The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-01-07
CONGRESS.
HOUSE or REPR2SEN717IyNs,
TUESDAY, Dec. %.

TUESDAY, Dec. 90.
MIR. Macon said he wished to introduce to
the notice Of the House d subject which was
las: session before them, but whicl, was not
tnen tnally acted on. He, meant the subject
OF the pensioners of the several states, who
had received known wounds during the re
evolutionary war 1t would be rccollectcd
that twoyears agothe House CT Representa-
tves had directed the Secretary of War to
call upon the several states for list O. all che
invalits whe were placed en- the pension list
OF each state. To bring this subject again
before the House, and to put all the states on
equal footing with regard to the pension list,
he moved resolution to this effect which was
adopted:
RESOLVED, That the committee CT Claims
be instructed 10 enquire into the eXpedicrcv
OF placing on the pension list of the u S. the
persons on each state pension list in conSe-
queHce of wounds received i'll the revolution
arV war.
Mr.. f2qcon said that he lad understood
the return from n. Carolina had been lost or
tnislaid: he therefore presented an authenti-
Gated copy of that return; which was refer
red to tho same committee.
Mr. Hf56, from the committee appointed
TO enquire whether the Representative Hall
could be made tit for the purposes of sIcak-
ing and hearing, reported the following reso-
luton, which vas agreed to-
ReSolUcd, That the committee of accounts
be instructed to direct the hanging of baiza
curtains between the columns, and that til ey
detray the cXpCnccs thereof Out of the con
tingent fund
An engrossed bill extending certain pri-
Vileges therein menticncdto AnthCny Houche-
rie, was read the third tirnc and passed
An engrossed bill Supplementary to an art
entitled San raUtIl NTtrio. o-sop cc
and providing for the disposal Of lands south
OF Tennessee" was read the third time and
passed
On motion of Mr. Rlount, the House went
into committee of the whole, Mr. Masters
m the chair, on the bill from the Senate for
the maintenance of peace and FOR preserving
the authority of the u. S. in the ports within
their Jurisdiction.
The bill having been read through BY para
graphs as far as the 9TH section, without op-
position:
Mr. BurgOeH said he should move that the
committee rise and report progress, He had
not expected that this bill would have been
called up at this time, and was rot prepared
to give vote omit The House was now ex-
tremey thin, and upon the discussion of a
Oh! OF thisimportance, cyery member of tie
house should be present. lie was perfectly
unprepared to act Oh this subject and the
more he reflected, the more he thought they
Should deliberate before they gave the. Pre-
sidcnt of the United States the power of i'll
tcrdlcting our ports and harbors to foreign
armed vessels; it was a tfwer exclusively
reserved to Congress. This bill would be-
sizes place the executive Of the country in a
very awkward situation, requiring from him
services which the existing state of the coun-
try ~ould not authorize him 10 perform : il
a 1 Gl !-v,1 81, - L
whether the United States possessed force
competent to expel foreign armed vessels
from our waters. II it was necessary to A.
dept such ameasure, the power should GER
family be Lett with Congress- and no AUTHORITY
given TO the Executive 20 do an ACT which
might involve the country in war.
lhe committee then rose, reported progress
and obtained leave to ~ again.
Mr. 4HGSte's presented the netition Of the
Wyahdott nation OF Indians, and other tribes
in their behalf, and alsothe petition Of White
hnsggs, praying FOR certain grants or confir-
nations OF titles to certain lands-Referred
to the committee Of Public Lands
MT. w. Acton, in the absence Of the chair
man OF The committee OF Ways and Means,
moved that the House resolve itself into q
committee OF the whole on the bill continu-
mg tor limited TIME the salaries oe certain
y
Mr.. o7oRER in the chair.
a. The bill having been gone through, ana re-
ported By the committee, on the suggestion OF
INr. StGhJ>1d, that there mad beer some COM
municaton on this subject to the chairman
OF the committee of Ways ana Means rom
some one OF the officers Of government, les
lnTtAer consideration vas postponed till
Thursday.
Mr.. Mention, frcra the Committee of Com
MERGE and Manufactures, reported, in con-
l0fmty to the resolutions moved by Mr..
Cro7rHir8hicLd yestcrday, a bill supplement
tary TO the act entitled &" An act LAYING an cnl-
cargo Oh all ships ana vessels in The ports and
haroors Of TIE y. S."-Head twice and refer
red to committee of the wnoie.
Mr.. Ne7gfon said, As the bill was very' i'm
portant, and 1t was necessary that it should
pass through with as niucli expedition as Dos
sible, the law laying the cNbar;o being very
detective, he moved that IL be made She order.
Of the day for this day.
Mr quincy objected TO its consideration
to-day, as the amendment was proposed 70
an important law end ii the supplementary
law were passed in too much has;e, it might
be necessary IN few days 70 pass law to a.
mend the amendatory law lie wished il to
DC laid on the table for dis day, that thcv
might come tomorrow prepared with all their
intelligence OIL tho subject
Mr.. CrogVHinshieid was in favor Of an i'm
mediate discussion. Gentlemen would recol-
lcCt, that by the law iavi,t~ an c,,l,,,.,, go,