On motion of Mr. Alexander Smyth,

Resolved, That the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims be instructed to inquire into the expediency of placing Henry Leonard, a soldier in the militia, who had his right arm disabled by the accidental discharge of a musket, while in the service of the United States, at Norfolk, on the list of pensioners.

On motion of Mr. Alexander Smyth,

Resolved, That the committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post road from Abingdon, to Russell court house in Virginia, and a post office at the said court house.

On motion of Mr. Wendover,

Resolved, That a committee be appointed to inquire into the expediency of altering the flag of the United States; and that they have leave to report by bill or otherwise; and,

Mr. Wendover, Mr. Mason, of Massachusetts, Mr. Newton, Mr. Ross, and Mr. Poindexter, were appointed the said committee. On motion of Mr. Hendricks,

Resolved, That the committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post road, from Hartford to the Rising Sun; both places in Dearborn county, and state of Indiana.

On motion of Tallmadge,

Resolved, That the Secretary of State be directed to communicate to this House, a copy of the account of M. M. Noah, late cousul of the United States, at Tunis, and a copy of any instructions given to him by the Department of State, respecting the ransom of prisoners at Algiers; and any information in his department relative to the application, by M. M. Noah, of any moneys in his hands, as such consul.

On motion of Mr. Cobb,

Resolved, That the committee on the Judiciary, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of repealing so much of the third section of an act, entitled "An act to establish a separate territorial government for the eastern part of the Mississippi territory," as requires that no judge shall set more than twice in succession, in the same court;" and also so much of the said section as requires more thun one general court to be holden in each year, at the seat of government of said territory.

On motion of Mr. Sergeant,

Resolved, That the Clerk of this House be, and he hereby is, directed to procure, for the use of the House, three copies of Dallas' reports, three copies of Cranch's reports, and three copies of Wheaton's reports.

The following resolution was submitted by Mr. Bassett:

Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the daily compensation of the members of the Senate and House of Represen

tatives, and delegates from territories, shall (until further provided for by law) be the same as in the year 1813.

The said resolution was read; and on the question, will the House now proceed to consider the same?

It was determined in the negative.

A message from the Senate, by Mr. Cutts, their Secretary: Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed the bill, entitled “ An act to abolish the Internal Duties," with amendments, in which they ask the concurrence of this House. And then he withdrew.

The House again resolved itself into a committee of the whole, on the bill authorizing the commutation of soldiers bounty lands; and after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Bassett reported that the committee had made farther progress therein, but not having time to go through the same, 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.

WEDNESDAY, December 17, 1817.

Another member, to wit: from North Carolina, Joseph H. Bryan, appeared, produced his credentials, and took his seat; the oath to support the constitution of the United States, being first administered to him, by Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Sampson presented a petition of James Warren, praying compensation for services rendered as an officer in the navy of the United States, during the revolutionary war.

Mr. William Maclay presented a petition of Robert Young, praying for a grant of the land to which he is entitled, for services rendered as a soldier in the revolutionary army.

Mr. Poindexter presented a petition of Thomas Orrell, praying for a pension.

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

On motion of Mr. Savage,

Ordered, That the petition of John McCrea and Harvey Wake field, presented on the 9th December, 1816, be referred to the committee of Claims.

Mr. Southard presented a petition of Joseph Wheaton, praying that his account for whiskey, furnished the navy, in 1812, may be audited and settled, and that he may be allowed the contract price for the whiskey, so furnished.

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

Mr. Hubbard presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of Lebanon, in Madison county, and state of New York: and,

Mr. Burwell presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the counties of Bedford, Franklin, and Pittsylvania; which petitions respectively pray for the establishment of post routes.

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

Mr. Ballard Smith presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the country bordering on James river, Green Brier river, New river, Kenawha river, and the Ohio river, in the state of Virginia, praying to the same effect with the petition of other inhabitants residing on the said rivers, presented by Mr. Smith, on the 9th instant. Ordered. That the said petition be referred to the committee of the whole, to which is committed the report of the committee on the subject of Roads and Canals.

Mr. Robertson, of Kentucky, presented a petition of William M'Intosh, praying permission to remove a location of a mill seat be longing to him, which, by a recent resurvey, has been excluded from his tract.

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

Mr. Poindexter presented a petition of the convention convened in the town of Washington, to form a constitution and state government for the western part of the Mississippi territory, praying for an extension of the limits of the state of Mississippi; which petition was ordered to be referred to a Select committee; and,

Mr. Poindexter, Mr. Speed, Mr. Robertson, of Louisiana, Mr. Claiborne, and Mr. Cobb, were appointed the said committee.

Mr. Poindexter also presented petitions of Absalom Sizemoor, Samuel Fisher, Benjamin Fisher, Daniel Randon, Samuel Smith, John Burford, and Richard Turvin, Lachlan Durant, George Stiggins, William Sizemoor, Surmie McGee, Leonard M Gee, Elijah Tervin, James Earle, Hardy Reed, William Tuley, Charles Elliott, James Cornells, and Arthur Sizemoor, half blood Creek Indians, praying that their respective titles to lands in the territory of Alabama, may be confirmed in fee simple.

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

On motion of Mr. Poindexter,

Ordered, That the petition of Margaret Powell, and Patsy Dyer, the petition of Arthur Sizemoor, Mary Sizemoor, and Peggy Bailey, presented on the 2d January, 1817, and the petition of William Daniel, presented the 13th January, 1816, be also referred to the same committee.

Mr. Taylor, from the committee appointed on the 12th instant, to present to the President of the United States, the resolution that day adopted concerning the members of this House, reported that the committee had performed that service, and that the President answered that he would attend to the request contained in the resolu

Mr. Robertson, of Louisiana, from the committee on the Public Lands, reported a bill for the relief of Samuel Aikman, which was read the first and second time and committed to a committee of the whole to-morrow.

Mr. Robertson also reported a bill for the relief of Joel Earwood, which was read the first and second time, and committed to the committee last appointed.

Mr. Williams, of North Carolina, from the committee of claims, made a report on the case of John G. Mackall, 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.

The Speaker laid before the House, a letter from the Secretary of State, transmitting his report on the petition of sundry inhabitants of Detroit, in the territory of Michigan, referred to him on the 6th of February, 1817, which were referred to the committee appointed on the 10th instant, on the petition from sundry inhabitants on the river Rasin, in the said territory.

Ordered, That Mr. Barber, of Ohio, Mr. Marr, Mr. Palmer, and Mr. Colston, be added to the lastmentioned committee.

The Speaker also laid before the House, a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting the estimates of the sums, necessary to be appropriated for the service of the year 1818, which were referred to the committee of Ways and Means.

On motion of Mr. Poindexter,

Resolved, That the committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire what provisions are necessary to give effect to the laws of the United States, within the state of Mississippi.

On motion of Mr. Holmes, of Massachusetts,

Resolved, That a committee be appointed to inquire into the expediency of providing by law, for the pay of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, and delegates from territories of the United States; and that the said committee have leave to report by bill or otherwise.

Mr. Holmes, of Massachusetts, Mr. Pitkin, Mr. Anderson, of Kentucky, Mr. Moore, Mr. Storrs, Mr. Abbott, and Mr. Newton, were appointed the said committee.

On motion of Mr. Tyler,

Resolved, That the committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire into the expediency, of causing offices to be erected, for the safe keeping of the records, papers and documents of the several district courts of the United States, at or near the places of holding said courts respectively.

On motion of Mr. Harrison,

Resolved, That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby instructed to report to this House, the amount of the pensions, which have been granted, to the widows and orphans of deceased officers and

soldiers of the late war, specifyng the number of each grade of officers to whose widows or children the pensions have been granted.

On motion of Mr. Seargent,

Resolved, That the committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire into the expediency of authorizing the judges of the district courts, in the several districts, and the judges of the supreme court of the United States, within their respective circuits, to supply any vacancies that may have happened, by reason of the death, resignation or disability of the general commissioners of bankruptcy, appointed by the President under the authority of the act, entitled "An act to amend the judicial system of the United States," where the same may be necessary to complete the execution of any pending commission of bankruptcy.

A message from the Senate, by Mr. Cutts their Secretary:

Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a resolution "Authorizing the distribution of certain public documents;" and they have also passed the resolution "Directing a distribution of certain laws, among the members of the Fifteenth Congres," with amendments, in which resolution and amendments, they ask the concurrence of this House. And then he withdrew.

The resolution authorizing the distribution of certain public documents, was read the first and second time, and ordered to be read a third time to-day.

The resolution was accordingly read the third time, and passed. The amendments to the resolution, directing a distribution of certain laws among the members of the Fifteenth Congress, were read, and concurred in by the House.

Ordered, That the Clerk acquaint the Senate therewith.

The amendments proposed by the Senate to the bill, entitled "An act to abolish the internal duties," were read, and concurred in by the House.

Ordered, That the Clerk also acquaint the Senate therewith. The House again resolved itself into a committee of the whole, on the bill authorizing the commutation of soldiers' bounty lands; 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 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.

THURSDAY, December 18, 1817.

Mr. Shaw presented a petition of sundry manufacturers of cotton and woollen goods, in Berkshire county, in the state of Massachusetts, praying that further measures may be adopted for the security and encouragement of domestic manufactures.