Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-12-29
Congressional Proceedings
From the .AaisOnal iatsligeactr.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 81
IN THE SENATE.

the I nlteu OldlcS, pray nS Certain 'eSis-
laliye enactments Tor the relief OF the In
slitution; which was read and referred.
Mr. Ruggles, from the committee of
Claims, made an untavorable report on
the petition of Daniel Merrill.
Dir. Johnson, OF Ky. presented the petit
ton Of the Pennsylvania University OF
Kentucky, praying a repeal of the duty
on imported books; which was read aud
referred.
DIR. Knight laid the following resolution
Oh tue table:
RESOLVED, That the committee on Naval
Affair. be instructed 10 enquire toto the
rate and amount received per annum tor
commission or coupe nSation OF the several
navy agents, and also the mode practlsed
Ly item M furnishing the Navy Of the U.
States with supplies; and that they report
by bill OF otherwise.
Mir. Talbot was appointed on the COM
mttee of Pensions, in the place Of Mr..
E.,on, who has been excused therefrom.
Mr. Barton land the following resolution
on the table.
Resolved, That the committee OF Public
Lands be instructed TO enquire whether
any. and. If any, what, amendments ex-
planatory OF the several acts OF Congress,
granting rights OF prescription 10 se!tieIs
on public lands, be necessary to effect The
OuleCl OF those acts.
On motion of Mr.. Dickerson, those por-
,;o,s OF the Message OF the President OF
IN. u. States which relate 10 foreign Ie-
l,,ions, to revenue, to domestic manutac-
lures to tue construction Of permanent
fpr,,6cations, to the naval service, and to
the government of Florida, were respec-
lively referred 10 the appropriate commit
Several bills received a second reading,
and were referred: and
The resolution tor the distribution Of
The secret journal, &c. of the old Con-
press. was considered in committee OF the
whole, and passed to third reading.
Mr.. Jokus on, of Ken. said, he was
about to uiier a resolution to the Sen
ate, watch the was aware would present
intrinsic difficulties; but, IN obedience
t. the eeneral wishes of the people of
:he state which he in part represented,
and from the convictions OF his own
mind, as to the utility ofthe measure, ii
practicable, he mad considered IT his
duty to propose 1t for the consideration
oil the Senate. Since the war, with q.
Britain, ne said, the pecuniary distress
of the west, had been gradually increas-
ing, until within a very late period; he
hoped that the tide of misfortune in the
state of Kentucky, was now subsiding,
In consequence ofthe measures of relief
which had been ado pied by the Legisla-
ture of that State. Two circumstances,
more than ali others, had augmented
that distress of which he had spoken.
The premature resumption OF specie
payment on the part of the Banks, and
the policy of the general government,
which denied to the west a just proper
ton of the public expenditure, which he
considered great grievance, and
died by Congress, whenever proper
occasion presented ITSELF Mr. j. said,
at this time the people of kentucky
were deprived of many benefits result
ing from the Post Office Establishment,
arising from the causes to which he had
aiverted; aad ne was convinced that
mis- proposition would bring more reyen-
We to that department, many letters
being returned to the General Post
Office as dead letters, for the want Of
some such accommodation. He also
stated the further fact, that it was well
known, that the IN oney arising from the
Post Office Establishment, In the west,
was paid To western contractors for
carrying the mail; and did not 60 into
the Treasury of the United States as
revenue. Ii the measure could be adop-
ted without injury TO the public, and
could extend relief to suffering portion
o. the community, he presumed no in
disposition would be manifested against
his proposition. Ii, on the other hand,
il we're impracticable and inconsistent
with the public good, it would be aban-
Goned. He said that he very well knew
thatthe depreciation of the paper of the
Commonwealth of Kentucky, compared
with specie, or what was denomiDated
eastern funds, for the payment of debts
in Philadelphia aud elsewhere, induced
MANY gentlemen, st a distance, to be-
heve that the currency of that state
was of little value. But he would take
this occasion to state the fact that,