Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-03-06

W ehS AoitihSae2ouS Vi TIC Poito ~HA
harbors of the United States, made a
detailed report, stating that in the o.
pinion of the committee il was unne-
cessary at this time to appropriate any
additional sum for that purpose.
MRS. HAMILTON'S CLAIM. y
This being the day set apart tor
private business, the House resolved
itself into a committee of the whole,
Mr.. Macon in the chair, on the re-
port ofthe committee Of claims on the
petition Of Elizabeth Hamilton.
Messrs. johnson, Ross, Quincy,
Pitken, aud Fisk advocated the claim,
and Messrs. Aston, Bacon, Holland
and Root opposed it.
The committee rose IS to So at half
past four, without coming to adecisi-
on, and obtained leave to sit again.
A motion was made by Mr.. Ghol-
son to adjourn over to Monday, aad
negatived 81 to 40.
And the House adjourned
Saturday, Feb. "a. 4
Mr.. Root presented the mefnoriai of
Gen. Barton and Others, of the state
of Rhode Island, praying compensate
on for their services in the revolution.
Mr.. r. said that reports had hereto
fore been made favorable to the jus.
tice Of the claim. He moved now to
refer tito the same committee OF the
whole which had under consideration
the report on the petition of Elizabeth
Hamilton. He said he wished, if the
rampant which defended the Treasury
department. was to be broken down,
that others besides Mrs. Hamilton
should be admitted. He wished also
to know whether the zeal which gem
tlemen displayed in favor of this claim
was general zeal to break down the
barriers of the Limitation law, or whe.
Their it was a zeal for this woman a.
lone.
This motion produced desultory-
debate of two hours, in which Messrs..
Root, Smile, Love, Alston, Southland,
BOYD, and Montgomery supported, &
Messrs. Pitkin, Key, GARDENER, Ghol.
son, Dana, Lyon, Cold, Ross, Fisk aud
Johnson, opposed the motion. The
debate turned chiefly on comparison
of the nature of the two claims. The
great objection to the reference was,
that it was an unusual course to refer
petition to committee of the whole,
before an investigation into the facts /;
and that it would be doing injustice to
both claims to blend them togeth-
Err.
The motion was negatived, by Yeas
and Nays, SO to So.
Monday, February &c.
Mr.. Love reported bill to incor-
porate the Washington Navy Yard
Mechanical Society +; and bill to in
'corp.Sate a Fire Insurance Company
in the town of Alexandria. Twice
read and referred to committee of
the whole.
Mr.. Love presented the petition of
the First and Second Chambers of the
city Council of Washington, praying
an extension Of their powers. Re-
ferred to the committee On the Dis
trict of Columbia.
Vii iiOliOh Vi WI 1NCWtOu q ICoO-
luton was adopted directing the com.
mittee of Commerce and Manufac-
lures to enquire whether any amend
inentis necessary in the laws making
compensation to the collectors of the
customs of the United States.
COMMERCIAL INTERCOURSE
The House resumed the considera-.
ton of the amendments of the senate
to the bill concerning commercial in
tercourse with g. Britain and France
and their dependencies, and for other
purposes.
Mr.. Mumford expressed a hope
that the House would not concur in
the amendments of the Senate for
they had struck out alb that part of the
bill which was good for any thing.
Government, he said, was instituted
Tor the protection of life, liberty and
property. 1.-THE House adopted the
bill as amended, they abandoned the
protection Of property-and if they
refused to protect commerce, the lib
erty OF the citizen would also be un-
protected, as it bad been violated for
seven years past. He said he HIM
self had been a witness of.the lacera-
t;o,, IS o,a of o,,r citizena -, e,,cb an