Mr. Long presented a memorial adopted at a yearly meeting of the society of Friends, held at New Garden, in Guilford County, North Carolina, on the 6th of November, 1825, representing that they hold the marriage covenant the highest civil engagement amongst men; that it ought to be held sacred and inviolable; notwithstanding which, the masters of slaves are tolerated, by the laws of the land, in breaking this most solemn contract, by separating husbands and wives; and praying Congress to adopt such measures, as may be best calculated to meliorate the condition of slaves within its jurisdiction, at least, within the District of Columbia; which memorial was referred to the Committee for the District of Columbia.

On motion of Mr. Ross,

Ordered, That the petition of the administrators on the estate of John H. Piatt, late of the state of Ohio, deceased, presented on the 81st December, 1822, together with the report of the select Committee, made thereon, on the 3d of March last, be referred to a Select Committee; and,

Mr. Ross, Mr. Mallary, Mr. Jenkins, Mr. Longfellow, Mr. M'Coy, Mr. Vinton, and Mr. Foote, of New York, were appointed the committee.

Mr. Conway presented a memorial of the General Assembly of the territory of Arkansas, praying that provision may be made for opening a public road from the town of Memphis, or Lower Chickasaw Bluffs, on the Mississippi, to Little Rock, the seat of government in said territory; which memorial was referred to the Committee on Roads and Canals.

Ordered, That leave be given to withdraw the petitions presented yesterday, by Mr. Farrelly, from inhabitants of the counties of Erie and Crawford, in the state of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Cambreleng, from the Committee of Ways and Means, to which was referred the Message from the President of the United States, in relation to the accounts of Governor Tompkins, made a report, accompanied by a bill, appropriating a certain sum of money for the relief of Daniel D. Tompkins; which bill was read the first and second time, and committed to a Committee of the whole House to-morrow.

Mr. Webster, from the Committee on the Judiciary, to which was referred the petition of sundry attorneys at law, in Alabama, reported a bill to alter the times for holding the District Court, at Mobile, in the District of Alabama; which was read the first and second time, and ordered to be engrossed and read a third time to-morrow.

The House proceeded to consider the resolutions submitted yesterday, by Mr. Brent; and the first resolution being amended, by appending thereto these words: "and which has not been heretofore reported to Congress:"

Mr. Wright moved to amend each of the resolutions, by striking out Secretary of the Treasury be directed," and inserting "President of the United States be requested:" This amendment was decided in the negative.

And the question was then taken to agree to the resolutions, as amended.

And passed in the affirmative.

Mr. M.Lane, of Del. submitted the following resolution, viz:

Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to communicate to this House, all such parts of the correspondence with the government of Spain, touching the Florida treaty, to the period of its final ratification, which have not yet been communicated, and which, in his opinion, it may not be inconsistent with the public interest to communicate.

The said resolution was read, and ordered to lie one day, under the rule.

Mr. Storrs submitted the following resolution:

Resolved, That the Postmaster General be directed to communicate to this House a statement, exhibiting the amount of postage received during the year 1822, at each Post Office in the United States, and the territories thereof.

The said resolution was read, and ordered to lie on the table one day, under the rule.

On motion of Mr. Call,

Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of fortifying the harbor of Pensacola. On motion of Mr. Whittlesey,

Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of providing by law for the distribution of arms to the militia of the District of Columbia, in a proportion corresponding with the number of effective militia in said district; and for the designation of a proper officer to receive the same. Mr. Gazlay submitted the following resolution, viz:

Resolved, That the Postmaster General be directed to lay before this House the amount of defalcations in his department, which occurred previous to July 1825, and which were not sued for as directed by the 29th section of the act regulating the post office establishment, designating the years when each occurred, and not to extend beyond sixteen years.

The said resolution was read, and ordered to lie on the table one day, under the rule.

On motion of Mr. Call,

Resolved, That the Committee on Roads and Canals be instructed to inquire into the expediency of opening a road in the most direct and practicable route from Pensacola to St. Augustine; and further, to inquire into the expediency of opening a road from St. Marks to Cape Sable, in the territory of Florida.

On motion of Mr. Owen,

Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of resuming the prosecution of the work on Dauphin Island, for the defence of the bay and harbor of Mobile; and further, to inquire whether the plan now pursued by Government in prosecuting the work on Mobile Point is the most

practicable for the interest of the Government, and the speedy completion of the work.

On motion of Mr. M'Kean,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post road from Williamsport, in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, through Canton, Troy, Columbia, and Wells, in Bradford county, to Elmira, in the state of New York: And also, of the expediency of establishing a post route from Jacob Grantier's, in Canton township, through Franklin and Monroe, to Meansville, in Bradford county.

On motion of Mr. Hemphill,

Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to communicate to this House copies of such parts of the correspondence of the late Minister of the United States at the Court of France, with the French Government, and such parts of the correspondence of said Minister with the Secretary of State, relative to claims of citizens of the United States, for spoliations upon our lawful commerce, as, in the opinion of the President, may not be inconsistent with the public interest.

The said resolution was read, and ordered to lie on the table one day, under the rule.

On motion of Mr. Standefer,

Resolved, That the Committee on Roads and Canals be instructed to inquire into the expediency of making appropriation for the opening of a canal between the navigable water of the Tennessee and Coosy rivers.

On motion of Mr. Brent,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be directed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post route from the post of Arkansas, in the territory of Arkansas, to Monroe, in the county of Ouachita, Louisiana.

On motion of Mr. Forsyth,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a mail route, from Houston Court house to De Kalb Court-house, in Georgia, passing by Knoxville, in Crawford county, Newman, in Pike county, and Fayetteville, in Fayette county; and of extending the mail route now established from Macon to Covington; to begin at Marion, in Trigg county, passing by Macon, in Bibb county, Forsyth, in Monroe county, Hamilton, in Henry county, to Coving. ton, in Newton county.

On motion of Mr. Wright,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire whether any, and, if any, what, alterations are necessary in the existing laws establishing rules of naturalization; and also, into the expediency of furnishing copies of those laws to the courts of the several states authorized to naturalize aliens, so as to secure to persons desirous of naturalization the benefit thereof.

On motion of Mr. Wright,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire into the expediency of so revising and amending the several acts of Congress, allowing salaries to the District Judges of the United States, as to equalize, as near as practicable, the compensa. tion to be received by said Judges.

On motion of Mr. Henry,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post route from Hopkinsville, Kentucky, by the way of M'Laughlin's Mill, Flat Lick, and Dover, to Jackson, in West Tennessee.

And then the House adjourned.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1823.

Mr. O'Brien presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the town of Bucksport, in the state of Maine, praying for the establishment of a new district for the collection of duties on imports and tonnage, and that the said town of Bucksport may be made the port of entry thereof; which petition was referred to the Committee on Commerce. On motion of Mr. Tomlinson,

Ordered, That the petition of Elijah Bailey, Christopher Lester, Daniel Douglas, and Noyes Barber, heretofore presented on the 18th of December, 1822, be referred to the Committee on Commerce.

On motion of Mr. Kidder,

Ordered, That the petition of Isaac Hodsdon, heretofore presented on the 19th February, 1822, be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.

Mr. Crowninshield presented a petition of Robert Farley, administrator on the estate of Robert Farley, deceased, late collector of the revenue for the 9th district of Massachusetts, praying to be allowed, in the settlement of the accounts of the deceased, for his official expenditures, amounting to $534 82.

Mr. Storrs presented a petition of Alvin Bronson, of the state of New York, praying compensation for a vessel called "the Penelope," captured by the British forces on Lake Ontario, while in the service of the United States, in the late war with Great Britain. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee of Claims.

On motion of Mr. Cady,

Ordered, That the petition of Jacob Zimmerman, heretofore presented on the 2d of February, 1822, be referred to the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions.

Mr. Storrs presented a petition of Roger Merrill, of the state of New York, setting forth that he has been placed on the roll of Revolutionary pensioners, but that the payment of the pension has been refused on the ground that, at the time of the passage of the act of 1818, the petitioner was in the British province of Canada, which reason the petitioner alleges to be erroneous.

Ordered, Thrt the petition be referred to the Committee on Revolutionary pensions.

Mr. Tyson presented a memorial of James L. Bell, and others, composing the Mississippi Land Compay of New York, setting forth, that, at very great expense, they have acquired the title to all that tract of land situated on the North Western Territory, commonly called "Carver's grant;" lying on the east bank of the Mississippi River, at the falls of Saint Anthony, and praying that their title to said land may be confirmed; which memorial was referred to the Committee on Private Land Claims.

Mr. Forward presented a petition of William Tenery, praying compensation for his services as a soldier of the war of the Revolu tion, as, also, for a grant of his bounty in land; which petition was referred to the Committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims.

Mr. Hemphill presented a memorial of sundry inhabitants of the city and county of Philadelphia, praying for a revision of the tariff of duties on imports, so as to afford further protection to domestic manufactures; which memorial was referred to the Committee on Manufactures.

On motion of Mr. Kent,

Ordered, That the application of the Registers of Wills in the counties of Washington and Alexandria, in the District of Columbia, which was before this House at the last session for an increase of their fees, be referred to the Committee for the District of Columbia.

Mr. Archer presented a petition of Robert Knox, master of the British brig Luna, now lying at Petersburg in Virginia, setting forth, that, in consequence of having touched at Bermuda in her passage from England to the United States, she is debarred by the act of March, 1823, from taking return cargo from the United States; that he was ignorant of the existence of said act, until after his arrival, and praying for a remission of the tonnage imposed on his ves sel, as also to be allowed demurrage for waiting the decision of the Treasury officers on his case; which petition was referred to the Committee of Ways and Means.

Mr. Reynolds presented a petition of Charles Miles, praying compensation for his services as a soldier in the Revolutionary war, as also for a grant of his bounty in land; which petition was referred to the Committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims.

On motion of Mr. Isacks,

Ordered, That the petition of Thomas Carr, presented on the 18th of January, 1816, together with all the papers on file in the office of this House, in relation to the claims of the commissioners appointed - by the state of Georgia to examine and survey the lands in the Big Bend of Tennessee river, or their representatives, be referred to the Committee on the Public Lands.

Mr. Scott presented a petition of John Biddle, praying that the election and return of Gabriel Richard, as the delegate in this House, for the Territory of Michigan, may be set aside and his seat vacated, on the ground that said Richard was not, at the time of his election,