The House again resolved itself into a committee of the whole on the state of the Union; and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Condict reported that the committee had, according to order, again had the state of the Union, generally, under consideration, and particularly a bill to amend the several acts imposing duties on imports; and had come to no resolution thereon. And then the House adjourned.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1824.

Ordered, That the Committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims be discharged from the consideration of the petitions of John Elliot, Hugh Cannon, the heirs of James Hairfield and Francis Preston, and that they be referred to the Committee on Private Land Claims: Also, from the petitions of Moses Smith and John Blake, and that they be referred to the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions.

Mr. Little, from the Committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims, made unfavorable reports on the cases of Thomas Mourns, David Hay, Hezekiah Tuttle, Michael Longaback, and John P. Schuyler; which were severally laid on the table.

Mr. Williams, of North Carolina, from the Committee of Claims, made unfavorable reports on the petitions of Joseph Ratcliffe, Richard Mansfield, and John Meldrum, which were, severally, laid on the table.

Mr. Williams, from the same committee to which was referred the bill from the Senate, entitled "An act for the relief of James Johnson," reported the same without amendment.

Ordered, That the said bill be committed to a committee of the whole House to-morrow.

Ordered, That the Committee of Claims be discharged from the consideration of the petition of Lemuel Wootten, and that it be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.

Mr. Campbell, of Ohio, from the Committee on Private Land Claims, made an unfavorable report on the petition of James Linsey; which was laid on the table.

Mr. Eddy, from the Committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims, made unfavorable reports on the petitions of John Riddall and Michael Sickler; which were, respectively, laid on the table.

Mr. Harvey, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, made an unfavorable report on the petition of Catharine Reed; which was laid on the table.

Mr. Alexander Smyth, from the Joint Library Committee, made unfavorable reports on the petitions of Way and Gideon, Edward DeKrafft, and Jeremiah Elkins; which were laid on the table.

Mr. Alexander Smyth, from the same committee, made an unfavorable report on the letter of William H. Jones; which was also laid on the table.

Mr. Smyth, also, made a report on the message of the President of the United States, transmitting a statement prepared by William Lambert, explanatory of his astronomical observations and calculations, made with a view to establish the longitude of the Capitol; which report was laid on the table.

Mr. Campbell, of Ohio, from the committee appointed on the memorial of the Columbian Institute, made a report thereon, accompanied by a bill for the benefit of the said Institute; which bill was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole House to-morrow.

The House proceeded to consider the resolution laid on the table by Mr. Wright, on the 17th inst. and, being read, was agreed to.

Ordered, That the report of the Committee on the Public Lands upon the subject of the robbery of the Land Office at Vandalia, in the state of Indiana, be committed to the committee of the whole House to which is committed the bill for the relief of the assignees and legal representatives of John H. Piatt, deceased.

Ordered, That the report of the Committee of Claims, on the pc

tition of Enos Terry, be committed to a committee of the whole House to morrow.

On motion of Mr. Bailey,

Resolved, That the Committee, of Elections, to which was referred several papers respecting the right of the member returned from Norfolk district, in Massachusetts, to his seat in this House, be instructed to report whether any other members, returned to this House, were not, at the time of their election, inhabitants of the states from which they were respectively returned, with the facts of the case, and their opinion thereon, and that the committee have power to send for persons and papers.

On motion of Mr. Metcalfe,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post route from Augusta, in Kentucky, to Claysville, in said state.

On motion of Mr. Jennings,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire whether any, and, if any, what, further legislative provision may be necessary to secure the accountability to the Treasury, of the clerks and marshals of the Circuit and District Courts, for fines and forfeitures which may accrue to the United States.

On motion of Mr. Isacks,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a mail route from Monroe, in Tennessee, to Tompkinsville, in Kentucky.

On motion of Mr. Sibley,

Resolved, That the Committee on Agriculture be instructed to inquire if an increase of the duty, now established by law, on any article of foreign growth or manufacture, will be for the interest of the agriculturist, and, if there be any such article, to name the same, together with the additional amount of duty which they deen benefi cial to the agricultural interest.

On motion of Mr. Crafts,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of discontinuing the post road from Danville, through Hardwick, Wolcott, Hyde Park, and Johnson, to Cambridge; also, the post road from Wolcott, in the county of Orleans, to Richford, in the county of Franklin; and that said committee be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post road from Danville, through Walden, Hardwick, Greensboro', Craftsbury, Kellyvale, and Montgomery, to Berkshire, all in the state of Vermont.

On motion of Mr. Stewart,

Resolved, That the Committee of Claims be instructed to inquire into the expediency of granting to Colonel Rees Hill a just compensation for certain expenditures by him incurred, in furnishing supplies, &c. for the regiment of militia under his command, on the northern frontier, during the late war with Great Britain.

Mr. McKean submitted the following resolution:

Resolved, That the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions be in

structed to inquire into the justice and propriety of so altering and amending the act of the 18th of March, 1818, entitled "An act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the Revolutionary war," and the several additional and supplementary acts thereto, passed May 1st, 1820, and March 3d, 1823, so that the provisions of the aforesaid act of the 18th of March, 1818, shall be extended, generally, and without distinction, to all and each of the surviving commissioned and non-commissioned officers, musicians, and private soldiers, and all officers in the hospital department and medical staff, who served faithfully in the war of the Revolution, for the term of nine months, or more, at one period of the war;" and, also, to every commissioned officer, mariner, or marine, who served at the same time, and for a like term, in the naval service of the United States, without having reference or regard to the amount of the property possessed by any such individual, and, also, without regard to any particular description of troops in which such person may have served.

The said resolution being read, the question was put, "Will the House consider the same?"

And was determined in the negative.

On motion of Mr. Little,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire into the expediency of increasing the per diem allowance of Jurors attending the several district courts.

On motion of Mr. Henry,

Resolved, That the Committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims be instructed to inquire into the expediency of placing Larkin N.Akers, (a soldier who was wounded in the head, in Dudley's defeat, during the late war, and has from that cause been afflicted with paroxisms of epilepsy,) upon the pension list.

Mr. Richard. of Michigan, moved the following resolution:

Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a District Court of the United States in the territory of Michigan.

The said resolution was read, and laid on the table.

On motion of Mr. Forsyth,

Resolved, That the Committee on Naval Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of providing by law that all persons who shall voluntarily engage to serve in the navy six months, during peace, and twelve months during war, shall be exempted from all militia duty, except when in cases of great public danger the levy in mass shall be ordered-Collectors of the Customs, on receiving the names and description of the persons making the engagement, to register the same, giving to each person so registered, a certificate of registry, setting forth his name, age, place of nativity, height, complexion, and general description. Every master of a merchant vessel, whether engaged in the coasting or foreign trade, to specify in hi shipping articles, in an appropriate column, opposite to each person's name, such as did or did not, on signing the articles, produce certificates of registry. Every master of a merchant vessel,

whether engaged in the coasting or foreign trade, to deposite in the office of the Collector, at every port in the United States, from which he may clear or enter his vessel, a certified copy of his shipping articles. The Collector of the Customs to transmit, quarter yearly, to the Secretary of the Treasury, the names and quality of persons belonging to vessels entering or clearing at the custom house, within the quarter, designating those who enrol themselves, from those who do not. Whenever the service is required by Government, the persons to perform it, to be ascertained by lot; no person to perform two tours of duty, till all those who are liable to serve, and are within reach of the government, shall have served their tour. Persons in the public service, to be liable to all the discipline of the navy, to have the same pay and rations as if regularly enlisted, the same pensions, if disabled while in the public service, and the same prize money; to be punctually discharged when the time of service shall expire, and, if unavoidably detained, to receive as a compensation, 25 per cent. in addition to their pay, for the surplus time. After eighteen months from the date of the act, no person to be considered as a destitute American seaman in foreign countries, and as such entitled to relief under the act or acts of Congress, who shall not have enrolled himself to serve in the navy as aforesaid. That authority be given to Government to take apprentices, native boys, not less than twelve, nor more than fourteen years old, to serve in the navy seven years, the number, annually, to be one to every two gans mounted on board ships in commission; the United States to provide a schoolmaster for every national vessel of not less than twelve guns, to teach the apprentices reading, writing, and cyphering, and such other branches of learning, as their capacities may indicate; to find them food and clothes, and, after the expiration of the fifth year, to allow them two dollars per month; at the expiration of the seventh year, to give them a full suit of clothes, and, if meritorious, a certificate of good behaviour, and a sum of money not exceeding 20 dollars; the most promising may be selected during their apprenticeship and promoted to midshipmen, master's mates, or any other inferior grade of otice; if promoted to midshipmen or master's mates, then their indentures to cease from the day of their promotion; a roll to be kept in the office of the Secretary of the Navy, of all apprentices, shewing their age, nativity, and date of their indentures; apprentices transferable from ship to ship, as the good of the service may require, which will give them a knowledge of all classes of ships; that merchant vessels shall take apprentices, vessels of 100 tons, one; 200 to 300 tons, two; of 400 to 600 tons, three; of 700 tons, four; &c. &c.

On motion of Mr. Metcalfe,

Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means be instructed to inquire into the expediency of making an appropriation for the payment of Philemon Thomas, Benjamin P. Thomas, and Lewis Craig, for services rendered in taking fort Baton Rouge, in 1810, and for losses sustained by them in effecting that object.

On motion of Mr. Livingston,