The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-02-13

p'N'On M ne WIS g V1rr1v - was c'.~ r.
ton which had divided the ATTEST heads ..,,a
best hcarts of the couutry, and therefore
shouldlbe matureiy considered.
Mr. Lope concurred with Mr. Rcss in
opinion. as To the i'm ?pr,ance Of the Constr
tntionai question. BY the report Of the
Committee on the petitions Of tie Banks Of
this district this morning referred, the sub.
iect was expressly before "A committee of the
whole. This motion might be referred To
;hat committee. Unquestionably, from thu.
magnitude of the subject, it should first be-
discussed IN committee of the whole.
Mr. !NfcholsDn said that. since he had of.
tered the hrst resolution, apart Of which IS
now proposed to I've referred, ne had enter.
tanned some doubts of the constimtional,tv
Of the measure, which were not yet wholly
removed; and he had therefore no objection
TO the reference tn committee of the whole.
for full discussion.
The motion to refer to a committee fthe
whole was negatived.
The motion to refer to a select committee
was nega,ived by large majority.
The subject of course still lies on the Ia
bic
On motion of Mr.. Montgomery,
ReSoived. That the committee appointed
on SO much OF the message of the president
of the United States of 29th November last.
as relates to our military establishment, be.
instructed 70 enquire whether any and VIVA:
alterations tits expedient to make in the acc
entitled can act establishing rules aud ar
ticles for the government of the army of .h,.
United States,' and that they have leave to
report by bill ar otherwise.
The bill to extend the time for locating
Virginia military land warrants and return
ing the survey thereof into the Department.
OF War, went through committee of the.
whole, Mr. Pitkin in the chair-and. the
blank for the time of extension having been
h!led, on the suggestion of Mr. Garland,
with Five" years-thc bill was ordered To
be engrossed for third reading
SEA LETTER VESSELS
The house resolved itseifinto committee
of the whole, Mr.. Pifkin in the chair, on,
thebill to prevent the issuing of sea letters,
except to certain vessels
Some desultory debate took place on the
bill, in which Messrs. Newton, Quincy, Ma
rion, Dana. K. Jackson, M'K,m. i.iverms ne
and Mumford partook, MIR jackson alone
appearing to be opposed tn the object of it,
which was stated to be, to prevent those
vessels considered by our revenue laws as
foreign vessels, from claiming the protection
OF the American flag on the sea, and thus
favoring frauds by means of forged papers.
The bill, after being amended SO as to ex.
clude from the operation of the law, vessels
now owned ny Clti2enS or the United States.
was reported to the house.
On the suggestion of Mr.. Dana it was
ordered TO lie for consideration till To- NOR
row.
The bill to revive and make permanent
an act providing the mode of taking evidence
i'll cases of contested elections, and 10 CON-
pei the attendance of witnesses in such Ca
ses, went through committee of the whole,
MIR. Pitkin in the chair, and was reported
to tine house. But
Before any order was taken on it, the
house adjourned. ~
ERRATA in the report of the Secretary
Of War, as inserted in our last--in the Sc
venteen.h line from the end, read hutted in
stead of nalted'--and in the sixth line
from the end, read remotjaL, Instead of " ar.
rival"