Daily National Intelligencer

THURSDAY, FEB. 29.

After the reception and reference of several petitions--

Mr. Nelson, of Virginia, made an unfavorable report on the petition of the Illinois Legislature, respecting the powers of their Governor, &c; which was concurred in by the House.

On motion of Mr. Hanson, a resolution was adopted requesting of the President of the United States, a statement of the counsel employed to assist the Attorney General, the amount of compensation paid therefor, the fund from which paid, the names of the counsel, &c.

The bill from the Senate for the relief of col. Lawrence, his officers, &c. of Fort Bowyer, was read the third time and passed.

The bill from the Senate, relative to evidence in cases of naturalization; the bill concerning field officers of the militia; and the bill for the relief of Jacob Babbett and John Dennis; were severally twice read and committed.

NATIONAL CURRENCY.

Mr. Ward of Mass. moved that the House proceed to consider the resolutions submitted by him some days ago: in the following words:

Resolved, That all duties, imposts and excise laid by Congress, ought not only to be laid uniformly throughout the United States, agreeably to the provision in the constitution, but ought to be collected in all parts of the United States in the same currency, or in currencies equivalent in value.

Resolved, That the Secretary of the treasury be instructed to receive, alone, in payment of duties, imposts and excises, and debts due to the United States, gold, silver and copper coin, treasury notes, and the notes of such banks as pay specie for their bills, excepting in cases in which it is otherwise provided by law.

And on the question of consideration he demanded the yeas and nays.

The House agreed to consider the resolutions, yeas 52, nays 49: and

The question being stated on adopting the resolutions--Mr. Calhoun moved to refer the resolutions to the committee on the National Currency, which he said, already had the subject under deep consideration.

This motion was opposed by Mr. Ward at some length, who thought the resolution spoke for itself, and could be decided on by the House without the aid of a committee; that the reference would also be productive of delay, in regard to measures which he regarded as of great urgency as well of necessity.

Mr. Wright supported the reference, and replied briefly to the remarks of Mr. Ward.

After some further discussion, the resolutions were referred as moved by Mr. Calhoun--ayes 62, nays 49.

THE NATIONAL BANK.

The House then again resolved itself into a committee of the whole, Mr. Nelson of Va. in the chair, on the National Bank bill.

On motion of Mr. Clay, with the assent of Mr. Calhoun, the bill was amended by striking out so much of the bill as gives to Congress the privilege hereafter of extending the capital of the Bank from thirty-five to fifty millions.

Mr. Clay moved to strike out so much of the bill as authorizes the government to subscribe a certain proportion (seven millions) of the stock of the Bank.

This motion was opposed by Mr. Calhoun and Mr. Smith of Md. and supported by Mr. Randolph, Mr. Clay and Mr. Ward of Mass.

Before deciding the question, the committee rose and reported progress, and the House adjourned.

We are requested by Mr. Sergeant to give the following as a statement of what he said, or meant, on one point of his remarks on the Bank Question. It is scarcely necessary to say, that the reporter, in the hasty sketch of that debate, does not aim at any thing like verbal accuracy or amplitude--the limits of a newspaper, connected with the desire to place the substance of the arguments and proceedings promptly before the readers of the National Intelligencer, forbid it.

Mr. Sergeant said, that it was necessary first to decide whether we would have a specie bank, or a paper bank. If we are to have a specie bank, I cannot consent to any bill for that purpose, unless it contains such provisions as will afford a reasonable certainty that it will be able to pay specie. If it should commence its operations as a specie bank, & afterwards be obliged to suspend specie payments, when its notes shall have gone extensively into circulation, it will produce all the consequences, so strongly described, which have followed the suspension by the state banks, in a still greater degree. I should very much prefer a plan more simple and intelligible, that is, to allow the Bank to issue no notes for the payment of money than you are sure they can pay. If more paper is necessary, let it be paper in a different form, importing on the face of it no engagement to pay specie--certificates of credit, for instance, receivable in payments to the bank or the government.