A message from the Senate, by Mr. Cutts, their Secretary:

Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a bill, entitled "An act in addition to an act, making appropriations for repairing certain roads, therein described," in which they ask the concurrence of this House.

The said bill was read the first and second time, and committed to the committee appointed on that part of the President's message which relates to Roads, Canals, and Seminaries of Learning.

The resolution from the Senate, directing "the publication and distribution of the journal, and proceedings of the convention which formed the present Constitution of the United States," was read the first and second time, and committed to the committee appointed by this House on the 7th instant, upon that subject.

The House proceeded to consider the bill, authorizing the commutation of soldiers' bounty lands; when,

- A motion was made by Mr. Garnett, that the said bill be postponed indefinitely.

And the question being taken thereon,

There appeared,

Yeas.......... ...........77,

Nays..

Nays......................77.

The yeas and nays being required by one-fifth of the members

The Speaker voting in the negative, the question was lost.

The question was then taken, to agree to the amendment pro-' posed to the said bill, by Mr. Robertson, of Louisiana, on the 31st ultimo;

And determined in the negative.

The amendments, reported by the committee of the whole, on the said 31st ultimo, were then amended at the Clerk's table, and concurred in by the House, as amended; and,

A motion was made by Mr. Taylor, further to amend the said bill;

And debate arising thereon,

The House adjourned.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 1818.

Mr. Claggett presented a petition of Robert Ramsay, praying for a penson.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims.

On motion of Mr. Spangler,

Ordered, That the petition of Daniel Spangler, agent for the heirs of George Nebinger, deceased, presented on the 13th April, 1812; and,

On motion of Mr. Barbour, of Virginia,

Ordered, That the petition of John Porter, presented on the 12th February, 1808, be referred to the said committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims,

Mr. Silsbee presented a petition of sundry merchants of Salem, in the state of Massachusetts, praying that the terms of credit, for the duties on goods, wares, and merchandise, imported from places beyond the Cape of Good Hope, may be modified and extended.

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

Mr. Crafts presentad a petition of William Johnson, a soldier in the revolutionary army, praying that some provision may be made, for his future support.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee appointed on so much of the President's message, as relates to the surviving officers and soldiers of the revolutionary army.

Mr. Lawyer presented a petition of captain Giles Kellogg, and the company under his command, late in the volunteer service of the United States, praying to be remunerated for losses, sustained by them at the capture of Ogdensburgh and Horse Island, in the state of New York, by the British forces, during the late war.

Mr. Hubbard presented a petition of John Bellinger, stating, that during the late war, his four sons died, while in the militia service of the United States, and praying to be paid the amount of his expenditures for attendance and medical aid, previous to their de cease, and while in service, as aforesaid.

Mr. Marchand presented a petition of John Heddinger, praying to be paid the amount of a loan office certificate, issued in the revolutionary war.

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee of Claims.

On motion of Mr. Robertson, of Louisiana,

Ordered, That the petition of Samuel H. Harper, presented on the 23d of January, 1817, be also referred to the committee of Claims.

Mr. Comstock presented a petition of Benjamin Birdsall, a major in the army of the United States, stating, that in the assault of Fort Erie, in the British province of Upper Canada, during the late war, he received wounds which entirely disabled him from attending to business, by which he lost his vouchers for the expenditure of the public money placed in his possession, as also, a large sum of money with his sword and other property, and praying such relief in the premises, as it may be in the power of Congress to grant.

Ordered, That the said petitition be referred to the committee on Military Affairs.

Mr. Ringgold presented a petition of sundry manufacturers of iron, praying that additional duties may be imposed on bar, pig, and cast iron, imported into the United States.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee of Commerce and Manufactures.

Mr. Slocumb presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of Green county, in the state of North Carolina, praying for the establishment of a post route.

Ordered, that the said petition be referred to the committee on the Post Office and Post Roads.

On motion of Mr. Robertson, of Louisiana,

Ordered, That the petition of Thomas Owings, presented on the 27th February, 1816, be referred to the committee on so much of the President's message, as relates to Indian Affairs.

Mr. Robertson, of Louisiana, presented a petition in the French language, of Hyacinthe Bernard, praying that his title to lands, in the state of Louisiana, may be confirmed.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee on Private Land Claims.

On motion of Mr. Robertson, of Louisiana.

Ordered, That the petitions of the undermentioned persons, heretofore presented, be also referred to the said committee on Private Land Claims, viz:

Joseph Vidal, presented on the 11th January, 1815.

The heirs and executors of John O'Conner, presented on the 21st January, 1815.

1816.

1816.

Benjamin A. Smith, presented on the 1st March, 1816.
Raphael Smith, presented on the 1st March, 1816.

William Gilchrist, presented on the 1st March, 1816.

Lewis and Pierre Richard, presented on the 1st March, 1816.
William L. Collins, presented on the 13th and 23d December,

Hugh Mulholan, presented on the 23d December, 1816.
Daniel Callaghan's heirs, presented on the 23d December,

Anna Wade, presented on the 13th January, 1817.

Mr. Rhea, from the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims, made an unfavorable report on the petition of Henry King, which was read, and ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Robertson, of Louisiana, from the committee on the Public Lands, made a report on the petition of Peter Snider, which was read, and the resolution therein contained, was concurred in by the House, as follows:

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

Mr. Robertson also made an unfavorable report on the petition of Peter and Mary Stone, which was read and ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Williams, of North Carolina, from the committee of Claims, made a report on the petition of Henry Williams, which was read and the resolution therein contained, was concurred in by the House, as follows, viz:

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

Mr. Williams also made a detailed report on the petition of major Loring Austin, which was read; when,

Mr. Williams reported a bill for the relief of the said major Loring Austin, which was read the first and second time, and commit ted to a committee of the whole, on Monday next.

Mr. Lowndes, from the committee of Ways and Means, made reports on the petitions of Matthew Cadwell, Pentland, Hegins & Steel, Moses Hall, Solomon Belew, Levi Bellows, Abraham Smith, and of Joseph Bevan, which said reports were read, and the several resolutions therein contained, were concurred in by the House, as follows, viz:

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

Mr. Hugh Nelson, from the committee on the Judiciary, reported a bill to supply vacancies under commissions of bankruptcy, which was read the first and second time, and ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, to-morrow.

Mr. Pope, from the committee appointed on the petition of the Legislative Council and House of Representatives, of the territory of Illinois, by leave of the House, reported a bill to enable the people of the Illinois territory, to form a constitution and state government, and for the admisssion of such state into the Union, on an equal footing with the original states; which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole, on Monday next.

A messsage, in writing, was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Joseph Jones Monroe, his Secretary, as follows:

To the House of Representatives of the United States.

In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives, of the 9th of December last, requesting information of what roads have been made, or are in progress, under the authority of the executive of the United States, the states and territories through which they pass, or are intended to pass, the periods when they were ordered to be made, and how far they have been executed; I now communicate a report from the Secretary of the Treasury, and likewise, a report from the Secretary of War, containing the Information which is desired. JAMES MONROE.

Washington, January 23, 1818.

The said message was read, and ordered to lie on the table. Mr. J. J. Monroe, also informed the House, that the President did, on the 22d instant, approve and sign,

An act allowing compensation to the members of the Senate, members of the House of Representatives of the United States, and to delegates of the territories, and repealing all other laws on that subject.