Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1822-02-02
Congressional Proceedings.
From the National :.lntslligeneer,
Wednesday, January 80,
in SENATE.

Mr.. Ruggles submitted a resolution to
request OF the President of the u. States
copies OF the contracts entered into with
the owners of the building lately occupied
by Congress, on Cap,tol Hill.
On motion of Mr.. Ruggles the commits
Tee on pensions were discharged from the
further consideration OF the petition OF Jo-
sepb Brown, OF Kentucky.
Mr.. Thomas FROM the committee on the
public lands. made report on the petit
ton OF the city of New Orleans, accom-
panied by a bill supplemental to the act
authorizing the disposal OF certain lots 10
the City OF New Orleans aud Town ot Mo-
bile; and the bill was read.
Mr. Elliott, agreeably to notice, and
having obtained leave, introduced bill
to continue in force an act declaring the
assent OF congress TO certain acts ot South
Carolina aud Georgia, authorizing the CT
ties of Charleston, Savannah and st. Ma
rvs, to impose tonnage duty tor certain
purposes; and he bill was read
The report OF the committee on the pub
lie lands, untavorable to the petition oil
William Corrie, was taken up and agreed
to.
OFFICERS OF THE CUSTOMS, NC.
The Senate then resumed in committee
oil the whole, Mir. Elliot in the chair, the
consideration of the bl. further to esta.
biish the compensationS OF the Collectors
OF the customs, &c. and the amendments
reported thereto ty tue committee OF Eli
nance. [ihese amendments were hume.
rous, but embraced principally modifica-
tons of detail, and regulations OF the pay
OF weighers, gaugers, inspectors. &C.
MIR. Holmes of Maine submitted num-
Der of remarks, explanatory of the differ
ent amendments proposed, and TO shew,
from abuses which he cited, the necessity
of so fixing by law the pay OF tie various
subordinate revenue officers, as to prevent
the impositions and waste heretofore ex-
isting--many Of them Inspectors, weigh
ers, &c. having tor years receivedlb by act
Ing in double cspaci.ies) from four to i've,
and eyensix thousand dollars per annum.
Much debate took place on this and o.
Their provisions of the Till, in which
Messrs. Brown. of Louisiana, Otis, Holmes
of Maine, Lowrie, Parrot. Van buren,,
johnson, OF Louisiana, participated.
Mr.. Parrott moved to raise the commits
sions OF the collector at Portsmouth, from
II pr. CT. to2 pr. CT. 4, made several re-
marks in support OF The equity OF thus aug
menting be allowance, and placing Il on
a par with other ports OF The same class.
MIR. Holmes OF Maine, explained TO
show that The bill as il now stood would
give the collector an average compensa.
ton of about 100 dollars year, instead
OF about 500, which he now received, &c.
Messrs. Lowrie and D'Wolf added a
few remarks on this question; and
The motion was lost, without division.
Nir. Holmes OF Mississippi, moved SO 10
amend the bill as to retain the revenue Of
ticer at Naichez, (Which The bill proposed
to aboish) as bis salary was but $50 dol
lars, and his services were probably neces-
eary to prevent frauds on the revenue, by
the introduction of Struggled goods &c.
Mr.. Holmes ofMaiBe, replied that the on
ly use of an officer there was 10 grant tenn
porary registers, and be had grained cut
one OF these since the office was created;
thought be was deemed servIceabie IN
preventing smuggling, Mr.. h. had no OBJ
lection TO his retention.
Messrs. Williams OF Miss. and Johnson
of Louisiana offered some remarks in la
vor of the amendment, and MIR. Rusgles.
a.tew opposed to IL. A
The amendment was agrsedIto by the