National Gazette

PHILADELPHIA.

CONGRESS.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Monday, November 28.

A bill was read a second time for the relief of David Cook, and committed to a committee of the whole House to-morrow.—Petitions were then read from Samuel Procter and Samuel Negus, praying compensation for services rendered, wounds received, &c. in the army, during the war.

A petition of Nicholas Shultz, praying a gratuity of lands and other advantages promised by the late Congress to those who should quit the British service, in consideration of his having left that service, and joined the American army, during the war—Referred to the Secretary at War.

A petition of Zachariah Dowety, praying payment of an account for wagon hire, on account of the United States during the war.—Also a petition of John Byers praying to be compensated for his services as a sergeant in the army, during the war.—Referred, severally, to the committee appointed to bring in a bill for settling the claims of persons under particular circumstances, barred by previous limitations.

A petition of William Albaugh and Margaret Crowell, executors of Henry Crowell, was read, praying renewal of loan office certificates, the property of the testator, destroyed.—Also, a memorial of James Simpson, praying re-imbursement for sundry services and expenses while he was surveyor to the United States, under a resolution of the late Congress—

Said petition and memorial were referred to the Secretary of the Treasury.

A petition of Nathaniel Lucas was read, praying commutation for half pay as a deranged captain in the late army, which was ordered to lie on the table.

A petition of Samuel Breck, and others, proprietors of the sail cloth manufactory in Boston, praying an exclusive privilege of certain marks belonging to their manufactory: and that others may be prohibited from using them, under reasonable penalties.—Referred to the Secretary of State.

A petition of Joel Phelps, praying to be placed on the list of pensioners, in consideration of wounds received in the American service during the war—

Ordered, thereupon, that said petition, with the Secretary at War's report to the last session of Congress on the above, and other petitions of a similar nature, whose claims appear to be precluded only by the resolves of Congress of June 11th, 1788, be committed to a committee of the whole, on the state of the union.

According to the order of the day,
The house in committee of the whole, proceeded to the consideration of the bill for making compensation to widows, orphans, and invalids, in certain cases—Mr. Muhlenberg in the chair.

After some debate on this subject, the committee rose, reported progress, and asked leave to sit again.

The house then resolved to go again into committee of the whole house on the said bill to-morrow.

TUESDAY, NOV. 29.

A petition of Nicholas Rieb, praying compensation for services, &c. during the late war—and that he may receive the pay due to his son, Peter Rieb, a soldier in the same corps, taken prisoner by the enemy, and never since heard of.

A petition of Jacob Paulus, praying to be placed on the list of pensioners, in consideration of disability incurred in the army: and,

A petition of Thomas Wishart, praying settlement of his account for services as captain in the army, during the war; were referred to the Secretary at War.

Mr. Livermore, from the committee, reported a bill for the establishment of the post-office and post-roads—Read a first and second time, and referred to a committee of the whole house on Monday next.

A petition was read from several Canadian refugees, praying to be compensated for sufferings, &c. in the service of the United States—Referred to a select committee.

According to the order of the day, the house, in committee of the whole, Mr. Muhlenberg in the chair, proceeded to consider the bill for the relief of widows, orphans, and invalids, in certain cases.

In debating on this subject, Mr. Fitzsimons expressed his doubts of the propriety of proceeding in the bill before the committee; and proposed a general law to be enacted to satisfy the claims of such widows and orphans, as had not been provided for by the particular states, notwithstanding the act of limitation. He saw no necessity of examining into every particular case intended to be provided for by the bill, which he thought might be done full as well by a general law, and therefore made a motion that the committee should rise.

Mr. Hartley thought a general law could not provide for every particular case mentioned in the bill—and Mr. Wadsworth conceived, that a general law would open too wide a door to applications. He thought it better to finish with the bill, and make the several individual provisions, than lay the treasury department open to endless applications, which would certainly be the effect of a general law; and after all, in case of the enaction of a general law, it was plain that many special cases in the bill would remain wholly unprovided for.

Mr. Sedgwick wished justice to be done to every individual claimant, but thought that house was not the place to examine into the minute particulars of private claims. He expressed his wish that, in the present instance, certain principles might be established by the house, the execution of which should be left to the treasury officers—Should this prove ineffectual, the house might then, and not till then, undertake the examination of private claims.

Mr. Goodhue, thought it would be sufficient to declare that the claims of widows and orphans should not be affected by the act of limitation; and therefore was in favor of general regulations.

Mr. Lawrence and Mr. Hillhouse, gave it as their opinions, that the committee should proceed in the bill before them.—The several claims of the applicants had been stated, and their papers examined—all that remained, then, was to decide thereupon. The persons that had applied for relief, were indigent, and lay under heavy necessities—In regard to them, therefore, they wished the bill should be gone through with, that the persons concerned might know what they had to expect. As to application of this kind in future, it might be prevented by general regulations, hereafter to be made—if the bill was passed into a law, it would establish precedents equal in their effects to the operation of a general law, and would direct the public offices in settling claims made after passing general regulations.

After some further observations on this subject, the motion for proceeding no further in the bill was withdrawn, and the committee proceeded to the further consideration thereof.

The report of the Secretary at War on the particular applications was then read, considered, and decided on—when the bill was reported with several amendments.

A message was received from the Senate, by Mr. Otis, communicating a bill passed by that house, entitled, An act concerning Consuls and Vice-Consuls.

Adjourned.