WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1823.

Another member, to wit: from Pennsylvania, Henry Wilson, appeared, was qualified, and took his seat.

Mr. Cushman presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the county of Kennebec, in the state of Maine, praying for the establishment of a post route; which petition was referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads.

Mr. Longfellow presented a petition of Ebenezer Lord, of the state of Maine, praying for a pension; which, together with a former petition from the same person, now on file in the office of this House, was referred to the Committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims. Mr. Cambreleng presented a petition of Mary Ann Springer, widow of Charles Springer, deceased, late a Lieutenant in the Navy of the United States, and who died in actual service in the line of his duty, praying to be placed on the list of navy pensioners; which petition was referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs.

Mr. Hemphill presented a memorial of a meeting of the Synod of Philadelphia, embracing the Presbyterian Churches in the southwestern part of New Jersey, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the states of Maryland and Delaware, and the District of Columbia, Convened at Georgetown, in said district, in October, 1823, praying for an increase of the annual appropriation for civilizing the Indian tribes and introducing the knowledge of letters among them; which memorial was referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Mr. Stewart presented a petition of Daniel Cummings, of the state of Pennsylvania, a purchaser of public lands prior to the 1st of July, 1820, praying that the advantages of the acts heretofore passed for the relief of purchasers of public lands, may be extended to him, having been unable to avail himself thereof, for reasons set forth in his petition.

Mr. Cocke presented a petition of John P. Thompson, of the state of Tennessee, assignee of a number of soldiers in the army of the United States in the late war with Great Britain, whose names are therein mentioned, praying for a grant of the bounty land to which the said soldiers were, respectively, entitled.

Mr. Vance presented a petition of John Jay Lovett, of the state of Ohio, a purchaser of public lands prior to the 1st of July, 1820, praying that the benefit of the acts for the relief of purchasers of public lands, may be granted to him, for reasons set forth in his petition.

Mr. Test presented a petition of Elisha Wade, of the state of Indiana, stating that he purchased a tract of land of the United States, which, upon a re-survey, fell short of the quantity purchased, by sixty five acres, and praying that the money paid for such deficiency, may be refunded to him.

Mr. Richard presented a petition of Marienne Lasselle, Julia Lasselle, and Jacque Lasselle, of the territory of Michigan, praying that a small piece of land, reserved for, and attached to a stockade and block-house, which they allege to be now useless for the purpose for

which it was reserved, may be granted to them, and re-united to the farm of which it was originally a part.

Mr. Richard presented a petition of the trustees of the University of Michigan, praying that the land granted to the said university may be located in detached and separate tracts, upon any of the public lands in said territory, instead of locating the same in an entire township, as provided for by law.

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committe on Public Lands.

On motion of Mr. Cook,

Ordered, That the petition of William Biggs, heretofore presented on the 15th January, 1822, be referred to the same committee.

Mr. Newton presented a petition of Harrison Allmand, jun. administrator of James R. Barnett, deceased, late of Norfolk, in Virginia, setting forth that, in consequence of an invoice of goods, imported into the United States by the deceased, not being verified according to law, he was subjected to the payment of fifty per cent. additional duties thereon, under the act, commonly called "the Appraisement Law;" that the invoice was subsequently verified according to law, when the entry at the custom-house was found to be fair and correct, and praying that the excess of fifty per cent on the duties so paid may be refunded to bim.

Mr. Poinsett presented a memorial of sundry banking institutions in Charleston. in South Carolina, and of sundry inhabitants of the same place, praying for a repeal of the 14th section of the Act incorporating the Bank of the United States, by which the bills of that bank, without reference to the place where issued, are made every where receivable in all payments to the government.

Ordered, That the said petition and memorial be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means.

Mr. Poinsett also presented a petition of Lewis Salomon, executor of the will of Peter Bonani, deceased, praying compensation for certain paintings, drawings, and designs, executed by the testator, by order of the Commissioner of the Public Buildings; which petition was referred to the Committee on the Public Buildings.

Mr. Cocke presented a petition of A. H. Henley, of Tennessee, heir and representative of Col. David Henley, deceased, stating that the act passed in 1813, for the relief of the deceased, has not been executed according to the spirit and meaning thereof, by which the petitioner is likely to sustain great injury; and praying that an act may be passed, exonerating the estate of the said Col. Henley from all liability for any demands which the United States may have against him, arising out of his transactions as a public agent in the territory south of the Ohio River; which petition was referred to the Committee of Claims.

On motion of Mr. Newton,

Ordered, That the case of William T. Nimmo, heretofore presented on the 10th December, 1817, be also referred to the Committee of Claims.

On motion of Mr. Cook,

Ordered, That the petition of Robert Blean, heretofore presented on the 12th December, 1821, be referred to the same Committee. On motion of Mr. Vance, of Ohio,

Ordered, That the petition of John Thomas, of that state, presented on the 17th December, 1821, be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.

Mr. Wickliffe presented a petition of Jesse Willson, of the state of Kentucky, stating that a tract of land, in Upper Louisiana, now Missouri, of 400 acres, was granted to him by the Spanish government, in 1796, and that, in consequence of having lost his title papers, the said land was taken possession of by the United States, and has been sold, and praying a grant of other lands of equal value; which petition was referred to the Committee on Private Land Claims.

On motion of Mr. Vinton,

Ordered, That the petition of William Kendall, heretofore presented on the 23d January, 1822, be referred to the same Committee. Mr. M'Lane, of Delaware, from the Committee of Ways and Means, made a report on the petition of Orange Heaton, and Josiah Hubbard, jr. which was read, and the resolution therein submitted concurred in, viz:

Resolved, That the prayer of the petitioners ought not to be granted.

Mr. M'Lane, from the same committee, also made a report on the petition of Jacob Babbit, accompanied by a bill for his relief; which bill was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole House to morrow.

Mr. Williams, of North Carolina, from the Committee of Claims, reported a bill for the relief of Jeremiah Manning; which was read the first and second time, and 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 Jean Daniel Cler, and that it be referred to the Committee on Private Land Claims; also, from the petition of Eliza Dill, and that it be referred to the Committee of Pensions and Revolutionary Claims.

Mr. Campbell, of Ohio, from the Committee on Private Land Claims, made a report on the petition of Jacob Shafer, accompanied by a bill for his relief; which bill was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole House to-morrow. The resolution laid on the table yesterday, by Mr. Allen, of Massachusetts, was taken up, read, and agreed to by the House.

The resolution laid on the table yesterday, by Mr. Rankin, was also taken up, read, and agreed to by the House.

The resolution laid on the table yesterday, by Mr. Owen, was, in like manner, taken up, read, and agreed to by the House.

A message from the Senate, by Mr. Cutts, their Secretary: Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a bill, entitled "An act supplementary to an act, entitled "An act for the relief of persons

imprisoned for debt," in which they ask the concurrence of this House. And then he withdrew.

Mr. Little moved that the House do come to the following resolu tion:

Resolved, That the Committee on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal be instructed to inquire into the expediency of authorizing the employment, under the direction of the President, of a part of the corps of Engineers, in surveying the grounds and ascertaining the best route in uniting the waters of the Ohio with the Chesapeake, by the way of the Susquehannah river.

The said resolution was read, and ordered to lie upon the table. Mr. Cocke submitted the following resolution, for consideration on to-morrow, viz:

Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to communicate to this House copies of all contracts for cannon, cannon shot, muskets, and other small arms for the use of the United States, which have been entered into since the 1st of January, 1820, and that he state whether notice for proposals was given for each contract in any newspaper, if so, in what paper, and how long before the contract was concluded; who are interested in each, ostensibly, or as secret partner, so far as he may have been informed or believes.

On motion of Mr. Thompson, of Kentucky,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post route from Hardensburg, in the county of Breckenridge, in the state of Kentucky, by Stephensport. in said county, to Rome, in the county of Perry, in the state of Indiana.

On motion of Mr. Strong,

Resolved, That the Committee on Naval Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of selling the schooners and vessels purchased under the act, entitled "An act authorizing an additional naval force for the suppression of piracy."

On motion of Mr. Hayward,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be directed to inquire into the expediency of repealing the 4th and 5th sections of an act of Congress, passed on the 27th of February, so far as the same relate to the conveyance of letters and packets, by steam-boat packets, and other vessels, not employed by the Postmaster General in transporting the mail of the United States.

On motion of Mr. Lathrop,

Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means be directed to consider the expediency of enlarging the terms on which the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, under the fifth section of the act passed March 3, 1807, entitled "An act to provide for the redemp tion of the Public Debt," may purchase that portion of the public debt which will become reimburseable on the first day of January, 1825.

On motion of Mr. Cook,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post route from Springfield to Lewistown, in Illinois.

On motion of Mr. Call,

Resolved, That the Committee on Commerce be instructed to inquire into the expediency of excluding foreign wreckers and fishermen from wrecking and fishing within the jurisdiction of the United States, on the coast of Florida; and further, to inquire into the expediency of giving encouragement and protection to the American wreckers on the coast of Florida.

On motion of Mr. Storrs,

Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means be instructed to inquire into the expediency of providing by law for compensation for a private Secretary to the President of the United States.

On motion of Mr. Rankin,

Resolved, That the Clerk of this House be directed to prepare and lay before this House, so soon as it can be conveniently done, a complete index to all the printed volumes which contain the communications of the President of the United States, and of the several Departments of the Government, to Congress, and the reports of the Committees of Congress.

An engrossed bill, entitled "An act for the relief of Charles M. Collier," was read the third time, and passed.

Ordered, That the title be as aforesaid, and that the Clerk do carry the said bill to the Senate, and ask their concurrence therein.

The order of the day on the bill to authorize the state of Indiana to open a canal through the public lands, to connect the navigation of the rivers Wabash and the Miami of Lake Erie, being called, it was

Ordered, That the order of the day for the House to resolve itself into a committee of the whole on that bill, be postponed until the second Monday in January next.

The House resolved itself into a committee of the whole House, on the bill, supplementary to an act, approved the 3d of March, 1819, entitled "An act providing for the correction of errors in making entries of land in the Land Offices;" and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Condict reported the same, with an amendment, which was read, and concurred in by the House. Ordered, That the said bill be engrossed, and read a third time to

morrow.

The order of the day on the bill for the relief of Sarah Perry, being called, it was

Ordered, That the order of the day for the House to resolve itself into a committee of the whole on that bill, be postponed until Monday

next.

And then the House adjourned.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1823.

Three other members, to wit: from Louisianna, Henry H. Gurley and Edward Livingston; and from New York, John J. Morgan, appeared, were qualified, and took their seats.

Mr. Kidder presented a petition of Edmund Parker, of the state of Maine, a soldier of the Revolutionary war;