The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-06-12
CONGRESS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE,
Monday. June 3,

Gu llor the hrSt Time TINS SESSION. was qua
lifted and took his seat.
Mr.. Wheaton presented the petition of
1l65 citizens of New Bedford, praying for
repeal of the embargo * ether restrictive
measures, and deprecatng war. Read and
ordered to lie on the table. "a =
= Mr.. CAiffenien presented . similar Pc
tition from sundry Inhabitants OF Halifax,
VT; Read and ord ed to lie on the table.
= Mr.. Minor pre- nted memorials from
between and 800 t,.izens.of Philadelphia,
PRAYING of Congress to repeal their restric-
tive measures, and depreCating war with
England.
6lr. IV,ighf presented sundry resolutions
adopted by the citizens of Annapolis, APP
PREDATORY of the measures of Government
which were read and ordered to lie OH the
table.
Certain resolutions adopted at meet
ing of the citizens of Fredericksburg. APP
proving the course and measures of govern
mert, were read and ordered to lie on the
table. ! .s,s -s; is>,
Mr.. ID. r. 'HIiiams; offered resolution
to amend the standing joint rules of procee-
ding, so as that, during the transaction of
Legislative. proceedings, the Members of
one House should be admitted in the other,
although the subject of their deliberate
ons should be of a secret nature, subject to
the injunction OF secrecy imposed by the
two Houses respectively.
The resolution lies one day for considera-
ton as the. rules require.
Mr.. johnson offered the following reso-
luton for consideration
ReS0iUed, That the Com mittce on Mill
tary, Affairs be Instructed to enquire into
the expediency OF authorising the President
of the United States to organize
additional companies of Rangers; & that
they have leave to report by bill or other
wise. 49,
Mr.. J. said he would not detain the House
with that detailed information which he had
received as to the extent of the calamity
which had fallen upon the people on the
| frontier settlement and which would be more
disastrous, if not arrested by greater force
He would only refer gentlemen to the pub
| lie prints for that general information which
would justify his motion and would give
some idea of the extent of danger to be APP
pretended by the number of the murders &
the wide range in which they were commit
ted,' branching from the Wabash in the
West 90 the North and to the South. He
also stated, that such was the patriotism of
the people in the Western Country, or 500
volunteers, men Of the first responsibility <
character from Kentucky, had embodied
| themselves and had marched to the Indiana
Territory to relieve the people in theirgreat
4
at their own suggestion without reward or
the wish or prospect Of compensation.
| The resolution wasagreed to-. -
| ''Ihe resolution requesting the assent of
the state of Georgia to the erection of two
states in the Mississippi Territory, was ia
ken up and ordered to be engrossed for Sd
reading. .: =, ~ g. ,fc
Mr. Pearson rose to make motion 49,
lie said 1t was an opinion prevalent with
many persons in this House and out of it, &
the laws passed at the present session of
Congress tor putting the nation in a posture
OF defence by no means rendered such an
event improbable, that Congress might, at
no distant day, direct an application of the
force thus raised, and the. nation be ;invol-
we'd IN serious conflict with a foreign power
a question, therefore, naturally arose, Mr.
| r. said, what progress had been made IN
carrying into effect the laws which had been
passed. Noquestions were more commons
iy asked, andthere were none which he was
more unable TO answer than these What
Is the state of our military preparations p
How many men are enlisted :" How many
volunteers have offered their services &
what is the state of our. Notifications -
Therefore, for the purpose of obtaining this
information, for himself. and others, Mr. L.
said he would offer the following resolution,
barely observing that if there should be an
objection to making the result of this enqui-
ry public, 1t might be communicated to the
House oonfidentialy go.
ReS0iDed, That the Secretary of War be
directed to lay before the House a statement
OF the number oftroops which have enlisted
III the service of the United States under the
authority of laws passed during the present
session OF Congress; designating those per-
sons enlisted for the old from those enlisted
tor the new establishment, and the particu-
lar. corps to which they ere respectively at
tached; That he lay before this House Il
stat ment OF the number of volunteers who
have rendered their services to the United
States IN conformity to the law passed at
TINS session OF Congress authorisi Dg the ac~
ceptance OF volunteers, Designating The
states and Territories from whic u such of
ters have been made; that he state what
additional improvements to the fortifcati-
ons or other works of defence for our ina.
rhine frontier, have been made during the
last SIX months; That he state as far as
practical! the actual state of such forti-
hcations or works, and the quantum of re
sistance they are calculated TO afford against
an attack of any naval power.
AIr. IronV demanding the Yeas & NAYS
on the question of now proceeding to consi.
der the resolution, they were taken as fol.
lows:
YEAS--Messrs. Baker, Bigelow, Bleeck
err Brccke nridge, Brigham. Clamp ION, Chit
tenden, Cooke, Davenport, Emott, Fitch,
Gold, Gray, fluffy, Jackson, Law, Lewis
Maccn, Minor, Museley, Pearson, Pitkin.
81.