The Providence Journal, And Town And Country Advertiser

Congress of the United States.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

FRIDAY, March 14.

The bill to prevent the interference of any military force in certain elections, passed; and the title declared to be, "An act to prevent the interference of any military force in certain elections."

Mr. Harper said, it had been represented to him, that there was considerable defect in the law requiring the payment of money from the collectors of the revenue into the treasury; that the secretary felt himself much inconvenienced, and was frequently trifled with by those officers, from whom there existed no sufficient compulsory means to enforce payment; he therefore moved the following resolution:

Resolved, That a committee be appointed to enquire and report by bill or otherwise, whether any, and what further provisions are necessary to be made by law, for compelling the receivers of public money to account for and pay over the same. Carried.

On motion of Mr. S. Smith, the House came to the following resolution:

Resolved, That a committee be appointed to enquire into the expediency of authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to remit any forfeitures which shall occur, or may have occurred, under the laws of the United States prohibiting the exportation of arms and ammunition, under the same provision which the Secretary is authorized to remit for forfeitures incurred under the revenue laws; and that they be authorized to report by bill or otherwise.

Mr. H. Lee called up for consideration the resolution which he laid on the table, relative to post-roads: and the House having adopted the resolution, on motion of Mr. Dawson, those of Mr. Harper on a similar subject, were referred to the same committee.

The House went into a committee of the whole on the bill to extend the privilege of obtaining patents for useful discoveries and inventions, to certain persons therein mentioned, and to enlarge and define the penalties for violating the rights of patentees; when

Mr. Griswold moved to strike out the first section of the bill, which provides that an alien, after a residence of two years, shall be entitled to patents for useful discoveries and inventions, &c.

Messrs. Harper, Smith, Rutledge and Otis opposed this motion, and Messrs. Kittera and Griswold spoke in favour of it; and contended that foreigners might, under this section of the bill, obtain a complete monopoly of the whole American market. After some observations from Mr. Otis, who wished an amendment might be introduced, which should provide that the patent to be granted to any alien should continue to his benefit during his residence in this country only--the committee rose, reported progress, and obtained leave to sit again.

Monday, March 17.

Mr. Cooper, from the select committee to whom was referred a resolution relative to the purchase of the copper bed on Lake Superior--reported a resolution authorizing the President of the United States to appoint an agent for that purpose, and to report a statement of the facts to this House through the medium of the President--which was referred to a committee of the whole House.

The House went into a committee of the whole on the bill to enable the President of the United States to borrow money for the public service--Mr. Parker in the chair; when a long debate took place between Messrs. Gallatin, Harper and Griswold, relative to the finances of the country, after which Mr. Nicholas moved to strike out the amount of the loan, viz. 3,500,000 dollars, and Mr. Gallatin entered into a very lengthy investigation of the subject, and was followed by Mr. Griswold. Mr. Nicholas then rose, and after declaring it to be his intention to vote against the bill, withdrew his motion, and the committee rose and reported the bill without amendment, and the House adjourned.

Tuesday, March 18.

Mr. Smith, from the committee to whom was referred a resolution to enquire whether any and what further credit ought to be given on articles of produce imported into the United States from the West-Indies, reported, that it would be inexpedient, at the present time, to extend the terms of credit given by law on said articles.

Read and concurred in.

Mr. Otis, from the committee of defence, reported a bill for the regulation of public arsenals and magazines: which was read a first and second time, and committed for Thursday:

Mr. Parker moved that the House come to the following resolution, viz.

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Navy be requested to lay before this House any information he may possess respecting the engagement which lately took place in the West-Indies, between the United States frigate Constellation and a French ship of war--and also respecting the conduct of James Jarvis, a midshipman on board the said frigate.

Mr. S. Smith moved to strike out the words in Italic, which created considerable debate-- when Mr. Bird proposed to insert in lieu thereof the following words,-- "and also upon the conduct of any officer or other person on board said frigate, who may have particularly signalized themselves in the said action;" which Mr. B. supposed would meet the intention of the mover, and be less liable to objection than the words proposed to be stricken out.

Mr. Parker having consented to the modification, the resolution was agreed to.

Wednesday, March 19.

The bill entitled, "an act supplementary to the act entitled an act for an amicable settlement of the limits of the State of Georgia, and authorizing the establishment of a government in the Mississippi territory;" and the bill entitled, "an act to extend the privilege of obtaining patents for useful discoveries and inventions to certain persons therein mentioned, and to enlarge and define the penalties for violating the privileges of patents," were respectively read a third time, and passed.

The bill entitled. "an act to enable the President of the United States to borrow money for the public service," was read a third time, and upon the question, Shall this bill pass? it was carried;--ayes 52, noes 39.

Mr. Otis, from the committee of defence, reported a bill for establishing a military academy, and for the better organizing a corps of artillerists and engineers, which was read a first time--whereupon Mr. Macon moved that the bill be rejected.

After considerable debate, the question was lost--ayes 42, noes 49. The bill was then read a second time, committed to a committee of the whole House, and ordered to be printed.

Mr. Griswold presented a memorial of the select and common councils of the city of Philadelphia, stating that the plague raged to an alarming degree in the Barbary states, and that from the enterprising spirit of our citizens engaged in commerce, it might be introduced into this country; and that, as the partial laws of the state could not be sufficient to guard against it, pray that Congress would take the subject into their serious consideration, and make some general provisions, that shall place the citizens in a better state of security from so great a calamity.

Mr. Griswold observed, that so much had been said in the public papers, relative to the increase of the public debt, calculated to mislead the citizens of the United States, he conceived an investigation ought to take place, and would therefore move the following resolution, viz.

Resolved, That a committee be appointed to examine the accounts of the United States relating to the public debt, and to report whether the same has been increased or diminished since the establishment of the present constitution.

Ordered to lie on the table.

The House went into committee of the whole on the report of the committee of claims, on the petition of the Corporation of Rhode-Island College; and the resolution reported by the committee authorizing compensation for damages sustained during the occupation of that edifice by the American troops, was agreed to, after some debate--ayes 51; and the committee of claims instructed to bring in a bill pursuant thereto.

Adjourned.

Thursday, March 20.

Mr. D. Foster brought in a bill for the relief of the corporation of Rhode-Island college, which was read a first and second time, and ordered to be read a third time to-morrow.

Mr. Craik brought in a bill to divide the Territory of the United States N. W. of the river Ohio into two separate governments, which was read a first and second time, and made the order of the day for to-morrow.

Mr. Griswold's motion for appointing a committee to examine the public accounts was taken into consideration, and after being modified by the suggestion of Mr. Gallatin, was adopted.

Mr. Harper then introduced a resolution instructing the committee to report generally all the expenditures of the present government, civil list and other ordinary expenses excepted, which was after some debate postponed till to-morrow.

A message was received from the President of the United States, by his Secretary, Mr. Shaw, informing the House, that the President did yesterday approve and sign the act entitled. "An act to alter the times of holding the District Court in North-Carolina." Adjourned.

Friday, March 21.

Mr. Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Secretary of the Navy, enclosing the following

REPORT:

Navy Department,

20th March, 1800.

IN obedience to the order of the House of Representatives of the United States, of the 18th instant, the Secretary of the Navy has the honor to lay before the House a copy of Captain Truxton's letter of the 3d of February, together with a copy of the extract from his journal, referred to in the said letter, detailing the particulars of the engagement between the Constellation, under his command, and a heavy French Ship, mounting, as he supposed, 54 guns.

The Secretary has received a number of letters, too voluminous to trouble the House with, of dates both prior and subsequent to the action, which leave no doubt, on his mind, that the French ship, so gallantly defended against the bravery and superior skill of Captain Truxton, is the same that arrived at Guadaloupe from France, in the month of December last, called La Vengeance, mounting fifty guns or upwards.

In confirmation of this opinion, the Secretary takes the liberty of stating the substance of letters received from Capt. Baker, of the Delaware sloop of war; from B. H. Phillips, Esq. American consul at Curacao, and from D. M. Clarkson, Esq. navy agent at St. Kitts.

Capt. Baker, in a letter, dated Curacao, 8th of February. mentions, that a French ship, called La Vengeance, of 54 guns, had left Guadaloupe, on her return to France, about the 1st of February: had a very severe action with the Constellation the following night, and arrived at Curacao on the 6th, in a most shattered condition: that he understood she had lost one hundred and fifty men; and, when she escaped from the Constellation, had eight feet of water in her hold.

Mr. Phillips, in a letter dated Curacao, 9th of February, to the Secretary of State, announces the arrival there of the French Ship La Vengeance, of fifty-six guns, bound from Guadaloupe to France, with a valuable cargo, and a large sum of specie, in a very distressed situation, having lost one hundred and sixty men, killed and wounded, and her masts and rigging nearly all shot away, in an engagement of five hours, within pistol shot, with the Constellation.

Mr. Clarkson, at St. Kitts, in a letter dated 16th of February, states, "We are certain Capt. Truxton's gallant action was fought with La Vengeance, a French man of war of 54 guns, and five hundred picked men, from Guadaloupe to France."

As to the conduct of any particular officer, or any other person on board the Constellation, the Secretary has no information, except what is to be found in the communications from Capt. Truxton: by which, but still more by the result of this heroic action, it appears, that all the officers and men on board the Constellation must have nobly performed their duty. The praise of having pursued, for many hours, a ship known to be of force so greatly superior to his own; to bring her to action, and of conducting that action with so much skill, as to compensate for his great inferiority of force--belongs, exclusively, to their gallant commander.

It cannot be necessary for the Secretary to add to the eulogium bestowed by captain Truxton, on the brave young midshipman, James Jarvis, who gloriously preferred certain death, to an abandonment of his post.

All which is respectfully submitted.

BENJAMIN STODDERT.

Secretary of the Navy.

Ordered, that the said report, with the papers accompanying the same, and a resolution laid on the table by Mr. Parker, be referred to the naval committee.

Mr. Marshall, from the committee appointed on the subject of the western reserve of Connecticut, made a report that the cession of the said lands ought to accepted by the United States upon the terms mentioned in a bill which he also reported, and which was referred to a committee of the whole House.

The House went into a committee on the bill supplementary to an act for regulating trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes, &c. which was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading on Monday next.

Mr. Otis called up his resolution yesterday proposed, for a committee to enquire respecting the removal of the government to the Federal City, which he now altered so that the reference was made to the committee of ways and means. The motion was agreed to. Adjourned.

Monday, March 24.

Mr. Parker, from the naval committee, reported the following resolution:

Resolved, By the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, that the President of the United States be requested to present to captain Thomas Truxton, a Golden Medal, emblematical of the late action between the United States frigate Constellation, of 38 guns, and the French ship of war La Vengeance, of 54 guns, in testimony of the high sense entertained by Congress, of his gallantry and good conduct in the above engagement; wherein an example was exhibited, by the captain, officers, sailors and marines, honourable to the American name, and instructive to its rising navy.

Resolved, That the conduct of James Jarvis, a midshipman in said frigate, who gloriously preferred certain death to the abandonment of his post, is deserving of the highest praise, and that the loss of so promising an officer is a subject of national regret.

Messrs. Randolph and Lyon opposed the first resolution. The question upon agreeing to it was taken by ayes and nays, and carried--ayes 87, nays 4. Those who voted in the negative are Mr. Jackson, Mr. Randolph, Lyon, Sumter.

The second resolution was agreed to unanimously.

The bill supplementary to the act to regulate trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes, and to preserve peace on the frontiers, was read a third time, and passed.

Mr. Harper moved the following resolution, which was agreed to by the House, viz.

Resolved, That the committee of ways and means have leave to prepare and report a bill or bills, for making appropriations for the various branches of the public service during the present year. Adjourned.