Norfolk Gazette And Publick Ledger

Congress of the United States.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Thursday, February 28.

After a variety of efforts, on the part of Messrs. Pitkin, Gardenier, and others, to obtain amendments to the non-intercourse bill, the question on the last section of the amendments agreed to in committee of the whole, was taken and carried.

On motion of Mr. P. B. Porter, the bill, without further amendment, was ordered to be engrossed, and read a third time this day.

At five o'clock this morning, on motion of Mr. Ringold, the bill was read a third time and passed. The yeas and nays were as follows: Yeas 64. Nays 12.

YEAS--Messrs. L.J. Alston, W. Alston, Anderson, Bard, Barry, Bassett, Bibb, Brown, Burwell, Butler, Calhoun, Cheves, Clay, Cochran, Crawford, Cutts, Desha, Eppes, Findley, Garnett, Gardenier, Gholson, Goodwin, Holland, Holly, Johnson, Keran, Love, Lyle, M'Kee, M'Kinley, Miller, Mitchell, Montgomery, N. R. Moore, T. Moore, Morrow, Mumford, Newbold, Newton, J. Porter, P. B. Porter, Rhea, Reed, Richards, Ringold, Root, Sage, Scudder, Seaver, Seybert, Shaw, Smelt, J. Smith, G. Smith, Smilie, Tracy, Troup, Turner, Weakley, Whitehill, and Witherspoon.--64.

NAYS--Messrs. Bigelow, Gardenier, Jackson, Kennedy, Macon, Potter, Randolph, Stanford, Swoope, Van Horn, Wheaton, and Whitman--12.

[On all these questions, what is called the previous question, was called for.]

The house then adjourned to meet again at one o'clock this afternoon.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

The house convened at one o'clock, and formed a quorum a short time after they met.

Several amendments were proposed to the journals, but negatived.

The bill from the Senate, to amend the act providing for the final adjustment of claims to lands, and for the sale of the public lands, in the territories of Orleans and Louisiana, was twice read and referred to a committee of the whole.

A message was received from the President of the United States, transmitting a report of the Secretary of State, relative to returns of the third Census of the people of the United States. [Returns have not been received from Virginia, East Tennessee, South Carolina, and Orleans territory.] The message and report were referred to a select committee.

Mr. Mumford submitted the following resolution, with the preamble:

Whereas, when two or more nations go to war, those that remain at peace retain their natural right to pursue their agriculture, manufactures and commerce; to carry the produce of their labour to all places, belligerent or neutral, as usual; to go and come freely without injury or molestation; and in short, that the war shall be to them as if it did not exist (with the exception only of not furnishing to either party implements of war, for the annoyance of the other, nor anything whatever to a place actually invested by its enemy:) and whereas a state of war at present existing between Great Britain and France furnishes no legitimate right to either to intercept the agriculture and commerce of the United States, or the peaceable exchange of their produce with all nations; and whereas no nation can submit to have its peaceable industry suspended at the mere will of other nations, and in violation of its rights: Therefore,

Resolved, that a committee be appointed to enquire into the expediency of authorising by law merchant vessels of the United States to arm in defence of their persons and property, on the high seas, against the spoliations of all or any of the belligerents: and that they have leave to report by bill or otherwise.

The house adjourned (5 o'clock) before the question was taken on this resolution.