Alexandria Gazette & Daily Advertiser

The whole of Tuesday last was occupied by the House of Representatives in the consideration of the Navy Appropriation Bill.-- The debate, though desultory, was interesting, as relieving the house and galleries from the monotony of the Missouri question, and operating on them something like a shower after a drought, refreshing the senses, and reviving the drooping faculties.

The sessions of Congress, and of the House of Representatives particularly, are protracted to such a length as to prevent the practicability of presenting any thing like an intelligible report of their daily proceedings, on the following day.

To obviate misconception, therefore, it may be proper to state, in anticipation of a report of the debate, that, though there was an evident anxiety, from the state of the finances, to curtail every expense not absolutely necessary, there was no hostility manifested to a proper provision for the support of the Navy. The point on which the debate chiefly turned, was the employment of a stationary naval force in the Mediterranean seas; to the continuance of which there appeared to be a strong opposition. It is, however, generally understood, that that force is hereafter to be less than it has been heretofore, and to be more frequently relieved.

In the course of the debate, with a view to the amount of naval force necessary to be provided for, enquiry was made, whether the committee of foreign relations had determined upon any report in regard to our existing relations with Spain, and, if so, what would be the nature of that report. The reply to which was, that the committee had not yet come to any determination on that subject; and not having done so, that the chairman of the committee had it not in his power to state, not having been instructed on that head, what would be the nature of their report.

[Nat. Intelligencer.

From the National Intelligencer.

CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.

IN SENATE.

Monday, March 3.

The report of the committee on pensions unfavorable to the petition of Margaret Clark was taken up and agreed to.

Several bills, among the orders of this day, were taken up and postponed to future days; one of these was the bill for changing the mode of selling the public lands, which was postponed to Wednesday.

The bill further to suspend the sale of forfeiture of lands for not completing the payment thereon, being taken up, a motion was made to postpone it to Wednesday also.

The motion was opposed by Mr. Noble, who stated that the bill contained no new principles; that if it passed at all, it was necessary to be passed without delay, that timely notice might be communicated to the various land offices: that as it had no connection with the other land bill, just postponed, and embraced no principle that had not been familiar to the Senate for years, and about which there was no difference of opinion; he hoped it would be acted on at once.

Mr. King, of New-York, was willing to accommodate gentlemen, where no public detriment would arise from his acquiescence; but the bill now before the Senate had a connection with the bill just postponed. If that bill passed, he would have no objection whatever to the present one; he would be among the first to give an equitable indulgence to those indebted for lands; but should the other measure fail, he was by no means prepared to say that the bill now before them ought to pass.

The bill was postponed to Wednesday.

Mr. Sandford, on the committee of finance, made an unfavorable report on the petition of William C. Kansler, which was read.

The bill from the House of Representatives to provide for taking the fourth census was taken up, and after undergoing some amendments not involving any question of importance, it was ordered to a third reading.

The bill authorising the issue of a patent right to Richard Wilcox; and the bills for the relief of Francis B. Languille, and of John Pellet, were severally taken up, and ordered to be engrossed for a third reading; and The Senate adjourned,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Mr. Rhea, from the committee on pensions and revolutionary claims, made an unfavorable report on the petition of Joseph Whitten, which was read and agreed to.

Mr. R. from the same committee, reported a bill to provide for continuing in force (without limit) the act to provide for persons disabled by known wounds received in the revolutionary war. The bill also contains a provision requiring the agents for paying pensions to give bond in 5,000 dollars each, for the faithful performance of the duties enjoined upon them. It was proposed that this bill be forthwith ordered to be engrossed for a third reading; but that course was overruled, and the bill was referred to a committee of the whole.

Mr. Smith, from the committee of ways and means, reported, by way of amendment to a bill which had been referred to them, a bill in addition to the several acts for the establishment and regulations of the Treasury, War, and Navy Departments; which was referred to a committee of the whole House:

Mr. Campbell of Ohio, from the committee on private land claims, made unfavorable reports on the petitions of Job Hewitt, William Smith, and Abraham Montague; which were read and concurred in.

Mr. Williams, of North Carolina, from the committee of Claims, to whom was referred the bill from the Senate for the relief of Bowie & Kurtz and others, made a report, recommending that the same be indefinitely postponed. And the report was ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Williams, from the same committee, made a report on the petition of Joseph Bruce, accompanied by a bill for his relief: which was twice read and committed.

Mr. Hooks, from a select committee, reported a bill for the relief of the representatives of Andrew M'Intyre, deceased, which was twice read and committed.

Mr. Slocumb submitted a resolution authorising the President of the Senate and Speaker
or of the House of Representatives to close this Session by adjournment of their respective Houses, on the -m- day of --- next
And, at the instance of the mover, the said resolution was ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Cocke submitted for consideration the following resolution :

Resolved, That the committee on Naval Affairs be instructed to enquire into the expediency of reducing the Naval Establishment of the United States.

Mr, Cocke made a few remarks in the course of which he stated his object to be to effect a reduction of expense by a reduction in the number of officers of the Navy, so as to proportion them more equally to the number of vessels in commission. It was to this point only that he wished to call the attention of the naval committee.

The House having agreed to consider the motion by a vote of 67 to 63, it was then, on motion of Mr. Lowndes, with the consent of the mover, ordered to lie on the table.

On motion of Mr. Cocke, it was then Resolved, That the Secretary of War be directed to report to this House copies of all contracts which have been made for the building or repairing fortifications, arsenals, or magazines, since the year 1815; and, also that he report the amount of monies actually paid, to whom and when, and whether public notice was actually given of said contracts, and what surety was given, in what amount, and whether the surety is still solvent; and whether the contracts have been faithfully performed.

On motion of Mr. M'Coy, it was Resolved, That the committee on Private Land Claims enquire into the expediency of providing by law for the location of unsatisfied warrants (issued to the troops of the Virginia State Line. for services during the revolutionary war) on some of the unappropriated lands of the United States.

On motion of Mr. Rankin, the committee on commerce were instructed to enquire into the expediency of establishing a port of entry at the mouth of Pearl River, in the state of Mississippi

The engrossed bill in addition to the act regulating the post office establishment, was read a third time, passed, and returned to the Senate.

NAVY APPROPRIATIONS.

The house then resolved itself into a committee of the whole, Mr. Nelson, of Virginia, in the chair, on the bill making appropriations for the support of the Navy of the United States, for the current year.

On this bill a rather interesting but desultory debate took place, which employed the time of the committee until past 4 o'clock: and which shall be the subject of a future notice.

The Speakers. were in succession, Messrs. Smith, of Md. Johnson, Storrs, Clay, Lowndes. Trimble, Meigs, Foot, Silsbee, Cobb, and Fuller.

Towards the close of the Debate, Mr: Clay, moved that" it be recommended to the House to recommit to the committee of ways and means the bill entitled, &e. (the appropriation bill with instruction to prepare the same in reference to an occasional instead of a permanent employment of the squadron in the Mediterranean.

After a debate, this motion was negatived, 72 to 51; and the committee rose and reported the bill, with the following appropriations therein, viz.

For pay and subsistence of the officers, and pay of the seamen, 989,320.

For provisions, 415,187 dolls.

For Medicines, hospital stores, and all expenses on account of the sick, including the Marine corps, 36,000 dolls.

For repairs of vessels, 484,000 dolls.

For contingent expenses, 140,000.

For improvement of Navy yards, docks, and wharves, pay of superintendents, store keepers, clerks, and laborers, 100,000.

For pay and subsistence of the Marine corps, 177,228 dolls.

For clothing the same, 27,205 dolls.

For Military stores, 1,000 dolls.

For the contingent expenses of the same, 20,000 dolls.

And, before considering the same, The House adjourned.