Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

CONGRESS.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Monday, March 10.

Mr. Bayard moved that the Committee of the whole House, to whom was referred the message of the President relative to Thomas Nash, alias Jonathan Robbins, and a resolution submitted by himself to the House, approbating the conduct of the President, and referred to that Committee; be discharged, from the further consideration thereof.

A long debate arose upon this motion, in which Messrs. Randolph, Davis, Jones, Nicholas, Livingston, and Eggleston spoke against it—and Messrs. Bayard, Bird, Otis, Kittera, Varnum, Rotledge, Edmond, Shepherd, and H. Lee, in favor of it; when the question was taken.

Ayes 62—Nays 31.

Mr. Gallatin presented a petition of John Armstrong, which was read and referred to the Secretary of War.

Mr. Fowler presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the Military townships, praying the sale or lease of a certain tract of land, eligible for the erection of a mill-seat. Referred to the committee on public lands.

Mr. Hill presented a petition of John Bridges, and Elizabeth his wife, executors &c. of James White, a soldier during the revolutionary war, praying compensation for services rendered by the deceased. Referred to the Committee of claims.

Mr. Speaker laid before the house a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting a statement from John Steele, Esq. Comptroller, of the compensation allowed collectors of the customs for the year 1799. Ordered to be printed.

Mr. D. Foster, from the Committee of Claims, made a report on the petition of David Jones and William Rogers, chaplains in the continental army, praying that grants of military bounty lands may be made to them and others in their situation. The report states, that chaplains were entitled to and did receive the same pay and emoluments as lieutenant colonels in the line of the army, military bounty lands excepted—that it is presumable Congress supposed the encouragement offered to gentlemen to serve in that capacity was sufficient—in the opinion of the committee it would not be expedient or advisable at this late day to go into a consideration of the subject; they therefore recommend the petitioners should have leave to withdraw their petition.

The report was committed to the committee of the whole house to whom was referred the report on the petition of Temple Elliot and others.

The house went into committee of the whole on the bill for the relief of Campbell Smith, reported their agreement to the bill without amendment, and it was ordered to be read a third time to-morrow.

The house resolved itself into a committee of the whole, on the report of the select committee on the petition of Cato West and others—and the resolutions therein contained being under consideration, Mr. Claiborne moved additional resolutions, restricting the power of the governor of the S. W. Territory—upon which a motion was made and carried, that the committee rise, in order to give time to have them printed.

Mr. Griswold then said, he hoped the committee would not have leave to sit again, and the resolutions might be referred to a select committee—upon which a long debate took place—the question "shall the committee of the whole have leave to sit again," was at length taken and negatived—ayes 43—nays 42—Mr. Speaker declared himself in the negative, and the report was recommitted.

Mr. H. Lee, moved the following Resolution, which was ordered to lie on the table:

Resolved, That a committee be appointed to enquire, and report by bill or otherwise, the expediency of making further provision by law, to facilitate the communication between different parts of the United States, by means of post roads.

Mr. Harper also laid the following resolutions on the table, which were ordered to be printed, viz.

RESOLVED, That for the more convenient, certain and expeditious conveyance of the Mails of the United States, on the main post road leading from Portland, in Maine, to Augusta, in Georgia, it is expedient to make provision for promoting and aiding the establishment of turnpikes on the said road, and for rendering the course thereof more direct, between the places through which it is, or shall be, directed by law to pass; and that the surplus revenue of the post office ought to be set apart as a fund for those purposes.

Resolved, That the said fund ought to be vested in a Board, under the direction of the President of the United States, and to be composed of the Secretaries of the Executive Department of the United States, and the Attorney General; and that when any company shall undertake to make a good turnpike road on any part of the said post road, and shall apply to the said Board, stating their object, plan and means, and shall offer good and sufficient security for the accomplishment of the undertaking, within a reasonable time, to be fixed by the said Board, and for refunding any money to be advanced to them by the said Board in case the said undertaking should not be so accomplished, the said Board ought to be authorized and empowered, with the approbation of the President of the United States, to grant an act of incorporation to the said company for the purposes aforesaid, and under certain conditions, terms and restrictions, to be established by law; and to subscribe from the said fund, and on behalf of the United States, for any number of the shares of the said company not exceeding one third of the whole number; provided, that the payments to be made on account of the said subscription, shall be made in such portions, and at such times, as the said Board shall stipulate, and may be withheld by the said Board, at its discretion, whenever the said Company shall fail to make its stipulated payments.

Resolved, That whenever two or more companies shall apply as aforesaid, the preference ought to be given to that which shall apply for the part of the said post-road nearest to the city of Washington in either direction: Provided the plan of such company shall appear to the President of the United States to be, in other respects, equally worthy of adoption with those of its competitors.

Resolved, That if there should not be, in any one year, sufficient applications as aforesaid to employ the whole of said funds, the surplus thereof ought to be applied, in manner aforesaid, to any other post road of the United States, respecting which applications in manner aforesaid, shall be made; or at the discretion of the President of the United States to be carried to the said fund for the next year.

Resolved, That the tolls and dividends to be derived from the shares which shall be subscribed for as aforesaid, ought to be received at the Treasury of the United States and there accounted for and added annually to the aforesaid fund, to be applied in manner aforesaid, to the purposes thereof.

Resolved, That when the said main post road shall be completed, the fund aforesaid ought to be applied in manner aforesaid, to the construction of turnpike roads on any other post road of the United States, and of toll bridges on such main or other post road.

The house went into committee of the whole on the bill to alter and establish sundry post roads—Mr. Edmond in the chair—after some time spent therein, the committee rose, reported progress, and obtained leave to sit again.

Adjourned.