The New Hampshire Gazette

CONGRESS.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Monday, Feb. 18.

An Engrossed Bill authorizing the discharge of Robert Sturgeon from confinement, and a bill for compensating Marshalls, Attorneys, &c. were read and passed.

Mr. Allen laid on the table the following resolution:

Resolved, That the salaries of the following officers of government ought to be augmented, viz.

The Sect'y of State dollars

The Sect'y of the treasury dollars

The Sect'y at war dollars

The Secretary of the navy dollars

The assistant post-master general: dls.

The Bill providing for the sale of lands on the river Ohio and above the mouth of the Kentucky river was then postponed 'till next session.

House in Committee, on a bill for encouraging the capture of French armed vessels, by armed ships or vessels, owned by a citizen or citizens of the United States, and for allowing salvage in certain cases.

This bill is to allow a premium on every vessel belonging to France in proportion to its guns that should be captured and brought into port by any private armed vessels, after the condemnation of such vessel; and allowing salvage for recaptures.

Considerable debate was made in discussing this bill, but the house adjourned without coming to any decision.

Tuesday, Feb. 19.

The Speaker being indisposed, this day the House of Representatives adjourned without proceeding to business.

The following are the communications which accompanied The President's message to Congress mentioned in our last

Extract of a letter from Rufus King, Esq. Minister Plenipotentiary, &c. London, to the Secretary of State dated 28th Nov. 1798.

"Annexed I send you a copy of note from Lord Grenville respecting the French Arrete transmitted to you with my No. 9. A late French paper contains a second Arrete which postpones the execution of the first."

Lord GRENVILLE to Mr. KING.

The undersigned, his Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, has the honor of communicating to Mr. KING, Plenipotentiary for the United States of America for the information of his government, that by a decree published officially at Paris, it appears to have been declared in the name of the French Directory, that every person being a native of or originally belonging to neutral countries, or to such as are in amity and alliance with the French Republic, who shall bear any commission under his Majesty; or who shall form a part of the crews of any British ships of war or other vessels, should on the proof of the fact alone, be considered and treated as a pirate, and that it has been ordered that this resolution shall be notified to the neutral powers and to those in alliance with France.

Even this decree, contrary as it is to the usages of every civilized nation, cannot excite any surprise, as proceeding from those in whose name it has been published. To the different powers who are thus insulted, and whose innocent subjects are exposed to the most cruel treatment on the part of a government professing friendship or alliance with, them, his Majesty must leave it to adopt such measures as they will, without doubt, judge necessary, in the case of an outrage hitherto unexampled in the history of the world.

The King however feels, that protection is also due from him to those who sail under his flag, either in his Majesty's ships of war, or in other British vessels; his Majesty therefore has not hesitated to direct it to be signified to the commissary for French prisoners in Great Britain, that the first instance of the execution of this decree, shall be followed by the most rigorous retaliation against the French prisoners whom the fortune of war has already, or may hereafter place at the King's disposal.

It would certainly never be but with extreme reluctance that the King could yield to the painful necessity of exposing so many unfortunate individuals to the fatal but inevitable effects of this atrocious decree; but his Majesty will have at least, the satisfaction of feeling that nothing has been omitted on his part to prevent this execution, and that the authors of it can alone be considered responsible for all its guilt and all its consequences.

GRENVILLE.

Downing-Street, Nov. 27, 1798

Wednesday, Feb. 20.

LYON.

Mr. Lyon took a seat. Soon after, the Hon. Mr. Bayard proposed the following Resolution:

"Resolved, That Matthew Lyon, a Member of this House, having been convicted of being a notorious and seditious person, and of a depraved mind, and wicked and diabolical disposition, and of wickedly, deceitfully and maliciously contriving to defame the Government of the United States and of having with intent and design to defame the Government of the United States and John Adams the President of the United States, and to bring the said Government and President into contempt and disrepute, and with intent and design to excite against the said Government and President the hatred of the good people of the United States, and to stir up sedition in the United States, wickedly, knowingly and maliciously written and published certain scandalous and seditious writings or libels, be therefore expelled this House."

Mr. Bayard observed that the above Resolution was copied from the record of the trial. Mr. Nicholas objected to the technical phraseology of it, containing particulars never inquired into upon trial. Mr. Bayard explained. No decision was had on the question.

Several Vermont petitions against the Sedition Law, &c. were ordered to lie on the table.

The President of the United States and Senate, informed the House of having passed on several bills.

The House took up the report of the Committee of the Whole, on the bill for encouraging the capture of French privateers, by allowing a bounty on guns, and the motion being to strike out the first section of the bill, a long debate ensued when it passed in the affirmative, Yeas 52, Nays 48.

The bill was of course negatived.

Thursday, Feb. 21.

A lengthy report on the petitions against the Alien and Sedition Laws, was made and ordered to be printed.

An Act for the relief of sick and disabled seamen, was read and committed.

Some private bills passed the routine of business.

The Appropriation and Officers Appropriation Bills, were ordered to be engrossed.

The Indian Treaties Appropriation Bill passed to be engrossed. Also,

The Navy Regulation Bill.

LYON.

The motion to expel him from the House, was decided, Yeas 49, Nays 45. Two thirds being necessary, the vote was not carried.