Alexandria Gazette, Commercial And Political

CONGRESS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Reported for the Alexandria Gazette.
FRIDAY, February 5.

The question was taken on striking out the first section and negatived by a large majority.

Mr. Wright moved to strike out the 5th section of the bill and insert in lieu thereof the following:

6. And be it further enacted, That if after this act shall go into operation, any native or naturalized citizen of the U. States shall be impressed from on board any ship or vessel sailing under the flag of the United States, or belonging to any such ship or vessel, on shore, the President of the United States be, and he is hereby authorized and required to cause to be seized any seamen of such nation, from on board any vessel of such nation, or in any port of the U. States, and him place on board some one of the armed vessels of the United States, and there keep as a hand, until the American seamen as aforesaid impressed shall be given up.

Mr. Wright supported his proposition at some length, on the ground that if a peace should be the consequence of the passage of the bill, provision ought to be made for the protection of our own seamen, naturalized as well as native.

The proposition was opposed by Messrs. Grundy and Bacon.

Mr. Ridgely moved that the committee of the whole rise, report progress, and have leave to sit again, which was carried 55 to 40.

And the house adjourned.

SATURDAY, February 6

Mr. Brigham presented the petition of Paul and Joseph Revere, of Boston, manufacturers of copper, praying that the same duty may be laid on copper bolts when imported as is imposed on other manufactured copper. Referred to the committee of commerce and manufactures.

Mr. Cheves from the committee of ways and means, reported a bill to remit the claims of the U. States to certain goods, wares and merchandise captured by private armed vessels. Referred to a committee of the whole house for Monday next.

Also a report on the petition of Richard Mitchell, which concluded with the following resolution:

Resolved, That the prayer of the petition be not granted. Referred to a committee of the whole house for Monday next.

Mr. Bassett, from the committee on naval affairs, reported a bill supplementary to the act for increasing the navy, which was twice read and referred to a committee of the whole house for Monday next.

Mr. Bond, from the select committee appointed on the resolutions of the legislature of the Illinois Territory, relative to the introduction of slaves into that territory for the purpose of making salt, reported a bill to encourage the making of salt at the United States saline in the Illinois territory by the partial introduction of negroes therein. Read twice and referred to a committee of the whole house.

The Speaker laid before the house a letter and sundry documents from the commissioners of the sinking fund. Read and referred to the committee of ways and means.

Also, a letter from the secretary of the treasury, transmitting a list of the compensation allowed to the clerks in the different departments. Referred to the committee of ways and means.

Also, a statement of the actual payments made on account of the public debt &c. Referred to the committee of ways and means.

Also, a report from the postmaster general, on the petition of Susannah Wiley, which was referred to him. Referred to the committee of claims.

An engrossed bill to alter the time of holding the district court in the District of Maine, was read a third time and passed.

The house in committee of the whole, Mr. Bassett in the chair, resumed the consideration of the bill for the regulation of seamen on board the public vessels and in the merchant service of the United States.

The question was on agreeing to Mr. Wright's proposition to amend the bill by striking out the 8th section. Negatived.

Mr. Ridgely, after some observation in the course of which he stated sundry amendments which he intended to offer to different sections of the bill, concluded by moving that all that part of the 1st section from the words, "at the time of such treaty being made and concluded" be struck out.

Mr. Roberts opposed this motion. It was negatived, 37 to 54.