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

Mr. Lawyer presented a petition of William Lamb, Ezra Thorp, and Isaac Patchin, praying compensation for services in the revolutionary army.

Mr. Spencer presented a petition of Silas Payne, a soldier in the said army, praying for a pension.

Mr. Linn presented a petition of John Harding, also praying for a pension.

Ördered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee appointed on that part of the President's message which relates to the surviving officers and soldiers of the revolutionary army.

Mr. Spencer presented a petition of Jasper Parrish, praying for a grant of land, lying in the state of Ohio, in consideration of services rendered as an Indian interpreter.

Mr. Claiborne presented a petition of Adam G. Goodlett, stating, that he purchased, as he supposed on the faith of the United States, a quantity of land, lying in what is commonly called The Tennessee Company's purchase, which he has been unable to locate in consequence of the prohibitory provisions of the laws of the United States, and praying relief in the premises.

Mr. Hitchcock presented a petition of Benijah Wolcott. Ezra Lee, Abiather Sherley, Abner Young, George Bishop, and Joseph Ramsdel, praying for grants of land in consideration of services rendered against the Indians in the late war with Great Britain.

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

Mr. Smith, of Maryland, presented a petition of William Flannigan, and William Parsons, praying additional compensation for building the United States frigate Java.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee on Naval Affairs.

Mr. Claiborne presented a remonstrance of Andrew Jackson, in behalf of himself and in right of his wife, and as agent for the heirs and representatives of colonel John Donnelson, deceased, stating, that by an act of the state of Georgia, of the 20th February, 1784, the said Donnelson was appointed one of the commissioners for laying out a new county, in the Big Bend of the Tennessee River, for which services he became entitled to a large tract of land lying in said county, which they have been unable to obtain, for reasons set forth in the petition, and soliciting a conveyance thereof to him, and the rest of the heirs of said Donnelson; which was referred to a select committee; and,

Mr. Claiborne, Mr. Cobb, Mr. Hogg, Mr. Settle, and Mr. Crawford, were appointed the said committee.

Mr. Claiborne also presented a similar petition of George W. Sevier, for, and in behalf of himself, and the other heirs and representatives of the late general John Sevier, deceased, which was referred to the committee last appointed.

On motion of Mr. Claiborne,

Ordered, That the petition of Thomas Carr, presented on the
day of
be also referred to the committee last ap-

pointed.

Mr. Johnson, of Kentucky, presented a petition of Robert Reed, praying that a patent may not issue to a certain Pierre Chouteau, in virtue of a concession to a certain Baptiste du Choquet, for 4000 arpens of land, on the left bank of the river Missouri, opposite the mouth of Osage river, until it is ascertained that such land is that described in the said concession.

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

Mr. Beecher presented petitions of sundry inhabitants of the counties of Franklin, Delaware, Licking, Fairfield, Madison, and Pickaway, in the state of Ohio, praying that a turnpike, or military road may be made from the seat of government in the said state, to the lower rapids, on Sandusky river.

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee on so much of the President's message as relates to Roads, Canals, and Seminaries of Learning.

Ordered, That the committee on the Judiciary be discharged from a further consideration of the petition of Benjamin Pool, and that it be referred to the committee of Ways and Means,

Ordered, That the committee on Military Affairs be discharged from a further consideration of the petition of Archibald M.Donald, and that it be referred to the Secretary of War.

Mr. Johnson, of Kentucky, from the committee on Military Affairs, reported a bill for the relief of Benjamin Birdsall and William S. Forster, which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole, to-morrow.

On motion of Mr. Johnson, of Virginia,

Resolved, That the committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post road from South Quay, in Nansemond county, Virginia, by the court house of Isle of Wight county, to the town of Smithfield, in the same county.

On motion of Mr. Claiborne,

Resolved, That the committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a Post Road from Huntsville, in the Alabama territory, by way of Melton's Bluff, on the Tennessee river, to the falls of the Black Warrior, thence by the way of the French settlement, at its mouth, to Fort St. Stephens, also another route from Fort St. Stephens, or Fort Stoddart, to Fort Jackson, from thence to intersect the first mentioned route at Huntsville.

On motion of Mr. Garnett
Resolved, That the committee..

L'ost Office and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the expeuuency of extending the post

route from Lilly point, in the county of King William, and state of Virginia, to Halcyonville, in the same county and state.

On motion of Mr. Hogg,

Resolved, That the committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of altering the route from Liberty, in Smith county, Tennessee, to Lebanon, so as to pass through Maryville, in Wilson county.

On motion of Mr. Mason, of Massachusetts,

Resolved, That the claim of the state of Massachusetts for expenditures to their militia for their services during the late war, together with the documents on the files of this House, be referred to a select committee, to consider and report thereon; and,

Mr. Mason, of Massachusetts, Mr. Whitman, Mr. Orr, Mr. Burwell, Mr. Quarles, Mr. Tallmadge, and Mr. Mason of Rhode Island, were appointed the said committee.

On motion of Mr. Burwell,

Resolved, That the Secretary of War, be directed to lay before this House, a statement of the claim of the state of Massachusetts, for the expenses of calling out the militia of that state, during the late war, and the reasons why those claims have not been settled by that Department.

The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Secretary of War, transmitting a list of the names of the clerks imployed in the War Department, in the year 1817, with a statement of the salary allowed to each, which was read and referred to the committee appointed on the 23d instant, upon the subject of the salaries of the Clerks in the public offices.

The Speaker also laid before the House, a report of the Secretary of the Treasury, on the petition of Madam Poidevin, which was read and referred to the committee of Claims.

An engrossed bill, entitled "An act for the remission of duties upon stereotype plates, and upon bibles and testaments in foreign languages, imported by societies or associations, for the gratuitous distribution of the Holy Scriptures," was read the third time and ordered to lie on the table.

The House again resolved itself into a committee of the whole, on the bill to amend the act, entitled "An act respecting fugitives from justice, and persons escaping from the service of their masters;" and after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Hugh Nelson reported that the committee had made further progress therein, and directed him to ask leave to sit again, Ordered, That the committee of the whole have leave to sit again on the said bill.

Mr. Wilson, of Pennsylvania, from the joint committee for Enrolied Bills, reported that the committee did this day present to the President of the United States, the enrolled bill, entitled "An act making further provision for repairing the public buildings.”

And then the House adjourned.

WEDNESDAY, January 28, 1818.

Mr. Fuller presented a petition of William Earl, praying for an increase of the pension heretofore granted him, in consideration of the loss of one of his legs, in an action between the American ship Good Man Richard, commanded by captain John Paul Jones, and a British ship of 44 guns.

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. Orr presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the towns of Frankfort, Bucksport, Orrington, Bangor, Hampden, and Brewer, in the District of Maine, praying that a new collection district for the collection of the duties on imports and tonnage, may be formed on the waters of Penobscot river, north of Orphan Island, and that Frankfort may be established as a port of entry, and Bangor, Hampden, and Bucksport, ports of delivery.

Mr. Wilson, of Massachusetts, presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the towns of Belfast, Lincolnsville, Prospect, and Northport in the District of Maine, praying that the said town of Belfast may be established as a port of entry.

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

Mr. Hopkinson presented a petition of Margaret Arundel, widow of Robert Arundel, deceased, late a sailing master in the navy of the United States, who was killed at the attack on Kingston, on Lake Ontario, during the late war with Great Britain, praying for a continuation of the pension heretofore granted to her.

Mr. Robertson, of Louisiana, presented a petition of Thomas Shields, a purser in the navy on the New Orleans station, praying to be allowed, in the settlement of his accounts, for losses sustained in the public property committed to his charge, and in his private property, which was taken for public use, during the military operations in the neighborhood of New Orleans, near the close of the late war with Great Britain.

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee on Naval Affairs.

Mr. Ogle presented a petition of Arthur St. Clair, a major general in the revolutionary army, praying to be reimbursed the amount of money advanced by him for the recruiting service of the said army, which petition was referred to a select committee; and,

Mr. Ogle, Mr. Harrison, Mr. Smyth, Mr. Williams of Connecticut, and Mr. Storrs, were appointed to the said committee.

Mr. Garnett presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of King William, in the state of Virginia, 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.

Mr. Robertson, of Louisiana, presented another petition of Thomas Shields, a purser in the navy of the United States, on the New Orleans station, stating that with an inferior force he captured, during the late war with Great Britain, a vessel under the British flag, the cargo of which has been condemned as lawful prize of war, one half of the proceeds of which have been awarded to the United States, and praying that, inasmuch as his force was greatly inferior to that of the vessel he captured, that part of the proceeds which has been paid over to the United States, may be granted to him and his associates.

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

Mr. Jones presented a petition of John W. Simonton, John Catron, Richard Tankersly, and Isaac Thomas, praying for a grant of two, three, or four townships of public land, on the Alabama river, or its tributary waters, at two dollars an acre, payable in ten years, in five equal payments, on which they propose to settle a colony of German and Swiss emigrants.

Mr. Hendricks presented a petition of Bernhard Steiner, of Switzerland, in Europe, praying that he may be permitted to purchase a township of public land, in the state of Indiana, for which he will pay one eighth of the purchase money immediately, one eighth in two years, and the balance at the expiration of ten years, upón which he proposes to settle a colony of Swiss emigrants.

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

On motion of Mr. Scott,

Ordered, That the petition of Pierre Baribeau, presented on the 24th January, 1817, be referred to the committee on Private Land Claims.

Mr. Williams, of North Carolina, from the committee of Claims, made a report on the petition of Israel Smith, which was read; when,

Mr. Williams reported a bill for the relief of Israel Smith, which was read the first and second time, and ordered to be engrossed and read a third time to-morrow.

Mr. Williams also made reports on the petitions of Zachariah M.Girt, of John E. Myles, guardian of the heirs of Hannah Hale, and of Polly Jones, which were read, and the resolutions therein contained, were concurred in by the House, as follows:

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

Mr. Herrick, from the committee on Private Land Claims, reported a bill for the relief of Josiah Bullock, which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole, on Monday next.

Mr. Hugh Nelson, from the committee on the Judiciary, made reports on the petitions of Pierre Heregoyen, and Augustiu Busby,