Christian Fenter, presented December 11, 1817. Thomas Fenwick, et alia, presented December 12, 1817. Foster Fartle, presented January 26, 1818. Victoire Gratiot, et alia, presented March 9, 1818. Daniel Hildebrand, presented February 10, 1818. Madame Honoré and son, Louis Telson Honoré, presented De. cember 29, 1817. Ebenezer Hubble, presented November 23, 1818. George Henderson, presented January 18, 1818. Charles and James Hempstead, heirs of Edward Hempstead, presented February 28, 1818. Joseph Hertick, presented December 23, 1817. Jacob Jacobs, presented March 9, 1818. Samuel Kenyon, presented February 11, 1818. Francis Keener, presented March 9, 1818. John Lorens, presented January 18, 1818. Samuel Love, assignee of James Drybread, presented November 19, 1818. Vallentine Love, presented February 24, 1818. Francois Leclare, et alia, presented December 7th, 1818. John Layton, presented March 29, 1818. Joaquim de Lisa, presented December 29, 1817. Manuel de Lisa, presented December 29, 1817. La Basqué, Jean, presented March 23, 1818. William T. Lamme, presented February 11, 1818. Charles Lucas, assignee of S. Jones and P. Jones, presented January 5, 1818. Bede Moore, presented December 14, 1818. Nicholas Moore, presented December 14, 1818. Thomas Maddin, three petitions, presented January 26, 1818. Inhabitants of Missouri, presented March 18, 1818. Jean Baptiste Pratt, et alia, presented December 7, 1818. Clement B. Penrose, presented December 14, 1818. Arend Rutgers, presented January 12, 1818. William Reed's heirs, presented December 11, 1817. George Robertson and James Willborn, presented March 9, 1818. Bernard Rogan, Thomas Beare, and Walter Crow, presented March 16, 1818. George Ramy, presented March 9, 1818. Thomas S. Rodney, presented December 29, 1817. Joseph Smith and John Weaver, presented December 18, 1818. Joseph Smith, presented March 9, 1818. Simeon Smith and Frederick Miller, presented March 9, 1818. John Shepherd, assignee of Daniel Mullin, presented Dec. 15, 1817. Charles Sexton, presented January 5, 1818. Charles Sexton, presented March 21, 1818. Titus Strickland, heir of Nath'l Holcom, presented Dec. 19, 1817. Martin Thomas, presented February 24, 1818. Samuel Thompson, et alia, presented February 10, 1818. Richard R. Venables, presented December 17, 1818. John Watkin's heirs, presented February 27, 1818. Ordered, That the petition of William Edgar and Alexander Macomb, heretofore presented on the 7th January, 1822, be also referred to the Committee on the Public Lands. Mr. Thompson, of Georgia, presented a document in support of the claim of Thomas Carr and others, commissioners, appointed by Georgia, to examine and survey the lands in the Big Bend of Tennessee river, being the original grant to Stephen Heard; which was referred to the Committee on the Public Lands. Mr. Owen, presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the county of Mobile, in the state of Alabama, praying that the right of preemption in the purchase of a section of land, including their residence and improvements, may be granted to them, respectively; which petition was referred to the Committee on Private Land Claims. On motion of Mr. Moore, of Alabama, Ordered, That the memorial of the Legislature of the state of Alabama, heretofore presented on the 3d February, 1823, upon the subject of fortifications at Mobile Point and Dauphin Island; together with the Message from the President of the United States communicated to this House on the 28th March, 1822, upon the subject of fortifications at the same places, be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. On motion of Mr. Moore, of Alabama, Ordered, That the memorial of the Legislature of the state of Alabama, heretofore presented on the 3d of February, 1823, requesting that lands which have been offered at public sale, may be entered in fourth-quarter sections, be referred to the Committee on the Public Lands. On motion of Mr. Moore, of Alabama, Ordered, That the memorial of the Legislature of the state of Alabama, heretofore presented on the 3d of February, 1823, in behalf of such purchasers of public lands as bad made full payment prior to the passage of the relief law, be also referred to the Committee on the Public Lands. On motion of Mr. Moore, of Alabama, Ordered, That so much of the memorial of the Legislature of the state of Alabama, heretofore presented on the 3d of February, 1823, as recommends that a right of pre-emption be extended to settlers in Jackson and Decatur counties, in the purchase of lands, including their improvements, be also referred to the Committee on the Public Lands. Mr. Rankin, from the Committee on the Public Lands, to which was referred, on the 8th instant, a memorial of the General Assembly of the territory of Arkansas, reported a bill authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to furnish, for the use of the territory of Arkansas, an abstract of the military bounty lands lying within the same; which bill was read the first and second time, amended, and ordered to be engrossed, and read the third time to-morrow. Ordered, That the Committee of Ways and Means be discharged from the further consideration of the petition of Neal Munn and John M'Kellar, and that it be referred to the Committee on the Public Lands; also, that the said committee be discharged from the further consideration of the memorial of the General Assembly of the territory of Arkansas, respecting the lands occupied by the Quapau Indians, and that it be referred to the Secretary of War. Mr. Williams, of North Carolina, from the Committee of Claims, made an unfavorable report on the petition of the Levy Court of the county of Calvert, in the state of Maryland, which was read, and ordered to lie on the table. Ordered, That Mr. Bradley be excused from serving on the Committee on the Public Lands, and that another member be appointed in his place; and Mr. Whipple was appointed accordingly. Mr. Fuller submitted the following resolution, viz: Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to communicate to this House, a plan for a peace establishment of the Navy of the United States. The said resolution was read, and ordered to lie on the table one day, under the rule. On motion of Mr. Herrick, Resolved, That the Committee on Commerce be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing the town of Bowdoinham, in the Collection District of Bath, in the state of Maine, a port of delivery. On motion of Mr. Cobb, Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means be instructed to inquire into the expediency of repealing so much of the laws of the United States as imposes a duty on imported salt. On motion of Mr. Tomlinson, Resolved, That the Committee on Commerce be instructed to inquire whether it be expedient so to amend the act, entitled " An act to regulate the collection of duties on imports and tonnage," as to abolish the office of measurer; to provide that the duties heretofore performed by the measurers, in virtue of said act, shall be performed by the inspectors; and to prohibit the allowance of any additional compensation to inspectors for measuring. On motion of Mr. Test, Resolved, That the Committee on the Public Lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of reducing the price of all the unsold lands in the state of Indiana, lying east of a line drawn from the mouth of the Kentucky river, northwardly to Fort Recovery, near the head waters of the Wabash river. Also, all the unsold lands in said state, included in a purchase made by the United States of the Delaware, Pottawatomie, Miami, and Eel river tribes of Indians, by treaty concluded at Fort Wayne, by William Henry Harrison, as agent of the said United States, and the last mentioned Indians, bearing date the 30th day of September, in the year 1809, immediately adjoining to, aud lying westwardly, along the aforesaid line, running from the mouth of Kentucky river to Fort Recovery. On motion of Mr. Whipple, Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of amending the act making provision for arming and equipping the militia of the United States, passed April 3, 1808, so that the arms provided by virtue of said act, and transmitted to the several states and territories of the United States, shall, by each state and territory, be deposited, and kept, in proper arsenals, to be provided by said state or territory, ready to be delivered to the militia thereof, only when called into the actual service of the United States, or of the state or territorial government, and to be returned to such place or places of deposite when said service shall cease. On motion of Mr. Cushman, Resolved, That the subject of the public buildings and the public lands in the City of Washington, be referred to a select committee. Mr. Cushman, Mr. Van Wyck, Mr. Cassedy, Mr. Brown, Mr. Hobart, Mr. Bartlett, and Mr. Dwinel, were appointed said committee. Mr Cook submitted the following resolution; Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed to communicate to this House all the information in his possession, tending to show the circumstances connected with a recent robbery of the Land Office, at Vandalia, in the state of Illinois; and the justice of releasing the Receiver of Public Moneys from his liability to the Government for the said robbery. The said resolution was read, and ordered to lie on the table one day, under the rule. On motion of Mr. Conway, Resolved, That the Committee on Indian Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing three additional agencies west of the Mississippi On motion of Mr. Isacks, Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of so amending the several laws allowing a bounty to enlisted soldiers or their heirs, and, also, the laws authorizing the commutation of the land bounty for half pay, that the same bounty in land, or the allowance of half pay, may be extended to the children of such soldiers, who may have been regularly enlisted, but who may have fallen in action or died before they had been mustered into service, as, by law, is allowed in other cases. The resolution from the Senate for the appointment of a joint committee, to have the application of the money appropriated for the purchase of books, &c. for the Library of Congress, was read and concurred in by the House; and Mr. Smyth, Mr. Bradley, and Mr. Poinsett, were appointed of the said Committee on the part of this House. Ordered. That the Clerk do acquaint the Senate therewith, and that the resolution of this House, for the same purpose, do lie on the table. The resolution from the Senate, authorizing the appointment of a joint committee, to make such distribution of the rooms of the centre building of the Capitol as the business and convenience of the two Houses of Congress may require, was read, and concurred in by the House; and |