National Gazette

PHILADELPHIA.

CONGRESS.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Monday, December 19.

THE several petitions of John Curley, Eliphalet Downer, William Johnston, William M'Coy, Barnabas Murphy, George P. Ransom, Samuel Wall, James Wilson and Thomas Williams, for compensation for services rendered &c. were read and referred to the Secretary at War; as was also the petition of Thaddeus Williams for relief in consideration of a wound received.

The petition of Richard Lloyd for services as late agent to General Hazen's regiment, was referred to a committee of three; and the petition of Ludwig Kuhn, for the settlement of an account, was referred to the Secretary of the Treasury.

The House then proceeded to consider the message sent from the Senate on Thursday last, notifying that they insisted to their amendment to the Representation Bill.—The said amendment being read,

A motion was made by Mr. Benson, that the House recede from their disagreement to the amendment; it passed in the negative.

YEAS—Fisher Ames, Egbert Benson, Elias Boudinot, Shearjashub Bourne, Benjamin Bourne, Abraham Clarke, Jonathan Dayton, Thomas Fitzsimons, Nicholas Gilman, Benjamin Goodhue, James Gordon, Andrew Gregg, Thomas Hartley, James Hillhouse, Israel Jacobs, John W. Kittera, Amasa Learned, Samuel Livermore, Nathaniel Niles, Theodore Sedgwick, Jeremiah Smith, Israel Smith, Jonathan Sturges, Peter Sylvester, George Thatcher, Jeremiah Wadsworth, and Artemas Ward.—Yeas 27.

NAYS—John Baptist Ashe, Abraham Baldwin, Robert Barnwell, John Brown, William Findley, Elbridge Gerry, William B. Giles, Samuel Griffin, William Barry Grove, Daniel Huger, Philip Key, John Laurance, Richard Bland Lee, Nathaniel Macon, James Madison, Andrew Moore, Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg, William Vans Murray, John Page, Josiah Parker, Cornelius C. Schoonmaker, Joshua Seney, William Smith, John Steele, Samuel Sterrett, Thomas Sumter, Thomas Tredwell, Thomas Tudor Tucker, Abraham Venable, Anthony Wayne, Alexander White, Hugh Williamson, and Francis Willis.—Nays 33.

A motion was then made, that the House adhere to their disagreement; it was resolved in the affirmative.

YEAS—John Baptist Ashe, Abraham Baldwin, Robert Barnwell, John Brown, William Findley, Elbridge Gerry, William B. Giles, Samuel Griffin, William Barry Grove, Daniel Huger, Philip Key, John Laurance, Richard Bland Lee, Nathaniel Macon, James Madison, Andrew Moore, Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg, William Vans Murray, John Page, Josiah Parker, Cornelius C. Schoonmaker, Joshua Seney, William Smith, Samuel Sterrett, Thomas Sumter, Thomas Tredwell, Thomas Tudor Tucker, Abraham Venable, Anthony Wayne, Alexander White, Hugh Williamson, and Francis Willis.—Yeas 32.

NAYS—Fisher Ames, Egbert Benson, Elias Boudinot, Shearjashub Bourne, Benjamin Bourne, Abraham Clarke, Jonathan Dayton, Thomas Fitzsimons, Nicholas Gilman, Benjamin Goodhue, James Gordon, Andrew Gregg, Thomas Hartley, James Hillhouse, Israel Jacobs, John W. Kittera, Amasa Learned, Samuel Livermore, Nathaniel Niles, Theodore Sedgwick, Jeremiah Smith, Israel Smith, Jonathan Sturges, Peter Sylvester, George Thatcher, Jeremiah Wadsworth, and Artemas Ward.—Nays 27.

A message from the Senate informing that they have passed the Appropriation Bill with sundry amendments, to which they desire the concurrence of the House.

Tuesday, December 20.

A message from the President, was delivered by Mr. Secretary Lear, who laid before the House a copy of a letter from the governor of the state of Pennsylvania, accompanied with sundry documents relative to a contract for the purchase of a tract of land bordering on lake Erie, together with a report of the Secretary of State, which is as follows:

The Secretary of State, to whom was referred, by the President of the United States, a letter from the Governor of Pennsylvania, with the documents therein mentioned, on the subject of certain lands on lake Erie, having had the same under consideration, thereupon reports,

That Congress, by their resolution of June 6, 1788, directed the Geographer-General of the United States, to ascertain the quantity of land belonging to the United States between Pennsylvania and lake Erie, and authorize a sale thereof.

That a sale was accordingly made to the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

That Congress, by their Resolution of September 4, 1788, relinquished to the said Commonwealth all their right to the government and jurisdiction of the said tract of land; but the right of soil was not transferred by the resolution.

That a survey of the said tract has been since made, and the amount of the purchase money been settled between the Comptrollers of the United States and of the said Commonwealth; and that the Governor of Pennsylvania declares in the said letter to the President of the United States, that he is ready to close the transaction in behalf of the said Commonwealth.

That there is no person at present authorized by law, to convey to the said Commonwealth the right of soil in the said tract of land.

And the Secretary of State is therefore of opinion, that the said letter and documents should be laid before the Legislature of the United States, to make such provision by law, for conveying the said right of soil as they in their wisdom shall think fit.

TH. JEFFERSON.

Dec. 19, 1791,

The above papers and report were referred to a select committee, with instructions to prepare a bill making provision for carrying the said contract into effect.

A message from the Senate, was delivered by Mr. Secretary Otis, informing that they "adhered" to their first amendment to the Representation Bill.

The bill is, of course, lost.

The House having considered the amendments, proposed by Senate, to the Appropriation Bill, and concurred in them all.

Resolved itself into a committee of the whole (Mr. Muhlenberg in the chair) and proceeded to the further consideration of the Post-Office Bill.

After some debate on the subject of franking letters the committee rose, and reported progress.

Adjourned.

Wednesday, Dec. 21.

Sundry petitions were read for compensations, &c. and referred to the Secretary of Treasury and Secretary of War.

Mr. Madison from the committee appointed, reported a bill respecting a contract between the United States and Pennsylvania.

The house went into committee on the post-office bill, and made further progress therein.

Adjourned.