Gazette Of The United States

CONGRESS.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Monday, April 4.

Mr. Thatcher brought in a report from the Committee on the Post Office Law.

A petition was read from Samuel Legare and Co. of South Carolina, and referred to the Committee of Claims.

The report from the Committee on the Post-Office was then read. This report proposes a number of new routes for the transportation of the Mails, and the suppression of some of the present routes. An increase of compensations of the Deputy Post-Masters, and further provision to secure the regular transportation of newspapers. Read a second time and committed for Monday next.—

Orders to be printed.

Mr. Smith of New-Jersey had leave of absence for two weeks.

A petition was read from the inhabitants of George Town, (S. C.) praying that a post road may be established between that place and Charleston. Referred to the Committee of the whole to whom the above report is committed.

Mr. Blount called up a resolution laid on the table last week, the purport of which is to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to grant relief to certain distillers in the state of North Carolina by commuting the duty on the capacity of their stills, for a duty on the quantity of Spirits actually distilled. The words "State of North Carolina" were struck out in order to make the resolution general.

It was then referred to the Committee of Ways and Means.

In committee of the whole on the report of the Committee of Ways and Means. Mr. Muhlenbergh in the Chair. The following resolutions were agreed to.

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed to prepare and report to the House of Representatives at the next session, a plan for laying and collecting direct taxes, by apportionment among the several states, agreeably to the rule prescribed by the Constitution; adapting the same as nearly as may be to such objects of direct taxation, and such modes of collection as may appear by the laws and practice of the states respectively, to be most eligible in each.

Resolved, That the sum of [blank] dollars ought to be obtained to discharge the debt due to the Bank of the United States, by creating a stock bearing an interest of six per cent and irredeemable for [blank] years; the redemption thereof to commence thereafter and to be payable in yearly instalments.

These resolutions were taken up by the House and adopted, and the second referred to the committee of Ways and Means, with instructions to bring in a bill accordingly.

A message from the Senate by Mr. Otis informed the house that they have passed the bill authorizing the building of a light house on Baker's Island in the state of Massachusetts.

In committee of the whole on the bill providing for the sale of lands in the territory northwest of the Ohio,

Mr. Muhlenberg in the Chair.

The bill was discussed, and progress reported.

Adjourned.