Mr. Hopkinson, Mr. William P. Maclay, and Mr. Whiteside, respectively presented petitions from inhabitants of Pennsylvania, praying that additional duties may be imposed on foreign iron imported into the United States.

Mr. Bayley presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the counties of Dorchester, Somerset and Worcester, in the state of Maryland, praying that a light house may be erected at some suitable point on the Tangier Islands, or on the main land.

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

Mr. Hunter presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of Springfield, in the state of Massachusetts, praying for the esta blishment of a post route.

Mr. Hitchcock presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the counties of Portage and Granger, in the state of Ohio, also 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.

On motion of Mr. Hunter,

Ordered, That the petition of Levi Bellows, presented on the 24th February, 1817, be referred to the committee of Ways and Means,

On motion of Mr. Hopkinson,

Ordered, That the petition of George Simpson, presented on the 24th December, 1816, be referred to the same committee.

Mr. Smith, of Maryland, presented a petition of Charles Wirgman, merchant of Baltimore, praying that certain duties paid by him, on a quantity of copper, imported from England, may be refunded, as the supreme court have decreed, that such copper was not subject to import duties, at the time of his importing the said copper. Ordered, That the said petition be also referred to the committee of Ways and Means.

Mr. Comstock presented a petition of Benjamin S. Judah, praying to be paid the amount of a quartermaster's certificate, issued for services rendered in the revolutionary war.

Mr. Austin presented a petition of John Starkey, praying for a pension.

Mr. Poindexter presented documents in support of the application of Thomas Orrell for a pension.

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

On motion of Mr. Hopkinson,

Ordered, That the petition of Sarah Dewees and others, presented on the 18th December, 1816, be referred to the last mention ed committee.

Mr. Irving, of New York, presented a petition of James Hardie, praying for a grant of the bounty land, to which he conceives himself entitled, for services as a soldier in the army in the late war with Great Britain,

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

Mr. Harrison presented a petition of Daniel Seward, stating that he purchased a tract of land of the United States, lying in the state of Ohio, and that a part of the said tract hath been taken from him by judicial process, and praying a reimbursement of the money paid for such part, together with the amount of his costs and other expenses in defending the same.

Mr. Pope presented a petition of Davis Whiteside, praying that his title to a tract of land in the Illinois territory may be confirmed. Mr. Pope also presented a petition of Morris Birbeck, an English farmer, lately settled in the Illinois territory, praying to be allowed to purchase a considerable body of land in said territory, for the purpose of settling thereon a colony of English farmers, mechanics, and laborers.

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

On motion of Mr. Scott,

The undermentioned petitions and resolutions, were referred to the same committee, viz:

Petition of sundry inhabitants of Mine-a-Breton, in the territory of Missouri, presented on the 1st February, 1817.

Resolution of the legislature of the territory of Missouri, respecting crude lead, presented on the 1st of February, 1817,

Resolution of the legislature of the said territory, respecting lead mines, presented on the 10th February, 1816.

Resolution of the legislature of the said territory, concerning land titles, presented on the 14th February, 1816.

Resolutions of the legislature of the said territory, also concerning land titles, additional land offices, and pre-emption rights, presented on the 30th December, 1816.

Resolution of the legislature of the said territory, upon the same subjects, presented on the 17th January, 1816.

Resolution of the legislature of the said territory, concerning records, presented on the 18th February, 1817.

Mr. Scott presented a petition of Abiel Wilson, late a lieutenant in the 4th regiment of the army of the United States, praying to be indemnified for losses he sustained, by being compelled to quit the British province of Upper Canada, at the commencement of the late war.

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

Mr. Scott also presented a petition of Joseph Bogy, jr. praying for a confirmation of his title to a tract of land, in the territory of Missouri.

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

Ordered, That leave be given to withdraw the petition of Sam

uel Hughes, and the documents accompanying the same, presented on the 5th February, 1817.

Mr. Rhea from the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims, made a report on the petition of William Lawrence, which was read and ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Rhea, from the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims, made a report on the petition of Daniel Sedgley, which was read and recommitted to the same committee.

Mr. Little, from the committee of Accounts, to whom was referred the resolution directing an inquiry into the manner in which the contractor performs his engagement for printing and stationery for the House, made a report, which was read, and also recommitted to the same committee.

Mr. Williams, of North Carolina, from the committee of Claims, made separate reports on the cases of John T. Pattison; of the levy court of Calvert county, in the state of Maryland; of John Manning, and of John Ireland, transmitted to this House by Richard Bland Lee, commissioner of claims, which said reports were read and committed to a committee of the whole, on the 1st of January next.

A motion was made by Mr. Rich, to reconsider the vote taken yesterday, on the report of the committee of Claims, on the case of John G. Mackall, and on the question, to reconsider as aforesaid; It passsed in the affirmative.

Ordered, That the said report be also committed to the committee of the whole House last mentioned.

Mr. Robertson, of Louisiana, from the committee on the Public Lands, reported a bill making provision for the establishment of additional land offices, in the territory of Missouri, which was read the first and second time, and committed to the committee of the whole, to which is committed the bill for the relief of Samuel Aikman.

On motion of Mr. Taylor.

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Department of War, be instructed to report to this House, a list of the persons who have been added to the pension list, since the report made to the House of Representatives from that department, bearing date May 28, 1813, designating the number of each pensioner, as he stands on the roll of the respective districts or agencies, his rank or quality, and the amount of the annual stipend at present allowed to each person.

Mr. Poindexter submitted the following proposition of amendment to the rules and orders of the House, which was read and ordered to lie on the table;

Resolved, That the standing rules and orders of the House, be amended, in this, to wit: that the committee on Private Land Claims shall consist of seven members.

On motion of Mr. Robertson, of Kentucky,

Resolved, That the committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing

a post road from Lexington in Kentucky, by way of Lancaster Somerset, in Kentucky.

On motion of Mr. Thomas M. Nelson,

Resolved, That a committee be appointed to inquire into the expediency of providing by law for extinguishing the Indian title to certain lands, south of Green river, in the state of Kentucky, which were set apart by the state of Virginia, for satisfying the claims of certain revolutionary officers to military bounty land, or of making such other provision in relation thereto, as justice may recommend.

Resolved, That the same committee also inquire into the expediency of providing by law, for satisfying the claims of those revolutionary officers who were entitled, in virtue of sundry resolutions and acts of the general assembly of Virginia, to military bounty land, to be laid off on the northwest side of the river Ohio, between the rivers Miami and Sciota, (now a part of the state of Ohio,) which claims remain unprovided for, in consequence of the quantity of arable land having proved insufficient therefor.

Mr. Thomas M. Nelson, Mr. Robertson, of Kentucky, Mr. Mercer, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Claiborne, Mr. H. Nelson, and Mr. Terry, were appointed a committee pursuant to the foregoing resolutions.

On motion of Mr. Mercer,

Resolved, That the Secretary of War be directed to report to this House, a list of all the officers who held brevet rank, in the army of the United States, at the close of the late war, noting their respective lineal rank, at the time at which their brevet rank was conferred on them; together with a list of all the officers of the present army, who now hold a brevet, higher than their lincal rank, and of these, the number and grade of all such officers as actually receive, in virtue of their brevet rank, greater pay or emolument, than they would otherwise be entitled by law.

The House again resolved itself into a committee of the whole, on the bill authorizing the commutation of soldiers' bounty land; and after some time spent thereon, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Bassett reported that the committee had made further progress in the said bill, and that they had directed him to ask leave to sit again.

Ordered, That the committee of the whole have leave to sit again on the said bill.

And then the House adjourned.

FRIDAY, December 19, 1817.

Another member, to wit: from Delaware, Willard Hall, apreared, produced his credentials and took his seat: the oath to sup

port the Constitution of the United States, being first administered to him by Mr. Speaker.

On motion of Mr. Savage,

Ordered, That the petition of Humphrey Webster, presented on the 18th December, 1815, and the petition of John Hubbard, presented on the 22d January, 1817, be referred to the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims.

Mr. Southard presented a petition of Benjamin Smith, praying compensation for damages committed on his property, by the American army in the revolutionary war.

Mr. Ingham presented sundry documents in support of the petition of Allan M.Lane.

Mr. Pleasants presented a petition of Neil M Coull, praying payment of a loan office certificate, issued in the revolutionary war. The Speaker presented a petition of George Hammond, praying for a pension.

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

On motion of Mr. Ingham,

Ordered, That the petition of Samuel Gibbs, presented on the 7th January, 1817, be referred to the same committee.

Mr. Irving, of New York, presented a petition of Samuel C. Reid, late commander of the private armed brig General Armstrong, on behalf of the officers and crew of that vessel, stating that whilst the said brig was at anchor, in the port of Fayal, on the 26th September, 1814, she was attacked by a British squadron commanded by commodore Lloyd, on its way to join the armament destined to operate against New Orleans; that although they were ultimately compelled to abandon and destroy the said brig, yet, that owing to the perseverance, with which himself, his officers and crew opposed the various attacks of the British squadron, it was so injured and reduced in its armament and men, as to be unabled to proceed in time to its ultimate destination, and praying that such rewards as have been granted, to officers and crews in the naval service of the United States, for the performance of brave and meritorious actions, may be awarded to those who served under his command, in this highly honorable and distinguished occurrence.

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

Mr. Irving also, presented a petition of sundry merchants of New York, praying for the establishment of an uniform system of bankruptcy.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee of the whole, on the bill to establish an uniform system of bankruptcy.

Mr. Wendover presented a petition of James Caze and John Richaud, stating that they purchased the ship Victory," at a marshal's sale, during the war with Great Britain, which fell into