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man thought that he had coinmitted such an act, he invited him then to bring forward the charge. He had been told that the manner in which the affair had been stated was this: that the disclosure was made in a letter which he had written to one of his constituents in North Carolina; and that the imputation rested on a letter in the hands of his colleague (Mr. HENDERSON.) That letter could be produced; and if any gentleman gave credit to the charge, he wished it to be produced immediately, that he might not go home under any such imputation. He had not indeed expected that any such imputation, founded on a disposition to disclose the confidential proceedings of the House, would have been laid to one of the majority. He did suppose if there should be any disclosure, it would come from another quarter. He however, solicited any gentleman to bring forward the charge who professed to believe it. This was a debt of justice due to him and to the House: and if were not done, he would not consider the gentleman who had made it as believing it himself. Mr. GRISWOLD said it ought to be known to the House, that the colleague of the gentleman (Mr. HENDERSON) had been and still was confined by sickness. He regretted under those circumstances that the gentleman had not waited until his colleague attended in his place.

Mr. HOLLAND said he meant not to cast any imputation on his colleague; he had not subjected himself to the least obloquy. If he was in possession of the letter it was in the power of gentlemen to obtain it.

CITY OF WASHINGTON.

Mr. RANDOLPH, from the Committee of Ways and Means, reported a bill concerning the City of Washington, which was referred to a Committee

of the Whole.

The bill allows an annual salary of $1,200 to the superintendent, three dollars per day to the surveyor, and provides for clerk-hire and contingent expenses in these offices.

Mr. RANDOLPH Suggested to the gentleman from New York the propriety of introducing into this bill such provisions as he thought proper, and had some time since alluded to, respecting the neces sary repairs to the public buildings.

Mr. MITCHILL made a few remarks on the necessity of making provision for the accommodation of the next Congress, in consequence of its augmented numbers, and for repairing several parts of the buildings now in a state of ruin and dilapidation; and conluded by saying he would prepare a new section to that effect.

Mr. DAWSON said he had prepared a new section of this nature, which he offered to the Chair, appropriating dollars, to be applied under the direction of the President to the repair of the Capitol, for the future accommodation of Congress.

On the suggestion of Mr. ALSTON, the motion was varied so as to embrace the public buildings generally.

Mr. MERIWETHER thought the Committee were acting without proper information.

FEBRUARY, 1803.

Mr. DAWSON observed that an estimate had been made.

Mr. BACON inquired what sum it was contemplated to appropriate.

Mr. BRENT said an estimate had been made by an eminent architect of the sum that would be required for putting the part of the Capitol, in which the House sat, in such a situation as to accommodate them. The estimate, he understood, was $40,000.

Mr. MORRIS asked if it was not intended to repair the other parts of the Capitol and the President's House, the roofs of which were, he understood, so leaky as to threaten both edifices with ruin? Mr. DAWSON's motion was then agreed toayes 42.

Mr. BRENT moved to fill the blank with $50,000. Carried-ayes 40.

On motion of Mr. EUSTIS the above appropriation was made to embrace the keeping in repair of the highway between the Capitol and the President's House.

The Committee then rose and reported the bill with amendments; to which the House agreed, and ordered the bill to be engrossed for a third reading today.

TENNESSEE LANDS.

The House went into a Committee of the Whole on the bill for settling sundry claims to public lands of the United States south of the State of Tennessee.

The bill consists of eleven sections; the first three of which follow:

"Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That every grant, deed, conveyance,

or other written evidence of any claim or claims to any of the lands lying to the north of the thirty-first degree of north latitude, south of the State of Tennessee, east of the river Mississippi, and west of the western boundary of the State of Georgia, as the said boundary is described by the articles of agreement and cession between the United States and that State, derived, or pretended to be derived, from an act of the State of Georgia, passed on the seventh day of January, 1795, entitled "An act supplementary to an act for appropriating a part of the unlocated territory of this State, for the payment of the State troops, and for other purposes therein mentioned, and declaring the right of this State to the unappropriated territory thereof, for the protection and support of the frontiers of this State, and for other purposes therein mentioned," shall be exhibited to the Secretary of State within twelve months after the passing of this act, and there recorded in a book or books to be kept for that purpose, at the expense of the party exhibiting the same, who shall pay to the person employed by the Secretary of State for recording the same, words contained in each document thus recorded; nor at the rate of twelve and a half cents for every hundred shall any grant, deed, conveyance, or other written evidence of any claim derived, or pretended to be derived, from the said act of the State of Georgia, unless it shall have been exhibited and recorded in the manner and within the time above specified, ever after be admitted or considered as evidence in any of the courts of the

MARCH, 1803.

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SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That so much of the five millions of acres reserved by the articles of agreement and cession between the United States and the State of Georgia, as shall not, during the present session of Congress, have been appropriated for satisfying claims other than those described in the preceding section, to any of the lands above mentioned, or so much of the net proceedings thereof as may be necessary for that purpose, shall be, and the same is hereby, appropriated for the purpose of indemnifying for, and extinguishing the claims or pretended claims to any of the lands above mentioned, which are derived, or pretended to be derived, from the above mentioned act of the State of Georgia.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the several companies, or persons claiming under them, designated in the said act of the State of Georgia, by the names of "Georgia Company," "Georgia Mississippi Company," | "Tennessee Company," and "Upper Mississippi Company," shall, upon making such a release of the whole of their respective claim or claims, in favor of the United States, as shall be approved of by the Attorney General for the time being, be entitled to receive grants for the amount of land appropriated by the next preceding section of this act: Provided, however, That the same grant shall be located with the approbation of the Secretary of the Treasury for the time being, on lands to which the Indian title has not yet been extinguished, in no more than six tracts; that is to say, three tracts for the persons claiming under the Georgia Company, and one tract for each of the other companies, or the persons claiming under them respectively, each of which tracts shall extend the whole length or breadth of the territory claimed by the respective companies, and shall not have a greater proportionate tract on the rivers than the territory thus claimed.

Mr. HUGER moved an amendment, the object of which was to place the South Carolina Yazoo Company on the same footing with the other

claimants.

This motion was supported by Messrs. HUGER and BAYARD, and opposed by Messrs. NICHOLSON and MERIWETHER; and was lost-ayes 18. Mr. MERIWETHER then moved a new section in lieu of the third section; directing the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Attorney General, to receive such propositions as may be made by the claimants, and to make report at the next session of Congress.

Mr. NICHOLSON supported this motion.

Mr. EUSTIS moved an amendment authorizing the commissioners to make a final settlement of the claims.

Mr. NICHOLSON opposed the amendment. Mr. GREGG was opposed not only to the amendment but to the bill itself.

Mr. MERIWETHER spoke against the amendment. Mr. EUSTIS's amendment was lost without a division.

The new section offered by Mr. MERIWETHER was then adopted-ayes 42.

Mr. MERIWETHER moved to strike out all the remaining sections, except the eleventh, which is as follows:

SEC. 11. And be it further enacted, That nothing in 7th CoN. 2d SES.-20

pair, or affect the claims of any person or persons to any of the lands above mentioned.

Carried without a division.

The Committee rose, and the House immediately concurred in their amendments.

made in Committee, on which a debate ensued in which Messrs. HUGER and BAYARD supported, and Messrs. NICHOLSON and MERIWETHER opposed it. Mr. DAVIS moved the recommitment of the bill to the Committee of the Whole.

Mr. HUGER renewed the motion which he had

Mr. NICHOLSON opposed the motion; which was lost-ayes 15.

The question was then taken on Mr. HUGER'S amendment, and decided in the affirmative-ayes 36-noes 21.

The bill was then ordered to be engrossed for a third reading to-day-ayes 49.

TUESDAY, March 1.

A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate have passed a bill, entitled "An act directing a detachment from the militia of the United States, and for erecting certain arsenals;" to which they desire the concurrence of this House. The Senate have also passsd the bill, entitled "An act for the relief of insolvent debtors within the District of Columbia," with several amendments; to which they desire the concurrence of this House.

ington was read the third time and passed. An engrossed bill concerning the City of Wash

ments proposed by the Senate to the bill, entitled The House proceeded to consider the amend

"An act for the relief of insolvent debtors within the District of Columbia:" Whereupon,

Ordered, That the said amendments, together with the bill, be committed to Mr. NICHOLSON, Mr. TALIAFERRO, and Mr. HUNT.

The following Message was received from the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Gentlemen of the House of Representatives: December 20th, I communicated to you such returns According to the request stated in your resolution of of the militia of the different States as had then been received. Since that date, returns have been received from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, North Carolina, Georgia, and Kentucky, which are now transmitted to you. THOS. JEFFERSON.

MARCH 1, 1803.

The said Message was read, and, together with the statement transmitted therewith, ordered to lie on the table.

The SPEAKER laid before the House a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, accompanying his report on the state of the direct tax, together with a letter to him, from the Commissioner of the Revenue, relative thereto, in pursuance of a resolution of this House of the 24th of January last; which were read, and ordered to lie on the table.

The House resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House on the bill to allow a drawback of duty on sugar refined within the United States;

H. OF R.

and, after some time spent therein, the Committee reported the bill with several amendments thereto; which were severally twice read, and agreed to by the House.

Ordered, That the said bill, with the amendments, be engrossed, and read the third time

to-morrow.

The House proceeded to the farther consideration of an engrossed bill for settling sundry claims to public lands of the United States south of the State of Tennessee, which was yesterday read the third time: Whereupon, the question being taken that the said bill do pass, it was resolved in the affirmative-yeas 58, nays 12, as follows:

YEAS-Willis Alston, John Archer, John Bacon, Theodorus Bailey, James A. Bayard, Phanuel Bishop, Walter Bowie, Richard Brent, Robert Brown, William Butler, Thomas Claiborne, John Clopton, John Condit, Manasseh Cutler, John Davenport, John Dawson, William Dickson, Lucas Elmendorf, Ebenezer Elmer, William Eustis, Calvin Goddard, Edwin Gray, John A. Hanna, Seth Hastings, William Helms, Benjamin Huger, Samuel Hunt, David Meriwether, Samuel Mitchill, Thomas Morris, James Mott, Anthony New, Thomas Newton, jun., Joseph H. Nicholson, Thomas Plater, Nathan Read, William Shepard, John Smilie, Israel Smith, John Cotton Smith, John Smith, of New York, Josiah Smith, Samuel Smith, Henry Southard, Joseph Stanton, John Stewart, Samuel Tenney, David Thomas, Thomas Tillinghast, Philip R. Thompson, John Trigg, George B. Upham, Philip Van Cortlandt, Isaac Van Horne, Peleg Wadsworth, Richard Winn, Henry Woods, and Thomas Wynns.

NAYS-Thomas Boude, Samuel J. Cabell, Andrew Gregg, William Barry Grove, Joseph Heister, William Hoge, David Holmes, Michael Leib, John Randolph, jr., John Smith, of Virginia, Richard Stanford, and John Taliaferro, jun.

THE MINT.

The House went into a Committee of the Whole on the bill to prolong the continuance of the Mint at Philadelphia.

The bill provides for the continuance of the Mint for five years, and appropriates $500 beyond the usual appropriation for the establishment.

The appropriation was, on motion of Mr. VARNUM, struck out, without a division. The Committee then reported the bill.

The House concurred in the report.

Mr. ALSTON observed that if it were not so late

in the session he would move to strike out the

first section, by which the Mint would be abolished; but as it was too late to take this step, with any probability of success, he should content himself with moving to strike out five, and insert one, by which the institution would be continued for one year only.

Lost-ayes 25, nays 31.

The bill was then ordered to be engrossed for a third reading.

DANISH BRIG HENRICK.

An engrossed bill to enable the President to make restitution to the owners of the Danish brig Henrick, was read a third time.

Messrs. DAWSON, J. C. SMITH, GREGG, and S. SMITH, spoke in favor of, and Messrs. BAYARD,

MARCH, 1803.

HASTINGS, GRISWOLD, BACON, DANA, and GODDARD, against the bill.

Mr. LEIB moved a postponement of the bill to the first Monday in December.

On which motion the yeas and nays were taken, and were-yeas 39, nays 39. The SPEAKER declared himself against the postponement.

The question was then taken by yeas and nays on the passage of the bill, and carried-yeas 41, nays 38, as follows:

YEAS-Willis Alston, John Archer, Theodorus Bailey, Walter Bowie, Richard Brent, Samuel J. Cabell, John Campbell, Thomas Claiborne, Matthew Clay, John Clopton, Richard Cutts, John Dawson, Peter Early, Lucas Elmendorf, Ebenezer Elmer, Andrew Gregg, John A. Hanna, Daniel Heister, David Holmes, George Jackson, David Meriwether, Samuel L. Mitchill, Anthony New, Thomas Newton, jr., Joseph H. Nicholson, John Randolph, jun., John Smilie, Israel Smith, John Cotton Smith, John Smith, of New York, Samuel Smith, Richard Stanford, John Taliaferro, jun., David Thomas, Philip R. Thompson, Abram Trigg, George B. Upham Philip Van Cortlandt, Isaac Van Horne, Henry Woods, and Thomas Wynns.

NAYS-John Bacon, James A. Bayard, Phanuel Bishop, Thomas Boude, Robert Brown, William Butler, John Condit, Manasseh Cutler, Samuel W. Dana, John Davenport, Thomas T. Davis, William Dickson, William Eustis, Calvin Goddard, Edwin Gray, Roger Griswold, William Barry Grove, Seth Hastings, Joseph Heister, William Hoge, Benjamin Huger, Michael Leib, Thomas Morris, James Mott, Thomas Plater, Nathan Read, William Shepard, John Smith, of Virginia, Josiah Smith, Henry Southard, Joseph Stanton, John Trigg, Joseph B. Varnum, Peleg Wadsworth, John Stewart, Samuel Tenney, Thomas Tillinghast,

and Richard Winn.

The House adjourned until five o'clock, post meridian.

FIVE O'CLOCK, P. M.

An engrossed bill to prolong the continuance of the Mint at Philadelphia was read the third time, and passed.

The bill sent from the Senate, entitled "An act United States, and for erecting certain arsenals," directing a detachment from the militia of the was read twice, and committed to a Committee of the whole House to-morrow.

that the Senate have passed the bill, entitled “An A message from the Senate, informed the House disabled by known wounds received in the actual act to make provision for persons that have been service of the United States during the Revolutionary war," with several amendments; to which they desire the concurrence of this House."

The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the bill sent from the Senate, entitled "An act to alter the time for the next meeting of Congress." The Committee reported the bill without amendment.

A motion was then made, and the question being put, that the farther consideration thereof be postponed until to-morrow, it passed in the negative. And then the main question being taken that said bill do pass, it was resolved in the affirmative-yeas 42, nays 30, as follows: