Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-12-23
CONGRESS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Thursday, December 10.

report of the Acting Secretary Of War, q
Report on the petition of Robert SewalI
Istating the circumstances of the case Of
1.-The destruction Of his house in the city oil
Washington, by the British authorities
(which report was read and referred to the
lcommittee of the whole, to whom was re-
|ferred the report Of the committee Of
lClaims on that class of cases & to whom
lalso was referred this morning the peti
ltion Of the sufferers on the Niagara from.
liter during the late war.
/ On motion of Mr.. Robertson, the COM
lmittee on Pensions were instructed to
enquire into the expediency OF placing
Richard Bently on the list of public pen.
sioners ca motion of Mr.. Hubert, a
like direction was given in the case OF
IVassel White of Massachusetts.
/ On motion Of Mr.. M'Coy, the com
'mittee Of Post Roads yas instructed to
,ienqui,e into the expediency o! establish
ling a Post Road from hull's Store in
/ Pendleton county, in Virginia, to BATH
Icourt-house.
! On motion Of Mr.. Forney of y. c, the
1committee On Military Affairs were in
Istructed to enquire into the expediency
lof making such alteration in the orsaaiza
ltion of the crops o(ar6llery, as will place
the officers of that corps upon more e.
DUAL footing, as regards promotion, with
the officers of the otAer corps of the
army.
/ On motion Of Mr.. Scott
Resolved, That the committee on Pub
llic Lands lie Instructed to enquire into
the expedieacy Of providing by law for
tie establishment of land Offices for the
sale Of the pubic lands, in the territory 0!
i Missouri, at the following places ct the
town of Arkansas in the county of Ar.
kansas: at the t'wn Of Jackson in the
! County of Cape Girardeau at the seat
Iof justice in the county OF Lawrence
: and at the seat oFjustice in the county
l0f Howard.
| On motion Of Mr.. Scott.
! Resolved, That the committee on the
Public Lands be instructed to enquire in.
to the expediency Of providing bylaw fol
leasing and working the Public salines.
belonging to the U States, in the Mis-
lsou4i territory, Or such part thereof as il
Islali be deemed advisable to put into
Operation fer public use.
! Mr.. P. P. Barbour of va. moved the
following resolution
4 Resolved, hat thecommittee on the Ju
Idiciary be instructed to enquire into tie
lpropriety of so amending or explaining
i the 18th section of the act of designating
surveying and granting, military bounty
lands, passed on the 9th OF May, 1912, as
Ito authorize a devisee Of said bounty
Hands, tho 10 patent shall have been
granted therefor, at the time Of his de-
! vise.
| Mr.. 3. observed On this motion, that
Il the object of that section Of the law was
Ito prevent sacrifice by discharged sol
oilers OF their property, without knowing
Tor realizing its value : but it could ne
liver have been the intention of the Legis-
lature to prevent man from disposing
of his own unquestionable property, Oh
his decease, to any other person than the
Ibeir at law, if he should so will. This
construction. however. had been given,
land it was this construction he wished 10
lbe corrected.
| The resolve was agreed to.
| On molten of Mr.. Scott,
|. REESE ed. That the committee on the
Public lands be instructed to enquire in
to the eypediency OF providing by law
flor the better regulating, leasing S' work.
lisg tie Lead Mines in Missouri, in such
manner as TO protect the lessees in the
quiet enjoyment of their leases, and to
enabie the government to collect its
lrents.
On motion of Mr.. Pope, of lllin9s,
Resolved, That the committee An To-
dian Affairs, be directedto present to this
House n general view of the measures
that have been adopted under the several
laws providing for the establishment of
trading houses with the Indian tribes, so
as to shew whether the expences thereof
have been betrayed by the profits. with
ont diminishing the capital. or requiring
lauxiliary appropriations; and also to
shew at what points trading houses are
established under those laws.
| FOREIGN INDIAN TR tDERS.
Mr.. Pope, Of Illinois, moved the adop-
ton of the following resolution /:
Resolved, That tue committee on Fo-
ireign Relations be instructed to enquire
liato the expediency of excluding foreign
ers from trading with the Indians resid-
Ing within the limits OF the L. s.
L Mr.. Forsyth. of Geo. suggested to the