The Alexandrian: A Commercial, Agricultural And Literary Journal

PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS.

ABSTRACTED FROM THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.

IN SENATE.--FEB. 23.

A message was received from the president of the United States, similar to the message read in the other house yesterday, transmitting a copy of the treaty with Spain; which was read and referred to the committee on foreign relations.

The President laid before the senate a letter from the secretary of state, transmitting a report on weights and measures, made in conformity with a resolution of the senate of the 3rd of March, 1817; and the communication was read.

Among the petitions presented to-day was one by Mr. King, of N. Y. from the merchants of New York, representing that, by the construction given to the 13th section of the act supplementary to the act to regulate the collection of duties, which they believe erroneous, they are subjected to great inconvenience and frequent penalties, and praying the passage of an explanatory act.

Agreeably to notice given yesterday, Mr. Talbott, having obtained leave, introduced a bill to provide for due execution of the laws of the U. States in the state of Missouri; and the bill was read.

The senate resumed the consideration of the bill to reduce the military peace establishment, and the substitute proposed therefor by the military committee of the senate.

Mr. Smith moved to strike out the 14th section of the committee's amendment that part which directs that all vacancies which may occur in the army prior to June, 1822, "shall be filled by selection from the officers disbanded by virtue of this act, provided a sufficient number of suitable characters apply for the same."

After some debate, the whole of the section was rejected.

Mr. Otis moved to restore the provision for a judge advocate, with a salary of 2000 dollars which was yesterday stricken out in committee of the whole.

The proposition was earnestly opposed by Mr. Dickerson and also by Mr. Smith, and was supported by Messrs. Otis and Trimble.

The motion was agreed to, ayes 20--noes 17; and

The bill was then ordered to be engrossed as amended, and read a third time.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Mr. Kent from the committee on the district of Columbia, reported a bill to regulate the fees of the registers of wills, in the several counties in the district of Columbia; which was read and committed.

The engrossed bill making appropriations for the support of the navy of the U. States for the year 1821, and the engrossed bill to authorize the building of light houses on Cross and Pond Islands in the harbor of Booth Bay, and at the mouth of Oswego river, and placing buoys on the Shoals of Nantucket and Vineyard sound, near the harbor of Wickford, and on the Altamaha river, and for other purposes, were read a third time, passed, and sent to the senate for concurrence.

The speaker laid before the house a letter from the treasurer of the United States, transmitting the annual statements of his accounts; which were ordered to lie on the table.

On motion of Mr. Southard, the committee of the whole was discharged from the further consideration of the bill to continue in force the act for regulating trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes; and, a motion of Mr. Tracy to lay the bill on the table having been negatived, the bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading.

The house then, on motion of Mr. Crowell, again resolved itself into a committee of the whole, Mr. Allen, of New York, in the chair, on the bill for the relief of purchasers of the public lands prior to the 1st July, 1820.

The committee rose and reported the bill to the house without amendment.

An unsuccessful motion was made to lay the bill on the table, with the view, (it being late) of receiving the report of the tellers relative to the appointment of the committee on the subject of Missouri, (in examining the ballots for which the tellers had been employed nearly four hours.)

Mr. Hardin then renewed the motion be made in committee to amend the bill; when, a motion to that effect prevailing, the bill and proposed amendment were laid on the table.

Mr. Archer, of Va. then reported that the tellers appointed to examine the ballots given for a committee of 23 members on the Missouri subject according to the resolution of yesterday, had performed that duty--the result of which ballot he delivered in.

It appeared that 157 members had been voted for, but that the following seventeen gentlemen only had a majority of the ballots given and were elected, viz: Messrs. Clay, of Ken. Cobb, of Geo. Hill, of Maine, Barbour, of Va. Storrs, of N. Y. Cocke, of Tenn. Rankin, of Miss. Archer, of Va. Brown, of Ky. Eddy, of R. I. Ford, of N. Y. Culbreth, of Md. Hackley, of N. Y. S. Moore, of Pa. Stevens, of Conn. Rogers, of Penn. Southard, of N. J.

Seventeen only being elected, there remained six members yet to be appointed.

Mr. Clay moved, as the operation of balloting again to morrow would be tedious and create delay, that the house agree, by general consent, to select the remaining six members from those having received the next highest number of votes.

It was also suggested that the speaker appoint the remaining six--and the speaker having intimated to the house that, if the duty devolved on him, he should, from a sense of propriety, make the appointment from the names standing next highest to those elected, on the list--the latter course was concurred in by the house, Mr. Clay having withdrawn his motion, in favour of that course.

It appeared then that the five following gentlemen are also elected on the committee, being the next highest on the list: Messrs. Darlington of Pa. Pitcher of N York, Sloan, of Ohio, Gross of N York, Livermore of N. H.

After these, Messrs. Randolph and Baldwin were next highest on the list, and having an equal number of votes, it remains for the speaker to designate the gentleman who shall make the 23d member of the committee.

The house then adjourned.

IN SENATE--FEB.24.

Mr. Horsey, from the committee on the district of Columbia, reported a bill concerning divorces, with sundry amendments, and also reported a bill to empower the levy court of Washington county to discontinue a certain road: which bill was read.

Mr. Sanford, having obtained leave, introduced, agreeably to notice, a bill to continue in force the act of April 18, 1818, fixing the compensation of the officers and clerks of the two houses of congress; which bill was read.

The resolution submitted yesterday by Mr. Barbour was taken up and agreed to.

The report of the committee on public lands, unfavorable to the petition of Watson Brown, was considered and agreed to.

The bill to continue the charters of certain banks in the district of Columbia was taken up, and having been amended so as to provide for the consolidation of the bank of Alexandria and the bank of Potomac into one bank (according to their own request) the bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading.

Several bills from the other house received a second reading, and were referred.

The bill to reduce the military peace establishment was read the third time as amended, passed, and returned to the other house for concurrence in the amendments.

MISSOURI.

On the motion of Mr. Holmes of Maine, the senate proceeded to consider the message from the house of representatives, announcing their appointment of a committee to meet such committee as may be appointed by the senate, on the subject of the admission of Missouri into the union; and the question was on concurring with the other house in the course proposed.

The motion to lay the message on the table was negatived.

The senate then concurred in the proposition--ayes 29, noes 7; and Messrs. Holmes of Maine, Roberts, Morril, Barbour, Southard, Johnson, of Ky. and King, of New-York, were appointed in pursuance thereof, the committee on the part of the senate.

INDIAN TRADE.

The senate resumed the consideration of the bill further to continue in force, (until June, 1822,) the act for establishing trading houses with the Indian tribes.

The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time.

The bill for the better regulation of Indian trade, was next taken up, and, on motion of Mr. Trimble, it was, without objection, postponed indefinitely.

Mr. Barbour, from the committee on foreign relations, reported a bill providing for the adjudication and payment of claims arising under the treaty just ratified between the United States and his Catholic majesty; and the bill was twice read by general consent.

The senate then again went into the consideration of executive business, after which, they adjourned.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Mr. Randolph, Mr. Baldwin, & Mr. Smith, of N. C. were appointed, in addition to those already selected, to form the committee of twenty-three on the Missouri question.
Already named, to be of the joint committee on the Missouri subject; the first of these to fill up the number of the committee, and the two last to supply the vacancies occasioned by the resignation of Mr. Livermore and Mr. Gross of New York, who were excused from serving on the committee.

Mr. Sergeant presented a memorial of Richard W. Meade, a citizen of the U. States, and formerly a merchant residing in Cadiz, in Spain, setting forth the nature and extent of his demands against the government of that country, and praying that, in such acts as may be passed for carrying into effect the stipulations contained in the treaty concluded and signed between the United States and Spain on the 22d of February, 1819, and ratified, and the ratifications exchanged on the 22d instant, provision may be made for paying, without deduction, his claims, which have been liquidated and acknowledged by the government of that country, amounting to $401,153 33, according to the obligation of good faith contracted by the United States to Spain, under the express stipulations of the treaty aforesaid; and the petition was referred to the committee on foreign affairs.

Mr. Smith, of Md. from the committee of ways and means, reported a bill making appropriations for the support of the military establishment for the current year; which was read twice and committed.

DUTY ON SALES AT AUCTION.

On motion of Mr. Baldwin, the house resolved itself into a committee of the whole on the state of the union, to take into consideration the bill laying a duty on sales of merchandise at auction.

Out of this bill grew a debate, which lasted the whole day. Mr. Smith, of Md. moved to strike out the proposed duty of two per cent in order to insert a duty of one per cent.

This motion was supported by Mr. Smith, of Md. Mr. Silsbee, and Mr. Gorham, and opposed by Mr. Baldwin, Mr. Sergeant, Mr. Meigs, and Mr. Foot.

Mr. Nelson, of Va. being hostile to the whole bill, moved to strike out the first section; and then the committee rose, and the house adjourned.