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

Mr. Rich presented a petition of Thomas Marsh, praying that himself and his sureties may be released from the penalty incurred by the forfeiture of his recognizance entered into, to appear in court and await the issue of an indictment against him, for a violation of an act of the 6th July, 1812, to prevent American vessels from trading with the enemies of the United States.

Mr. Rich also presented a similar petition of Asa Bulkley. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee of Ways and Means.

On motion of Mr. Irving, of New York,

Ordered, That the petition of Robert and Thomas Hutchison, presented on the 15th March, 1816, be also referred to the committee of Ways and Means.

Mr. Rich also presented a petition of Daniel Coit, praying for the renewal of a patent heretofore granted him, for a discovery in the composition and manufacture of medicine.

Mr. Irving, of New York, presented a petition of Charles A. Busley, praying that a patent may be granted him for a new invented water wheel, applicable to steam boats, horse boats, mills, and other aquatic machinery, which patent he is unable to obtain under the existing laws in consequence of his being an alien, and not having resided two years within the United States.

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

Mr. Spangler presented a petition of Herman Cookers, praying compensation for a quantity of grain furnished the revolutionary army, as also, for the grinding in his mill of a quantity of public grain.

Mr. Robertson, of Louisiana, presented a petition of Labeydoyere de Kermion, a petition of L. B. Macarty, and a petition of Alexander Milne, respectively praying compensation for damages sustained in their property by the American army, during the military operations in the neighborhood of New Orleans, near the close of the late war with Great Britain.

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

On motion of Mr. Reed,

Ordered, That the petition of James Caldwell presented on the 6th January, 1817, be also referred to the committee of Claims. Mr. Hendricks presented a petition of a late company of Rangers, under the command of captain James Biggar, of the state of Indiana, praying further compensation for services rendered in the late war with Great Britain.

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

Mr. Barber, of Ohio, presented petitions of Gabriel M Neal and Peter Null, respectively praying to be permitted to change their

entries of lands purchased of the United States, having through mistake entered tracts different from those which they intended to enter, and on which they are actually located.

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

Mr. Beecher presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the counties of Delaware and Richland, in the state of Ohio, praying for the establishment of post routes.

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

Mr. Scott presented three petitions of Thomas Maddin, a petition of Benjamin Shell, a petition of Casper Shell, a petition of Foster Fartle, alias Hartle, and a petition of Peter Crites, respectively praying, that their titles to lands in the territory of Missouri, may be confirmed.

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

Mr. Williams, of North Carolina, from the committee of Claims, made an unfavorable report on the petition of Ralph M. Pomeroy, which was read and ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Williams also made a report on the petition of Francis L. Harrison, which was read, and the resolution therein contained, was concurred in by the House, as follows:

Resolved, That the prayer of the petitioner ought not to be granted.

Ordered, That the committee of Claims be discharged from the further consideration of the petition of Joseph Wellington Page, and that it be referred to the Secretary of the Treasury.

Mr. Lowndes, from the committee of Ways and Means, made reports on the petitions of John Fields, John Barney, and of sundry importing merchants of Philadelphia, which reports were 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.

Mr. Lowndes also made an unfavorable report on the petition of sundry inhabitants of Richmond, in Virginia, pew holders in the Monumental Church, which was read and ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Robertson, of Louisiana, from the committee on the Public Lands, reported a bill to continue in force an act, entitled " An act relating to settlers on lands of the United States," which was read the first and second time and committed to a committee of the whole on Wednesday next.

Mr. Johnson, of Kentucky, from the committee on Military Affairs, reported a bill, respecting the organization of the army of the United States, and for other purposes, which was read the first and second time and committed to a committee of the whole, to-morrow.

Mr. Johnson also reported a bill for the relief of John Work, which was read the first and second time and committed to the committee of the whole, last appointed.

Mr. Sergeant, from the committee appointed on the petition of the American Bible Society, by leave of the House, reported (in part) a bill for the remission of duties upon stereotype plates, and upon bibles and testaments in foreign languages, imported by societies or associations, for the gratuitous distribution of the Holy Scriptures, which was read the first and second time, and ordered to be engrossed and read a third time to-morrow.

Mr. Parris, from the committee appointed on so much of the President's message as relates to the public buildings, and to the erection of new edifices for the accommodation of the heads of Departments and the Attorney General, made a detailed report upon the subject, which was read; when,

Mr. Parris reported a bill to provide for erecting additional buildings for the accommodation of the several executive denartments, which was read the first and second time and committed to a committee of the whole, on Thursday next.

On motion of Mr. Hubbard,

Resolved, That the committec on the Post Office and Post Roads, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing by law, a post road from the village of Hamilton, in the county of Madison, and state of New York, through the towns of Lebanon and Georgetown, in said county, in the most direct route to the town of Otselick, in the county of Chenango, and state aforesaid.

Mr. Pindall submitted the following resolution, which was read and ordered to lie on the table.

Resolved, That a docket of the bills, resolutions and reports, depending in the committee of the whole House, showing their order of precedence, be printed each week for the use of the members. On motion of Mr. Allen, of Massachusetts,

Resolved, That the committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, be instructed to inquire into the enxpediency of establishing by law, a post road from Warwick through Northfield, in Massachusetts, to Brattleborough, in Vermont.

The Speaker laid before the House a report of the Secretary of Treasury, on the petition of Samuel Buell, which was read and ordered to lie on the table.

The Speaker also laid before the House, a letter from the Secretary of War, transmitting statements of contracts made during the last year, at the War Department and the offices attached thereto, on behalf of the United States, which was ordered to lie on the table.

A motion was made by Mr. Blount, that the House do reconsider their vote on Friday last, concurring in the report of the committee of Claims, on the petition of Henry Williams.

And on the question, will the House reconsider the said vote?
It passed in the affirmative.

Ordered, That the said report be committed to a committee of the whole, to-morrow.

An engrossed bill, entitled " An act to supply vacancies under commissions of bankruptcy," 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.

The House resolved itself into a committee of the whole, on the bill to amend an act, entitled "An act respecting fugitives from justice, and persons escaping from the service of their masters; 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 bill.

And then the House adjourned.

TUESDAY, January 27, 1818.

Mr. Claggett presented a petition of sundry manufacturers of cotton and woollen goods in the state of New Hampshire, praying that the duties at present imposed on imported cotton and woollen goods may be made permanent, and that such other measures may be adopted as will afford to the manufacturing interest of the United States, the aid and encouragement necessary to the continuance of their operations.

Mr. Shaw presented a similar petition from sundry manufacturers of the same species of goods, in the state of Massachusetts. Mr. Moseley presented a similar petition of the Connecticut Society for the encouragement of American manufactures.

Mr. Tucker, of Virginia, presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the counties of Shenandoah, Frederick, and Loudon, in the state of Virginia, praying that additional duties may be imposed on bar, pig, and cast iron, imported into the United States.

Mr. Hitchcock presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the town of Painesville in the county of Gauga, in the state of Ohio, praying that a new collection district, for the collection of duties on imports and tonnage, may be established on the waters of Lake Erie, and that the said town may be established as a port of entry. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee of Commerce and Manufactures.

Mr. Whitman presented a petition of Lewis Dennet, praying for an increase of the pension heretofore granted him.

Mr. Heister presented a petition of Peter Shoemaker, praying for a pension.

Mr. Rhea presented a petition of Joseph Reed, praying for arrearages of pension.

Mr. Hogg presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the state of Tennessee, praying that a pension may be granted to a certain James Royal.

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

Mr. Holmes, of Massachusetts, presented a petition of Isaac Hodson, late a captain in the army of the United States, praying to

be repaid the amount of damages and costs which he has been compelled to pay for prosecutions against him, for acts committed in the discharge of his duties in the capacity aforesaid.

Mr. Claiborne presented a similar petition of Robert Purdy, late a colonel in the army of the United States.

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

On motion of Mr. Culbreth,

Ordered, That the petition of Greenbury Griffin, presented on the 12th December, 1816, be also referred to the committee of Claims.

Mr. Williams, of Connecticut, presented a petition of Elizabeth Eaton, the widow of the late general William Eaton, stating the services and sacrifices of her late husband in the public service, the poverty in which he left her and her children, the loss of two of her sons, one in the naval, and the other in the military service of the United States, and praying that some provision may be made for her maintenance, and for the support and education of the children of the said general Eaton.

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

Mr. Wendover presented a petition of Noah Brown, Frederick Jenkins, and Renselaer Havens, of the city of New York, on behalf of themselves and others, the owners, officers and crew, of the private armed brig Warrior, stating, that in the month of March, 1815, the said brig captured a British vessel, which was brought into the port of New York, and there regularly condemned as lawful prize of war; the said captured vessel and cargo were sold by the marshal, and the proceeds of sale lodged in the hands of the Clerk of the District Court of the United States for the District of New York; that a considerable part of the said proceeds have been withheld from the petitioners, and they have been informed by the Court, that the same "have been taken away, but by whom and in what manner they are ignorant;" and praying such relief in the premises as to Congress shall seem just and proper.

Mr. Owen presented a petition of sundry manufacturers of salt in the state of North Carolina, praying that the duties on imported salt may be continued.

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

Mr. Lawyer presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the state of New York.

Mr. Tarr presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the state of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Settle presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the state of North Carolina; and,

Mr. Herrick presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of Coshockton county, in the state of Ohio, respectively praying for the establishment of, and alterations in post routes.