Mr. Cassedy presented a petition of sundry citizens of New Jersey, engaged in the manufacture of duck and cotton bagging, praying that additional duties may be imposed on duck and all coarse cloths manufactured from hemp, tow, and flax, which may hereafter be imported into the United States; which petition was referred to the Committee on Manufactures.

Mr. Stewart presented a petition of John M'Lean, of the state of Pennsylvania, a Captain of militia in the service of the United States, in the late war with Great Britain, praying to be reimbursed the amount expended by him in providing clothing and equipments for his company.

Mr. Owen presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the counties of Mobile and Baldwin, in the state of Alabama, praying compensation for cattle taken for the use of the troops 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. Leftwich,

Ordered, That the petition of Mary James, heretofore presented on the 31st December, 1822, be referred to the Committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims.

Mr. McDuffie presented a petition of Francis Price, of South Carolina, praying for a pension; which petition was referred to the Committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims.

Mr. Conner presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of Lincolnton, in the state of North Carolina;

Mr. M'Duffie presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the village of Edgefield, and its vicinity, in the state of South Carolina; respectively praying for the establishment of post routes.

Mr. Moore, of Kentucky, presented a petition of Samuel B. Crocket, late deputy postmaster at the town of Frankfort, in that state, praying that the notes of the Bank of Kentucky, which he received in payment for postage, when said notes were at par value, but which are now greatly depreciated, may be received from him in the settlement of his accounts.

Mr. White presented a petition of Elliot Buckner, of Kentucky, praying to be released from his responsibility, as the surety of Edward F. Vawter, late deputy postmaster at Versailles, in that state, for reasons set forth in his petition.

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads.

Mr. McDuffie presented a petition of Thomas Tinsley, of the state of South Carolina, praying that a sum of money may be refunded to him, which, he alleges, was exacted from him, under the system of direct taxation, contrary to law, and to the implied faith of the Government; which petition was referred to the Committee of Ways and Means.

Mr. Gurley presented a petition of Joshua Blair, of the state of Louisiana, praying compensation for his property, applied to the

uses of the Ordnance Department of the Army of the United States; which petition was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.

Mr. M.Lane, of Delaware, from the Committee of Ways and Means, made a report on the petition of sundry distillers of Berks county, in the state of Pennsylvania, accompanied by a bill for the relief of said distillers; which bill was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole House to morrow.

Mr. McLane, from the same committee, to which the subject was referred, reported a bill making provision for a private secretary for the President of the United States; which bill was read a first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole House to

morrow.

Mr. McLane also made a report on the petition of Harrison Allmand, administrator of James R. Barnet; which was read, and the resolution therein recommended was concurred in by the House. "Resolved, That the prayer of the petitioner ought not to be granted."

Mr. Rankin, from the Committee on the Public Lands, to which was committed the bill supplementary to an act, approved on the sd day of March, 1819, entitled "An act providing for the correction of errors in making entries of land at the land offices," reported the same without amendment; which was read, and the bill was committed to a committee of the whole House to-morrow.

Mr. Rankin, from the same committee, to which was referred the memorial of the Legislature of the Territory of Arkansas upon the subject, reported a bill granting to said Territory the right of preemption to certain quarter sections of land; which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole House to

morrow.

Mr. Cocke, from the Committee on Indian Affairs, reported a bill appropriating a certain sum of money to Benjamin Huffman, of the state of Indiana; which bill 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 Samuel Ward, and that the said petition be referred to the Committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims.

Mr. Williams, of North Carolina, from the Committee of Claims, reported a bill for the relief of Samuel Wharton; which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole House to-morrow.

Mr. Hemphill, from the Committee on Roads and Canals, to which the subject was referred, reported a bill to authorize the surveying and making a road from Memphis, in the state of Tennessee, to Little Rock, in the Territory of Arkansas; which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole House to-morrow.

Mr. Hemphill, from the same committee, to whom the subject was also referred, reported a bill to authorize the laying out and opening certain public roads in the Territory of Florida; which was read the

first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole House to-morrow.

The House resumed the consideration of the resolution submitted by Mr. Cook, and depending yesterday; when

Mr. Williams, of North Carolina, withdrew the amendment which he proposed to the said resolution; and

Mr. Rankin moved to amend the same by striking out all after the word Resolved, and inserting as follows:

"That the Committee on the Public Lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of providing, by law, for the decision, by some tribunal, of all claims to land in the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Missouri, and in the Territory of Arkansas, which claims have been heretofore presented to some one of the boards of commissioners heretofore appointed to examine titles and claims to land in said States and Territory, but which have not been finally acted upon, because the quantity claimed exceeded that which said boards were severally authorized to confirm, or report to Congress for confirmation."

The said amendment was read, and the resolution was ordered to lie on the table.

The Speaker laid before the House a report from the Postmaster General, in obedience to the resolution of the 16th inst. upon the subject of distributing post offices;" which was read, and referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads.

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The Speaker also laid before the House a report from the Secretary of State, made in obedience to the resolution of the 8th inst. calling on him for information respecting sick and disabled American seamen, who may have been provided for in the Infirmary or Hospital, at Liverpool, in England, under the direction of the American Consul at that place; which report was laid on the table.

The Speaker also laid before the House a report of the Secretary of War, on the petition of George Burton; which was referred to the Committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims,

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

On motion of Mr. Tucker, of Virginia,

Ordered, That the several messages from the President of the United States to the House of Representatives, enclosing communications from the minister plenipotentiary of France, in relation to the claim. of the heir and representative of the late Caron de Beaumarchais, together with all papers on file in the office of this House, in rela tion to said claim, be referred to a select committee; and,

Mr. Tucker, of Virginia, Mr. Livingston, Mr. Buck, Mr. Tyson, and Mr. Rives, were appointed said committee.

On motion of Mr. Gurley,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Public Lands be directed to inquire into the expediency of increasing the salary of the Register and Receiver of the Land Office at St. Helena Court House, in the state of Louisiana.

On motion of Mr. Francis Johnson,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a judicial district in Kentucky, on the south of Green river.

On motion of Mr. Buck,

Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be directed to inquire into the expediency of authorizing the Secretary of War to permit the issue of ammunition to Capt. Alden Partridge, Superintendent of the American Literary, Scientific, and Military Academy, for the improvement of the pupils of said academy in practical gun

nery.

Mr. Livingston submitted the following resolution:

Resolved, That provision ought to be made by law for increasing the establishment of the Military Academy at West Point, so as to admit five hundred cadets as students in the same; and that the committee on that part of the President's message which relates to the Military Academy, be directed to prepare and bring in a bill accordingly.

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

On motion of Mr. McArthur,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire into the expediency of providing a more adequate punishment than is provided by the existing laws, for postmasters and other persons employed in the management or transportation of the mail, who may be guilty of robbing the same.

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The bill from the Senate, entitled "An act supplementary to An act, entitled An act for the relief of persons imprisoned for debt," was read the third time, and passed as amended.

Ordered, That the Clerk do acquaint the Senate therewith, and ask their concurrence in the amendment to the said bill.

The House resolved itself into a committee of the whole House on the bill further extending the term of half pay pensions to the widows and children of officers, seamen, and marines, who died in the public service; and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Foot, of Connecticut, reported the same without amendment.

Ordered, That the said bill be engrossed, and read a third time on Friday next.

The House resolved itself into a committee of the whole House on the bill for the relief of Brintnel Robbins; and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Taylor reported the same without amendment.

Ordered, That the said bill be engrossed, and read a third time on Friday next.

The House resolved itself into a committee of the whole House on the bill for the relief of Loudon Case; and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Condict reported the same without amendment.

Ordered, That the said bill be engrossed, and read a third time on Friday next.

On motion of Mr. Lathrop,

Ordered, That, when the House adjourns, it will adjourn to meet again on Friday next.

And then the House adjourned.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER, 26, 1823.

Mr. Crowninshield presented memorials and petitions from sundry merchants and underwriters, of Salem, Marblehead, and Gloucester, in the state of Massachusetts, praying compensation for spoliations committed on their lawful commerce, by French cruisers, between the years 1793 and 1800; which memorials and petitions were ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Sharpe presented a memorial signed by a committee on behalf of the citizens of the city of New York, convened by general notice, in said city, praying that the tariff of duties may be so increased as to shield the manufactures of the United States from foreign competition. Mr.Hemphill presented a similar memorial of sundry citizens of the city and county of Philadelphia, in the state of Pennsylvania. Ordered, That the said memorials be referred to the Committee on Manufactures.

On motion of Mr. Ball,

Ordered, That the petition of Gordon Forbes, heretofore presented on the 21st of December, 1821, be referred to the Committee of Claims.

Mr. Ball presented a petition of John Lunsford, of the state of Virginia, setting forth, that, while a vessel, containing a cargo of sugars, the property of the petitioner, valued at six thousand dollars, was pursuing her voyage from the island of Cuba to the United States, she was captured by pirates, stripped of a great portion of her rigging, and all her cargo, except one hundred hogsheads of sugar; that the greater part of the sugar which was left in said vessel, became damaged by a storm; and that, upon its arrival in the United States, it was sold for a sum, which only exceeded the duties paid upon it by the sum of $150; in consequence of which, the petitioner has been ruined in his affairs, and praying relief; which petition was referred to the Committee of Ways and Means.

Mr. Wright presented a petition of Bezaleel Wells, of the state of Ohio, a purchaser of public lands, stating that, owing to a misconstruction of his directions by his agent, three hundred dollars were paid by him into the public treasury on settling his accounts under the act for the relief of purchasers of public lands previous to the 1st July, 1820, and praying that the same may be refunded to him; which petition was referred to the Committee of Claims.

Mr. Beecher presented a petition of Johnson Cook, of the state of Ohio, praying to be restored to the roll of Revolutionary pensioners; which was referred to the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions.

Mr. Scott presented a petition of Charles Gratiot, Lieutenant Colonel of Engineers, praying extra compensation for extra services,