The Enquirer

CONGRESS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Friday, Nov. 25.

On motion of Mr. Bowen of Tenn.

Resolved; That the committee of Claims be instructed to enquire into the expediency of paying for the horses lost or destroyed in the campaign against the hostile Creek Indians, commanded by Major general Jackson.

Mr. Stevenson of Illinois, presented for consideration the following resolution:

Resolved, That the committee on Military Affairs be instructed to enquire into the expediency of providing for the defence of the frontiers of the United States by continuing and increasing the number of rangers heretofore authorised, and that they have leave to report by bill or otherwise.

Mr. Sharp of Ky. advocated the adoption of this motion; which, however, on suggestion of Mr. Troup that the Military Committee already had a similar proposition before them and were about to act on it, was not agreed to.

On motion of Mr. Irving of N. Y. the memorial of the New-York Banks, presented the day before yesterday, was ordered to be printed.

On motion of Mr. Stevenson of Illinois, supported by Mr. Easton of Missouri, it was

Resolved, That the committee on Public Lands be instructed to enquire whether any & what alterations or amendment, are necessary by law to be made in the act confirming certain claims to lands in the Illinois territory, and providing for their location, passed April 1814.

Resolved, That the committee of Public Lands be instructed to enquire whether any, and if any what further provision by law is expedient to be made for giving the right of pre-emption to Public Lands to certain settlers in the Illinois territory.

Mr. Eppes from the committee of Ways and Means, to whom was referred the petition of Messrs. Lyman praying remission of certain penalties incurred by the infraction of our commercial laws, made an unfavorable report thereon; which was referred to a committee of the whole.

NATIONAL BANK BILL.

The House on motion of Mr. Calhoun resumed the bill to incorporate the subscribers to the Bank of the United States of America.

The question under consideration being on Mr. Gaston's motion to substitute twenty five millions of dollars, as the amount of the capital of the Bank--

Mr. Webster concluded the speech which he commenced on Wednesday, in opposition to the bill as it now stands. In the course of his remarks to-day, he indicated generally his views as to the sort of Bank which ought to be established. He would have a Bank of a limited amount, say twenty millions of capital: he would make it indispensable that it should pay specie, by a provision that all notes not paid in specie when properly presented should thenceforth bear a certain interest, & by inflicting a penalty on such directors as should, during the suspension of specie payments, assent to put the notes of the Bank in circulation; he was willing the government should, if others believed it necessary, hold some stock in the Bank, but at the extent not to exceed one half of the whole amount; the remaining half to be paid in specie, or at the discretion of the directors, in notes of existing Banks, on condition that such Banks should agree to resume their specie payments within a given time, and, if it was thought desirable, the government might, he said, retain the right to subscribe hereafter an additional five millions to the capital of the Bank. This was, generally his plan. Upon the whole he concluded by saying, although there were many points in which the present bill was preferable to the bill first reported, still, with its present amount of capital, and the great proportion of stock to specie, it was wholly objectionable in his mind, and he could not vote for it. When Mr. W. sat down--

Mr. Lowndes of S. C. said, if he conceived any advantage to the nation could result from permitting this discussion to progress, he should not make the motion he was about to offer. But, believing, from the difference of views entertained in different parts of the house, and from the variety of plans which had been offered, that longer discussion would merely consume time without a prospect of the final passage of the bill; and believing also, that by a reference to a select committee, a concurrence of the views of all parties might be obtained in favor of one plan, he moved that this bill be referred to a select committee.

Mr. Ingham of Pa. said he was in favor of the re-commitment of the bill, because he believed that in its present form it would not pass the House, but that a bill might be devised that would meet the views of gentlemen on all sides of the House. It was possible, at least, a combination of the views of different gentlemen might be effected, which might produce great good, and could do no harm. He was therefore in favor of re-commitment, as the only means of effecting this desirable object.

Mr. Fisk of N. Y. said he merely rose to add his wish to that of his friend from Penn. It was as certain as any thing yet in suspense could be, that the bill would not pass the House in its present shape. That it might be kept in possession of the House, and not destroyed without an effort to preserve it, he hoped the House would agree to refer it to a select committee for such modification as might appear to be calculated to meet the views of the House. The opinion of gentlemen on all sides had been so fully expressed, that the committee, being in possession of them, would be able to mould the bill accordingly.

Mr. Calhoun of S. C. said it must be obvious, from the course of the debate, if it were not from the nature of the subject, that a great diversity of sentiment existed on this subject. No question could exhibit a greater diversity of sentiment, confined neither to party or locality. As he was extremely anxious that the Bank should be established, Mr. C. said he should be averse to throwing any obstacle in the way of the practicability of the measure, and would therefore heartily assent to the motion for re-commitment.

The question was then taken on re-commitment and decided in the affirmative without a division.

THE TAX BILLS.

The House then on motion of Mr. Eppes, resolved itself into a committee of the whole on the several tax bills reported by the committee of Ways and Means.

The bill for laying an additional duty on distilled spirituous liquors, was first taken up, & discussed with much zeal. Various amendments were made to the bill and the blanks filled, in conformity to the previous determinations of the House, and to the suggestions of the Chairman of the committee of Ways and Means.

The bills had not been wholly gone through--when the committee rose, and the House adjourned.