National Gazette

CONGRESS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

TUESDAY, Jan. 15.

Read the third time and passed, the engrossed bill, relative to claims against the United States barred by any act of limitation, and not heretofore adjusted.

A bill was reported from the committee, authorising a loan payable in the certificates of states that have balances due to them on a final settlement with the United States. Read twice, and made the order of the day for next Monday.

A report was read in favor of the petition of William Seymour for a pension—laid on the table.

Mr. Greenup renewed his motion for appointing a committee to report a bill for placing on the list of pensioners such militia officers and soldiers as may have been disabled in the service of the United States, and not provided for by law—Referred to a committee of the whole next Thursday.

The house then proceeded to consider the bill for regulating trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes—an amendment was proposed as a substitute to the 8th section, by Mr. Madison, which was laid on the table.

A petition was read from several South-Carolina merchants, particularizing their losses in consequence of depreciation of paper money, and the inconveniences they labour under from the 4th article of the treaty of peace with Great Britain—Referred to a committee of the whole on the petitions of the officers of the late army.

The house then, in committee of the whole, took into consideration the petitions of the officers—Mr. Clarke having withdrawn his motion (made yesterday)

for rejecting the prayer of the petitions; Mr. Gerry moved a proposition, in substance, That provision ought to be made for the petitioners to the amount of the difference between the value in the market, of funded and unfunded debt. An amendment was moved by Mr. Clark to incorporate in the proposition these words—All such citizens who have received liquidated certificates for services performed and supplies furnished on account of the United States. This amendment was agreed to—the committee then rose, and had leave to sit again—and the house adjourned.

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 16.

The house, in committee of the whole, resumed the consideration of the memorials of the officers of the late army. The proposition offered yesterday by Mr. Gerry, and amended by Mr. Clark, was read. Mr. Boudinot opposed the proposition in a lengthy speech; and the question being put, it passed in the negative. The following resolution was then offered by Mr. Giles—Resolved, as the opinion of this committee, That the prayer of the memorialists is reasonable, and that provision ought to be made for the payment of such sums to the original holders of the proper debt of the United States, as may have been saved by the terms of the loan made under the act to provide for the debt of the United States, calculating 6 per cent. at 2o/. in the pound, and other species of paper at a proportionate value: provided that where any original creditor shall have subscribed to the loan proposed by the act to provide for the debt of the United States, a sum not less than the sum originally stipulated, such creditor shall not be entitled to the benefit of this provision— And that when a less sum shall have been so subscribed, there shall be a proportional reduction of his claim to such benefit.

After debating on this proposition, Mr. Clark moved for dividing it; which motion being seconded, the question was taken on the first clause of the resolution, as far as the word "reasonable;" this was negatived, only nine members rising in the affirmative—It was then moved, to resolve as the opinion of the committee, that the prayers of the petitions from the officers of the several lines cannot be granted. This motion was agreed to, when the committee rose and reported the last resolution— the yeas and nays for adopting this resolution being demanded, are as follow:

AYES. Messrs. Ames, Benson, S. Bourne, Boudinot, Bourne, Clark, Barnwell, Findley, Fitzsimons, Gilman, Goodhue, Gordon, Gregg, Grove, Heister, Hillhouse, Jacobs, Key, Kitchell, Kittera, Laurence, Learned, Lee, Leonard, Livermore, Macon, Moore, Muhlenberg, Orr, Sedgwick, J. Smith, W. Smith, J. Steele, Sterrett, Sturges, Sumpter, Sylvester, Thatcher, Tucker, Venable, Wadsworth, White, Williamson.—

NAYS. Messrs. Ashe, Baldwin, Gerry, Giles, Greenup, Hartley, Madison, Mercer, Page, Treadwell—43 against 10.

THURSDAY, Jan. 17.

Several petitions, praying compensations, &c. were read and referred to the Secretary of the Treasury.

The house then, in committee of the whole, took into consideration the bill for continuing in force for a limited time, and amending the act providing for the means of intercourse between the United States and foreign nations. After debating on the bill, and on amendment being proposed, the committee rose and reported—Ordered to be engrossed for a third reading.

The house proceeded to consider the bill for regulating trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes—A lengthy debate commenced on the amendment proposed by Mr. Madison, last Monday, which, with some alterations, was adopted, and the bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading to-morrow. The time of its continuance in force is limited to two years.

The house again resolved itself into a committee of the whole, Mr. White in the chair, on the bill to determine the northern boundary of the territory ceded to the United States by the state of North-Carolina.

After some time spent therein, the committee rose, and reported the bill with amendments, which were twice read, and agreed to by the house. The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading to-morrow.