Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

The Speaker laid before the house a communication from the Treasury Department, inclosing the accounts of the Treasurer of the Receipts and expenditures of the United States, for the quarter ending on the 30th December last, which were ordered to be printed.

Mr. Dwight Foster made an unfavourable report on the petition of Stephen Sayre, which was ordered to lie upon the table.

Mr. Tillinghast, agreeable to the notice he gave on Friday last, proposed a resolution for the adoption of the house to the following effect:

"Resolved, that a committee be appointed to bring in a bill for the purpose of repealing the act of Congress passed the last session, laying a duty on, stamped vellum, parchment and paper."

Mr. J. Williams wished this resolution might be so altered as to go to the committee of Ways and Means, who having the subject of Revenue generally under consideration, were, of course, the best judges as to the propriety of repealing the act in question. But before the resolution was referred, he wished to amend it by adding, also an act laying an additional duty on Salt imported into the United States." His reason for wishing the resolution to be thus amended was, that when the Stamp act had been agreed to, a proposition (which had before been rejected) was brought forward, towards the close of the session, when many of the members were gone home, for laying an additional duty on salt which it was said was necessary to stand against the stamp tax which would fall principally upon the commercial and monied part of our citizens: If therefore, a repeal of the Stamp act which chiefly affected those interests was to come under consideration, he wished the salt tax, which principally affected the Agricultural interest, also to be considered, and that both should be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means together, that they might report upon the whole subject at the same time.

The Speaker declared the motion for a reference to be first in order.

Mr. Harper hoped the resolution would not be agreed to, as he held a report in his hand on the petition from Virginia, praying for a repeal of the Stamp act. which of course involved the subject of this resolution.

Mr. Rutledge trusted the resolution would not be agreed to. He believed it was of more importance than it seemed to be considered by the house: as it did not propose to appoint a committee to enquire into the expediency of repealing the law in question, but for the special purpose of reporting a bill for the repeal of the law. Had the former mode been adopted, he should not have objected to it. was to refer the resolution to the committee of, ways and means, who" would of course report upon the expediency of the measure proposed.

The Speaker observed that the motion as proposed to postpone the further consideration of the resolution until to-morrow. when it could be referred to the same committee of the whole to whom were referred the report which the Chairman of the Committee-of Ways and Means had said he was prepared to make on this subject, and then both applications would come under consideration at the same time. After some little consideration on the subject, which went chiefly to shew that as the petition from Virginia was to the same purpose with this resolution, the report of the committee of Ways and means upon it must be the same which would be made upon this resolution if referred to them—This motion was carried.

A message was received from the President of the United States, informing the house he had approved and signed an act for the relief of the representatives of William Carmichael ; an act authorizing the payment of certain sums of money to the daughters of the late Count de Grasse;- and an act for the relief of Norton and Vesey.