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CONGRESS
OF THE UNITED STATES.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thursday, January 15, 1801.

Mr. Otis, as chairman of the committee appointed to enquire into the state of the Treasury, in conformity with the request of the late Secretary, informed the house that the committee expected to be prepared to report in two or three days. In making the investigation, the committee had not considered it as incumbent on them to enter into an examination of all those long details which had already been under the eye of the house. They had however carefully examined those statements which had not been minutely exhibited to the house; and indeed, had made every enquiry that in their opinion was necessary to a correct understanding of the state of the treasury.

As, however, the committee, in the enquiry made, had been left almost entirely to their own discretion, and might, perhaps, have failed to take all those views that members might desire, he was instructed by the committee, at the instance of the Secretary and Comptroller of the Treasury, to invite any members, who were desirous of having any particular information, to state their request, which might be attained by proposing specific instructions to the committee, who would most cheerfully co-operate in the furtherance of their object.

Mr. Otis presented a long letter from the Secretary of the Navy, presenting a comprehensive view of the naval department, which was ordered to be printed without being read.

Mr. Otis, presented a petition praying the interposition of Congress in affording relief to the holders of certain descriptions of paper money, whose reference he moved to the committee of Claims.

The reference was opposed by Messrs. Macon and Griswold, on the ground of the prayer of the petition having been already decided upon.

On the question, the reference was lost by almost an unanimous vote.

It was then resolved that the prayer of the petition cannot be granted.

The house then went into a committee of the whole on the report of the committee of ways and means, on a motion made by Mr. Cooper to repeal the act for the valuation of lands and dwelling houses, &c.

On this subject some debate ensued, which terminated in the reference to the committee of ways and means, an enquiry into the expediency of repealing the act.

A motion was made to go into a committee of the whole on the report of the committee of revisal and unfinished business, recommending a continuation of the Sedition Law, which was rejected.