The Rhode Island American, And General Advertiser

National Legislature.

SENATE.
Tuesday, January 2.

Several petitions were presented and referred, but no business of moment done.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Tuesday, January 2.

A multitude of petitions were presented and referred to various committees.

Mr. Wright, from a select committee on the subject, reported a bill to authorize the settlement and payment of certain services of the militia. (called out under State authority, &c.)

This bill was twice read and committed.

The engrossed bill for enlarging the time for ascertaining the annual transfers and changes of property subject to the direct tax, and for other purposes, was read a third time and passed.

The House, according to the order of the day, again resolved itself into the committee of the whole, on the bill for establishing three additional Military Academies.

The amendment on the table at the former sitting on this subject, (viz. on motion of Mr. Pickens, to limit the increase to two Academies, one within the District of Columbia, and one at Asheville, Buncombe county, N. C.) was taken up, and rejected.

Mr. Wilde then proposed to amend the bill so as to establish one additional Academy only, and that one within the District of Columbia. This motion he supported by arguments going to shew the expediency of such an institution being as much as possible of a national character, and under the eye of the government. His object was not to diminish the number of cadets, but to give to the institution of the military academies, as far as possible, a national character, which he thought would be assisted by depriving them of local or sectional features, &c.

Mr. Pickering was in favour of so much of the proposed amendment as went to limit the number of additional Academies to one, but opposed to the location of that one in the District of Columbia. He preferred that it should be located at Harper's Ferry.

Mr. Sheffey required a division of the question, so as to place the question simply before the House, whether the additional number of Academies should be one or three.

After an animated debate, the question to strike out three and insert one, was decided in the affirmative, yeas 91.

The question to make the corresponding amendment in the section, viz. to strike out all respecting the location of the Academies, except what relates to the one proposed to be established in the District of Columbia, was also decided in the affirmative.

Mr. Pickering then moved to strike out the words " within the District of Columbia," and insert "at or near Harper's Ferry, on the Potomack."

On suggestion of Mr. Clay. Mr. Pickering varied his motion so as to confine it to striking out the District of Columbia, leaving a blank to be filled as the House might think proper.

The motion, so varied, was decided in the affirmative by a large majority. So the District was put out of the question.

Mr. Clay then moved to fill the blank in the section with the words " Pittsburgh, at the junction of the Allegany and Monongahela rivers."

This motion being under consideration, the Committee rose and obtained leave to sit again; and the House adjourned.

Numerous petitions and memorials are daily presented to Congress from Manufacturers, and others in various parts of the United States, some praying for the interdiction, others for increased duties on foreign manufactures; and many for the repeal of various taxes and duties on domestick articles, and impositions on indigenous enterprise and industry. The personal and local petitions presented are also numerous, but not generally interesting.