Alexandria Daily Advertiser

Congress of the United States.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

MONDAY, December 19.

A message was received from the President of the United States, advising the House that he had signed the act REPEALING the act establishing an uniform system of BANKRUPTCY throughout the United States.

Mr. Lattimore presented a memorial from the House of Representatives of the Mississippi territory, representing the inconvenience experienced by the settlements on the Tombigby and the Alabama rivers from their remote situation from the seat of government.

Referred.

An engrossed bill giving effect to the laws of the United States in the territory ceded by France to the United States was read the third time.

Mr. Lyon, after making a few remarks, moved to recommit the bill.

Motion lost without a division.

The Yeas and Nays were then taken, at the instance of Mr. Lyon, on the passage of the bill --Yeas 88- Nays 13.

The House read the amendments of the Senate to the salary bill, and referred them to a committee of the whole to morrow.

The House went into a committee of the whole -Mr. Dawson in the chair, on the following report of the Post Office committee.

REPORT.

The Committee on the subject of Post Office and Post Roads, to whom was referred a resolution on the 2d ult, directing them to enquire by what means the Mail may be conveyed with greater security and dispatch than at present, between the City of Washington and Natchez and New Orleans,

REPORT--

That the late cession of Louisiana by France to the United States, renders it an object of pri. mary importance to have the nearest and most expeditious mode of communication established, between the City of Washington and the city of New Orleans the capital of that province; not only for the convenience of government, but to accommodate the citizens of the several commercial towns in the Union.

That at present the mail is conveyed on a circuitous route from this place to Knoxville and Nashville in Tennessee, and from thence through the wilderness by Natchez to New Orleans, a distance of more than 1500 miles.

That by establishing a post route as nigh on a direct line between those two cities, as the Blue Ridge and Alleghany mountains will admit of, will not only lessen the distance about 200 miles; but as this route will pass almost the whole way through a country inhabited, either by citizens of the United States or friendly Indians, the mail will be more secure, "and the persons employed in transporting it, better furnished, with the means of subsistence.

The committee flatter themselves that the views of the general government in effecting this important object, will be seconded by the governments and citizens of those states through which this road will pass, by laying out straightening and improving the same, as soon as the most proper course shall be sufficiently ascertained: but as this has not heretofore been used for conveying the mail between those places, they presume that the best route will be better known after it has been used for this purpose, than it can be at present; and with this view of the subject they deem it improper at this time to designate intermediate points; they are therefore of opinion---

That a post road ought to be established from the City of Washington, on the most direct and convenient route to the Tombigby settlement in the Mississippi territory, and from thence to New Orleans.

And further that a post road ought also to be established from the said Tombigbee settlement to the Natchez. This road will not only afford the inhabitants of that place a direct mode of communication with the seat of the territorial government, who at present are destitute of any, but will shorten the distance between this city and Natchez nearly three hundred miles. And for the consideration of the House, the committee submit the following resolution:

Resolved, That a post road ought to be established from the City of Washington, on the most direct and convenient route, to pass through or near the Tuckabachee settlement to the Tombigbee settlement in the Mississippi territory, and from thence to New Orleans; and from the said Tombigbee settlement to Natchez.

Mr. Stanford moved the insertion of the following words, "and Carter's ferry, on James river, Coles Ferry on Staunton, Danville on Danville, in Virginia, Salisbury, Beatty's Ford on Catawba, in North Carolina, Spartanburg, Greenville C. H. Pendleton C. H. in South Carolina, and Jackson C. H. in Georgia."

His object being to designate the intermediate points of the route between the seat of government and New Orleans and Natchez.

This motion was supported by Messrs. Stanford, J. Randolph, Early, Earle, and Macon, on the principle that it was proper that Congress should designate the route, and on the ground that the route, contemplated by the amendment would be the fittest.

On the other hand, the motion was opposed by Messrs. Thomas, Smilie, Holland, Claiborne, S. L. Mitchell, and G. W. Campbell, on the ground that a discretionary power should be reposed in the post master general to designate the route, and on the ground that if Congress should undertake to designate the route, the one fixed by the amendment, was not an eligible one.

Mr. Dennis declared himself in favor of the house exercising the power of designating the route, but was not sufficiently informed to vote on any particular line.

Mr. R. Griswold moved that the committee of the whole should rise and ask leave to sit again, with the view that leave should be refused, and the report recommitted to the post office committee, in order to obtain from them a detailed report that would furnish the house with satisfactory information.

The motion was supported by Mr. Gregg, and opposed by Mr. Thomas and carried. Ayes 70.

The house then refused leave to the committee of the whole to sit again. Ayes 19-and recommitted the report to the post office committee.