The Speaker presented a potition of Isaac Murphy, stating that upon a survey of the public lands in the territory of Missouri, the tract to which he has a pre-emption right, has fallen within the section reserved for schools, and praying that other lands may be assigned for schools, and that he may be permitted to hold the tract on which he now resides. Mr. Scott presented a petition of Louis Wm. Du Bourg, Roman catholic bishop of Louisiana, praying that the title to a tract of land in the territory of Missouri, granted by the Spanish government to the late vicar general of Louisiana, for the use of the Roman catholic church at St. Genevieve, may be confirmed to him and his successors in office, as the representative of the said vicar general. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee on Private Land Claims. Mr. Hugh Nelson, from the committee on the Judiciary, made an unfavorable report on the petition of Matthew Lyon, which was read and committed to a committee of the whole House on Monday next. Mr. Nelson also reported a bill concerning the western district court of Pennsylvania, which was read the first and second time and committed to a committee of the whole to-morrow. Mr. Hopkinson, from the same committee, reported a bill to establish an uniform system of bankruptcy throughout the United States, which was read the first and second time and committed to a committee of the whole, on Monday next. Mr. Williams, of North Carolina, from the committee of Claims, made an unfavorable report on the petition of Samuel Q. Richardson and John Haley, which was read and ordered to lie on the table. Mr. Harrison, from the committee appointed yesterday, by leave of the House, reported a bill to increase the number of clerks in the Department of War, which was read the first and second time and committed to a committee of the whole House to-day. Mr. Johnson, of Kentucky, from the committee appointed on the 19th instant, reported a bill authorizing the election of a delegate from the Michigan territory, to the Congress of the United States, and extending the right of suffrage to the citizens of said territory; which was read the first and second time and committed to a committee of the whole on Monday next. Mr. Taylor offered a joint resolution authorizing the transmission of certain documents free of postage; which was read the first and second time, and ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, to-morrow. On motion of Mr. Poindexter, Resolved, That the committee of Commerce and Manufac tures be instructed to inquire into the expediency of giving effect, by law, to an act passed by the general assembly of the state of Missis sippi, entitled, "An act making appropriations for the use of the Natchez hospital." Ordered, That Mr. Campbell be appointed of the committee on Foreign Affairs, vice Mr. Forsyth resigned. On motion of Mr. Stewart, of North Carolina, Resolved, That the committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post route from Lumberton in North Carolina, by the following places, to wit: Philadelphus, Cowper Hill, M.Eachin's Bridge, Lumber ri ver to Montpelier; thence by Stewartsville, Queensdale, and Alfordsville to Lumberton. On motion of Mr. Garnett, Resolved, That the committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of extending the post route from the Bowling Green, in the county of Caroline, in Virginia, by Golansville to Oxford, in the same county. The Speaker laid before the House a letter from Richard Bland Lee, late commissioner of claims, transmitting a letter from Jacob Dox, soliciting compensation for his services as agent on behalf of the United States, in the taking of evidence in certain claims of great magnitude, on the Niagara frontier of the state of New York; which letters were referred to the committee of Claims. On motion of Mr. Spencer, Ordered, That the committee appointed at the last session of Congress, to inquire into the official conduct of certain judges of the courts of the United States, be discharged from so much of their duty as relates to the conduct of Wm. Stephens, who has resigned his office of judge of the court of the United States for the district of Georgia. The House then proceeded in the consideration of the unfinished business of the last session, and resolved itself into a committee of the whole on the reports of the committee of Ways and Means on the petitions of Taylor & Walker, and Daniel Manley; and after some time spent therein Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Pitkin reported the agreement of the committee of the whole to the resolutions recommended by the committee of Ways and Means, which said resolutions were then concurred in by the House, as follows: Resolved, That the prayer of the petitioners ought not to be granted. The House resolved itself into a committee of the whole on the bill to establish a judicial district in Virginia, west of the the Allegheny mountains; and after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Desha reported the same with amendments, which were read and concurred in by the house, and the bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time to-morrow. And then the House adjourned. WEDNESDAY, November 25, 1818. Several other members. to wit: from Virginia, John Tyler, James Johnson, and George F. Strother; and from South Carolina, William Lowndes, appeared and took their seats. Mr. Whitman presented a petition of William Rideout. Mr. Huntington presented a petition of Abel Sholes, respectively praying for an increase of pension. Mr. Irving, of New York, presented a petition of Mary Brower, and others, heirs of Jeremiah Brower, deceased, praying remuneration for sundry houses and other property destroyed by the American army in the revolutionary war. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims. Mr. Sampson presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the town of Middleborough, in Plymouth county, and state of Massachusetts, 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. Silsbee presented a petition of Sally Bates, widow of Robert Bates. seaman, who was killed in the engagement between the United States frigate Chesapeake, and the British frigate Shannon, praying for a continuance of the pension heretofore granted to her. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee on Naval Affairs. Mr. Whitman presented a petition of Aaron Porter, praying compensation for his attendance as a surgeon, on John Evans, a seaman on board a private armed vessel, who was mortally wounded in an engagement at sea during the late war with Great Britain. Mr. Richards presented a petition of Samuel Pratt, praying compensation for his property which was destroyed by the British forces upon their invasion of the Niagara frontier in the late war, Mr. Spencer presented a similar petition of Ralph M. Pomeroy. Mr. Reed presented a petition of Richard Frisby, praying compensation for his property destroyed by the British forces in the late war, because the same was occupied by the militia in the service of the United States. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee of Claims. On motion of Mr. Slocumb, Ordered, That the petition of William Fisher, presented on the 27th Feb. 1818, be also referred to the committee of Claims. Mr. Richards presented a petition of Josial Jordon, praying that the provisions of the act of the last Session of Congress, providing for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States, may be extended to him. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee on Revolutionary Pensions. Mr. Irving, of New York, presented a petition of Harman Hendricks, praying that certain duties paid by him on copper imported into the United States, may be refunded, as the supreme court of the United States have decided that the said copper was not, at the time of importation, subject to duty. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee of Ways and Means. Mr. Wilson, of Pennsylvania, presented a petition of the President, managers and company, of the Milford and Oswego Turnpike Road, praying that an act may be passed, authorizing a subscription on behalf of the United States, to the capital stock of said company. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee on Roads and Canals. Ordered, That the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims, be discharged from the further consideration of the petitions of Henry Brown, Eleazer Porter, George Batterson and Philemon Griffith, and that they be referred to the committee on Revolutionary Pensions, and that the said committee be also discharged from the further consideration of the petitions of Nancy Varnum, and John Cook, and that the former be referred to the committee on Military Affairs, and the latter to the Secretary of War. Ordered, That the committee of Claims be discharged from the further consideration of the petition of Edwin C. Brown, and that it be referred to the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims. Mr. Rhea, from the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims, made unfavorable reports on the petitions of Wm. Kersey, and John Black, which were read and ordered to lie on the table. Mr. Rhea, also made a report on the petition of Lucy Cottineau, which was read, and the resolution therein contained was concurrred in by the House, as follows, viz: Resolved, That the prayer of the petitioner ought not to be granted. Mr. Williams, of North Carolina. from the committee of Claims, made a report on the petition of William T. Nimmo, which was read; when, Mr. Williams reported a bill for the relief of the said William T. Nimmo, which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole to-morrow. On motion of Mr. Silsbee, Resolved, That the committee of Ways and Means be instructed to inquire into the expediency of allowing, in cases of exportation of goods entitled to debenture, the same time (of twenty days) for completing the export entry and oath, as is allowed by the act of the 20th April last, for executing the export bonds, in lieu of ten days within which it is now required that the said oath and entry shall be completed. On motion of Mr. Whitman, Resolved, That the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims, he instructed forthwith to prepare and report a bill granting pensions to the individuals in whose favor a bill for that purpose passed this House at the last session, and at the rates, and from the periods, in the same bill prescribed. The following resolution was submitted by Mr. Spencer, which was read and ordered to lie on the table, viz: Resolved, That a committee be appointed to inspect the books, and examine into the proceedings of the Bank of the United States, and to report whether the provisions of its charter have been violated or not; and particularly to report, whether the instalments of the capital stock of the said bank, have been paid in gold and silver coin, and in the funded debt of the United States, or whether they were, in any instance, and to what amount, paid by the proceeds of the notes of stockholders, discounted for that purpose; and also to report the names of those persons who now own, or who have owned, any part of the capital stock of the said bank, and the amount of discounts, if any, to such persons respectively, and when made: and also to report whether the said bank, or any of its offices of discount and deposite, have refused to pay the notes of the bank in specie on demand, and have refused to receive in payment of debts due to them or either of them, the notes of the bank, and whether the bank or any of its offices of discount, or any of their officers or agents have sold drafts upon other offices, or upon the bank, at an advance,, and have received a premium for such drafts: Also, the amount of the notes issued payable at Philadelphia, and at each office of discount respectively, and the amount of capital assigned to each of fice, together with the amount of the public deposites made at the bank and at each office, and an account of the transfers thereof, and the total amount of bills and notes discounted at the bank and its several offices since its organization; that the said committee have leave to meet in the city of Philadelphia, and to remain there as long as may be necessary; that they shall have power to send for persons and papers, and to employ the requisite clerks, the expense of which shall be audited and allowed by the committee of Accounts, and paid out of the contingent fund of this House. An engrossed resolution authorizing the transmission of certain documents free of postage, was read the third time and passed. An engrossed bill entitled, "An act to establish a judicial district in Virginia, west of the Allegheny mountains," was read the third time; and a motion was made by Mr. Floyd, that the said bill be recommitted; which was rejected. The question was then taken, shall the said bill pass? |