Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1810-04-09

wreck of their popularity. Alter ha-
wing been battered, and rent, IN the
House of Representatives, for long
| course of time, it got off alive into the
Senate. There it lay for another peri
Cd Of probation, when at lenth, after 1t
bad been fairly emptied Of its contents,
! and nothing was left but lis head and
toiL, if was sent back by the Senate 70
the House. The House refused to a.
gree to the amendments of the Senate,
and the Senate, like sturdy fellows, have
agreed to stand to their text, and adj
| here, and thus the bill Is in fair way to
| come to a violent death.
Whilst this business was working its
passage along through the House, Mr..
| Burwell of Virginia, brought in just
such thing as you would expect from
tobacco planter, called a convoy bill.
This bill lay about in the corners of the
Speakers desk, and the Clerks draw
er, until a short time since, when it was
huddled up together with Macon's bill,
and the Senate's amendments, and put
into the safe-keeping ola sekect commit
tee, headed by Mr.. Eppes, Mr.. Jefer-
sons hopeful son-in-law. The fate of
Macon's bill has been mentioned. Bur-
wells miscarried entirely ; and Mr..
Eppes produced in lieu of it, second
convoy bill, about as much like Bur-
wells as ii is like the I" Statute ofFrauds
and PerJuries" and now that subject
is travelling the way of all tlesh,through
the House of Representatives.
Another subject has occupied its por-
ton of Congressional time, and that is,
a Volunteer Bill. The progress of this
animal we have not attended to SO par
ticularly, as that of some others. In
the Senate, it met with a speech from
Mr.. Bayard, which clearly demonstra-
ted its inexpediency, as well as uncon-
stltutionality but as it is now before
the House, we presume it must have
passed in some shape or other through
the Senate. BY the journals of the
House of Representatives, it appears
very doubtful whether it viii survive
many days.
To add to the brilliance Of our histo.
ry, the national Legislature, not long
since, in dignified manner, was occu-
pied Tor several days, in debating wheth-
er they should yield up their magnif-
cent Hall, to Mr.. Robert Fulton, to
hear him lecture upon Torpedoes -
Almost two entire sittings ofthe House
OF Representatives, were devoted to this
ridiculous farce. And. as If they had
not dlsgraced themselves and their
country sufficiently, in this nonsensicaI
business, the House appointed Tor
pedo Committee, at the Head of which
was Beau Dawson, and the Senate an
other, at the head of which was Ste
phen Rowe Bradley and the latter
learned gentleman has reported bill,
in the words following, viz.
II Bill making AUTHORIZATION for The hnr-
fose Of trying tie Practical use offhe
TORPEDO for submarine explosions.
BE &c enacted By the Senate and
House Of REPRESENTATIVES, Of The United
STATES Of .4merica, in Congress assem-
oled, That a sum not exceeding FIVE
thousand dollars, be, and the same IS
hereby appropriated, payable out of
| any money in the treasury not other
wise appropriated, to defray the ex-
pense which shall be incurred in any
actual experiments, when the Presi-
dent OF the United States shall deem il
expedlent to cause such experiments 10
be made, which shall be made under
the immediate direction of the secreta-
ny OF the navy, for the purpose Of as
certalnlng with precision, how far the
torpedo or submarine explosions may
be usetully employed as engines of
| war.
March Cd, passed in Senate-Ayes
Is, noes Is.