Alexandria Gazette & Daily Advertiser

Congressional Proceedings
From the National Intelligencer.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1822.

IN SENATE.

The President laid before the Senate a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, exhibiting the official emoluments and expenditures of certain officers of the customs for the years 1820 and 1821.
The President communicated also to the Senate a report of the Secretary of the Treasury, made in obedience to a resolution of the Senate of the 29th January, containing statements and accounts in relation to revenue bonds which have become payable, and remained unpaid between September, 1819, and September 1821, exhibiting the amount recovered, &c.
Mr. Holmes, of Maine, from the committee of finance, in pursuance of instructions, from the Senate, reported a bill concerning the commerce and navigation of Florida: which was read.
Mr. Ruggles from the Committee of Claims, reported a bill for the relief of Andrew Mitchell: which was read.
Mr. Smith from the Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was recommitted the bill to establish a government in the territory of Florida, reported the same with sundry amendments; which was ordered to be printed.
Mr. Smith moved that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from the further consideration of the instructions directing the committee to inquire into the expediency of modifying the law regulating the merchant service so as to define more particularly the admiralty jurisdiction of the district courts of the United States, that object, he stated, being embraced in a bill just reported; and the committee were discharged accordingly.
Mr. Ruggles, from the com. of claims reported a bill for the relief of Daniel Carroll and others, owners of the building recently occupied by Congress; and the bill was read.
Mr. Lloyd moved the adoption of the following resolution; which was read, and agreed to:
Resolved, That the President of the Senate be requested to notify the Executive of the State of Maryland, of the death of the Hon William Pinkney, late a Senator of the United States, from that state.
Mr. Holmes, of Miss. presented a petition from the Legislature of the state of Mississippi, praying to be permitted to sell section 16 in each township, reserved to the state for the promotion of education, and to apply the proceeds to the use of schools therein.
The Senate, on motion of Mr. Lloyd, took up the resolution offered by him on the 21st inst. to instruct the Committee on Foreign Relations to inquire into the expediency of removing the restrictions on our commerce which are imposed by certain acts of Congress.
Mr. L. said that, in calling up the resolution, it was with no intention of discussing it—nor should he even say what would be the course he should adopt on the subject if the question came up for consideration; but his object was simply to move the reference of the resolution to the Committee on Foreign Relations for the purpose of inquiry into the subject. Some opposition having been indicated by a gentleman (Mr. Lowrie) to the resolution, Mr. Lloyd wished to know what objection could be made to referring a mere inquiry into the matter to the committee.
Mr. Lowrie said he had no desire or intention to enter into a discussion of this resolution. He had objected to it simply because he considered the policy referred to by the resolution, to have been settled by Congress for several years, the question on this subject had been laid at rest, and he was unwilling to institute any inquiry, or move in it at all. He therefore, deemed the resolution inexpedient.
After a few remarks in reply from Mr. Lloyd, the resolution was agreed to. and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
The Senate then, according to the order of the day, took up, in committee of the whole, Mr. Elliott in chair. the following resolutions, submitted by Mr. Lloyd, on the 10th of January, postponed from time to time to this day:
Resolved, That appropriations of territory for the purpose of education should be made to those states in whose favor no such appropriations have been made, corresponding in a just proportion with those heretofore made to other states in the Union.
Resolved. That the foregoing resolution be referred to a select committee, with instructions to report a bill pursuant thereto.
Mr. Lloyd rose and addressed the Senate about an hour & a half in support of the right, the equity, and the expediency of the object proposed in the resolution, when, not having concluded, the remarks which he wished to offer on the subject, he asked the indulgence of the Senate to be permitted to conclude them to-morrow; and, thereupon,
The resolution was, on motion of Mr. Barbour. laid on the table:
The bill from the House of Representatives to extend the laws of the Union to the state of Missouri. and for the appointment of a district Judge therein, was read the third time as amended passed, and returned to the other house for concurrence in the amendment.
The resolution offered by Mr. Holmes of Miss. proposing an inquiry into the expediency of making a donation to the state of Mississippi, of land lying on Pearl river. for the purpose of opening and improving the navigation of said river, was taken up
Mr. H. offered a few remarks to shew that the object in view was one which would benefit the interest of the United States, as well as that of the state; adding that it was of great importance to that section of country that Pearl river should be opened. and that he had introduced the resolution in pursuance of instructions from the legislature of the state of Mississippi.
The resolution was agreed to—ayes 17, noes 12.
Several bills received a second reading, and were referred.
Mr. Dickerson, from the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, to whom was referred a resolution on the subject, reported a bill to allow a drawback on the exportation of cordage manufactured from foreign hemp, and the bill was read.
The senate took up the bill directing that the road authorized to be laid out from the Ohio to the Mississippi river shall be laid out to pass through Columbus, Indianapolis, and Vandalia, (the seats of government of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois) and appropriating the additional sum of 10,000 dollars to defray the expence of the surveys.
Mr. Johnson, of Ky. observed, that the bill was merely to authorise the completion of an important object which had been commenced. The people of the west, far removed from the seat of empire, asked for very few things, and he hoped this little boon would not be refused.
Some amendments of detail were proposed to the bill, on which some discussion took place; after which
The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading; and
The Senate adjourned.