Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-12-10

1. gesolssd. That the President of the United
States be- and he is hereby requested to la, &c
fore this House the proceedings of the commits
sioner appointed under the act Of the last sessi-
on, entitled An act to autnorse the payment
for property lost, captured * destroyed whilst
in the service OF tue Y. States, and for other
purposes.
2 Resolrcd, Thatthe President of the United
State. be. and he is hereby requested to order
the further execution OF the said act to be sus-
pended. until the subject shall be disposed of
By this House.
3. ficsoired, That the President be and he is
hereby requested, to inform this House wheth-
er the judgments made by the Commissioner
under the said act have been paid by the Trea-
sury, and if they have been paid, by what au-
thority and out OF what fund.
On these resolutions, short tliscussl-
on arose a sketch of which shall be Civ
: en- In our next
The debate resulted IN the adoption of
the first and third resolutions, the second
being laid on the table, on motion of Mr..
lancev.
MIR. Williams of n. c. then calledup the
motion he had Yesterday made on the
same subject, viz. TO appoint commit
lee to- enquire into Tie decisions of Il. 3.
Lee, Esq. with power to send for persons
aud papers. This motion also was agreed
to without division.
Washington, December >.
We have seen i'll some of the newspa
papers positive statements, in the shape
of letters from the seat of government,
&c. of the names of the gentlemen who
are to compose what is called the Cabi-
net, that is, who are to fill the Executive
Offices, after the 4th dav of March next.
a moments reflection, it appears 10 us,
would convince the publishers, that these
statements must be conjeciural, merely,
If not wholly groundless. 1t cannot be
supposed that the future President would
indicate his preference before even his
Election has taken place-nor, whatever
preference he might have III the event of
his election, that he should place il in the
mouth of common fame. We are fully of
opinion, that these disclosures of future
appointments. are not well founded. In
any view, such publications are to be re-
gretted-hecause, If true, they imply
breach of confidence in the authors of
them; II incorrect. they serve to nourish
anticipations, only TO disappoint them.
Nat Int.
Dec. 6.-General Montfort Stokes is
appointed Senator TO Congress from the
State of North-Carolina, to supply the va
cancy occasloned by the resignation of
James Turner. I'D
Dec. Some debate took place in the
HOUSE Oh representatives Yesterday, res
pecting the construction which had been
given by the Commissioner appointed In
pursuance of (acting under the control
OF the Presidency TO the act for paying in
dWiduals for property lost, captured or
destroyed whl!stin the military service of
the United States during the late war
Military occupation of houses, destroyed
Dy the enemy III consequence thereof,
having been, II appears, construed to rive
his loss, opened the door to flood Of
claims, so extensive, as 10 induce the eX-
ecullye TO direct a suspension ofdecisions
on cases coming under that head, but not
until after some OF them had been iavora-
bly, adjudged and paid The ACT in ques-
ton was Of a character previously I'M
known on orr statute book, and conse-
Quently involved some difficulty pfdetail
Congress viii no doubt Law down more
definite rules for the decision of claims,
and either embrace all cases of losses of
the character referred to, make discri-
iaination between those of different grades
of merit, or reject indiferently all such.
The subject is one OF some intricacy; and
1t is not at all surprising there should be
much difference of opinion on IT, it,
SEw-YoRK, Dec. 4.
Distressing Calanity.--On Tuesday
night about half past ii o'clock, a fire
broke out i'll the cabinet work shop of Mr.
}. Hewett, III Water-street, on the south
side, between Burling and Beekman slips,
i'm the midst of q number ofv,oodan h,;id