Alexandria Gazette & Daily Advertiser

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Mr. Eddy presented resolutions from the town of Smithfield, in the state of Rhode Island, expressing their disapprobation of a law for the establishment of an Uniform System of Bankruptcy; which was referred to the committee of the whole on that subject.
Mr. Williams, of N C. from the Committee of Claims, reported unfavorably on the petition of Catharine Wager and others; which, on motion of Mr. W. was ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. Scott, from the Committee on the Public Lands, reported a bill enabling the claimants to lands within the limits of the state of Missouri, to institute proceedings to try the validity of their claims; which was twice read and committed.
Mr. Sloan, from the Committee on Elections, made a report on the petition of Philip Reed, contesting the right of Mr. Cosden of Md. to a seat in this house favorable to the claim of Mr. Reed: which report; on motion of Mr. S. was committed to a committee of the whole house.
Mr. Howades, from the select Committee to whom was referred the report of the Secretary of State on Weights & Measures, made report, the object of which is to recommend the adoption of the following resolves:
Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be requested (if the consent of the government of Great Britain shall be given thereto) to cause to be traced on a rod of platina, the yard of the year 1601, which is kept in the British exchequer; to cause to be made of platina a pound of the weight in vacuo of the English avoirdupois pound and that he also cause to be made, of whatever material he shall deem best for standards of those measures, a vessel of the same capacity as the standard Winchester bushel, and also a vessel of the same capacity as the standard wine gallon of England.
Resolved, That the President be requested to cause to be made, for distribution among the states and territories. and for. the purpose of verifying the weights and measures used therein, models of the yard, on which shall be traced its divisions of feet and inches; models of the bushel. half bushel, quarter bushel, or peck, thirty second part of bushel or quart: models of the wine gallon, of the wine quart and pint; model of the pound, half pound, quarter pound of the sixteenth of a pound or ounce. of the seven thousandth part of a pound or grain, models of the pennyweight or twenty-four grains, of the scruple or 20 grains, and of the apothecary's dram of 60 grains; models of the weight of 12 pounds, of 25 pounds, of 50 pounds, and of 100 pounds; that these models of weight and measure be formed, with the utmost practical exactness, from the weights and measures procured under the authority of the foregoing resolution: and that the number to be procured of each shall not exceed--
The report, together with the resolutions, were committed to a committee of the whole house.
Mr. Alexander asked and obtained leave of absence for Mr John Randolph for the remainder of the session.
On motion of Mr. Hill, it was
Resolved, That the Committee of Commerce be directed to inquire into the expediency of having the coast of Florida surveyed, so as to have an accurate chart thereof made, delineating thereon the entrance of all the rivers and harbours, the islands, rocks, shoals, and reefs, in the neighbourhood of the coast, as well on the side of the Gulph of Mexico, as on the Atlantic side of the Peninsula; and that observations be also made with reference to sites for light houses.
On motion of Mr. Cook, it was
Resolved, That so much of the report of the Secretary of the Treasury accompanying the correspondence laid before this House on the 15th February last between the Secretary and the several banks in which the public moneys arising from the sale of public lands were deposited, as relates to the increase of the compensation of the Receivers of public money, and to the making of provisions to enable the government to render certain deposits of uncurrent bank paper available hereafter, be referred to the Committee on the Public Lands.
Mr. Buchanan called for the consideration of the joint resolution from the Senate, to fix a time for the adjournment of the present session, (the first Monday in April next.)
On the question to consider this resolution, the Yeas and Nays were required by Mr. Mercer. Mr. Condict then moved to lay the subject on the table,(in order to avoid what he considered an interruption, to no useful purpose, of the regular business of the House.) The yeas and nays were ordered also on this motion, which Mr. Condict then withdrew,
['Two questions of order were decided by the Speaker on this occasion, worthy of being recorded, being important as precedents.
1. It was questioned by Mr. Taylor, whether it was in order to move to lay on the table a motion to consider a proposition now lying on the table. The Speaker decided that a motion to lay any proposition on the table is in order.
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2. A motion was made by Mr. Worthington, to proceed to the Orders of the Day, with a view to overruling the motion now presented. The Speaker said. that he had more than once entertained this motion, as being conformable to the practice of the British Parliament: but, upon reflection in the House, with a view to this question, and upon an examination of the rules of the House, finding that they direct, that when a question is under debate, that none but certain prescribed motions shall be received, and that to proceed to the orders of the day. there being one, he decided that the motion to proceed to the orders of the day, of which the motion now made was not one, being another question under debate, was not in order
The question on now considering the resolution from the Senate, was then taken by Yeas and Nays, and decided as follows:
For considering it
Against it
So the House refused now to consider the said resolution.
Mr Cook laid on the table the following resolution:
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Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed to lay before this house any evidence in the possession of the Department, showing that the uncurrent notes which he received from the Banks of Edwardsville, Tombeckbe,&