9. Resolved, That the committee on the subject of military affairs, be instructed to report bills, embracing the objects of the be forc mentined resolutions.

On motion of Mr. Tucker, of Virginia,

Resolved, That the President of the United States, be requested to cause to be laid before the House of Representatives, information of what roads have been made, or are in progress under the executive authority of the United States: the states and territories tough which they pass, or are intended to pass: the periods when they were ordered to be made, and how far they have been executed.

Mr. Tacker, of Virginia, and Mr. Storrs, were appointed a committee to present the foregoing résolution to the President of the United States.

On motion of Mr. Spencer,

Resolved, That the Secretary of War, Le directed to communicate to this House, the number of warrants for military bounty lands, issued by virtue of any laws passed by Congress, to soldiers, who served during the late war against Great Britain; the quantity of land included in these warrants, and the probable quantity of land which will yet be necessary, to satisfy the claims for bounty lands under those laws.

66

The Speaker laid before the House, a letter from Richard Bland Lee, Commissioner of Claims under the act of the 9th of April, 1816, communicating reports of the facts," in the cases of Thaddeus Mayhew, of Louisiana, of William Eadus, of New York, and of the executor of Mrs. George Thompson, deceased, of Virginia, which were referred to the committee of Claims.

The following resolution was submitted by Mr. Walker, of North Carolina, which was read and committed to the committee of the whole, to which was this day committed sundry resolutions, moved by Mr. Johnson, of Kentucky:

Resolved, That it is expedient to provide by law, that all minors who were regularly enlisted in the late or present army of the United States, and who served twelve months or upwards, and having been honorably discharged, shall be entitled to an adequate bounty in land, or a commutation for such bounty, in money.

On motion of Mr. Whitman,

Resolved, That the committee of Commerce and Manufactures be instructed to inquire into the expediency of providing by law, for the apprehending and securing foreign seamen, deserting from foreign merchant vessels, while in the ports of the United States contrary to their engagement to serve on board such vessels.

On motion of Mr. Clairborne,

Resolved, That the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing by law, an office for the payment of pensions and revolutionary claims, within the district of West Tennessee.

On motion of Mr. Taylor,

Resolved, That the committee on the Public Lands, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of exempting from taxation, the military bounty lands, in the territories of Illinois and Missouri, for five years after the patents therefor shall have been issued.

On motion of Mr. Ingham,

Resolved, That the committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post route, from Fort Montgomery in Monroe county, in the terri-. tory of Alabama, to Blakeley in Mobile county.

On motion of Mr. M.Coy,

Resolved, That the committee of Ways and Means, be instruct ed to inquire into the expediency of repealing the law, laying a duty on imported salt, granting a bounty on pickled fish, exported, and allowances to certain vessels einployed in the fisheries.

On motion of Mr. Allen, of Vermont,

Resolved, That the committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post road, from Burlington to Craftsburg, thence through Irasburgh to Barton, in the state of Vermont.

On motion of Mr. Clairborne,

Resolved, That the committee on the Judiciary, be instructed to inquire whether any, and if any, what alteration or amendments are necessary to be made iu the judiciary.

The engrossed resolution, directing a distribution of certain laws, among the members of the Fifteenth Congress, was read the third time and passed.

Ordered, That the Clerk carry the said resolution to the Sc nate and ask their concurrence therein. And then the House adjourned.

WEDNESDAY, December 10, 1817.

Mr. Adams presented a petition of William Warren, praying for an increase of the pension, heretofore granted to him.

Mr. Adams, also presented a petition of Gustavus Aldrich. Mr. Morton presented petitions from Jethro Randall, and Ebe nezer Stetson.

Mr. Walker, of Kentucky, presented petitions from Elisha Hadden, and Samuel Gordon, respectively, praying for pensions.

Mr. Lewis presented a petition of William Guillian, praying for a grant of the land, due for his services as a soldier in the re volutionary army.

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

On motion of Mr. M.Coy,

Ordered, That the petition of Samuel Black, presented on the 12th of December, 1815, be referred to the same committee.

Mr. Spencer presented a petition of the Tuscarora tribe of In.

dians, praying compensation for a house built and occupied by them, as a place of public worship, which house was destroyed by the British forces, during the late war, in consequence of the adherence of that tribe of Indians to the United States; or that the said house may be rebuilt, at the expense of the United States; which was referred to a Select committee; and,

Mr, Spencer, Mr. Morton, and Mr. New, were appointed the said committee.

Mr. Sergeant presented a petition of Thomas Fletcher, Sidney Gardner, John Stoddart, and Rufus Tyler, proprietors of a new and useful improvement, for making screws of wire, commonly called "wood screws," at one operation, praying that such specific duties may be imposed on wood screws, imported from foreign countries, as will enable the petitioners to carry on their manufacture.

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

Mr. Tyler presented a petition of Richard Jeffries, clerk of the circuit and district courts of the United States, held at Richmond in the state of Virginia, praying that provision may be made, authorizing him to rent a house for the purpose of an office, or that a house may be erected for that purpose.

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

Mr. Johnson, of Kentucky, presented a petition of John M'Donnell, of Detroit, in the territory of Michigan, praying compensation for loss of landed and other property, in Upper Canada, occasioned by his adherence to the United States, in the late war with Great Britain, and a reimbursment of his expenses, in redeeming American citizens from captivity, among the Indians, during the said

war.

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

On motion of Mr. Wendover,

Ordered, That the petition of Miller and Baker, presented on the 15th of March, 1816, be referred to the same committee.

Mr. Anderson, of Kentucky, presented a petition of Luke Hoff, praying to be relieved from the payment of the duties, imposed on his distillery, as he was unable to use the same, in consequence of the failure of the waters in the neighborhood.

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

On motion of Mr. Pope,

Ordered, That the petition of sundry inhabitants of the territory of Illinois, concerning land titles, confirmed by former governors of the north western territories, presented on the 14th January, 1817, and the petition of sundry inhabitants of Prarie du Chien, presented on the 24th January, 1817, be referred to the committee on the Public Lands.

Mr. Johnson, of Kentucky, presented sundry documents in support of the petition of Gabriel Winter, which were also referred to the same committee.

On motion of Mr. Harrison,

Ordered, That the petition of sundry inhabitants of the river Raisin, presented on the 6th February, 1817, be referred to a Sclect committee; and,

Mr. Harrison, Mr. Floyd, and Mr. Baldwin, were appointed the said committee.

Ordered, That the committee of Ways and Means, be discharged from the further consideration of the petitions of the grocers of New York, of sundry inhabitants of Pennsylvania, and of the retailers in Bath, in the District of Maine, and that they lie on the table; also, from the further consideration of the petition of Joshua Clarke, and that it be referred to the committee of Claims.

Mr. Newton, from the committee of Commerce and Manufactures, reported a bill, to remit the duty on a painting, presented to the Pennsylvania Hospital; which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole to-morrow.

On motion of Mr. Forsyth,

Resolved. That the committee of Elections, be instructed to inquire and report, what persons elected, to serve in the House of Representatives, in the Fifteenth Congress, have accepted or held offices, under the government of the United States, since the 4th of March, 1817; and how far the right to a seat in this House, is af fected thereby.

The Speaker laid before the House, a letter from Richard Bland Lec, Commissioner of Claims, under the act of the 9th of April. 1816, communicating "reports of the facts," in the cases of Wil~ liam T. Nimmo, Joseph Janney, Lawrence Muse, and William Gordon, William Henderson, and Mottram Ball, all of the state of Virginia, of John I. Pattison, Benjamin II. Mackall, John Manning, John G. Mackall, Mary Frazier, levy court of Calvert county, and John Ireland, all of the state of Maryland, with the evidence accompanying each, which were referred to the committee of Claims.

The Speaker laid before the House, a letter from the Secretary of State, enclosing reports upon the petitions of Winslow and Henry Lewis, and Joseph Forrest, referred to him at the last session of Congress, which were referred to the committee of Claims.

Mr. Speed, from the Joint committee for Enrolled Bills, reported, that the committee had examined an enrolled resolution," authorizing the admission of the state of Mississippi into the Union," and found the same to be truly enrolled; when,

Mr. Speaker, signed the said resolution.

Ordered, That the Clerk, acquaint the Senate therewith.

The House resolved itself into a committee of the whole, on the hill to abolish the internal duties, and after some time spent

therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Desha reported the same without amendment.

The said bill was then amended at the Clerk's table, and ordered to be engrossed and read a third time to-morrow.

The Speaker laid before the House, a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, enclosing an account of the fund appropriated for the safe keeping and accommodation of prisoners of war, conformably to the provisions of the act of the 3d of March, 1817, which were ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Wilson, of Pennsylvania, from the Joint committee of Enrolled Bills, reported that the committee had, on this day, presented to the President of the United States, the enrolled resolution “authorizing the admission of the state of Mississippi into the Union.” ...And then the House adjourned.

THURSDAY, December 11, 1817.

On motion of Mr. Parris,

Ordered, That the petition of Samuel Tucker, presented on the 18th of March, 1816, be referred to the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims.

Mr. Scott presented a petition of Andrew S. M‹Girk, praying for a pension.

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

Mr. Ruggles presented a petition of Benjamin Berry, stating that he was employed with his vessel. by the collector of the port of Machias, in the year 1815, in the transportation to Machias of sundry goods and military stores, saved from the British ship of war "Diligent," wrecked near that place, for which he has not received the compensation promised, and praying to be paid the same, toge ther with interest thereon.

Mr. Bennett presented a petition of Nimrod Woodward, praying compensation for the use of, and damages committed on his farm and buildings, by troops in the service of the United States, during the late war with Great Britain.

Mr. Peter presented a petition of Andrew Joseph Villard, of the City of Washington, praying compensation for property belonging to him, destroyed in the public buildings, by order of an officer of the ordnance department, in the year 1814.

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

On motion of Mr. Moseley,

Ordered, That the petitions of Stephen Alling, presented on the 18th December, 1807, and the 3d December, 1811, he referred to the committee on so much of the President's message, as relates to the surviving officers and soldiers, of the revolutionary army.

Mr. M.Coy presented a petition of Polly Potter, widow of