H. or R. Protection of the Frontier-Relations with France. APRIL, 1814. PROTECTION OF THE FRONTIER. Mr. WRIGHT, from the select committee ap-question to pass the said bill to a third reading, it pointed on the 11th instant, reported a bill mak- was decided in the negative. ing an appropriation for completing the Chamber of the House of Representatives; which was read twice and committed to a Committee of the Whole to-day. The following resolution was submitted by Mr. HUNGERFORD, for consideration: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Navy, to whom was submitted, by a resolution of this House, on the 15th day of March past, the petition and documents accompanying the same, of John T. Courtney and Samuel Harrison, and a report and resolution of the Committee on Naval Affairs relative to the same, be, and he is hereby, instructed to make a report thereon to this House. And, on the question to consider she said resolution, it was determined in the negative. A motion was made by Mr. Fisk, of New York, to refer to the Secretary of War the documents accompanying the report of the committee appointed to inquire in what manner contracts for supplying the Army of the United States have been made, and to what extent general officers have interfered in such contracts, prejudicial to the public interest or to the rights of individuals. Mr. GHOLSON moved that the said motion do lie on the table; and the question being taken, it passed in the affirmative. On motion of Mr. LOWNDES, of South Carolina, the three following bills, viz: A bill authorizing the increase of the marine corps ; a bill to authorize the purchase of the vessels captured on Lake Erie; and a bill from the Senate to authorize the appointment of officers for the flotilla service, were passed through a Committee of the Whole, slightly amended, and severally ordered to be read a third time without opposition. The engrossed bill to authorize the President of the United States to accept the service of such volunteer corps as shall organize themselves for the defence of the United States; the engrossed bill continuing in force the act declaring the assent of Congress to two acts of the States of Maryland and Georgia; the engrossed bill for the relief of Archibald McCall; and the engrossed bill to incorporate the Columbian Manufacturing Company of Alexandria in the District of Columbia, were severally read a third time and passed. A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate have passed a bill "for the relief of James Lloyd," in which they ask the concurrence of this House. Ordered, That the Committee of the Whole be discharged from the consideration of the bill to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to subscribe, on behalf of the United States, for 750 shares of the capital stock of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal Company. A motion was made by Mr. KILBOURN, that the House do now proceed to the consideration of the report of the Committee of the Whole on the bill for the better protection of the Northwestern frontier of the United States, by granting donations of land to actual settlers. And, the question being taken, it was determined in the negative-yeas 36, nays 71, as follows: YEAS-Messrs. Alston, Bowen, Caldwell, Chappell, Creighton, Davis of Pennsylvania, Desha, Ely, Farrow, Findley, Fisk of Vermont, Forney, Gholson, Goodwyn, Griffin, Johnson of Virginia, Johnson of Kentucky, Kent of New York, Kershaw, Kilbourn, King of North Carolina, Macon, McLean, Miller, Murfree, Nelson, Ormsby, Pickens, Piper, Pleasants, Shipherd, Smith of New York, Sturges, Taggart, Taylor, Thompson, and Troup. NAYS-Messrs. Archer, Bard, Barnett, Baylies of Massachusetts, Boyd, Breckenridge, Brigham, Brown, Caperton, Champion, Cilley, Clark, Cooper, Cox, Crawford, Crouch, Culpeper, Cuthbert, Eppes, Fisk of New York, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Goldsborough, Grosvenor, Hale, Hall, Hanson, Hawes, Hungerford, Ingersoll, Kennedy, Kent of Maryland, Kerr, King of Massachusetts, Law, Lewis, Lovett, Lowndes, Lyle, Markell, McCoy, McKim, Moffit, Montgomery, Moore, Moseley, Pearson, Pickering, Pitkin, Potter, William Reed, Rea of Pennsylvania, Rich, Ridgely, Robertson, Ruggles, Sage, Seybert, Smith of Virginia, Stanford, Tallmadge, Tannehill, Telfair, Udree, Vose, Ward of Massachusetts, Wheaton, Wilcox, Wilson of Massachusetts, and Winter. RELATIONS WITH FRANCE. Mr. GASTON, of North Carolina, rose to offer a motion, which he prefaced by a word or two of explanation. The period of adjournment, he said, was approaching, and an interval of six months would elapse before Congress would again convene. Mr. G. said he thought it very important, if the Executive was in possession of any information respecting our relations with France, not already in possession of the public, that it should be laid before the House. He was desirous of such information for another reason. The House was called upon to legislate in relation to France, on a bill which has been reported in this House, but not yet acted on, to open our ports to the cruisers of France. The House had been informed, too, by the President in his late Message, that the most astonishing changes had taken place on the continent of Europe. It was important to know how far these changes affected our relations with France, and the policy of that measure he had alluded to. These were his reasons, and his only reasons, for offering the following resolution: Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to communicate to this House any infor Mr. BOND, of Illinois, having called up the bill mation in his possession touching our relations with to authorize the opening a road from Shawanoe-France, which in his judgment it is not improper to town in Illinois Territory, &c., the House refused to take it up. The bill for the relief of Richard Mitchell passed through a Committee of the Whole, but on the disclose. This motion having been assented to by Mr. CALHOUN, of South Carolina, and modified, on the suggestion of Mr. GRUNDY, of Tennessee, by APRIL, 1814. Exportation of Specie-Militia, &c. the insertion of the words "not heretofore communicated," was agreed to without a division. EXPORTATION OF SPECIE. The engrossed bill "to prohibit the exportation of specie, gold, or siver coins, or bullion," was read a third time. H. of R. Geddes, Goldsborough, Grosvenor, Grundy, Hale, Han- Winter. Mr. PICKERING, of Massachusetts, said he was too hoarse to make himself heard, and therefore did not rise to oppose the bill, but merely to require the yeas and nays, that he might at least record his vote against this remnant of folly ander, Bard, Barnett, Beall, Bowen, Brown, Calhoun, mischief. Mr. PITKIN, of Connecticut, opposed the passage of the bill, for various reasons. Specie, he said, would always regulate itself. No Government, even the most despotic, had ever been successful in prohibiting the exportation of specie. He stated it as a fact generally believed by those acquainted with the subject, that more specie had gone from this country during the last embargo, than in any like term of time before, notwithstanding the existence of provisions much more severe than those contained in this bill against exportation, &c. He therefore moved that the bill be postponed indefinitely. Clark, Clopton, Comstock, Conard, Crawford, Creighton, Crouch, Cuthbert, Davis of Pennsylvania, Desha, Duvall, Eppes, Findley, Gholson, Goodwyn, Griffin, Hawes, Hawkins, Humphreys, Hungerford, Ingersoll, Johnson of Virginia, Johnson of Kentucky, Kent of Maryland, Kilbourn, Lefferts, Lyle, McCoy, McLean, Montgomery, Moore, Nelson, Ormsby, Parker, Pickens, Piper, Pleasants, Rea of Pennsylvania, Rhea of Tennessee, Roane, Sage, Sharp, Smith of Virginia, Tannehill, Taylor, Telfair, Udree, Ward of New Jersey, Wilson of Pennsylvania, and Wright. So the House determined that the said bill be postponed indefinitely. COMPENSATION TO MILITIA, &c. On motion of Mr. DESHA, of Kentucky, the House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the bill allowing compensation for horses owned by militia or volunteers killed in the service of the United States. Mr. GRUNDY, of Tennessee, conceived this bill to be one of doubtful expediency, and on which it would perhaps be better that the House should not legislate too hastily. In the present situation of things, it did not appear to him that such a bill was necessary to prevent the drain of specie; and Mr. DESHA moved to amend the bill by striking no great evil could arise from postponing the sub-out its general provision, and inserting sections ject till the next session. He should therefore limiting its operation to Gov. Shelby's volunteers vote for the motion of the gentleman from Con- and Colonel Johnson's mounted infantry. His necticut. reason was, that the horses in these corps had been regularly appraised, and the roll of appraisement returned to, and now in the War Office, and therefore stood on higher ground than like claims generally. Mr. FARROW, of South Carolina, was of opinion with Mr. GRUNDY, that this was a measure of questionable expediency, and, entertaining strong doubts of the propriety of such a law, he also should vote to postpone it. The yeas and nays having been ordered on the question of postponement at the instance of Mr. NELSON of Virginia Mr. GRUNDY, of Tennessee, moved to lay the whole subject on the table, with a view, however, not to call it up again at the present session. His object was to avoid a total rejection of the bill. Mr. NELSON required the yeas and nays on this motion also. This was a bill reported by the Committee of Foreign Relations, in pursuance of a recommendation from the Executive of the United States. If the bill was important at all as a mean of arresting the exportation of specie, it ought to pass; if not, it ought to be rejected at once, and not acted on sideways, and disposed of by an indirect vote. This amendment was opposed by Mr. FARROW, of South Carolina, Mr. BEALL, and Mr. CREIGHTON, of Ohio, on objection to the speciality of the provisions, and by Mr. JOHNSON, of Kentucky, on the ground that there were others as well entitled to relief as the mounted infantry which was under his command, though in his opinion the case of the horses in Shelby's command formed an exception from the general rule, and was particularly entitled to relief. Mr. DESHA, whose object would be perfectly obtained by the general provision, if that should meet the wishes of the Committee, relinquished the support of his proposed amendment, and the amendment was rejected. The Committee then rose and reported the bill to the House. Mr. GRUNDY then, with a view to permit gen- A motion was then made by Mr. RICH, of Vertlemen to give a direct vote on the bill, withdrewmont, to amend the bill by inserting a new section his motion; and the question on the indefinite in the following words: postponement was decided by the following vote: For the postponement 63, against it 60: YEAS-Messrs. Baylies of Massachusetts, Bigelow, Boyd, Bradbury, Bradley, Breckenridge, Brigham, Butler, Caperton, Champion, Chappell, Cilley, Cooper, Cox, Culpeper, Ely, Farrow, Forney, Forsyth, Gaston, 13th CoN. 2d SESS.-64 "And be it further enacted, That the several persons employed in removing the Army from Plattsburg and Burlington to Sackett's Harbor, in the month of March, 1813, be allowed and paid the amount of such damages as they shall have sustained by the loss or injury of sleighs and horses while employed in that H. of R. Execution of Revenue Laws—Foreign Licenses. service, said damages to be ascertained in such manner as the President of the United States shall direct." And after debate, this motion was negatived; and the bill was then farther amended and ordered to be engrossed for a third reading. THURSDAY, April 14. Mr. ARCHER, of Maryland, reported a bill for the relief of Joseph S. Hughes; which was twice read and committed. The SPEAKER laid before the House a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting a revised statement of the debt of the United States; which was read, and ordered to lie on the table. The bill from the Senate, for the relief of James Lloyd, was twice read and committed. Mr. WILLIAM REED, of Massachusetts, adverting to the appointment of a committee on the 17th March last, to inquire into the expediency of making a reform in the Naval Establishment, and the impracticability, during the short time which has since elapsed, of maturing a report on the subject, moved that the said committee be authorized to act in the recess, and report at the next session; not with a view to their actually sitting during the recess, but to keep the committee alive until the next session. After some conversation on the subject, the motion was adopted. The unfavorable report of the Committee of Claims on the petition of John Pitchlyn, passed through a Committee of the Whole, was, on motion of Mr. ARCHER, of Maryland, reversed, so as to make the report favorable to the petition, and referred to the Committee of Claims, to report a bill for his relief. A message from the Senate informed the House that they have passed the bill "confirming certain claims to land in the Illinois Territory, and providing for their location," with amendments. The Senate have also passed a bill, "in further addition to an act, entitled 'An act more effectually to provide for the national defence, by establishing an uniform militia throughout the United States;" also, a bill "to lessen the compensation for marshals, clerks, and attorneys, in certain cases therein mentioned;" in which bills and amendments they ask the concurrence of this House. An engrossed bill, authorizing the purchase of the vessels captured on Lake Erie, was read the third time, and passed. An engrossed bill, allowing compensation for horses owned by militia or volunteers, and killed or lost in the service of the United States, was read the third time, and passed. The bill from the Senate, "authorizing an aug mentation of the Marine corps, and for other purposes," was read the third time, and passed. The bill from the Senate, " to authorize the appointment of certain officers for the flotilla service," was read the third time, and passed. EXECUTION OF REVENUE LAWS. Mr. Fisk, of Vermont, moved "that a committee be appointed to inquire into the expediency APRIL, 1814. of so amending the Judicial system as to give to the Courts of the United States exclusive jurisdiction in all cases arising under the Revenue laws; with leave to report by bill or otherwise." Mr. F. said, that very lately a new practice had arisen in some of the States. Whenever the collectors were making seizures the States were interfering, so as to interrupt the operation of the revenue laws. He knew one instance, where fifty-six writs had been served on one of the collectors in one week; and, in the State which he had the honor in part to represent, the collectors had been much harassed. If this system could be persisted in with impunity, the revenue laws would be a dead letter. The State courts might levy on property seized for taxes, and, where such a disposition prevailed, entirely defeat the operation of the laws of the United States. It was never the design, certainly, of the framers of the Constitution, to leave the country in such a state. After some incidental conversation, not affecting the principle involved in it, the motion was agreed to by a majority of 20 or 30 votes; and Mr. Fisk of Vermont, Mr. GRUNDY, Mr. INGERSOLL, Mr. GROSVENOR, and Mr. GASTON, were appointed the said committee. FOREIGN LICENSES. Mr. KING, of Massachusetts, rose to make a motion on the subject of the law now in existthought that it ought to be repealed, for several ence, prohibiting the use of foreign licenses. He reasons, which he assigned, viz: That as, in pursuance of the recommendation of the President, abolished, it was important to put our own vesevery feature of the restrictive system had been sels at least on an equality with those of neutral nations trading with us; that for this purpose a repeal of this law was necessary; that there were absent from the United States, and shut up in European ports, many American vessels, which could not return except under the protection of foreign licenses. He had heard but one objection to this repeal; it was suggested that, to repeal the the enemy. He thought not. It was the practice law in question, would be a kind of submission to of nations generally in time of war, and even in the present war of extermination between France and England, those nations traded directly with each other. Another consideration which ought to induce the House to accede to the motion, was the opinion of American merchants generally, which was in favor of the repeal of the prohibition, &c. Mr. K.'s motion was as follows: tions be, and they are hereby, instructed to inquire into "Resolved, That the Committee on Foreign Rela day of August, 1813, entitled 'An act to prohibit the the expediency of repealing an act passed on the 2d use of licenses or passes granted by authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and that they have leave to report by bill or otherwise." When Mr. K. submitted this motion, it contained also a clause including the act to prohibit the ransom of vessels captured by the enemy; but, it being suggested that the bill which passed the House on this subject had not yet become a law, Mr. K. erased that part of his motion which related to ransoms. The House agreed to consider the motion, by a vote of 53 to 44. This resolution gave rise to an animated and extended debate, in the course of which it was modified, on suggestion of Mr. GASTON of North Carolina, by inserting, after the word "Ireland," the following words: "Or so modifying the said act, as to permit licenses granted by the authority of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to be used, under such regulations and restrictions as may be deemed expedient by the President of the United States." Those gentlemen who opposed the resolution were, Messrs. CALHOUN of South Carolina, Fisk of Vermont, INGERSOLL of Pennsylvania, MURFREE of North Carolina, SHARP of Kentucky, RHEA of Tennessee, McKIм of Maryland, PoTTER of Rhode Island, and DUVALL of Kentucky; and those who advocated it were the mover, Messrs. WRIGHT of Maryland, GROSVENOR of New York, SHEFFEY of Virginia, and GASTON of North Carolina. The debate having rather degenerated into a personal from a national character before its close that is to say, after the debate had consumed considerably more than four hours Mr. MACON, of North Carolina, observing that it was time an end was put to this sort of debate, moved to proceed to the orders of the day.Negatived, 58 to 57. Mr. CONARD, of Pennsylvania, requested the previous question; in which he was not supported by a majority of the House. After a few explanatory remarks from Mr. FISK, of Vermont, in reply to Mr. KING, of Massachusetts, the question on the adoption of the resolution was decided by the following vote: YEAS-Messrs. Baylies of Massachusetts, Boyd, Bradbury, Breckenridge, Brigham, Caperton, Chappell, Cilley, Cooper, Cox, Culpeper, Davenport, Ely, Gaston, Goldsborough, Grosvenor, Hale, Jackson of Rhode Island, Kent of Maryland, King of Massachusetts, Law, Lewis, Lovett, Markell, Miller, Moffitt, Moseley, Oakley, Pearson, Pickering, Pitkin, William Reed, Ridgely, Ruggles, Sheffey, Smith of New Hampshire, Smith of New York, Strong, Stuart, Sturges, Tallmadge, Thompson, Vose, Ward of Massachusetts, Wheaton, White, Wilcox, Winter, and Wright-49. NAYS-Messrs. Alexander, Alston, Anderson, Archer, Barnett, Bowen, Bradley, Butler, Caldwell, Calhoun, Clark, Comstock, Condict, Conard, Crawford, Creighton, Crouch, Cuthbert, Davis of Pennsylvania, Desha, Duvall, Eppes, Farrow, Findley, Fisk of Vermont, Forney, Forsyth, Franklin, Gholson, Goodwin, Gourdin, Griffin, Grundy, Hall, Harris, Hasbrouck, Hawes, Hawkins, Humphreys, Hungerford, Ingersoll, Irving, Irwin, Johnson of Virginia, Johnson of Kentucky, Kennedy, Kerr, Kershaw, King of North Carolina, Lefferts, Lowndes, Lyle, Macon, McCoy, McKim, McLean, Montgomery, Moore, Murfree, Nelson, Ormsby, Parker, Piper, Pleasants, Rea of Pennsylvania, Rhea of Tennessee, Ringgold, Roane, Robertson, Sage, Sevier, Seybert, Sharp, Smith of Virginia, Stanford, Tannehill, Taylor, Telfair, Troup, and Udree-81. i H. of R. [Mr. Beall of Ohio, who was accidentally out of the House when the vote was taken, declared his intention to have voted in the negative.] So the House rejected the said resolution. morrow. FRIDAY, April 15. The bill from the Senate, "to lessen the compensation for marshals, clerks, and attorneys, in the cases therein mentioned," was read twice, and committed to a Committee of the Whole to-day. The bill from the Senate, "in further addition to an act, entitled 'An act more effectually to provide for the national defence, by establishing an uniform militia throughout the United States," was read twice, and referred to the committee for revising the Militia laws. The amendments proposed by the Senate to the bill "confirming certain claims to land in the Illinois Territory, and providing for their location," were read, and concurred in by the House. On motion of Mr. ARCHER, the Committee of the Whole were discharged from the consideration of the report of the Committee of Claims on the memorial of the Governors of the New York Hospital. On motion of Mr. INGERSOLL, the Committee of the Whole were discharged from the consideration of the bill prescribing the mode of authenticating the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings, of the several States, and for declaring the effect of certain judicial proceedings. A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate have passed the bill "in addition to the act, entitled 'An act to provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections, and repel invasions, and to repeal the act now in force for those purposes," rence of this House. with amendments, in which they ask the concur On motion of Mr. ARCHER, Ordered, That the Committee of the whole House be discharged from the consideration of the report of the Committee of Claims on the petition of Zachariah Roberts. The bill from the Senate for the relief of Israel Thorndike was passed through a Committee of the Whole, and reported to the House, where it was debated at length; Messrs. MURFREE, BAYLIES, REED, GROSVENOR, and PICKERING, being the principal supporters of the bill, and Messrs. ROBERTSON, MCKIM, TAYLOR, WRIGHT, IRVING, LOWNDES, CALHOUN, EPPES, and GHOLSON, its principal opponents. cargo of foreign produce exported for New Or The case presented by this bill was that of a leans in the year 1808, and of course without the formalities necessary to secure to the exporter the drawback on exportation, but driven by stress of weather into a foreign port, Havana. The bill proposes to allow to Mr. Thorndike drawback on the cargo which was sold at Havana, its re-exportation being prohibited by the municipal regulations in that port, notwithstanding H. of R. Attorney General-Paymaster General. the non-compliance with the formalities required by law previous to exportation. The bill was indefinitely postponed by a majority of 20 or 30 votes. The engrossed bill making additional appropriations for the support of Government for the year 1814; and the engrossed bill to amend the act laying duties on licenses to retailers (which this day passed through a Committee of the Whole) were read a third time, and passed. The House then, by a very close vote of 47 to 45, refused to take up the bill respecting Evans's steam engine patent. The bill to incorporate the stockholders of a National Bank (reported several weeks ago, and which has since slumbered on the table) having been named among the orders of the day, was, on motion of Mr. TAYLOR, of New York, who reported it, indefinitely postponed. On motion of Mr. LEWIS, of Virginia, that the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole on the bill to establish the Bank of the Metropolis, it was determined in the negative, yeas 31. The bill for the relief of John D. Hay (relieving him from the payment of three hundred and fifty-five dollars, being the amount of money belonging to the Post Office, which was, together with all his other property, consumed by a fire, in which he lost also three infant children) passed through a Committee of the Whole, was ordered to be read a third time, read accordingly, and passed. A number of orders of the day were called up, which the House refused, by large majorities, to take up until they came to the bill respecting the Office of Attorney General. ATTORNEY GENERAL. The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the bill establishing the permanent residence of the Attorney General of the United States at the Seat of Government. A motion was made by Mr. WRIGHT, of Maryland, to strike out the section providing for increasing the compensation of the Attorney General; and, being assented to by Mr. INGERSOLL, (the chairman of the committee who reported the bill,) was agreed to without a division. On motion of Mr. NELSON, of Virginia, the bill was further amended by striking out that part of the bill requiring the Attorney General, when required, to make reports, &c., to Congress on cases submitted to him; on the ground that the laws already made such a provision. The Committee then rose and reported the bill, and the amendments were concurred in by the House. The bill now containing no other provision than that requiring the permanent residence of the Attorney General at the Seat of Govern ment Mr. POTTER, of Rhode Island, moved to postpone the further consideration of the bill indefinitely. Mr. KING, of Massachusetts, moved an amend APRIL, 1814. ment to limit the requisition of the bill to a residence at the Seat of Government during the sessions of Congress and of the Supreme Court. -Negatived. The bill was then ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, and was subsequently read a third time, and passed. PAYMASTER GENERAL. The bill from the Senate fixing the salary of the Paymaster General of the Armies of the United States, making an allowance for clerk hire, and for the appointment of Assistant District Paymasters, passed through a Committee of the Whole, on motion of Mr. TROUP, of Georgia. The provision for augmenting the salary of the Paymaster General from $1,440 to 2,400, gave rise to considerable discussion. It was opposed by Messrs. EPPES, of Virginia, ALSTON, of North Carolina, and warmly supported by Messrs. JOHNSON, of Kentucky, LEWIS, of Virginia, GHOLSON, of Virginia, McKIM, of Maryland. The objections made to this provision were, not that an increase might not reasonably be made, but that this was not a time to increase salaries of officers generally, and that no particular increase ought to be made. The discussion resulted, however, in amending the bill so as to allow the Paymaster General two thousand dollars per annum during the war, and, thus amended, the bill passed to a third reading. SATURDAY, April 16. The following resolution was submitted by Mr. JOHNSON, of Kentucky: Resolved, That the Committee of Accounts be, and they are hereby, authorized to pay to Elexius Spalding, George N. Thomas, Richard Stewart, Isaac Phillips, and George Cooper, one dollar and fifty cents per day, for their attendance on the House of Representatives during the present session of Congress, as the entire compensation for their services; and that Oswald Dunn be allowed for his services one hundred dollars. The resolution was read, and referred to the Committee of Accounts. A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate have passed the bill "granting pensions to officers and seamen serving on board the revenue cutters, in certain cases;" also, the bill "concerning the pay of officers, seamen, and marines, in the Navy of the United States;" with an amendment to each, in which they desire the concurrence of this House. The bill from the Senate, "fixing the salary of the Paymaster of the Army of the United States, and allowing a sum for the employment of additional clerks in his office for the year 1814, and providing for the appointment of assistant district paymasters," was read the third time, as amended, and passed. A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate have passed the bill “to alter and establish certain post roads, in which they ask the concurrence of this House. Mr. ARCHER, of Maryland, reported a bill for |