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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28. Mr. Southard presented the petition of Charles Croxall of New Jersey, formerly of Col. Hartley's Regiment of the Pennsylvania line, stating that he had been taken prisoner at the battle of Brandywine in 1777, and for two years confined on Long Island, that during that interval the new arrangement of the Army had taken place, by which he had become supernumerary; that there were only seven officers in the same situation, five of whom are since dead; praying Congress to make him the allowances granted to other officers of the line who served to the close of the war. Referred to the committee of Claims. Mr. Dana reported on the following petitions from the committee of claims. William M'Clelland, praying compensation for a company of Marylanders raised in 1763 against the hostile Indians. The report states the claim to be inadmissible, and concludes with a resolution that the petition be rejected; agreed to by the House. On the petition of Peter Landais formerly Captain of the Alliance frigate—for his share of three prizes sent into Brest, and relinquished by the Dutch government to the British, during our revolutionary war. The committee report that the claim is barred by the statute of limitations, and therefore conclude with a resolution that the prayer thereof ought not to be granted, which was agreed to by the House. Of Catharine Haines, the Widow of an old soldier, praying a grant of land, &c. The report states that whatever might be her claims upon humanity or her title to support from the institutions, she does not appear to have any well-founded claim upon the Treasury of the United States. They recommend that she have leave to withdraw her petition, which was agreed to by the House. Also a bill for the relief of John Steele, which was read twice and ordered to be engrossed for a third reading on Monday next. Mr. M'Creery presented a petition from certain sugar refiners, praying to be allowed a drawback upon sugars exported, equal to the duty on brown sugar, referred to the committee appointed to this subject on the petition of a similar nature from New York. A message from the Senate was received informing that the Senate had agreed to the amendments proposed by the House on the bill providing for the distribution of the laws of the U. States. Mr. Lewis called for the third reading of the bill to amend the charter of the town of Alexandria. A lengthy discussion took place on the passage of the bill which was opposed by Mr. Lewis and its postponement contended for by Messrs. Dennis, Early, R. Griswold and Goddard. The bill was advocated by Messrs. Lyon, Elmer, Leib, Gregg, Eppes, Smilie and G. W. Campbell who likewise opposed the postponement. On the question to postpone the bill till the first Monday in December next, it was lost, 44 being in favor of the postponement, and 60 against it. On postponing till the 11th of February the question was also lost, 42 in favour and 58 against it. A motion was then made to recommit the bill to a Committee of the whole in order to withhold from aliens the right holding real estate within the bounds of the corporation, and to make some other alterations, which though not very material would give satisfaction to the party in Alexandria who opposed the passage of the bill. On the question to recommit, there were 36 in the affirmative, and 61 in the negative; so the motion was lost. Mr. J. Randolph then spoke against the passage of the bill, and was replied to by Messrs. Dawson and G. W. Campbell. The Yeas and Nays were called by Mr. Lewis, and were declared to be Yeas 54, Nays 51. Mr. F. Randolph moved that the postmaster general be directed to lay before this House a list of the names of persons with whom contracts have been made for carrying the mail of the U. States from the 31st of December 1801, to the 31st of December, 1804 inclusive, specifying the terms on which such contracts were made, and the sums paid, or to be paid to the contractors respectively. On motion it was agreed to consider the resolution, and on the question will the House agree to same, it was carried nem. con. Gen. Varnum suggests that his colleague from Massachusetts (Mr. Larned) had made a mistake in his vote on the Alexandria bill, which he wished to be permitted to rectify: whether it would alter the decision of the House he did not know: the gentleman voted for the bill, though he was against it altogether, under an impression that he was voting on the question of recommittal instead of its final passage. If he was permitted to record his vote according to his intention, it would make the result stand 53 to 52, and if the Speaker was to add his vote to the minority the bill would not pass. This gave rise to a great deal of conversation relative to the rules of the House and its uniform practice, which appeared to have been against an alteration of the vote by yeas and nays, unless the alteration would produce no effect upon the vote by changing the majority into a minority. This idea was combated by the reason of the thing as it was deemed extremely improper to confine members to a lapsus linguae, without urging them to explain. While the argument was going on, Mr. Berkeley had been induced to examine his list of yeas and nays with the most careful scrutiny, and had discovered that in the numerical list of votes he had marked the same number twice among the yeas, so that in fact there were 55 yeas, and but 51 nays. The alteration requested being now found not to alter the decision several members hoped the gentleman might be indulged but this being to be done by the unanimous consent of the House, and Mr. Conrad refusing his consent, the alteration was not made. Four motions were made to adjourn during the debate, and the last succeeded.

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