarke, a purser in the navy of the U. States, praying to be allowed, in the settlement of his accounts, for a considerable sum of money, of which he was robbed in Marseilles in France, while on public duty, be referred to the committee on naval affairs.
[It appeared, from a conversation between the speaker and Mr. Fuller, that all the bills received from the senate at the last session; and not acted upon at the last session, are defunct, and cannot be resuscitated without being originated anew. All bills originating in this house, however, at the last session, and not finally acted upon, are taken up at this session, and not acted on in the order in which they stand on the roll of orders of the day.]
On motion of Mr. A. Stevenson, of Virginia, Resolved, That the committee on the post office and post roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of increasing the compensation of the post master at Fredericksburg, in Va.
The house took up the resolution yesterday moved by Mr. Cocke, calling upon the president to cause to be laid before the house a particular statement of ordnance expenditures, &c. Mr. C. modified his motion so as to require in addition a statement of the whole amount of ordnance of every description now belonging to the U. States. And was agreed to.
The engrossed bill "concerning the disbursement of public moneys," (forbidding advances on contracts) was read a third time.
The question was taken on the passage of the bill, and it was passed by a large majority, and sent to the senate for concurrence.
The house then, according to order of the day, resolved itself into a committee of the whole, on the resolutions respecting the articles of cession and agreement between the U. States and the state of Georgia, as affected by the Creek and Cherokee treaties—Mr. Bassett in the chair.
The resolutions are in the following words:
Resolved, That so much of the above treaties as pretends to grant to the Indians fee simple titles to lands within the limits of Georgia, is a violation of the sovereign rights of that state. 2. That so much of the said treaties as purports to grant to the Indians the rights of citizenship, is a violation of the rights of congress. 3. That the sum of $ be appropriated for the purpose of holding treaties with the Creek and Cherokee Indians, for the extinguishment of their title to lands within the limits of Georgia. 4. That so much of the treaty, made the 27th of Feb. 1819, as directs a large portion of the public lands to be sold, and the proceeds to be vested in some public stock, by the president of the United States, and to be disposed of by him for the benefit of the Cherokee Indians, does not accord with the general policy of this government, and the power of congress over the public property in the U. States.
The next bill in order was the bill to provide for the occupation of the mouth of the Columbia river, and the house went into committee of the whole on the subject, Mr. Campbell of Ohio in the chair.
On motion of Mr. Floyd, the blank for the number of miles square to which the Indian title is to be extinguished was filled with thirty; and the blank for the number of acres to be allowed to each actual settler who is the head of a family, was filled with three hundred and twenty
Mr. Floyd, at the suggestion of Mr. Wright moved to insert the words "with a military force" after the word "occupy," which amendment was agreed to.
On motion of Mr. Floyd, the blanks in the bill were filled; respecting which there was no contest, except, as to the one which fixes the salary of the governor of the proposed territory of Oregon, which was ultimately fixed at $5,000.
The committee rose, reported progress, and obtained leave to sit again; and the house adjourned.
SENATE....DEC. 18.
Mr. Williams, of Tennessee, submitted the following resolution, which was read, and laid over for consideration—That the committee on public lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of authorising the state of Tennessee, to sell on such terms as the legislature of said state may think proper, all the vacant land lying east and north of the line described in the 1st section of the act of congress passed 18th April, 1806, entitled "An act to authorise the state of Tennessee to issue grants and perfect titles to certain lands therein described, and to settle the claims to the vacant and unappropriated lands within the state of Tennessee,"
Mr. Ware, submitted the following resolution which was also read, and laid over for consideration—That the military committee inquire into the expediency of providing by law for the final settlement of the militia claims of the state of Georgia, for services rendered under orders of the president of the U. States during the year 1792, 1793 and 1794.
On motion of Mr. Van Dyke, the committee on public lands was discharged from the further consideration of a bill from the house of representatives "to enable the proprietors of lands held by titles derived from the United States, to obtain copies of papers from the proper department, and to declare the effect of such copies," and the said bill was referred to the committee on the judiciary.
Mr. Barbour, gave notice that he should ask leave tomorrow to bring in a bill, to extend the charter of the Farmers' and Mechanics' bank, in the District of Columbia.
After transacting other business of minor import the senate adjourned to 12 o'clock tomorrow.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Mr. Cook, of Illinois, from the select committee to whom had been referred a resolution in relation to the fund reserved from the proceeds of sales of public lands for laying out and making certain roads and canals, reported a bill to provide for the laying out and construction of a road from Wheeling, in Va. to the seat of government in the state of Missouri. The bill was twice read, made the order of the day for tomorrow and ordered to be printed A principal feature of the bill is the creation of a scrip, receivable in the land offices, to the amount of $200,000 for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the contemplated road.
Mr. Hardin, of Ky. proposed the following resolution, which was adopted: the committee to consist of seven—That a committee be appointed to inquire whether farther retrenchment, can be made in the expenditures of government, without detriment to the public service.
Mr. Cocke, of Tenn. offered the following resolution, which was adopted: the committee to consist of five—That a committee be appointed to inquire what number of public lots in the city of Washington have been sold by the agents of the U. S; when sold, by whom, to whom, and for what price; what part of the purchase money has been paid; the amount due and when payable; whether the debts are well secured; whether the money received has been applied to objects authorized by any existing law; how much thereof has been paid into the treasury; when and by whom paid, and what disposition has been made; and all the money arising from the sales of said lots, and that the said committee have power to call for persons, and papers.
Mr. Walworth, of New York, offered the following resolution, which also lies one day on the table— That the president of the U. S. be required to cause to be laid before this house, the several laws which have been made by the general and legislative assemblies of Florida, together with such information relative thereto, as may be in possession of the executive, not improper to be communicated, shewing the necessity, propriety, and practical effect of such laws.
The speaker laid before the house a communication from the comptroller of the treasury, which was ordered to lie on the table.
The house went into committee of the whole on the bill to provide for the occupation of a district of country on the Columbia river.
On motion of Mr. Floyd the further consideration of the bill was postponed to the second Monday in January next.
The house adjourned about 20 minutes before 3 o'clock.