imports and tonnage," which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole, on the 17th instant.

Mr. Newton also reported a bill to increase the duties on iron in bars and bolts, iron in pigs, castings, nails, and allum; and to disallow the drawback of duties on the re-exportation of gunpowder, which was read the first and second time, and also committed to a committee of the whole, on the 17th inst.

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

Resolved, That the prayer of the petition of John G. Bogert ought not to be granted.

Mr. Williams also made an unfavorable report on the petition of Jesse Lincoln, which was read and ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Williams also made an amendatory report (unfavorable) on the petition of Zachariah M Girt, which was read, and ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Williams also made a report on the petition of major general Jacob Brown, which was read; when,

Mr. Williams reported a bill for the relief of the said major general Jacob Brown, which was read the first and second time, and committed to the committee of the whole, on the bill for the relief of major Loring Austin.

Mr. Wilson, of Pennsylvania, from the joint committee for enrolled bills, reported, that the committee had examined enrolled bills of the following titles, viz:

An act making provision for the establishment of additional land offices in the territory of Missouri.

An act to incorporate the Columbian Insurance Company of Alexandria; and,

An act making appropriations for the payment of the arrearages which have been incurred for the support of the military establishment, previous to the 1st January, 1817; and had found the same to be truly enrolled; when,

The Speaker signed the said bills.

Ordered, That the Clerk acquaint the Senate therewith.

Mr. Forsyth, from the committee on Foreign Relations, to whom was referred so much of the President's message as relates to the commercial intercourse of the United States, with the British West India islands, and North American colonies, and the petitions of sundry inhabitants of different parts of the District of Maine, upon the subject of the said intercourse, made a report, which was read; when,

Mr. Forsyth reported a bill, supplementary to the act regulating duties on imports and tonnage, passed the 27th April, 1816, which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole, on Thursday next.

Mr. Claiborne, from the committee to whom were referred the remonstrance of general Andrew Jackson, and the petitions of Thomas Carr and George W. Sevier, and others, made a report, which was read; when,

Mr. Claiborne, by leave of the House, reported a bill for the relief of Thomas Carr and others, which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole, on Monday

next.

The Speaker laid before the House, a letter from the Secretary of War, transmitting a report of the third Auditor of the Treasury, in relation to the accounts of general Arthur St. Clair, in obedience to a resolution of the House, of the 3d instant; which was ordered to lie on the table.

The Speaker also laid before the House, the annual report of the commissioners of the sinking fund, which was ordered to lie on the table.

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The Speaker also laid before the House, a letter from Richard Bland Lee, commissioner of claims, transmitting a report of the facts" in the case of John Chalmers, of the city of Washington, with the evidence accompanying it, which was referred to the committee of Claims.

And then the House adjourned.

TUESDAY, February 10, 1818.

Mr. Butler presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of Rockingham, in the state of New Hampshire, praying for an alteration in a post route.

Mr. Moore presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania, praying for the establishment of a post route.

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

Mr. Wendover presented a petition of Henry Cahoone, George Hawschurst, and William Isaacs, officers of the revenue cutter Active, on the New York station, praying for an increase of compeasation.

Mr. Hogg presented a petition of Benjamin Dubrocar, praying that certain bonds entered into by him, to secure the duties on merchandise imported into the Mississippi territory, from the former Spanish province of West Florida, may be cancelled; for reasons set forth in the petition.

Mr. Robertson, of Kentucky, prosented a petition of William McBride, praying to be relieved from the payment of a judgment, obtained against him on behalf of the United States, which he alleged to have been unjustly rendered.

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

Mr. Darlington presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of Pennsylvania, 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 the whole, on the bill imposing additional duties on iron.

Mr. Whiteside presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of Lebanon county, in the state of Pennsylvania, praying for the remission of the fines imposed on them respectively, for failing to perform a tour of militia duty, during the late war.

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

Mr. Hogg presented a petition of Louis Doliver, a petition of George Brewer, and a petition of John Forbes & Co. respectively praying, that their titles to lands in the Alabama territory, may be confirmed.

Mr. Robertson, of Louisiana, presented a petition of John Eli Thologan, praying that his title to a tract of land, in the Missouri territory, may be confirmed.

Mr. Poindexter presented a petition of John Brickwood Taylor, for, and on behalf of the heirs and representatives of James Dallas and John Noble Taylor, praying that the title of the said heirs and representatives to a tract of land, in the state of Mississippi, may be confirmed.

Mr. Scott presented a petition of Daniel Hildebrand, a petition of Samuel Thompson, and Burwell J. Thompson, and a petition of Charles Bequett, respectively praying, that their title to lands in the territory of Missouri may be confirmed.

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

On motion of Mr. Hogg,

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

Those of John Baker, presented on the 11th March, 1806, and 10th February, 1807.

Samuel Mims, presented on the 15th January, 1810.

John Denly, presented on the 6th January, 1812.

James Innerarity and Isabel Narbonne Campbell, presented on

the 30th June, 1813, and 13th December, 1815.

Mr. Hitchcock presented a petition of John Jacobs, and a petition of Cornelia Mason, widow of Alexander Mason, deceased, who was killed in the military service of the United States, respectively praying for pensions.

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

Mr. Scott presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the territory of Missouri, praying that the said territory may be erected into a state government, and admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original states.

Ordered, That the said petition lie on the table.

Mr. Rhea, from the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims, made reports on the petitions of Samuel Allen, and John Dougherty, which was read, and the resolutions therein contained were concurred in by the House as follows:

Resolved, That the prayer of the petitioners, respectively, ought not to be granted; and that John Dougherty have leave to withdraw his petition.

Ordered, That Samuel Allen have leave to withdraw his pe

tition.

Ordered, That the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims be discharged from the further consideration of the petition of Daniel Moss, and that the said petition be referred to the committee on Private Land Claims.

Mr. Williams, of North Carolina, from the committee of Claims, made a report on the cases of William B. Stokes and Mary Sears. transmitted to this House by the commissioner of Claims, which was read, and committed to a committee of the whole, on Monday

next.

Mr. Williams also made an unfavorable report on the petition of captain Derick Van Vighten, which was read and ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Lowndes, from the committee of Ways and Means, made a report on the petition of Nathaniel Goddard and others, formerly owners of the ship Ariadne and her cargo, which was read; when,

Mr. Lowndes reported a bill for the relief of the owners of the ship Ariadne, and of her cargo; which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole, to-morrow.

Mr. Lowndes also reported a bill for the relief of John Dillon, which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole, to-morrow.

Mr. Lowndes also reported a bill for the relief of Jonas Harrison, which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole, to-morrow.

Ordered, That the committee of Ways and Means, to which was referred the report of the Secretary of the Treasury of such measures as are, in his opinion, necessary for the more effectual execution of the laws for the collection of the duties on imported goods, be discharged from the further consideration of so much thereof as relates to the establishment of new collection districts, and the regulations therein proposed, in respect to pilots; and that the same be referred to the committee of Commerce and Manufactures.

Ordered, That the committee of Ways and Means be also discharged from the further consideration of the petitions of Robert and Thomas Hutchinson, and Thomas Shield, and that the former be referred to the committee of Commerce and Manufactures, and the latter to the committee on Naval Affairs.

A message was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Joseph Jones Monroe, his Secretary, which he

handed in at the Speaker's table, where the same was read as follows, viz:

To the Senate and House of

Representatives of the United States:

As the house appropriated for the President of the United States, will be finished this year, it is thought to merit the attention of Congress, in what manner it should be furnished, and what measures ought to be adopted for the safe keeping of the furniture in future. All the public furniture provided before 1814, having been destroyed with the public buildings in that year, and little afterwards procured, owing to the inadequacy of the appropriation, it has become necessary to provide almost every article requisite for such an establishment; whence the sum to be expended will be much greater than at any former period. The furniture, in its kind and extent, is thought to be an object, not less deserving attention, than the building for which it is intended. Both being national objects, each seems to have an equal claim to legislative sanction. The disbursement of the public money too, ought, it is presumed, to be in like manner provided for by law. The person who may happen to be placed, by the suffrage of his fellow citizens, in the high trust, having no personal interest in these concerns, should be exempted from undue responsibility respecting them.

For a building so extensive, intended for a purpose exclusively national, in which, in the furniture provided for it, a mingled regard is due to the simplicity and purity of our institutions, and to the character of the people who are represented in it, the sum already appropriated has proved altogether inadequate. The present, is therefore, a proper time for Congress to take the subject into consideration, with a view to all the objects claiming attention, and to regulate it by law. On a knowledge of the furniture procured, and the sum expended for it, a just estimate may be formed, regarding the extent of the building, of what will still be wanting to furnish the house. Many of the articles being of a durable nature, may be handed down through a long series of service, and being of great value, such as plate, ought not to be left altogether, and at all times, to the care of servants alone. It seems to be adviseable that a public agent should be charged with it, during the occasional absences of the President, and have authority to transfer it from one President to another; and likewise to make reports of occasional deficiencies, as the basis on which further provision should be made.

It may also merit consideration, whether it may not be proper to commit the care of the public buildings, particularly the President's house and the Capitol, with the grounds belonging to them, including, likewise, the furniture of the latter, in a more special manner, to a public agent. Hitherto the charge of this valuable property seems to have been connected with the structure of the buildings, and committed to those employed in it. This guard, will necessarily cease when the buildings are finished, at which time the