Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

CONGRESS.

Yesterday, the House of Representatives of the United States, on motion of Mr. S. SMITH went into a Committee of the Whole on the State of the Union, when he proposed the two following resolutions for adoption.

" Resolved, as the opinion of this committee, that the four regiments of Infantry of the present Establishment, be increased in ten companies each, each company to consist of sixty privates.

" Resolved, as the opinion of this committee, that the President of the United States be authorized to raise, in addition to the present Military Establishment, eight regiments of Infantry, and six troops of Light Dragoons, to be enlisted for three years, or during the war with France."

The first resolution was agreed to, without amendment, and the second, after striking out the words printed in italic, and inserting in their place, for and during the continuance of the existing differences between the United States and the French Republic. After this amendment was adopted, and before the resolution was agreed to, Mr. Dayton moved to strike out eight regiments, and to insert twelve.

This motion was negatived 41 to 30..

Mr. ALLEN proposed the following resolution, which was adopted.

" Resolved, as the opinion of this committee, that the monthly pay of the non-commissioned officers and privates of the Army of the United States, ought to be augmented."

The committee then rose, and Mr. HARPER renewed the motion which had been negatived in committee of the whole, to strike out eight regiments, for the purpose of inserting twelve. After some debate the Yeas and Nays were taken as follow :

YEAS.

Messrs. Allen, Baer, Bartlett, Bayard, Brooks, Burgess, Champlin, Cochran, Craik, Dana, Dent, Edmond, A. Foster, D. Foster.

J. Freeman, Glen, Goodrich, Gordon, Griswold, Grove, Harper, Hartley, Hindman, Hosmer, Imlay, Kittera, Livingston, Lyman, Otis, J. Parker, Rutledge, Sewall, Sinnickson, Sitgreaves, N. Smith, Sprague, Thatcher, Thomas, Thompson, Van Allen. —40.

NAYS.

Messrs. Baldwin, Bard, Benton, Blount, Bullock, T. Claiborne, W. Claiborne, Clopton, Coit, Dawson, Gallatin, Gillespie, Gregg, Hanna, Harrison, Havens, Heister, Holmes, Jones, Locke, Lyon, Macon, Matthews, M'Clenachan, M'Dowell, New, Nicholas, Reed, Schureman, Shepard, S. Smith, W. Smith, Stanford, Sumter, Tillinghast, J. Trigg, Van Cortlandt, Varnum, Venable, R. Williams.-40.

The Speaker declaring himself in the affirmative, the question was carried.

A committee being appointed to bring in a bill accordingly, Mr. SEWALL moved to instruct the committee to enquire whether any and what alterations are necessary in the law respecting the Military Establishment, and to report by bill or otherwise.

Mr. HARPER made a report on the organization of the Executive Departments. and a bill to alter and amend several acts relative to the establishment of the Treasury, War and Naval Departments, which was committed for to-morrow.

A bill was received from the Senate, in addition to the act, entitled " an act for the punishment of certain crimes against the United States." This bill provides that if any persons shall unlawfully combine or conspire together, with intent to oppose any measure of the government of the U. States, or to impede the operation of any law, or to intimidate or prevent any person holding an office under the government, from exercising his trust ; and if any person shall by writing, printing or speaking, threaten such officer with any damage to his character, person or estate, or shall counsel, advise, or attempt to procure any insurrection, riot, &c. whether such attempt shall have the desired effect, or not, he shall be deemed guilty of a high misdemeanor, and punished by a fine, on conviction, not exceeding 2000 dollars, and by imprisonment not less than six months, nor exceeding five years.-

And if any person shall, by any libellous or scandalous writing, printing, publishing or speaking. traduce or defame the legislature of
the United States, by seditious or inflammatory declarations or expressions, with intent to create a belief in the citizens thereof, that the said legislature in enacting any law, was induced thereto by motives hostile to the constitution or liberties and happiness of the people thereof; or shall, in manner aforesaid, traduce or defame the President of the U. States, or any court or judge thereof, by declarations tending to criminate their motives in any official transaction, the persons so offending, being convicted, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding 2000 dollars, and by imprisonment not exceeding two years.

This bill having been read the first time.

Mr. Livingston moved that it be rejected.—

This motion introduced a very long and a very warm debate, in which a number of extracts were read from, and much said respecting certain public prints of this city (particularly the Aurora). The motion on a rejection of the bill was taken by yeas and nays, and negatived 36 to 47. The bill was then committed for to-morrow.

Mr. Allen laid a resolution upon the table to the following effect:

" Resolved, That a committee be appointed to consider upon the expediency of declaring, by a legislative act, the state and relation subsisting between the United States and the French Republic." Ordered to lie on the table.