Ordered, That the committee on Foreign Relations, be discharged from a farther consideration of the petition of James Caze and John Richaud, and that it be referred to the Secretary of State.

Mr. Holmes, of Massachusetts, from the committee appointed on the subject, reported a bill making compensation to the members of the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, and to the Delegates of the Territories, and repealing all other laws on that subject; which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole, to-morrow.

Mr. Floyd, from the committee appointed on the subject, reported a bill to extend the privilege of franking to vaccine agents of states and territories; which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole, on Thursday next.

Mr. Pleasants, from the committee on Naval Affairs, made a report on the petition of John M.Cauley, prize agent for the officers and crew of the brig Syren; which was read, and ordered to lie on the table.

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

Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a bill, entitled "An act for the relief of William Edwards and John G. Stubbs," in which they ask the concurrence of this House. And then he withdrew. The said bill was read the first time. On motion of Mr. Sawyer,

Resolved, That the committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post route from Curretuck court house, to Knott's Island; also, to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post road from Curretuck court house to Powell's Point, in said county.

On motion of Mr. Johnson, of Kentucky,

Resolved, That the committee on the subject of the Militia, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of providing by law for organizing the general staff of the militia of the several states, upon the principles of the general staff of the army of the United States, as far as practicable.

On motion of Mr. Johnson, of Kentucky,

Resolved, That the committee on the subject of the Militia, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of providing by law, a system of military discipline, for the militia of the several states. On motion of Mr. Johnson, of Kentucky,

Resolved, That the committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of increasing the salary given to the Postmaster General.

On motion of Mr. Pindall,

Resolved, That the committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of discontinuing the post road from Clarksburg to Point Pleasant, and establishing in lieu thereof, a post road from Clarksburg, by the way of Preston and Bulltown salt works, in the county of Lewis, to Charlestown, in Kanawha county.

Resolved, That the same committee be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post road from Preston to Buckhanon, and of providing that the post road from Clarksburg to Beverly, shall pass by the way of Booth's Ferry and Leading Creek, instead of passing through Buckhanon.

On motion of Mr. Middleton,

Resolved, That the committee on the Judiciary, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of making compensation by law, to the honorable William Johnson, jun. one of the Associate Judges of the United States, for extra services he was called upon to perform, during the inability of the District Judge of South Carolina.

On motion of Mr. Nesbitt,

Resolved, That the committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post road from York court house, South Carolina, by Harmony, George Carruths, Rutherfordton, Ashville, and thence direct to the Warm Springs, in North Carolina.

An engrossed bill, entitled An act to incorporate the Columbian Insurance Company," was read the third time, and passed.

Ordered, That the title be as aforesaid, and that the Clerk carry the said bill to the Senate, and ask their concurrence therein.

An engrossed resolution Directing the procurement of certain laws," was read the third time, and passed.

Ordered, That the Clerk carry the said resolution to the Senate, and ask their concurrence therein.

The House again resolved itself into a committee of the whole, on the bill to prescribe the effect which certain records and judicial proceedings of the courts of each state shall have in every other state, and in the courts of the United States; and after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Smith, of Maryland, reported, that the committee had made further progress therein, and 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.

TUESDAY, January 6th, 1818.

Mr. Mason, of Massachusetts, presented a petition of sundry manufacturers of paper, praying that a duty of two dollars per reain, may be imposed on all paper imported into the United States.

Mr. Holmes, of Massachusetts, presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the towns of Kittery and Eliot, in the district of Maine, employed in the fisheries, praying that the duties on salt may not be repealed, or that such, other relief may be afforded to them and others, engaged in the fishing business, as to Congress may seem just and proper.

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee of Ways and Means.

Mr. Fuller presented a petition of John George, praying for a pension.

Mr. Harrison presented a petition of Martha Perry, widow, daughter of the late captain Joshua Huddy, of New Jerey, who, in the revolutionary war, was cruelly and wantonly put to death, by a band of tories; also, praying for a pension.

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

On motion of Mr. Irving, of New York,

Ordered, That the petition of John Delafield, presented on the 29th day of December, 1815, be referred to the same committee.

Mr. Fuller presented a petition of Adam Kinsley and Thomas French, and a petition of Charles S. Leonard, respectively, praying to be allowed an additional compensation for arms, furnished by them under contracts with the United States.

Mr. Pitkin presented a petition of Charles Larabee, an officer in the army of the United States, praying to be paid for his baggage and other private property, which he lost in consequence of wounds received in battle, in the late war with Great Britain.

Mr. Johnson, of Kentucky, presented a petition of Joseph Edrington and Benjamin Edrington, praying compensation for property lost by them while conducting a number of British prisoners to the Canada lines, under a contract with the officers of the United States.

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee of

Claims.

Mr. Mason, of Massachusetts, presented a petition of John S. Sullivan, stating, that he is a patentee, and the assignee of several patents granted under the authority of the laws of the United States, for inventions relating to navigation by the power of steam, and that he is unable to exercise the rights of his said patents within the state of New York, unless he obtains a license therefor from Robert R. Livingston and Robert Fulton, or their representatives, and praying such relief in the premises, as it may be in the power of Congress to grant.

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

Mr. Fuller presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the towns of Malden and South Reading, in the state of Massachusetts. Mr. Pindall presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of Monongahela county, in the state of Virginia.

Mr. Pleasants presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the counties of Powhatan, Cumberland, Goochland and Montgomery, in the state of Virginia; 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. Bassett presented a petition of sundry manufacturers of iron, in the county of Northampton and state of Virginia, praying

that additional duties may be imposed on pig, bar and cast iron, imported into the United States.

Mr. Smith, of Maryland, presented a petition of sundry merchants of the city of Baltimore, in the state of Maryland, praying that further measures may be adopted, to ensure the collection of the revenue on all goods paying an advalorem duty, and that a duty may be imposed on all sales, by auctioneers of dry good, except such as belong to the estate of deceased persons, or insolvents.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee of Commerce and Manufactures.

Mr. Smith, of Maryland, also presented another petition of sundry merchants of Baltimore, praying that an uniform system of bankruptcy may be established thoughout the United States.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee of the whole, on the bill for that purpose.

Mr. Herbert presented a petition of the Columbian Institute, for the promotion of arts and sciences, established at the city of Washington, praying for an act of incorporation.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee for the District of Columbia.

Mr. Bassett presented a petition of Commodore John Rodgers, praying to be indemnified for the expenses incurred by him, in defending a suit brought against him and the late Captain John Smith, for acts committed in the discharge of their duty; which was ordered to be referred to a select committee; and Mr. Bassett, Mr. Fuller, Mr. Ervin of South Carolina, Mr. Speed, and Mr. M.Lean, were appointed the said committee.

Mr. Strother presented a petition of Armistead T. Mason, contesting the election and return of Charles F. Mercer, as one of the members of this House, for the state of Virginia, and praying to be admitted to a seat in the House, in the place of the said Charles F. Mercer.

Ordered, That the said petition and documents accompanying the same, be referred to the committee of Elections.

Mr. Johnson, of Kentucky, presented a petition of Frederick Earnest and Frederick Williamson, sailors on board of Commodore Barney's flotilla, during the late war with Great Britain, praying for an increase of the pensions heretofore granted to them in consideration of wounds received in the battle of Bladensburg.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee on Naval Affairs.

Mr. Johnson, of Kentucky, presented a petition of sundry emigrants to the United States from Switzerland, praying that twelve townships of land, lying in some one of the territories of the United States, may be granted to them upon the same terms and conditions, as were granted at the last session of Congress, to sundry emigrants from France.

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

On motion of Mr. Robertson,

Ordered, That the petitions of sundry inhabitants of that part of Louisiana, formerly attached to West Florida, presented on the 19th February, 1816; 27th February, 1816; 12th March, 1816, and 1st February, 1817, be referred to the committee on the Pubic Lands.

The Speaker laid before the House sundry depositions and documents, on the subject of the contested election of Charles F. Mercer, a member of this House, from the state of Virginia; which were referred to the committee of Elections.

Mr. McCoy, from the committee of Claims, to whom was referred the petition of John Bate, with the report of the Secretary of the Treasury thereon, and the bill for his relief, reported the said bill with an amendment; which was read and agreed to by the House. Ordered, That the said bill be committed to a committee of the whole, on Monday next.

Ordered, That the committee of Claims be discharged from a farther consideration of the petition of Elisha Gordon, and that it be referred to the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims.

Mr. Herrick, from the committee on Private Land Claims, reported a bill confirming the claim of William Daniel, or his legal representatives, to a tract of land in the state of Mississippi; which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole on Monday next.

Mr. Herrick, also reported a bill, confirming the claim of Tobias Rheams, to a tract of land granted to him by the Spanish government; which was read the first and second time, and committed to the committee of the whole, last appointed.

Mr. Parris, from the committee appointed on so much of the President's message as relates to the Public Buildings and to the erection of additional public edifices, reported a bill making further provision for repairing the public buildings; which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole, to

morrow.

Mr. Wendover, from the committee appointed to inquire inte the expediency of altering the flag of the United States, made a report, which was read; when

Mr. Wendover reported a bill to alter the flag of the United States; which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole, on Monday next*

The bill from the Senate, entitled "An act for the relief of William Edwards and John G. Stubbs," was read the second time, and committed to a committee of the whole, to-morrow.

Ordered, That the several orders of the day, which precede the bill allowing compensation to the members of the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, and to the Delegates of the Territories, and repealing all other laws on that subject, be postponed until to-morrow.

The House then resolved itself into a committee of the whole