The Alexandria Herald

CONGRESS OF THE U. S.

From the National Intelligencer.

IN THE SENATE...DEC. 12.

Mr. Rodney laid the following resolution on the table for consideration : That the committee on the judiciary be directed to inquire into the expediency of continuing in force the act, entitled "An act to protect the commerce of the United States and to punish the crime of piracy ;" and also of making such further provisions on the subject as may be deemed proper for the security of our citizens, the safety of our commerce and the punishment of the offence.

Mr. Pleasants, from the committee on naval affairs, reported the following bill, which was twice read by general consent:

Be it enacted, &c. That, for the purpose of enabling the president of the U. States to afford more efficient protection to the commerce of the U. States, from the depredations of pirates in the Gulph of Mexico and the West Indian seas, the sum of -- dollars is hereby appropriated, to be paid out of any money in the treasury, not otherwise appropriated; which sum shall be used by the president in providing such an additional force as in his judgment shall be best calculated to answer the end aforesaid.

[Accompanying this bill, Mr. Pleasants laid before the senate a communication from the secretary of the navy to the chairman of the naval committee, furnishing estimates of the additional force deemed necessary for the suppression of piracy, and the expense thereof. The secretary, having the concurring opinion of the navy board in its favor, recommends an additional force of first, 1 steam boat of 90 to 120 tons, to carry two 18 pounders, and two 12 pounders, upon travelling carriages, so as to fire from any part of the vessel. Second, 10 fast sailing schrs. of 45 to 60 tons burthen, to draw not more than 5 to 7 feet water; each to be armed with one long 12 or 18 pounder, mounted on a circle, with two 1/2 pound carronades ; with the necessary number of small arms, to row from 20 to 24 sweeps : and third, 5 light double bank cutters, each to row 20 oars, and adapted to carry 40 men, well armed with muskets, pistols, boarding pikes, cutlasses, &c. The whole cost of procuring these additional vessels and of equipping and fitting them for service, is estimated at 440,000 dollars.]

Mr. D'Wolf gave notice that he should on Monday, ask leave to introduce a bill to allow a drawback on the exportation of cordage manufactured in the United States from foreign hemp.

The resolution yesterday submitted by Mr. Talbot, to refer to a select committee so much of the president's message as relates to the repair and preservation of the Cumberland road, was taken up and agreed to ; and Messrs. Talbot, Edwards, Mills, Rodney and King, of New York, were chosen the committee.

The second resolution, submitted yesterday by Mr. Talbot, was also agreed to.

Mr. Johnson, of Louisiana, submitted the following resolution for consideration : That the committee on the judiciary be instructed to inquire into the expediency of modifying the judiciary system of the United States so as to make it uniform throughout the union, by establishing circuit courts in the new states.

The resolution submitted yesterday by Mr. Lloyd, requesting of the president of the United States to cause certain information relative to exports and imports, to be furnished to the senate, was taken up and agreed to.

Mr. Holmes, of Maine, submitted the following resolution for consideration :

That the committee on the judiciary be instructed to inquire into the expediency of providing by law for the better security of the public moneys in the hands of clerks of courts and attorneys, marshals, and their deputies.

The senate adjourned to Monday.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Mr. Cannon, from the committee on the militia, reported the bill for disciplining the militia of the U. States, in an amended shape: which was ordered to lie on the table.

The house then resumed the consideration of the following resolution, yesterday submitted by Mr. Colden: That the president of the United States be requested to lay before this house such information as he may possess, with regard to any hostile expedition which may have been prepared in the United States, and sailed from thence, within the present year, against the territory or dependency of any power in amity with the United States, and to inform this house whether any measures have been taken to bring to condign punishment persons who may have been concerned in such expedition, contrary to the laws of the U. States.

The question was taken on agreeing to the resolution, and decided in the affirmative, by a large majority.

Mr. Williamson called up the resolution which he yesterday submitted respecting recommitment to the committees of subjects not acted upon at the last session; which resolution was by the house, modified and amended so as to read as follows: That the several petitions and resolutions referred to the several standing and select committees, the last session and not finally acted upon, be again referred to the same committees.

Ordered to lie on the table.

The speaker then laid before the house the following letter :

BOSTON, JULY 4, 1822.

To the hon. the Speaker of the H. Representatives.

Sir--The letter which I had the honor
1819, and which Mr. Lowndes was so obliging as to take charge of and deliver, was intended to have been accompanied by the collection of medals therein referred to: but this was unfortunately lost on board the ship 'Factor,' bound to New York, of which accident it appears that the house was duly informed by its committee. As soon as I heard of it I endeavored to procure a duplicate of the collection, and succeeded a few days before I left Paris, in April last. This, together with the medals which have been struck at Paris, to commemorate some principal events of, and men distinguished in, our revolution, I take the liberty through you, sir, of herewith sending and offering to congress, for the use of the national library.

With sentiments of the highest respect, sir, your most obedient servant,

GEORGE IRVING.

P.S. A printed catalogue of the French medals proper is enclosed in the case which contains them. The American medals are but five proper, viz: One of gen. Washington at the siege of Boston; one of doctor Franklin; one of Paul Jones; and two of the battle of the Cowpens. To these I have thought it well to add Columbus and Kosciusko, taken from the collection of illustrious men, deceased, now publishing in the French mint.

Referred to the library committee.

The speaker also presented a memorial from T. M'Cormick, senior, proposing an improvement of the navigation of the falls of Ohio by cutting a canal around the same; which on suggestion of the speaker, was referred to the committee of the whole on the state of the union, to whom was referred the bill for providing for surveys of certain canals.

The engrossed bill for regulating the fees of the registers of wills in the two counties of the district of Columbia, was announced for its third reading.

Mr. Cocke moved to re-commit the bill to a committee of the whole house.

He had found, he said, since the short discussion of this subject yesterday, that the good people of this district were very much opposed to the bill, and he wished that an opportunity might be given more fully to examine it. The bill proposed to establish fees which were in his opinion, enormous, such as were to be found on the statute books of none of the states. He believed the effect of the law would be, in many instances, to strip the widow and the orphan of their whole estates. The fees, he said, had been for many years what they now are, and he believed, though they did sometimes none of the registers had ever resigned on account of the lowness of their fees. He had been told indeed, that Dr. Blake, the late register, had leased out the office for five hundred dollars per annum. and had not the least trouble with it. If so, he said he should suppose the fees were high enough. The bill was ordered to be recommitted as moved by Mr. Cocke, without a division.

The engrossed bill for the relief of the registers and receivers of public money of the several land offices, was read a third time; and the question being 'shall it pass?' the bill was laid on the table.

The engrossed bill fixing the compensation of receivers of public moneys for their services in transmitting public moneys to safe places of deposit, was read a third time; and the question being 'shall this bill pass?'--A debate arose on the bill, but it was finally ordered to lie on the table.

On motion of Mr. Bassett: the house again resolved itself into a committee of the whole, Mr. Condict in the chair, on the bill for imposing more rigorous checks on the disbursement of public money.

On motion of Mr. Bassett, the bill was amended by adding to it the following, as a new section:

'Sec. 4. Be it further enacted, That no security given to, or obligation entered into with, the government, shall be in any wise impaired by the dismissing any officer, or from failure of the president to dismiss any officer, coming under the provisions of this act.'

Another slight amendment being made--

The committee rose and reported the bill: and, on motion of Mr. Bassett, who did not wish to precipitate the bill through the house, the consideration of the report was for the present deserted. And the house adjourned.

DECEMBER 13.

Mr. Newton, from the committee of commerce, reported a bill to repeal the third section of the act, entitled 'an act supplementary to an act, entitled "an act concerning navigation."' [This bill provides, 'that the third section of the act entitled "an act supplementary to an act, entitled 'an act concerning navigation,' passed 15th May, 1820, be and the same is hereby repealed."]

The bill was read the first and second time, and ordered to be engrossed and read a third time to-day; and was subsequently read a third time, passed, and sent to the senate for concurrence.

Mr. Smith, of Maryland, from the committee of ways and means, to which was recommitted the bill supplementary to, and to amend an act, entitled 'An act to regulate the collection of duties on imports and tonnage,' passed 2d March, 1799, and to repeal an act supplementary thereto, passed 20th April, 1818, and for other purposes, reported a new bill of the same title; which was read the first and second times, and committed to a committee of the whole house on the state of the union.
Mr. Hemphill on the committee appointed on that part of the president's message which relates to the Cumberland road reported a bill for the preservation and repair of the Cumberland road--which bill was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole house.

Mr. Hemphill, from the same committee, also reported a bill making appropriations for the Cumberland road, which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole house.

Mr. Chambers submitted for consideration the following resolution: That the committee on public lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of extending the time allowed by law for issuing and locating military land warrants to officers and soldiers of the revolutionary army, with leave to report by bill or otherwise.

The house then resolved itself into a committee of the whole on the state of the Union, and took up the following bill, being that reported this day by the committee on naval affairs:

An act authorising an additional naval force for the suppression of piracy. Sec. 1 Be it enacted, That the president of the United States be, and he hereby is, authorized to purchase or construct a sufficient number of vessels, in addition to those now employed, of such burthen and construction as he may deem necessary, and to fit, equip, and man the same for immediate service, for the purpose of repressing piracy, and of affording effectual protection to the citizens and commerce of the U. S. in the Gulf of Mexico, and the seas and territories adjacent.

Sec. 2. That the sum of -- dollars be appropriated to meet the expenditure to be incurred as aforesaid, and paid out of any money in the treasury, not otherwise appropriated--

The blank in the bill was filled with the words of $600,000: and after very considerable debate, and the rejection of several amendments, it was read a third time, and passed without a division, and ordered to be sent to the senate for concurrence; and then the house adjourned to Monday.