The amendment to the bill for the relief of Samuel Burr, was then read and also concurred in, by which the said bill was in like manner, rejected...

A message in writing, was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. J. J. Monroe, his Secretary, viz:

To the House of Representatives of the United States:

I transmit to Congress a proclamation, dated the 22d of last month, of the convention made and concluded at Madrid, between the Plenipotentiaries of the United States, and his Catholic Majesty, on the 11th of August, 1802, the ratifications of which were not exchanged till the 21st ult. together with the translation of a letter from the minister of Spain, to the Secretary of State.

Washington, 4th January, 1819.

JAMES MONROE.

The said message was read, and with its accompanying documents, ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Speed, from the Joint committee for Enrolled Bills, reported that they had examined an enrolled resolution," directing a survey of certain parts of the coast of North Carolina," and found the same to be truly enrolled; when,

Mr. Speaker signed the said resolution.

Ordered, That the Clerk acquaint the Senate therewith.
And then the House adjourned.

WEDNESDAY, January 6, 1819.

Mr. Strong, presented a petition of Josiah Carter, Stephen Chase, Jobn Goodridge, Jonathan Colborn, John Colborn, Reuben Gates, David Gary, Nathan Colborn, and Samuel Bowers, who served in the militia of the revolutionary army, some as officers and others as privates, praying for pensions, under the act of the last session, providing for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States, in the revolutionary war.

Mr. Strong, also presented a petition of Lois Haskell, widow of Andrew Haskell, an officer in the revolutionary army, also praying for a pension.

Ördered, That the said petitions he referred to the committee on Revolutionary Pensions.

Mr. Strong, also presented a petition of John Read, and a petition of Benjamin Randall, praying for an increase of their pen

sions.

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

Mr. Wendover, presented a petition of Jonn Fitzgerald, stating that he was born in Ireland, and that he enlisted in the army of the United States, in the year 1812, was wounded and taken prisoner, at the battle of Queenstown, that he was confined in irons, and with twenty four others, conveyed to England, to be tried for his life, because he was found in arms against his native country; that he suffered every species of insult, hardship, cruelty and contumely; and was subsisted on a scanty allowance of bread and water, and constantly threatened with death, for the period of nearly three years; that during the whole of this period, he was often and almost daily, solicited to desert the standard of his adopted country, and join the British ranks, as the means of ending his sufferings; that he as constantly resisted these importunities, which he believes was the cause of the cruelties inflicted upon him; and praying, as a reward for his fidelity under the trials which beset him, that he may be allowed his rations, or an equivalent in money, during the time he was so imprisoned.

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

Mr. Garnett, presented a petitition of Charles S. Jones and Richard Buckner, administrators of William Jones, deceased, late a

collector of internal duties and direct taxes, in the state of Virginia, praying that the claims of the United States, upon the estate of the deceased, (who lost his life, while in the discharge of his official duties,) may be remitted for reasons stated in the petition.

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

Mr. Beecher, presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the state of Ohio, praying that a land office, for the sale of the lands of the United States, in the said state, may be established at Piquatown, in the state aforesaid.

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

Mr. Beecher, also presented petitions of sundry inhabitants of the county of Delaware, in the state of Ohio; and petitions from sundry inhabitants of the county of Miami, in the said state, respectively praying for the establishment of a post route.

Mr. Scott, presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of Saint Louis, in the territory of Mississippi, 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.

Mr. Butler, of Lousiana, presented a document in support of the claim of Thadeus Mayhew; which was ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Williams, of North Carolina, from the committee of Claims, made an unfavorable report on the petitions of Elijah Leech, Esther Pratt, and Augustus Porter, referred on the 7th ultimo; which was read and ordered to lie on the table.

Ordered, That the committee of Claims, be discharged from the further consideration of the petition of Russell Vibbert; and that it be referred to the committee on Military Affairs.

Mr. Williams, from the same committee, also made an unfavorable report on the petition of William Henderson, of Virginia; which was read and committed to a committee of the whole, to-mor

row.

Mr. Crowell, from the Select committee, appointed on the petition of the legislative council and house of representatives, of the territory of Alabama, on behalf of Tandy Walker, by leave of the House, reported a bill, to place the said Tandy Walker on the pen. sion list; which was read the first and second time, and ordered to lie on the table.

On motion of Mr. Strong,

Resolved, That the committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post road from Worcester, through West Boylston, Princeton, Westminster and Gardner, to Templeton, all in the county of Worcester, and state of Massachusetts.

On motion of Mr. Beecher,

Resolved, That the committee on the Post Office and Post

Roads, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post road from Newark, in the county of Licking, to Mount Vernon in the county of Knox, and state of Ohio; and also, from Urbanna, in Champaign county, to the county seat in Logan county, and state aforesaid.

On motion of Mr. Crowell,

Resolved, That the committee on the Public Lands, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of authorizing by law, the sale of such townships of land, in the Alabama territory, that have been returned by the surveyors, as not, in their opinion, worth two dollars per acre, and consequently not surveyed, or offered for sale.

An engrossed bill, entitled "An act to authorize the President and Managers of the Rockville and Washington Turnpike Road Company, in the state of Maryland, to extend and make a turnpike road to or from the boundary of the City of Washington, in the District of Columbia, through the said District, to the line thereof;" was read the third time and passed.

Ordered, That the title be as aforesaid, and that the Clerk carry the said bill to the Senate, and ask their concurrence therein.

Ordered, That the committee of the whole, to which is committed, the bill respecting the military establishment of the United States, be discharged, and that the said bill be committed to the committee of the whole, to which is committed the bill, making appropriations for the military service of the United States, for the year 1819.

Ordered, That all orders of the day, which precede the bill, making appropriatins for the military service of the United States, for the year 1819, be postponed until to-morrow.

And the House then resolved itself into a committee of the whole, on the said bill; as also, on the bill respecting the military establishment of the United States; and after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Hugh Nelson, reported that the committee had made some 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 bills.

On motion of Mr. Mercer,

Resolved, That the Secretary of War, be directed to report to this House, the present strength and distribution of the army of the United States; and to subjoin to such report the number and value of the extra days labor performed by the several detachments thereof, respectively, in the year, ending on the 30th day of October last, upon roads or other objects of fatigue duty; together with a statement of such objects, if any there are, of a similar nature, to which it is contemplated to direct the labor of the troops, in the current year, distinguishing the sums expended on roads.

And then the House adjourned.

THURSDAY, January 7, 1819.

Mr. Comstock, presented a petition of Elias Ransom, praying compensation for his property destroyed by the British forces upon their invasion of the Niagara frontier, in the month of December, 1815, the said property being at the time of destruction, in the oc cupancy of the United States, as barracks for the troops.

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

Mr. Robert Moore, presented a petition of Benjamin Williams, praying compensation for his services in the revolutionary army.

Mr. Jones, presented a petition of Phoebe Stuart, widow of James Stuart, deceased, who died while in the performance of a tour of militia duty, praying for a pension.

The Speaker presented a petition of John Gregg, praying compensation for his services, as an officer in the revolutionary army, as also, for a grant of the land to which he is entitled, in virtue of said service.

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

Mr. Mercer, presented a petition of Charles Chapin and others, heirs of Gurden Chapin, deceased, praying to be permitted to locate on any unlocated lands, belonging to the United States, a warrant issued by the state of Virginia, for services in the revolutionary war, and now belonging to the said heirs.

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

Mr. Tucker, of South Carolina, presented a petition of John Buchanan and Hugh Milling, officers in the revolutionary army, praying for grants of land, in the territory of Alabama, in lieu of those granted them, lying in the state of Ohio.

Mr. Robertson, presented a petition of John Mahon, who states that he volunteered under lord Dunmore, against the Shawnee Indians, in the year 1774; that after the corps was disbanded, he settled in Kentucky, by which he became entitled to 400 acres, and a pre-emption right to 1000 acres of land, but that owing to his being continually engaged in actual service in the revolutionary war, he was unable to avail himself of his rights, and praying such relief in the premises, as Congress may think just and reasonable.

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

Mr. Williams, of North Carolina, from the committee, of Claims made an unfavorable report on the petition of Melanchton L. Woolsey; which was read and ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Livermore, from the committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, reported a bill to increase the salaries of the assistan post master general; which was read the first and second time anu committed to a committee of the whole, to-morrow.