On motion,

The said bill was read the second time, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow.

Ordered, That the petition of Abner Snow, of the State of Massachusetts, presented the twenty-seventh of December, one thousand eight hundred and three, be referred to the Committee of Claims.

The several orders of the day were farther postponed until to-morrow.
And then the House adjourned until to-morrow morning eleven o'clock.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1804.

A petition of Charles Croxall, of the State of New Jersey, was presented to the House and read, praying that he may receive the commutation of half-pay, and other emoluments, due for his services as a Captain in the Pennsylvania line of the Continental army, during the Revolutionary war with Great Britain; the claim to which, owing to the reasons therein stated, hath not yet been liquidated and satisfied.

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

A memorial of Charles Garts, and others, whose names are thereunto subscribed, refiners of sugar in the city of Baltimore, and State of Maryland, was presented to the House 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 memorial be referred to the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures.

Mr. Dana, from the Committee of Claims, presented, according to order, a bill for the relief of John Steele ; which was received, and read the first time.

On motion,

The said bill was read the second time, and ordered to be engrossed, and read the third time on Monday next.

Mr. Dana, from the Committee of Claims, to whom were referred, on the fourteenth and eighteenth instant, the memorial of Peter Landais, of the State of New York, presented the twenty-sixth of October, one thousand eight hundred and three, and the petition of William M'Clellan, of the State of Pennsylvania, made reports thereon; which were severally read, and considered: Whereupon,

Resolved, That the prayer of the said memorial and petition ought not to be granted.

Mr. Dana, from the same committee, to whom was referred, on the seventeenth instant, the petition of Catharine Havis, of the State of Maryland, made a report thereon; which was read, and considered : Whereupon,

Resolved, That the petitioner have leave to withdraw her said petition.

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

Mr. Speaker: The Senate have agreed to the amendments proposed by this House to the bill sent from the Senate, entitled "An act for the disposal of certain copies of the laws of the United States." And then he withdrew.

A memorial and sundry resolutions of a number of the inhabitants of the town of Alexandria, in the District of Columbia, whose names are thereunto subscribed, in approbation of the principles contained in a bill now depending before the House, to amend the Charter of the town of Alexandria; also, sundry resolutions of a number of other inhabitants of the same town, whose names are thereunto subscribed, in opposition to the said bill; were presented to the House and read: Whereupon,

The House, according to the order of the day, proceeded in the further consideration of the engrossed bill to amend the charter of the town of Alexandria, which was read the third time on Monday last; and, after debate thereon,

A motion was made, and the question being put, that the farther consideration of the said bill be postponed until the first Monday in December next,

It passed in the negative.

Another motion was made, and the question being put, that the bill be recommitted to the consideration of a Committee of the Whole House,

It passed in the negative.

And then the main question being taken that the said bill do pass,

The yeas and nays being demanded by one-fifth of the members present,

Resolved, That the title be, "An act to amend the charter of the town of Alexandria.” Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do carry the said bill to the Senate, and desire their concurrence.

Resolved, That the Postmaster General be directed to lay before this House a list of the names of the persons with whom contracts have been made for carrying the mail of the United States, from the first day of December, one thousand eight hundred and one,

to the last day of December, one thousand eight hundred and four, inclusively; specifying the term during which such contracts were made; and the sums paid, or to be paid, to the contractors, respectively.

It being suggested by a member in his place, to wit: Mr. Larned, of Massachusetts, that a inistake had been committed by him in giving his vote on the final question taken this day, that the engrossed bill to amend the charter of the town of Alexandria do pass; and that he had intended to vote against, and not for the passing of the said bill, as the same had been recorded by the Clerk: and, debate arising thereon,

Mr. Speaker decided, that, in his opinion, agreeably to the rules of the House, after any question taken by yeas and nays, or otherwise, had been finally determined, and so stated from the chair, no member could be permitted to change his vote on such question, unless by the unanimous consent of the members present:

From which decision an appeal was made to the House by two members;

And on the question, "Is the said decision of the Chair in order?"

It was resolved in the affirmative.

The several orders of the day were farther postponed until Monday next.
And then the House adjourned until Monday morning eleven o'clock.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1804.

Ordered, That Mr. Rodney have leave to be absent from the service of this House for two weeks.

An engrossed bill for the relief of John Steele was read the third time.

Resolved, That the said bill do pass, and that the title be, "An act for the relief of John Steele."

Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do carry the said bill to the Senate, and desire their concurrence.

Ordered, That the farther consideration of the engrossed bill to incorporate the Washington Building and Fire Insurance Company be postponed until to-morrow.

Mr. Richards, from the Joint Committee for Enrolled Bills, reported that the committee had examined an enrolled bill, entitled An act for the disposal of certain copies of the laws of the United States," 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.

A memorial of Bathsheba Newcomb, and others, whose names are thereunto subscribed, in behalf of themselves and other heirs and residuary legatees of Hannah Preston, widow of Isaac Preston, late of the county of Cumberland, in the State of New Jersey, deceased, was presented to the House and read, praying that they may be allowed the commutation of half pay, and other emoluments due, for services rendered by the said Isaac Preston, in his life time, as Colonel of a regiment of the militia of the said State, during the late Revolutionary war with Great Britain; the claim for which hath not yet been liquidated and satisfied.

Also, a petition of Elijah Brainerd, of the State of New Hampshire, praying relief, in consideration of personal injuries received whilst a soldier in the Connecticut line of the Continental army, during the Revolutionary war with Great Britain, which have rendered him incapable of obtaining a livelihood by labor.

Ordered, That the said memorial and petition be referred to the Committee of Claims.

Ordered, That the Committee of Ways and Means have leave to prepare and bring in a bill, or bills, making appropriations for the support of Government, for the year one thousand eight hundred and five.

Mr. John Randolph, from the committee last mentioned, presented, according to order, a bill making appropriations for the support of Government, for the year one thousand eight hundred and five; 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 Wednesday next.

On a motion måde and seconded that the House do come to the following resolutions: 1. Resolved, That a post road ought to be established from the City of Washington, on the most convenient and direct route, to pass through or near the Tuckabachee settlement to the Tombigby settlement, in the Mississippi Territory, and from thence to the City of New Orleans.

2. Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to cause to be laid

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before this House, any documents, and give such other information as he may think proper, relative to opening a post road from the City of Washington to the City of New Orleans.

The first resolution being twice read, was, on a motion made, ordered to be referred to the Committee of the Whole House to whom was committed, on the seventh instant, a motion respecting "the establishment of a post road from Knoxville, in the State of Tennessee, to the settlements on the Tombigby river in the Mississippi Territory, and from thence to New Orleans; also, for the establishment of a post road from Georgia, to the said settlement on the Tombigby, to intersect the former road at the most convenient point between Knoxville and the Tombigby."

The second resolution being twice read, was, on the question put thereupon, agreed to by the House.

Ordered, That Mr. Holland and Mr. George Washington Campbell be appointed a committee to present the second resolution to the President of the United States.

A message, in writing, was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Coles, his Secretary, as followeth :

To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States:

The enclosed letter written from Malta, by Richard O'Brien, our late Consul at Algiers, giving some details of transactions before Tripoli, is communicated for the information of Congress.

DECEMBER 31, 1804.

TH. JEFFERSON.

The said message and letter were read, and ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Findley, from the Committee of Elections, to whom were referred a letter from the Governor of the State of Virginia, enclosing certificates and returns of the election of Alexander Wilson, to serve in this House as a Representative for the said State, in the place of Andrew Moore, appointed a Senator of the United States, made a report thereon; which he delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the same was read, and is as followeth:

"That, having examined the said credentials and certificates, they are of opinion that Alexander Wilson is entitled to a seat in this House."

Ordered, That the said report do lie on the table.

The House, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the report of the Committee of Claims, of the fourteenth instant, on the petition of Ann Elliott; and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Tenney reported that the committee had, according to order, had the said report under consideration, and come to a resolution thereupon; which he delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the same was twice read, and, on the question put thereupon, agreed to by the House as followeth :

Resolved, That the prayer of the petition of Ann Elliott is reasonable, and ought to be granted.

Ordered, That a bill, or bills, be brought in, pursuant to the said resolution; and that the Committee of Claims do prepare and bring in the same.

The order of the day for the House to resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House on a motion of the twenty-ninth ultimo, "to recede to the States of Virginia and Maryland, respectively, the jurisdiction of such parts of the Territory of Columbia as are without the limits of the City of Washington," being called for,

A motion was made, and the question being put, that the said order of the day be postponed until Monday next,

It was resolved in the affirmative.

The House, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the bill making appropriations for the support of the Navy of the United States, during the year one thousand eight hundred and five; 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, and made several amendments thereto; which he delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the same 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 on Wednesday next.

Mr. Lattimore, from the committee appointed on the seventeenth instant, presented, according to order, a bill further to amend an act, entitled "An act regulating the grants of land, and providing for the disposal of the lands of the United States South of the State of Tennessee;" 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 Wednesday next.

The House, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the bill giving further time to register the evidences of titles to land South of the State of Tennessee; and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Gregg reported that the committee had, according to order, had the said bill under consideration, and made no amendment thereto.

Ordered, That the said bill be engrossed, and read the third time on Wednesday

next.

Mr. Crowninshield, from the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, to whom were referred, on the eighteenth instant, the amendments proposed by the Senate to the bill, entitled "An act concerning drawbacks on goods, wares, and merchandise, exported from the district of New Orleans," made a report thereon; which was read, and, together with the said amendments, ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Wednesday next.

On motion,

Resolved, That the Secretary of State be directed to lay before this House a return of the number of American seamen who have been impressed or detained on board the ships of war of any foreign nation; stating the names of the persons impressed; the name of the ship or vessel by which they were impressed; the nation to which she belonged; and the time of the impressment, so far as may be practicable; together with any facts and circumstances, relating to the same, which may have been reported to him. The several orders of the day were farther postponed until Wednesday next. And then the flouse adjourned until Wednesday morning eleven o'clock.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 1805.

Mr. Richards, from the Joint Committee for Enrolled Bills, reported that the com mittee did, on Monday last, present to the President of the United States, for his approbation, an enrolled bill, entitled "An act for the disposal of certain copies of the laws of the United States."

Ordered, That the Committee of Claims, who were instructed by a resolution of this House, of the fourteenth of November last, "to consider at large the subject relative to invalid pensioners, and all persons wounded or disabled in the service of the United States during the late Revolutionary war with Great Britain, and report to the House what further measures are, in their opinion, necessary to be adopted in order to render to them such ample remuneration for their sufferings, as justice may require," have leave to report thereon by bill, or bills, or otherwise.

Mr. Dana, from the committee last mentioned, presented according to order, a bill in addition to an "Act to make provision for persons that have been disabled by known wounds received in the actual service of the United States, during the Revolutionary war; 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 Monday next.

Mr. Dana, from the Committee of Claims, presented, according to order, a bill for the relief of the widow and orphan children of Robert Elliott; 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.

Mr. Dana, from the same committee, to whom was referred, on the fourteenth ultimo, the petition of William Osburn, of Newport, in the State of Rhode Island, made a report thereon, which was read, and considered: Whereupon,

Resolved, That the petitioner have leave to withdraw his said petition, together with the documents accompanying the same.

An engrossed bill making appropriations for the support of the Navy of the United States, during the year one thousand eight hundred and five, was read the third time, and amended at the Clerk's table by the unanimous consent of the House: Whereupon, Resolved, That the said bill do pass, and that the title be, "An act making appro priations for the support of the Navy of the United States, during the year one thousand eight hundred and five."

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