The National Intelligencer And Washington Advertiser

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Monday, December 23.

A memorial was received from the mayor and common council of New-York, requesting the attention of Congress to the taking efficient measures for placing the port and harbor of New-York in a state of defence, which was referred to the committee appointed relative to the defence of our ports and harbors.

A memorial from the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and Manufactures, relative to piers in the river Delaware was referred to the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures.

A memorial was presented from Samuel Blodget, representing that subscriptions for an university in Washington have already been made to the number of 18,000, & a sum received amounting to 30,000 dolls: and requesting Congress to designate the site with the lots or lands that may be intended therefor. and to grant such other patronage as they may think proper.

Referred to a committee of five members.

A message from the President, with communications relative to the territory of Michigan, was referred to a committee of five members.

Mr. Dawson, from the committee appointed on that part of the President's message which relates to aggressions committed by the vessels of foreign nations, &c. made a report in part, submitting two letters received from the Secretary of the Navy, and three resolutions, in substance as follows:

1. That a sum not exceeding 150,000 dolls. be appropriated to cause our ports and harbors to be protected.

2. That a sum not exceeding 250,000 dolls. be appropriated, to cause to be built a number of gun boats, not exceeding 50, for the protection of our ports and harbors.

3. That a sum not exceeding 660,000 dolls. be appropriated to enable the President of the U. S. to cause to be built six line of battle ships.

On motion of Mr. Dawson these resolutions were referred to a committee of the whole on the state of the union.

Mr. Dawson observed that in the year 1797 Congress passed an act relative to certain balances due by several of the states to the U. S. by which those states were enabled to discharge the balances by expending a part thereof in the defence of their ports and harbours. He understood that one state had made an appropriation to this object; but it was not known what was the issue of the appropriation, or what had been done by other states. That the subject might be elucidated, he offered the following resolution:

Resolved, That the President of the U. S. be requested to inform this House, whether any and what measures have been taken by the states indebted to the U. S. to discharge the balances due, under the provisions of the act, of the twenty third of June, 1797, entitled an act for the further defence of the ports and harbors of the U. S.

The House immediately took up the resolution and agreed to it; and the Speaker appointed a committee of two members to present it to the President.

Mr. Crowninshield having obtained leave, submitted, from the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, a bill to provide for light houses in Long-Island sound, and to declare Roxbury in Mass. a port of delivery, which was referred to a committee of the whole on Wednesday.

The bill appropriates 6000 dolls. for erecting light houses.

Mr. Mac Creery presented a petition from the Inspectors of Baltimore, praying for an increase of compensation, which was referred to the Secretary of the Treasury.

Mr. Gregg, from the Committee on the public lands, reported on the petition of George R. Clark, that the prayer of the petition ought not to be granted, in which report the House without debate concurred.

On motion of Mr. Findley,

Resolved, That in the case of the contested election in the state of Georgia, the memorialist and sitting member shall, if they desire it, be heard by counsel at the bar of the House.

Mr. Mead waived the exercise of this right, and Mr. J. Clay intimated a desire of Mr. Spalding to the same effect: when the House resolved itself into a committee of the whole—Mr. Dawson in the chair—on the report of the Committee of Elections in this case; on which a debate ensued which occupied nearly the residue of the sitting.

Mr. Findley explained concisely some of the circumstances on which the report was grounded.

He was followed by Mr. Mead, who, without going into a wide detail of facts, or discussion of principle, noted briefly a variety of facts and several principles and precedents which he thought...