Whereupon the said John Anderson was brought to the bar of this House in custody of the sergeant-at-arms; And being at the bar as aforesaid: Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the rules prescribed in the resolution of the 8th instant, propounded, in succession, the following interrogatories. 1st. Do you acknowledge yourself to be John Anderson? Answer. Yes. 2d. Did you write and deliver to Lewis Williams, a member of this House, the letter of which a copy has been furnished you by the Clerk? Answer. I did. swer. 3d. From what part of the City did you write the letter? AnI wrote it at Mr. Bestor's, where I board. 4th. What is the amount of your own claims, which you are attempting to liquidate? Answer. About nine thousand dollars. 5th. What is the amount of those of others, which you are soliciting? Answer. About twenty-one thousand dollars. 6th. Have you any interest in the latter? Answer. None of a pecuniary kind, but am influenced in their pursuit by motives of charity. 7th. Had you any authority from the persons you represent, to make the offer contained in your letter? Answer. I have a general power of attorney, to do for them as I would do for myself, but had no instructions to make that or any other offer. 8th. Are you acquainted with any persons now in the City, 80liciting the claims of others, if so name them? Answer. I am. There is a Mr. Pomeroy, who is soliciting his own claims, and colonel Watson who is a general agent. 9th. Have you made any other offer to any person? Answer. No. 10. Did you consult or advise with any person, before you wrote and delivered the letter? Answer. I did not. 11. Who is the Mr. Halbard you mention in the letter? Answer. He is a gentleman I became partially acquainted with during the troubles at the River Raisin. I have not seen him since that time, till I arrived in this City at the present session of Congress, and did not recognize him until he made himself known to me. 12. Has he any claims to solicit? Answer. None to my knowledge. 13. Have you any witnesses to examine or defence to make, in justification or explanation of your conduct? If you have, the House is now ready to hear you. The said John Anderson then stated, that he had a written defence to make, and sundry witnesses to examine, whom he wished to be examined previous to the offer of his defence. Whereupon sundry witnesses were called to the bar of the House, and being sworn by the Speaker, were examined by the said John Anderson, and by the Speaker; and minutes of their examination were taken down. A question being made as to the course of interrogation of a witness under examination; and debate arising thereon; The said John Anderson was remanded into the custody of the sergeant-at-arms; and, The House adjourned. FRIDAY, January 16, 1818. Mr. Orr presented a petition of John McKown, owner of the fishing vessel called the Enterprize," which, while on a fishing voyage, was captured by a British cruizer and carried into a British port, where she was discharged, by which capture she was prevented from employing the time necessary to entitle her to the bounty allowed by law, and praying to be allowed the said bounty, Mr. Orr also presented a similar petition of Jonathan Pierce, owner of the fishing vessel called the Rambler. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee of Commerce and Manufactures. Mr. Huntington presented a petition of Andrew Griswold, a lieutenant in the revolutionary army, praying for a pension. Mr. Wilkin presented a petition of William Jackson a deputy commissary of forage in the revolutionary army, praying compensation for his services as aforesaid, and for property furnished for the use of the said army. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims. On motion of Mr. Southard Ordered, That the petition of George Rowles, presented on the 26th December, 1816, be also referred to the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims. Mr. Crafts presented a petition of John Barney, a constable in the town of Saint Johnsbury, in the state of Vermont, stating that in virtue of process directed to him, he searched for, and found certain goods which he delivered to the authority issuing the warrant, that it afterwards appeared the said goods had been illegally brought into the United States, on account of which the petitioner hath been subjected to damagos under the revenue laws and praying relief in the premises. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee of Ways and Means. Mr. Robertson presented a petition of Samuel H. Harper, Register, Alfred Loveain, Receiver, and L. P. Barbin, Clerk in the Land Office for the Eastern Land District of the state of Louisiana, praying for additional compensation for the duties required of and performed by them. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee. of Claims. Mr. Pope presented a petition of the Legislative Council and House of Representatives of the territory of Illinois, praying that the said territory may be formed into a state government, and that the state, when formed, may be admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original states, which was referred to a sclect committee, and Mr. Pope, Mr. Clai orne, Mr. Johnson, of Kentucky, Mr. Spencer and Mr. Whitman were appointed on the said committee. Ordered, That the committee of Claims be discharged from a further consideration of the petition of John Crane, and that the said petition be referred to the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims. Mr. Robertson, of Louisiana, from the committee on the Public Lands made a report on the petition of George Pearson, which was read; when, Mr. Robertson reported a bill for the relief of George Pearson. which was read the first and second time and committed to a committee of the whole on Monday next. 1 Mr. Robertson also reported a bill for the relief of John Jones, which was read the first and second time and committed to a committee of the whole on Monday next. Mr. Robertson from the committee on the Public Lands, to whom had been committed the bill from the Senate, entitled “ An act to provide for paying to the state of Indiana three per cent. of the nett proceeds arising from the sales of the United States lands within the same," reported the same without amendment. Ordered, That the said bill, be committed to a committee of the whole on Monday next. Mr. Hugh Nelson from the committee on the Judiciary, reported a bill to provide for the publication of the laws of the United States and for other purposes, which was read the first and second time and committed to a committee of the whole to-morrow. The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting the annual statement of the tonnage of the United States on the 31st December, 1816, which was read and ordered to lie on the table. The message received yesterday from the President of the United States was read as follows, viz: To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States: The claim of the representatives of the late Caton de Beaumarchais, having been recommended to the favorable consideration of the Legislature by my predecessor in his message to Congress of the 31st January last, and concurring in the sentiments therein expressed, I now transmit copies of a representation relative to it, eceived by the Secretary of State from the minister of France, and of correspondence on the subject between the Minister of the United States, at Paris, and the Duke of Richelieu, enclosed with that representation. Washington, 12th January, 1818. JAMES MONROE. Ordered, That the said message, together with the petitions of J. A. Chevallie, attorney for the heirs of the late Caron de Beaumarchais, and the several accompanying documents now on file in the Clerk's office relating to the claim of the said heirs, be referred to the committee of Ways and Means. Mr. Holmes, of Massachusetts, submitted the following resolution, which was read; Resolved, That a committee be appointed to inquire whether any, and if any, what clerks or other officers in either of the Departments or in any office at the seat of the General Government have conducted themselves improperly in their official duties; and that the committee have power to send for persons and papers. A motion was made by Mr. Storrs to amend the said resolution by striking out all after the word clerks to the word duties; and in lieu thereof, to insert "have received any other compensations for the performance of their public duties than what is prescribed by law;" And the question being taken thereon; It was determined in the negative. A motion was then made by Mr. Rich to lay the said resolution on the table; And the question being taken thereon; It was also determined in the negative. The question was then taken to agree to the said resolution, were read, and the resolutions therein contained, were concurred in by the House, as follows, viz: Resolved, That the prayer of the petition of John Barr, ought not to be granted. Resolved, That the prayer of the petition of Joseph Landon, ought not to be granted. Mr. Lowndes, from the same committee, to whom was referred the bill from the Senate, entitled "An act to allow the benefit of drawback, on merchandise transported by land conveyance, from Bristol to Boston, and from Boston to Bristol, in like manner as if the same were transported coastwise;" reported the same without amend ment. Ordered, That the said bill be read a third time to-morrow. Mr. Southard, from the committee appointed on so much of the President's message as relates to Indian Affairs, made a report upon the subject, which was read; when, Mr. Southard reported a bill, for establishing trading houses with the Indian tribes, and for the organization and encouragement of schools for their instruction and civilization; which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole, on Monday next. Mr. Wilson, of Pennsylvania, from the joint committee for Enrolled Bills, reported, that the committee had examined an enrolled bill, entititled An act making further provision for repairing the public buildings," and had found the same to be truly enrolled: when, The Speaker signed the said bill. Ordered, That the Clerk acquaint the Senate therewith. The Speaker laid before the House, a letter from the Secretary of the Navy, transmitting two hundred printed copies of the Naval Register, for the year 1818, for the use of the members of the House. On motion of Mr. Johnson, of Virginia, Resolved, That the committee on Naval Affairs be instructed to inquire whether any, and if any, what alterations are necessary and proper to be made in the several laws relating to the government of the Navy. Resolved, That the Secretary of the Navy, be directed to report to this House, the proceedings of the Court Martial, ordered by commodore Isaac Chauncy, on the Mediterranean station, for the trial of Capt. Oliver H. Perry: Also, the proceedings of the Court Martial, on the same station, ordered by the same officer, for the trial of Capt. John Heath, of the Marine Corps. On motion of Mr. Barber, of Ohio, Resolved, That the committee on the Public Lands, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of increasing the salary of the register and receiver of public moneys at Marietta. Mr. Harrison withdrew the resolution which he submitted yesterday, in relation to the memory of general Thaddeus Kosciusko. |