The National Intelligencer And Washington Advertiser

Congress of the United States.
House of Representatives.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 2, 1803.

The committee to whom were referred memorials from citizens of Washington and Alexandria, were authorized to report by bill or otherwise on such alterations, as may in their opinion be deemed proper in the act for the government of the district of Columbia.

The House took up the amendments of the committee of the whole to the bill respecting consuls, vice consuls, &c.

After agreeing to the amendments, and making other amendments, the House ordered the bill to be engrossed for a third reading tomorrow.

The House went into committee of the whole on the bill making provision for persons who have received known wounds in the revolutionary war, Mr. Varnum in the chair.

A conversation took place between Messrs. Griswold, Helms, Eustis, Mason, and Elmer on the adequacy of the provisions of the bill to the cases for which it was provided; when, on motion of Mr. Eustis, the committee rose and reported progress; the House refused them leave to sit again, and recommitted the bill to the select committee that introduced it.

Mr. Hill called for the order of the day on the bill to prohibit the importation of certain persons, &c.

When Mr. Bayard requested the gentlemen to waive his call for one moment, to enable the House to take his resolution respecting French spoliations laid some days since on the table into consideration for the sole purpose of giving it a proper disposition. His object, some days since when he called it up, was to have it referred to a committee of the whole house, not to urge its discussion on that day. His object was now the same, and his sole wish was that it should be referred, and a day named for its consideration. As, however, said Mr. Bayard, it may be voted down now, as it then was, without any reasons being assigned, gentlemen will excuse me from calling the yeas and nays. I hope gentlemen will so far at least comply with the forms of justice as to suffer the case to be considered, whatever may be their ultimate decision upon it.

Mr. Randolph said he spoke only for himself.

Mr. Bayard replied that he then persisted in the call.

The Yeas and Nays were then taken on taking up the resolution; and were—Yeas 65—Nays 25 as follow:

Yeas—Messrs. Alston, Bacon, Bailey, Bayard, Bishop, Boudinot, Bowie, Brent, Brown, Campbell, Cutler, Dana, Davenport, Dawson, Dennis, Dickson, Early, Elmendorf, Elmer, Eustis, Foster, Goddard, Gregg, Griswold, Grove, Hastings, D. Hiter, Hemphill, Henderson, Hill, Holmes, Huger, Hunt, Lowndes, Mattoon, Moore, L. R. Morris, T. Morris, New, Newton, jun. Perkins, Plater, Randolph, jun. Read, Rutledge, Shepard, J. C. Smith, J. Smith, Southard, Stanley, Stewart, Stanton, Taliaferro, jun. Talmage, Tenney, Thatcher, Thomas, Tillinghast, Thompson, Upham, Varnum, Van Horne, Wadsworth, L. Williams, Wynns—65.

Nays—Messrs. Archer, Butler, Cabell, Clay, Clopton, Condict, Davis, Gray, Hanna, J. Hiter, Helms, Hoge, Holland, Leib, Meriwether, Mott, Smilie, Israel Smith, J. Smith, N. Y. J. Smith Virg. Stanford, Stanton, A. Trigg, Van Cortlandt, R. Williams, Winn.—25.

The resolution was referred to the committee of the whole without opposition.

When Mr. Bayard moved that it be made the order for Monday next.

Mr. R. Williams moved the 31st of March.

Mr. Gregg thought it was best to take the resolution up fairly and decide it at once.

Mr. R. Williams said he was willing to meet it fairly; but he thought one day sufficient for the investigation.

(To be continued.)