Alexandria Gazette, Commercial And Political

CONGRESS.
IN SENATE.
Wednesday. Dec. 8.
Several of the standing committees were appointed, and resolutions laid on the table for appointing committees on various parts of the President's Message.

Congress of the United States.

House of Representatives.
Wednesday Dec 8.
The following committees were appointed, in pursuance of the order of yesterday:

Committee of Ways and Means.
Messrs. Eppes Taylor. Roberts Creighton, Alston M'Kim, and Cox.

Committee of Commerce and Manufactures.
Messrs. Newton, Murfree, Seybert,

Messrs. Jackson, of R. I. M'Lees, Gourdin, and Grosvenor.

Committees

Messrs. Archer, Yancey, Goodwyn, Newton, Alexander, Bard and Davenport.

Committee on Public Lands.
Messrs. M'Kee. Robertson, Humphreys, Mosely, Irwin, Pickering and I'Coy.

Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads.
Messrs. Rhea, of Ten. Lyle, Sturges. Bigelow, Winter, Franklin and Hall.

Committee for the District of Columbia.
Messrs. Kent, of Md. Lewis, Pearson, Crawford, Sharp, Brown and Brady.

Committee on the Judiciary
Messrs. Elmer , Nelson, Pitkin, Stockton, Pickens, Montgomery and Oakley.

Of Revisal and Unfinished business.
Messrs. Condit, Stanford, and Wheaton.

Committee of Accounts
Messrs Moore, Barnet and John Reed.

Two or three petitions praying the establishment and alteration of Post Roads, were presented and referred.

Committee of Elections
Mr. Fisk of Vermont, Mr. Gholsen, Mr. King of Massachusetts. Mr Pickens, Mr. Vance. Mr Comstock and Mr. Anderson

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.

On motion of Mr. Taylor, of N York, the House resolved itself into a committee of the whole on the state of the Union, Mr. Macon in the chair :
And the message of the President yesterday, referred to said committee, was taken into consideration.
The said message having been read, the following resolutions were moved by Mr Taylor, and severally agreed to without debate:
1. Resolved, That so much of the President's Message as relates to our Foreign Affairs, be referred to a Select Committee.
2. That so much as relates to Military Affairs. be referred to a Select Committee.
3 That so much as relates to Naval Affairs. be referred to a Select Committee.
4. That so much as relates to our Revenue, be referred to the committee of Ways and Means.
5. That so much as relates to a Revision of the Militia Laws, be referred to a Select Committee.
6 That so much as relates to the Retaliation by our Government of the proceedings of the Enemy contrary to the Legitimate modes of warfare, be referred to a Select Committee
Mr. Clay, of Kentucky (Speaker) remarked that the resolutions adopted appeared to embrace all the principal topics adverted to in the message, with the exception of one which had no doubt escaped the gentleman's observation.
The subject to which he referred was embraced in the following resolution, which Mr. Clay offered for consideration:
7 Resolved, That so much of the Message of the President as relates to the expediency of such legal provisions as may supply the defects, or remove the doubts of the executive authority to allow to the cruizers of other powers at war with enemies of the U. States. such use of the American ports and markets as may correspond with the privileges allowed by Such powers to American citizens, be referred to a select committee.
Mr. Taylor remarked, that he had not overlooked this important recommendation, but had supposed it would fall within the province of the committee on naval affairs; in as much as its declared object was " to give our vessels of war, public and private, the requisite advantage in their cruizes," and appeared to him therefore properly a subject for their examination.
Mr. Clay observed, in reply, that, if it belonged to any of the committees proposed in the resolutions just agreed to, it appeared to him to belong to the committee of Foreign Relations, the object being a reciprocation to a foreign power of certain privileges in our ports which it granted to us on its part. It was at least doubtful to which committee it properly belonged, and it would therefore be better to refer it to a special committee.
Mr. Taylor withdrew his opposition to the motion ; and
It was agreed to.
The committee then rose and reported the resolutions to the house, which were concurred in, and the committees ordered to be appointed accordingly.
On motion of Mr. Wheaton, a ballot was ordered to be held at 12 o'clock tomorrow, for a Chaplain on the part of this house.
And the house adjourned.

Thursday, Dec. 9.
A number of private petitions were presented and referred.
Mr. King of (Mass.) called for the consideration of the resolution offered by him some days, proposing an alteration in the mode of appointing the committee of elections. The house agreed to take it up.
Mr. Grundy wished the gentleman to state some reasons, why, the 'present mode of designating the committee of elections should be changed.
Mr. King stated his reasons in a summary way

Mr. Grundy replied, and the resolution was rejected:

Mr. Jennings offered the following
Resolved, that the committee on the public lands be instructed to enquire into the expediency of subdividing the quarter sections of the lands. of the U. S.

Resolved, That the same committee enquire into the expediency of reducing the price of the lands of the U. S.

Resolved, That the same committee enquire into the expediency of giving further time for the payment of lands, purchased prior to 1810. Adopted.

On motion of Mr. Grundy, it was ordered, that a committee of elections be appointed pursuant to the rules and order of the house.

On motion of Mr. Rhea of (Ten.) it was ordered that the committee on Post Offices and Post Roads be instructed to enquire into the expediency of authorising the members of both Houses of Congress, the Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the House of Representatives to transmit all public documents free of postage to any Post Office in the United States.

On motion of Mr. Wheaton, the house proceeded to the election of a Chaplain.
The Rev Mr. Lee. Mr. Addison and Mr. M'Cormic were severally nominated.
Mr. Lee had 64
Mr. M'Cormic 34
Mr. Lawrie 8
Mr. Addison 2

A message in writing was received from the president of the U. S. which was declared to be of a confidential nature and the doors were closed and remained so a short time.
Adjourned.

FRIDAY, Dec. 10.
Mr Rhea from the committee on Post Offices and Post Roads, reported a bill to authorise the transmission of certain documents free of Postage, which was twice read and ordered to be engrossed and read a third time this day. It was subsequently read a third time and passed.
The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Treasury department, in answer to a resolution passed at the last session of Congress, relative to the unsettled accounts of the public agents of the U. States, which was ordered to lie on the table and be printed,
Mr. Hempstead offered a resolution for enquiring into the expediency of appointing an additional judge for the superior court in the territory of Missouri, for the district of Arkansaw. Adopted.
Mr. Hempstead offered resolutions relative to the disposition of the public lands in the territory of Missouri, which were adopted.
Mr. Wilson of Pens. offered the following : Resolved, That the committee of naval affairs, be instructed to enquire into the expediency of a provision by law for deepening the channel into the harbor of Presque Isle on Lake Erie.
Resolved, That the committee on military affairs, enquire and report on the expediency of a provision by law for a water communication and roads for the transportation of troops and military stores to the Lakes. Adopted.
Mr. Pickering offered a joint resolution for printing 200 copies beyond the number usually printed of the Journals of both Houses of Congress, and all documents ordered to be printed by either House for the purpose of distributing them to the Executives and both branches of the Legislatures of the different states & territories & to the Colleges, Universities & Historical societies in each state and territory, and depositing them in the Library of the U S. for the use of such persons as are authorised to have access to it. It was read a first & second time and ordered to be engrossed and read a third time on Monday next.
At half past one o'clock, on motion of Mr. Grundy the galleries were cleared and doors closed, and remained so when our reporter left the city.