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COLONEL EIIEEMAN'S IM PORT, uk .rutrisu ‘jviti.iL uouKit..*. Yesterday, before mx,n,th? honorable Jarv.es V in kr.ian, Judge of (lie county ol (Jncuie, innie avi .1’ at my quartos, lot - tlie purpose o', i cert aiding for wltat of -nec o. gn Small, oi Hie 2d regiment, had Ikcu conf-iiqd, and to oiler hi Lis behalf the services in ids power. He told me the reason he did not make his application to the commanding gcneial. lie heard lie was angry lx < arise hr had issued a writ of habeas corpus, but if Ik; were assured ill. i lie should be received pa.iu ly, he would in kc a vi .it to head- juartn-s, in order to sn ti .ly llie. mind, of the general, that el. ...■ 1 1 .'mall : w ~s far a., ho kn- v, innocent ol any of encc ! against the laws and government of the Uni ted States. | In tiic course of conversation, judge Work in n informed me that he had 1> one ol the persons who had loin; com •mplat.td a plan to i emancipate Mexico from th<- Spanish govern ment ; that this plan was to raise an army at the expense < tie-adventur • under the aus pice i of the United States ; that the first oh jcrt would lie to take Baton Rouge and Mo bile, and tl.e.u I<> inarch into the Spanish pro \i.ii es west of the Mi-sisippi ; if they should jwiccced Ibci H, t, trei-t nn hMlapoiMlcnt • •ovcni ir.eut. under tlv protei lion of the U > tm-d States ; th.it col. lfurr had nothing whatever, as f.c as he knew, to do m this project ; lie was men tioned as a proper person to command, and general Wilkinson was also named us are. j p: i son to be put at the head of the. euurpii/.r ; 1 that secrecy was enjoined to th oss'iciatcs, lest tiic scheme should become known to the Span iards ; but not for any purpose whatever inju ilulls t-i the interests of the United Stales. That this plan was conk-niplaU and at the time it j Was snppov .1 the United Stat ;s would inevita- i hly be involved m a war with Spain, when Do j HViiran la's expedition washe-lieved to have hce.'i j sanctioned by the gem ral government ; but so j soon as tiiis vv.-.s discovered, all conversation j whatever, in relation to the proposed conquest j ol Mexico, ceased. ■ The judge then took leave.—lie consented j that I should communicate to general Wilkin- * son, t! c substance of the afore go ng statement. Captain Fergus, of the regiment of artillerists, Was present during the whole time oltl us con** I vcrsalion. In the evening the judge made me another sixi. I was then alone. I repeated to him what 1 had related to general Wilkin:,cn in the morning. He assented to the correctness of my statement. \\ e then conversed freely upon the subject ( of erecting an independent government in Mexico. The judge premised that the whole I plan and i*•. execution was to have depended on lheTii|'probation and e.oiicurreii* e of the L - luicihftSiutcs; without these nothing was to haw been undertaken. He observed, that the emancipation of the Spanish provinces hail been for many vears iris f.sonic object ; that he hud, when he was a 1 British subject, proposed it tothat government; 1 tli it he had applied himself particularly to ao j quirt knowledge of the population, of the com merce and resources, of the laws, of tin lan guage, temper and disposition of the inhaiii-| tunts ; of the roads, mountains, lakes, and ge nerally, such geographical information as would I l>. required .aid be useful in ease his plan I should be adopted—-That it he hail succeeded, j that lie possessed the best map, and he was as well acquainted with the country as any per- 1 son could possibly he, who had not visited it. i lie declared upon his honor, a separation of the union was never mentioned, or ever, he be lieve I, contemplated by any person associated with ifun. Col. llurr was mentioned, as were general Vi ilkiuson and general Davmn, as lit ui be placed at tlm head of the expedition. The plan was, that such force should inarch s to give the adventurers reasonable hopes tli.it tin y would heat the Viceroy of Mexico in the field. This bis e was estimated at “0,000 nun. To put this army into operation two millions ol il. liars would have been required in the first instance. This mom v tliev expected eould have been raised by the adventurers and their as so. tales. It was expected that mer chants ut.d men of property in every part of the United States, would contribute to an cn terprize, which would held out to shew a lu c C.ne li till lor commerce. It was expected that the heavy andlery and military stores would be transpnrteu by these associates, and would be landed at leagues this side La \ ui Uni/.—that the march to M exico might i performed in forty days from .Natchitoches. Il the \ ieivoy should lie beaten, the whole country would submit, and with proper mu* nai eincut might bo separated lorever front Spa’ll. lltc plan of ‘government proposed would have depended on ciivumsiances ; but it was understood that the military chief would of four e Ik* placed at the head ot the govern ment, whatever might have been its form. This chief would hate be. a assisted by such r iiincils or officers as should have been deem ed Itecoss'ary. It was to have been a go vernment of laws, in which the rights of all the ifuel's were to be respected—the inhabitants were .u enjoy ii the fullest freedom their reli gion. laws anil customs; as few alterations were to be made as possible. The inquisition would have been alioiished. In its foreign relations, it was to be placed in the situation of Portugal to England, or what Holland was formerly to England, as res pected its connection with the. United States— alliances of commerce and defence were to fcave been entered into yvitii the United States • —and the parent country tvas always to have been i eg.,rdtd ..s the.proteclnx of the new go vernment. I lie judge repeated frequently, that all these things were to be done, under the presumption I that the United States must inevitably go to war with Spain, and that not a motion vras to be made w ithout the approbation of the gene ’ i.l government —that Ho scheme whatever ■ to di sever the union formed any part of the I plan—that since the government hud express -1 id their disapprobation of De Miranda’s cx ; pedi’.ior., all thoughts of the conquest of Mex ico had bu n given up and abandoned. He ’ however expressed his opinion, that the Uni- J t<-d St-iies would at some future day find it to j their interests to curry into operation an expe* | dilion upon similar principles. With ,'ospci Mo ensign Small, he observed, j that he was subject to martial law ; he there fore dal not deem it proper to come forward iniaieihuUdy ui his defence, hut that he would, ts it should be necessary, appear in hi & behalf, before, the court martial, by which lie should be tried. jY< a ‘Orleans, 30//; I)r\ nibcr , 1806. CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES. HOCSU C-r Klil’Kfc'.M'.NT WIVES, Monday, February 23. The house n solved itself into a committee _ of the who! —Mr. Tenney in the chair—on the bill in addition to the act, entitled, ** An act j supplementary to the act, entitled, “an act making provision for the redemption ol the | whole of the public, debt of the Uni oil States.” A motion was made to strike out the first section; which is as follows: “ lie is enacted, hr. That if any part of the present three per ecnl. slock of the Untied Stales shall remain unsubscribed to the liun constituted by the act to which this is an addi tion, the said unsubscribed stock shall be paid and reimbursed by payments on account both of principal grid interest, at the rate of four per centum a year, upon the original capital ol the said stock, until the whole of the said stock -shall have Ikcu reimbursed and paid. And the commissioners of the sinking fund are hereby authorised and required to make the said payjner.ts by dividends, at the rate of uie per centum on the original capital, payable tin the laxt da\s of March, June, September and December, of eacii year, after Llie year out thousand eight hundred and e*ght, until the re imbursement shall have been effected ” This motion was supported by Messrs. Tal madge and Quincey ; and opposed by Messrs. J. Randolph and liidwcll—and disagreed to— -1 Ayes 6. When the committee rose, and the I bill was ordered to a third reading, j The house took up the report of the com mittee of tlie whole, on the bill lbr the better : fortifying of the ports of the United States. The house concurred with the committee of ! the whole, in striking out *- 20,000 dollars,” i appropi ialcd by the first section, for the better ! fortifying oi the ports and harbors of the United | Slates—Ayes 65. On agreeing with the committee to insert j 15(). )00 dollars, a debate arose. Messrs. Mumlord, Thomas, Quincey, Smi- I lie, Masters, Stanton and Cook, supported ; j and Messrs. Olin, R. Nelson, J. Randolph and . Elmer, opposed, a concurrence, j Mr. Dana declared himself in favor of a i larger appropriation, and said he should there fore vote against a concurrences. 1 lie question on concurrence was taken by yeas and nays—Yeas 72, Nays 41. On the question to agree with the committee of the whole in adding anew section, appro priating 150,000 dollars, to enable llie Presi dent to build any number of gun-boats, not ex ceeding thirty, IMi . Dana moved so to amend the section as to appropriate dollars, to enable the President In cause to be purchased materials, for future use, for the erection of gun-boats. Mr. Alston opposed this motion, which \Vas disagreed to. The yeas and nays were taken, and were—Yeas 30, Nays 78. Mr. Goldsborough then spoke against agree* ■ ig to the new section ; on which the yeas and nays were taki it-—\ ias 68, Noes 36. When the bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading to-morrow, \ message was received from the senate, stating their agreement to the bill for continu ing in force, for a further time, the bill prohi biting commercial intercourse with the island of St. Domingo, with an amendment; to which the house agreed. The amendment docs not, ! f iii the least, affect the principle of the bill. The amendments of the senate to the bill re- I lative to \ irginut military land warrants, were l referred to the committee on public lands. J Mr. J. Randolph observed, that the bill re ; ceiwd from the senate, the object of which . was to prevent intrusion on public lands, had hi cn before the committee on public lands for a considerable time. As it was Bis wish that . this bill should be decided on while the house ! was full, as the committee on public lands ; would find much occupation in the bill last re i fcivcd to them, he moved, that they should be j discharged irom the further consideration of ’ the former Inil with a view of having it referred • to a committee of the whole house, j A motion to adjourn having been made and t carried, no question was taken on Mr. Run j dolph’s motion. 7'ucsa'aij, February 25. The bill providing for fortifying the ports and harbors of the United States, and for building gun-boats, and the bill in addition to the act, entitled, “ An act supplementary to the act •, making provision for the redemption of the whole of the public debt of the United States.” were lead a thiid time and passed. The speaker laid before the house certain resolutions of the legislature of the Mississippi territory, on the present state of affairs, which were it ail, arid ordered to lie cn the tabic. Mr. Quincey. from the con mittecto v.hem was referred the lavvsef the Michigan territory, presented a bill, disapproving and annulling an act passed by the governor and judges of the Michigan territory, concerning the establishing of a bank at Detroit. Referred to a committee of the whole to-morrow. Mr. Basset, from the committee to whom was referred the bill fiom the senate to reduce the exncnces attending the administration of justice in the district of Columbia, reported the same without amendment. Ordered to lie on the table. Mr. Basset also reported thehiil supplemen tary to the act for the organisation of the mili tia in the district of Columbia, which was also ordered to lie on the table. Mr. Holmes, from the committee of claims, presented a hill, concerning invalid pensioners, which was referred to a committee of the whole. A message was received from the senate, stating, that they had passed the bill allowing an additional compensation to the judges of the Mississippi territory, and extending the right of suffrage therein, with amendments. The house resolved itself into a committee of the whole—Mr. Gregg in the chair—on the bill to alter and establish certain post-roads, and for other purposes. Various amendments were made, when the committee rose, reported progress, and desir ed leave to sit again. 1 Wednesday, February 25. Mr J. Randolph reported a bill making ap propriations for carrying into effect certain treaties with the Cherokee and Piankashaw tribes of Indians, which was referred to a com mittee of the whole to-morrow. Mr. J. Randolph, from the same committee, presented a bill to amend the act, entitled, an act to regulate and fix the compensation of clerks, See. which was referred to a committee of the whole to-morrow. Mr. Jeremiah Morrow, from the committee on public lands, to whom was referred the bill from the senate, to prevent settlements being, made on lands ceded to the U. Stales, unau thorised by law, reported the same with sundry amendments. Mr. J. Morrow moved the reference of litis report to a committee of the whole. Mr. J. Randolph hoped the report would rot be referred to a committee of the whole, us the bill involved no appropriation of money; and as past experience had shewn, that when tlx; house got into committee of the whole, they scarcely knew how to get out of it. Did time admit, lie should have no objection to the course proposed. But this was not the case. The bill could be us well discussed in the house as in committee. He therefore trusted it would not be referred to a committee of the w hole, as that course might defeat its passage tills session. Mr. Quincey hoped the bill would be refer red to a committee of the whole; for if there was any bill of importance brought before the house during this session, this was one; which he therefore thought merited a full considera tion. Mr. Gregg said lie was indifferent which course was pursued. He agreed that the bill was one of the greatest importance which had been before the legislature this session. He indeed considered it more important than all the rest of the hills. He Was, therefore, for giving it a preference over all others. He hoped it would be passed during the session, but still he was willing to afford gentlemen a lull opportunity of adducing whatever their in genuity could suggest. Mr. Smilie observed, that in an early period of the session, he should have hud no objection to this bill going to a committee of the whole. But he desired gentlemen to recollect the situ ation of the house. He understood that there were sixty bills remaining undecided on, ma ny of which it Was highly desirable to pass. Only six days ol the session remained. There, therefore, was no time to consume in Commit tees of the whole. He said he believed the bill, together with the amendments, might re ceive sufficient consideration, without going into committee of the whole. The motion to refer the report to a com mittee of the whole, was disagreed to—Aves 30. Mr. J. Morrow, from the committee on the public lands, made a report on the amend ments proposed by the senate to the bill ex tending the time lor locating Virginia military land warrants, agreeing to sonic, and disagree ing to others ; in which report, the house, after a short discussion, concurred. The bill providing for the payment of the cxpcnce incurred by the military preparations in defence of the territory of Michigan against hostile Indians in 1806, was read the third time and passed. The bill authorising the settlement of the accounts between the U. States and William Eaton, was read the third time and passed— Ayes 64. On agreeing to the title— Mr. J. Randolph said he conceived the title to be extremely improper, and he hoped some gentleman would suggest a proper alteration —He believed the bill hail passed by surprise. It was not so much a bill to settle the accounts of William Eaton, as to rip up the settled forms of the treasury ; and to transfer the accountable duties ol the treasury to the department of state. It would be a J:aia upon the statute The question was then taken cn the title, which was agreedtc—-Ayes 63. Theqms b n let. uinii.g re derided, at the adjournment of yesterday, recur.eel, vi—o give the committee of the whoie icree to sit again, cn the bill to -alter and c tab- i.-li certain post rc-dx—leave w..s refused—omy 25 met:.* bers risingfin tbe affirmative. The house resolved itself into a committee of tbe whole—Mr. Van,urn in J.e i hai,—on the bill m.. king provision for the disposal if the public lands situated between rhe U . S. n.i litury tract and the Connecticut reserve,andior other purposes. The committee rose and reported the bill, with amendments, in which the house concur red, and ordered the bid to be engrossed for a yhird reading to-morrow. The house took up ‘.lie bill to alter and es tablish certain post roads. A motion was made to postpone the hill in definitely, which was disagreed to —Ayes 4b Noes 54. A message was received from the senate stating, that they had passed the bill for repeal ing the duty on salt, and for continuing in ioree the 2 1-2 per cent, additional for the Mediter ranean fund, with amendments ; and that they insisted on their amendments to the hill exten ding the time for locating \ i; ginia military land warrants. A motion was made to refer the bill to alter and establish certain post roads to a committee cf the whole,and canied. When the house immediately went into a committee—Mr. Greg g in Inc chair. The committee after considered) discussi on, rose and reported the bill with - e various a mendments; some of which VU* 1 C Cv/f! tO 1.1(1 others disagreed to by the house, ami other amendments made. ‘ A message was received from the senate, stating that they had agreed to the modification; ol the amendment proposed by the house of l oprcseutativ cs to the bill prohibiting the impor tation of slaves into the United Stales, and re commended by the committee of conference. Thursday , February 26. Mr. Holmes, from the committee of cl. inis, to whom was referred the message of.the Pre sident of the United States, on the communica tion ot the French- minister, relative to the claim ofC. Beaumarchais, made a report. ‘i he report, after referring to the report of the committee ol claims of last session, which was unacted upon, concludes with a resolution, referring the subject to the secretary of state, with direction to report thereon to congress at their next session. In this resolution the house concurred with out a division. The message from the senate, stating that they had passed a bill sent front the house for the repeal ol the acts laying duties on salt, and for a continuance of the Mediterranean fund un til the end of the next session ot congress, with amendments, was considered. The./tV.v/ amendment proposed bv the sen ate was to confine the repealing act to akingoff the duty of eight cents on the bushel of salt, from the first day of July next—leaving in force another existing act imposing ‘ a duty of twelve cents. Messrs. Alston and Olin opposed a concur rence with this amendment, the question cm which was taken by yeas and nays, which vve.o —Yeas 15—Nays 89. The second amendment, regarding matters of detail, was disagreed to without a division. The third amendment proposed continuing the Mediterranean fund until the 31st day of Dec.—instead of the end ni “he next session, Mr. J. Randolph spoke against a ccmn, fence in this amendment, winch was negatived Aves 38. Mr. J. Randolph moved that the house insist on the bill as it originally passed the house ; spoke at considerable length in favor of insist, ing, and asked for the yeas and nays. Messrs. Alston, Rhea of Tennessee, Early, R. Nelson, Alexander, Srnilic, and Goldsbt* rough, supported ; and Mr. Lyon opposed in. ststing. This motion was withdrawn, and a motion made hv Mr. Early to adhere , when the cues- 1 tion was taken on adhering to the original * bill, and carried in the affirmative—Yeas *l)3 Navs 20. A short time after, a message was received from the senate staling that they had considered the disagreeing votes of the two houses on this bill, and had re so Fed t o adhere to all t heir amend ments. As the vote to adhere is final, and has in this instance been passed by both houses, ,he till is lost. The consequence is that the duties com posing what is called the Meditciranean fund yiil cease with the present session, and the du ties on salt be continued. * The modification proposed by the committee of conference to the bill prohibiting the itnpoi-. tat ion of slaves into the United States was taken into consideration—on agreeing to which adc bate of considerable length ensued. Messrs. Gold-borough, Alston and Sion it:pp--)ited ; and Messrs Early, J. Randolph, I). R. \\ illiams anil Alexander Opposed, a concur rence, which was carried—Yeas 63—Nays 49. I his modification having been agreed to bW the senate, the biil was finally passed. From the National Intelligencer, March 4. The house of representatives were in m-s. sion, on Saturday, from seven o'clock in the evening to one o’clock next morning. They were principally occupied in conside ring 1 n biil for the repeal of the duties on sdt, an ! for the continuance of the Mediterranean fund. The bill finally passed the house by a large majority, and discontinues ti e dutv of rfo-ht cents on salt after the 30th vi Jir.es sol tko