Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

CONGRESS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Wednesday, April 16.

The bill for the regulation of public arsenals and magazines, was read a third time and passed.

On motion of Mr. D. Foster, the committee of claims were discharged from the further consideration of the petition of Alexander Spofford, and it was referred to the committee of the whole house to whom is referred the petition of Temple Elliott, and others.

Mr. D. Foster, from the committee of claims made a report on the petition of Major Thomas Johnson, who, prayed compensation for a party of militia on an expedition against the Indians in 1794—the report is favourable to the claim of the petitioners, and recommends that provision be made by law for allowing the compensation requested. The report was committed for to-morrow.

Mr. Brace, from the committee to whom was referred several petitions relative to lands purchased from Judge Symmes, reported a bill to provide for the disposition of the lands between the Great and Little Miami River—which was read and committed.

The House again resolved itself into a committee of the whole on the petition of Temple Elliott and others Mr. Rutledge in the chair—when the unfavourable report of the committee of claims on the petition of David Jones, and Mrs. Rodgers, chaplains to the American army during the revolutionary war, who prayed for bounty lands, was agreed to, ayes 36, noes 23.

The committee then rose, and the House concurred.

Mr. New then offered a resolution, directing a bill to be brought in to authorize the President of the United States to grant patents for lands due to certain officers for their military services in the continental army during the revolutionary war, which were granted by the state of Virginia, and have hitherto been withheld from them in consequence of the act of cession made by said state.

The resolution was agreed to, and a committee appointed for that purpose.

Mr. S. Smith brought in a bill to establish the district of Kennebunk, and to annex Lyme to New-London; to alter the district of Bermuda Hundred and City Point, and further to amend the act regulating the collection of duties on imports and tonnage.

The amendments of the Senate to the bill to continue in force the act intituled an act to authorize the defence of merchant vessels of the United States against French depredations, and to the bill supplementary to the act regulating trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes, and to preserve peace on the frontiers, were taken up and concurred in.

The bill sent from the Senate, permitting the exportation of certain parcels of gunpowder, muskets and cutlasses, was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures.

The house resolved itself into a committee of the whole on the bill to prescribe the mode of deciding disputed elections of President and Vice President of the United States, Mr. Rutledge in the chair, when Mr. Marshall moved to strike out that part of the first section which contains the principal features of the bill, viz. that the Senate shall appoint the chairman of the Grand Committee; that their decisions shall be final and conclusive &c.

Mr. Harper thought this would go to the entire destruction of the bill he was not prepared to say these principles should be agreed to, but he thought there ought to be some investigation, as the bill contemplated, he would therefore recommend the honourable mover to modify his motion so as to try the second principle. that of the decision of the Grand Committee being final and conclusive.

Mr. Marshall said, he was by no means an enemy to this bill; but he entertained some doubts as to the constitutionality of its provisions at present. After dwelling for some time on particular clauses of the constitution, Mr. M. read the amendment which he would make if the motion for striking out was agreed to.

A short debate ensued, when Mr. Nicholas moved that the committee rise, report progress, and ask leave to sit again, which was carried; and Mr. Marshall's amendment was ordered to be printed.

The house resolved itself into a committee of the whole on the bill to make appropriations for the military establishment for the year 1800—and after filling up the blanks in the bill it was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time to-morrow.

The bill allowing an additional salary to the officers of both houses of Congress, was agreed to in committee of the whole, and ordered to be read a third time to-morrow.

Mr. Varnum called up for consideration the resolution which he laid on the table directing the clerk to procure twelve copies of Hiltzheimer's digest of the laws of the United States—and the same having been again read, was agreed to by the house.

Mr. H. Lee's motion for appointing a committee to prepare a system of rules and regulations for the government of the district of Columbia, was also agreed to; yeas 50; and a committee of five appointed for that purpose.

The favorable report of the select committee on the petition of William Tazewell, Esq. late secretary of Mr. Gerry, was debated in committee of the whole, and agreed to, yeas 39; nays 20; and a bill ordered to be brought in for his relief. Adjourned.