It was resolved in the affirmative, Yeas Nays 82, 23. The yeas and nays being demanded by one fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative, are, Robert Brown, George W. Campbell, Joseph Clay, John Clopton, Leonard Covington, John Davenport, jun. Peter Early, William Ely, James Holland, David Hough, John G. Jackson, On motion of Mr. John Randolph, and seconded, Resolved, That the President of the United States be, and he.hereby is, requested to cause to be laid before this House an account, stating the several sums which have been expended on the Capitol, the President's House, the Public Offices, the Navy Yard, and the Marine Barracks, respectively, and the amount expended on other objects of public expense within the city of Washington. The several orders of the day were farther postponed until to-morrow. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1806. Mr. Philip R. Thompson presented to the House a petition of Robert Alexander, of the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, which was received and read, praying relief in consideration of work done and services performed by him, in the erection and completion of the public buildings at the Navy Yard of the United States, in the said city of Washington, a just compensation for which work and services, and, also, for expenses incurred in procuring materials for the said buildings, having been refused to him by the Secretary of the Navy Department. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Committee of Claims. Mr. Holmes, from the Committee of Claims, to whom was referred, on the fifth instant, the petition of William Munday, made a report thereon; which was read and considered: Whereupon, Resolved, That the petitioner have leave to withdraw his petition, and the papers accompanying the same. On a motion of Mr. Thomas, and seconded, that the House do come to the following resolution : Resolved, That the petition of John Little, of the county of Montgomery, in the State of New York, praying that he may be placed on the pension list, as an invalid of the United States, be referred to the Secretary of War, with instructions to examine the evidence in support of the said claim, and report his opinion, as to the justice of allowing the same, to this House : The said resolution was twice read at the Clerk's table, and, on the question there. upon, It passed in the negative. On a motion made, and leave given by the House, Mr. Crowninshield, from the Com. mittee of Commerce and Manufactures, presented, according to order, a bill to change the name of the District of Nanjemoy to that of St. Mary; which was received, and read the first time. On motion, The said bill was read the second time, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Friday next. The House proceeded to consider the motion of Mr. Dana, of yesterday, which lay on the table : Whereupon, The said motion being again read at the Clerk's table, in the words following, to wit: Resolved, That the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures be instructed to inquire into the expediency of making provision for a survey of the coasts of the United States, designating the several islands, with the shoals and roads, or places of anchorage, within twenty leagues of any part of the shores of the United States: A motion was made by Mr. Crowninshield, and the question being put, to amend the same, by adding, to the end thereof, the following words, to wit: And that the committee be farther instructed to inquire into the expediency of surveying St. George's bank, or any other shoals or banks, which may be deemed dangerous to vessels approaching the shores of the United States : It was resolved in the affirmative. Resolved, That this House doth agree to the said resolution, as amended. Mr. Joseph Clay presented to the House a petition of Elextius Spalding, of the city of Washington, in the Territory of Columbia, which was received and read, stating that the petitioner was appointed by the managers on the impeachment of Samuel Chase, Esq. one of the messengers to perform certain services in the State of Virginia; that when provision was made to defray the expense attending the trial of the said impeachment, his claim was omitted to be included in the estimate; and praying that such relief may be afforded him, as to the wisdom and justice of Congress shall seem meet. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to Mr. Joseph Clay, Mr. Dickson, and Mr. Garnett; that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the House. Mr. Joseph Clay presented to the House a petition of sundry officers who served in the British army, in America, during the war between France and Great Britain, whose names are thereunto subscribed, praying to be confirmed in their respective titles to lands in the State of Kentucky, granted to them by the King of Great Britain, in consideration of military services rendered to the American Colonies during the said war. Ord red, That the said petition be referred to the Committee on Public Lands. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Otis, their Secretary: Mr. Speaker: The Senate agree to the amendments proposed by this House to the amendments of the Senate to the bill, entitled “An act to suspend the operation of an act, entitled 'An act to prohibit the importation of certain goods, wares, and merchandise,' and to remit the penalties incurred under the same." And then he withdrew. On motion of Mr. Joseph Clay, Ordered, That the petition of Jared Shattuck, by his attorneys, Elliston and John Perot, presented to this House on the twenty-eighth of March, together with the report of the Secretary of State made thereon, on the twelfth of April last, be referred to the Committee of Claims. On motion of Mr. Joseph Clay, Ordered, That the petition of Anthony Benezet, and others, children and heirs of Daniel Benezet, deceased, presented to this House on the eleventh of February, one thousand eight hundred and five, be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means. On motion of Mr. Stanton, Ordered, That the petition of William Barton, in behalf of himself and others, presented to this House on the twentieth of February last, be referred to the Committee of Claims. On motion of Mr. Stanton, Ordered, That the petition of George Cornell, presented to this House on the fifth of February last, be referred to the Committee on Public Lands. On motion of Mr. Meriwether, Ordered, That the petition of John F. Randolph and Randolph McGillis, presented to this House on the nineteenth of February, one thousand eight hundred and three, be referred to the Committee of Claims. On motion, Ordered, That Mr. John Randolph and Mr. David R. Williams be appointed a committee to present to the President of the United States the resolution of this House agreed to yesterday. The House proceeded to consider the amendments reported from the Committee of the Whole House, yesterday, to the bill authorizing the erection of a bridge over the river Potomac, within the District of Columbia, and the same being severally twice read, were, on the question put thereupon, agreed by the House. The said bill was then farther amended at the Clerk's table, and, together with the amendments, ordered to be engrossed, and read the third time to-morrow. The several orders of the day were farther postponed until to-morrow. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1806. Two other members, to wit: Peleg Wadsworth, from Massachusetts, and Daniel C. Verplanck, from New York, appeared, and took their seats in the House. Mr. John Randolph, from the committee appointed to present to the President of the United States, the resolution agreed to on Monday last, reported that the Committee had, according to order, performed that service, and that the President signified to them that he would communicate to this House the information requested in the said resolution, as early as possible. Mr. Varnum presented to the House a petition of sundry inhabitants of Ashe county, in the State of Tennessee, whose names are thereunto subscribed, which was received and read, praying the establishment of a post route from Jefferson, in the said county, to Elizabeth, in Carter county, in the said State of Tennessee. Mr. Thomas W. Thompson presented to the House a petition of sundry inhabitants of Colebrook, in the State of New Hampshire, whose names are thereunto subscribed, praying the establishment of a post route from Lancaster to Colebrook, in the said State. Mr. Fisk presented to the House a petition of sundry inhabitants of Middlebury, in the State of Vermont, whose names are thereunto subscribed, praying that the turnpike road from Middlebury to Woodstock, in the said State, may be established as a post road. Ordered, That the said petitions be severally referred to the Committee on Post Of fice and Post Roads. Mr. Magruder, from the committee to whom was referred, on the fifth instant, the petition of William Hearn, made a report thereon; which was read and considered : Whereupon, Resolved, That the prayer of the petition ought to be granted. Ordered, That a bill, or bills, be brought in, pursuant to the foregoing resolution; and that Mr. Magruder, Mr. Blount, and Mr. Jeremiah Nelson, do prepare and bring in the same. An engrossed bill authoring the erection of a bridge over the river Potomac, within the District of Columbia, was read the third time : And, on the question that the same do pass, It was resolved in the affirmative, S Yeas 60, 39. The yeas and nays being demanded by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative, are, Joseph Barker, Burwell Bassett, George M. Bedinger, William M'Creery, David Meriwether, Nicholas R. Moore, Thomas Moore, Silas Betton, John Boyle, William A. Burwell, Levi Casey, Martin Chittenden, Frederick Conrad, James Fisk, James M. Garnett, Peterson Goodwyn, Seth Hastings, David Hough, Walter Jones, James Kelly, Henry W. Livingston, Those who voted in the negative, are, Jonathan O. Mosely, John Porter, John Pugh, John Randolph, Jacob Richards, John Russell, Lewis B. Sturges, Philip R. Thompson, Uri Tracy, Philip Van Cortlandt, Peleg Wadsworth, Eliphalet Wickes, Marmaduke Williams, Alexander Wilson, Joseph Winston, William Findley, Patrick Magruder, Robert Marion, Josiah Masters, Timothy Pitkin, jun. Resolved, That the title of the said bill be, "An act authorizing the erection of a bridge over the river Potomac, within the district of Columbia." Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do carry the said bill to the Senate, and desire their concurrence. Mr. Thomas, from the committee appointed on the tenth instant, presented, according to order, a bill supplementary to the act, entitled "An act regulating the grants of land appropriated for the refugees from the British provinces of Canada and Nova Scotia ;" which was received and read, the first time. On motion, The said bill was read the second time, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow. The House, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the bill to prohibit the importation or bringing of slaves into the United States, or the territories thereof, after the thirty-first day of December, one thousand eight hundred and seven; and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Varnum reported that the committee had, according to order, had the said bill under consideration, but not having time to go through the same, had directed him to move the House for leave to sit again. Resolved, That this House will, to-morrow, again resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the said bill. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Otis, their Secretary: Mr. Speaker: The Serate have passed a resolution appointing a committee, jointly, with a committee to be appointed on the part of the House of Representatives, to have the direction of the money appropriated to purchase books for the use of Congress, pursuant to the "Act making a further appropriation for the support of a library," passed on the twenty-first of February, one thousand eight hundred and six. And then he withdrew. Mr. Dawson presented to the House a petition of sundry inhabitants of the counties of Alexandria and Washington, in the Territory of Columbia, whose names are thereunto subscribed, which was received and read, praying that an act may be passed to incorporate a company for the purpose of making a turnpike road from the Western end of Mason's causeway, to the town of Alexandria, upon such terms and under such restrictions as may be just and reasonable. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to Mr. Dawson, Mr. Magruder, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Verplanck, and Mr. Cutts; that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the House. Mr. Thomas M. Randolph presented to the House a memorial of the trustees superintending the education of youth in the city of Washington, in the Territory of Columbia, whose names are thereunto subscribed, which was received and read, praying the aid and patronage of Congress in promoting the various objects of their institution. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to Mr. Thomas M. Randolph, Mr. Clinton, and Mr. Marmaduke Williams; that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the House. Mr. Joseph Clay presented to the House a petition of Edward Pennington and others, whose names are thereunto subscribed, refiners of sugar in the city of Philadelphia, which was received and read, praying that a drawback of duty may be allowed on sugars refined within the United States, and exported therefrom to any foreign port or place. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures. Mr. Porter, from the Joint Committee for Enrolled Bills, reported that the committee had examined an enrolled bill, entitled "An act to suspend the operation of an act, entitled An act to prohibit the importation of certain goods, wares, and merchandise,' and to remit the penalties incurred under the same," and had found the same to be truly enrolled: Whereupon, Mr. Speaker signed the said enrolled bill. Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do acquaint the Senate therewith. |