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reported progress ami obtained leave to sit again.
Tuesday, Deember 16.
On motion of Mr. Rhea, resolved, that the com
mittee on pensions and revolutionary claims, be
instructed to enquire into the expediency of sus
pending tor one year so much of the act, entitled
“an act making further provision for the support of
f iublic credit, and for the redemption of the pub
ic debt,” passed 3d day of March, 1795, ns bars
from sttlement or allowance certificates, common
ly called loan office, and final settlements, cer
tificates and indents of interest.
Mr. Bassett otiered the following resolution,
■which the House refused to consider : Resolved,
by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assem
bled, that the daily compensation of Members of
t ie Senate and House of Representatives, and
• delegates from territories, shall, until further pro
vided lor by law, be the same as in the year 1813.
The commutation bill as it is called, which cre
ated so much debate on M onday last, was again
brought on the tapis « Mr. Clay offered a bill
which he thought w ould guard the treasuarv from
speculators, anu have respect to the rights of in
dividuals. The House were engaged with this
till late, when the committee rose, reported pro
gress and asked leave to sit again.
iVitiunal Flag.—Mr. AVendover, submitted
for consideration the following resolution : •*' te-
solved, that a committee he appointed to enquire
into the expediency of altering the Flag of the
United States, and tn&t they have leave to report
by t.:il or otherwise.
.Mr. AV. said in submitting this motion, that he
should make hut a few remarks on this subject,
not being a novel one : a.hil| relative thereto hav
ing been reported at the last session, hut laid o-
ver from the pressure ofbusiness deemed of metre
importance. Had the Flag of the United States
never have undergone an alteration, he certainly
should not, he said, propose to make a further al
teration in it. But having been altered once, he
thought it necessary and proper that an alteration
should now he made. It was his impression, and
lie thought it was generally believed, that the flag
would he essentially injured by an alteration on
■the same principle as that which had before been
made, of increasing the stupes and stars. Mr.
W. stated the incongruity of the flags in general
use, (except those in the navvl not agreeing with
the jaw, and greatly varying from each other.—
He instance*! the flags flying over the building in
which Congress sat and that at the JVitvy Yard,
one of which contained nine stripes, and the other
eighteen, and neither of them conformable to the
law. It was of some importance, he conceived,
that the flag of the nation should be designated
with precision, and that the practice under the
daw should be conformed to its requisitions. The
moti in was agreed to without opposition.
Estimate, of appropriations for 1818.—The
Speaker laid before the house the following com
munication from the treasury department, which
was ordered tube printed with the accompanying
-documents:
Treasury Department, Dec. 17, 1817.
Sir,—I have the honor to transmit, herewith,
for the information of the house of representatives,
an estimate of the appropriations for the service
of the year 1818, amounting to SIO,££>,191 62,
viz :
For the civil list 1,070,708 02
Miscellaneous expenses 490,308 54
Intercourse with with foreign
nations 437,666 6i
Military establishment inclu
ding arrearages and Indian
department 6,265,132 25
Tlte naval c tablishment in
cluding the marine corps 2,611,376 20
mittee of the whole on the bill for the commuta
tion of soldiers’ pay, the question was taken on
agreeing.to the amendment, of detail (being a sub
stitute for the hill before the committee) propos
ed by Mr. Clay ; and decided affirmatively, 96
rising in its favor.
The amendment of Mr. Clay being then open
for amendment, was read over for that purpose.
Mr. T. M. Nelson having moved to fill the
blank lor the amount of commutation with Sld'J
(or one dollar per acre)—The question was de
cided in the negative, by a majority of about 20
votes.
The sense, of the committee was afterwards ta
ken on filling the blank with 320, 120, 130, 150,
and negatiVed. On motion of Mr. Clay, it was
filled with 100. The amount of commutation was
therefore decided to stand at one huudred dollars
for 160 acres.
Friday, December 19.
The house resolved itself into a committee on
the bid fur the commutation of soldiers’ bounty
lands. After some further discussion oti amend
ments to it, the committee rose, and reported the
amendments to the hill; which were read and or
dered to lie on the table, and to be printed for
the more easily understanding thereof by the
members before called upon to give a final vote
on them.
DOCUMENTS.
SI 0,925,191 62
The funds out of which the appropriations for
■the year 1818, maybe discharged, are the fol
lowing :
1. The sum of 6,000,000. annually reserved bv
the act of the 4th August, 1790, out, of the duties
and customs towards the expenses of govern
ment.
2. The proceeds of the stamp duties, and the
duty on sugar refined within the United States.
3. The surplus which may remain of the cus
toms and internal duties after satisfying tin*
pledge for which they are pledged and appro
priated.
4. Any other unappropriated money which
may coiue into the treasury, during the year
ISIS.
I have the honor to he, very respectfully, sir,
four most obedient servant,
AVM. II. CRAWFORD.
The honorable the speaker
of the house of representatives.
Wednesday, December 17.
■On motion of Mr. Holmes of Mass.—Resolved,
that a committee bo appointed to enquire into the
expediency of providing by law for the payment
of the members of both houses of congress, &c.
and that they report by bill, 8cc.
Sir. Livermore of N. 11. moved that this com
mittee.consist of 20 members, t,hut one might be
selected from each state, and thus bring thereto
the views and impressions of the various parts of
the country, might agree upon a report which
would save the house the alternative of exhibit
ing itself before.the world in the unpleasant atti
tude of debating its own compensation. This
number being objected to bv the mover, who wish
ed the usual number of7 to be appointed—agreed.
The house resolved itself into a committee of
the whole on the hill to commute the bounty land
AJf the soldiers—the motion to strike out the first
aecdim being still under consideration. The de
bate was resumed and continued to a late hour.
On the suggestion of the Speaker, that if the
motion to strike out tlie first section were with
drawn, he had prepared a substitute which would
obviate many of the objections which had been
urged against it. Mr. Holmes withdrew his mo
tion. Mr. Clay then offered his substitute; which
being rearl, the committee rose and reported pro
gress.
Thursday, December 18.
The hoase hating resolved itself into a com
Wasliiugton City, Dee. 22.—We present to our
readers a selection of the most interesting of the
documents transmitted to the House of Represen
tatives from the Department of State, in relation
to Galvezton and Amelia Island. In regard to
the first named place, the propriety of the seizure
of which has been most questioned, the facts now
disclosed are so strong as to place the correctness,
we may say the unavoidable necessity, of the mea
sure, beyond all doubt. AVith regard to Amelia
Island, so much is already known to the public,
from its immediate proximity to our settled bor
ders, that little remained to be told. On this point
therefore, the additional information imparted by
the documents, is of minor importance, compared
with that relating to the former place. It may be
remarked, in regard to these documents general
ly, that there are occasions on which information
is communicated to a government, a disclosure of
which would be prejudicial to the public interest,
or to that of individuals who have given it. The
president, it will be recollected, communicated,
as requested by congress, such documents onlvas
were conceived not improper te be made pubiic ;
and, though we have no particular information to
justify the suggestion, this appears to us to be one
of those occasions on which the executive might,
act unwisely by exposing to the world all the in
formation in its possession.—vVut. Lit.
OF GALVEZTON.
Extracts of a letter from lieverly Chew, esq. col
lector at Mew-!)rleans, to Mr. Crawford, se
cretary to the treasury, dated August 1, 1817.
“ As it is your wish that every attempt to evade
the provisions of the existing laws should be com
municated to the department, accompanied by
suggestions of the measures necessary to repress
the evil, 1 deem it my duty to state, that the most
shameful violations of the slave act, as well as our
revenue laws, continue to be practised with im
punity, by a motley mixture of freebooters and
smugglers at Galvezton, under the Mexican flag,
and being, in reality, little else than the re-estab-
lishmeut of the Jiarrataria band, removed some
what more out of the reach of justice, and unless
the officers of the customs are provided with more
effectual means for the enforcement of the laws,
the treasury must suffer incalculably. To give
you a more correct idea of this establishment, it
will be necessary to he a little prolix, which I beg
you will excuse. Galvezton is a small island or
bar, situate in the hay of Sit. Bernard, on the coast
of Texas, about ninety miles west of the Sabine,
within the jurisdictional limits claimed by the U.
State-, in virtue ol the cession of Louisiana to
them by Fiance. The establishment was recent
ly made there by a commodore Aurv, with a few
mall schooners from Aux Cuyes, manned, in a
yeat measure, with refugees from liarratui iu, and
mulattoes. This estu dishment was reinforced by
a few more men from different points of the coast
of Louisiana, the most efficient part of them be
ing principally mariners, (Frenchmen or Italians,)
wiio have been hanging loose upon society in and
about New-Orleans, in greater or smaller num
bers, ever since the breaking up the establishment
at llanataria.
Col. Ferry commanded one party, of about 80
or 90 men, of this new community, who had been
enlisted principally as soldiers within our juris
diction ; and Mr. Herera, coming with a few fol
lowers from New-Oileans, brought up the rear,
and then announced the establishment to the world
by a proclamation, attested by a Frenchman by the
name of Morin, very laceutlv a bankrupt auction
eer in New-Orleans, as secretary of state. From
this new station, fed and drawing all its resources
from New-Orleans, and keeping up a regular in
telligence, through a variety of channels, with
their friends here, an active system of plunder
was commenced on the high seas, chiefly of Spa
nish property, but often without much concern as
to the national character, particularly when mo
ney was iu question. The captures made by their
numerous cruisers, (many owned by citizens of
the U. .States,) were condemned by a pretended
court of admiralty there, as prizes ; aud the car-
yes introduced into this state principally iu a
clandestine manner. The vessels thus condemn
ed have generally come here under new names,
aud with the Mexican flag. Some of them have
been detained by the United States’naval force,
for hovering in our waters, and others have been
libelled for restitution, by the Spanish consul, in
behalf of the original owners, and though several
trials have come on before the U. States’ district
court for the district of Louisiana, and the claim
ants have never been able to produce proof of the
government of Galvezton solving ever been au
thorised by the Mexican republic; and the resti
tution has been decreed in several instances.
There is no evidence of the establishment having
been made or sanctioned by, or cumiected with, a
Alexican republic, it one be now existing, and the
presumption ot'suoh an establishment, uuder such
authority, is strongly repelled by the illegal 8c pira
tical character ofthe establishment,cuts ambulatory
nature. It is not onl y of very recent origin, but
is clothed with no character of permanency ; mi
it was abandoned about the 5th ot April, and trans
ferred to Matagorda, leaving at Galvezton only
an advice boat, to advertise such privateers and
prizes which might arrive there, of the spot on
which they had fixed their new residence, borne
days after the abandonment ot Galvezton, several
privateers arrived there, and among the rest, the
General Artigas, commanded by one G. Champlin
of New-York, with two schooners her prizes, the
Fatronila with 174 slaves, and the Knrequita with
113 slaves ; and also a Spanish and a Portuguese
vessel, and the American schooner Evening Post,
of New-York, prize to the , capt. M. N. Jolly.
Among the most conspicuous characters who
happened to he then at Galvezton, were many ot
the notorious offenders against our laws, who had
so lately been indulged with a remission ot the
punishment, who so far from gratefully availing
themselves of the lenity of the government to re
turn to, or commence an orderly amt holiest life
seem to have regarded its indulgence almost, as
an encouragement to the renewal of their offen
ces. You will readily perceive I allude to the
B,Unitarians, among whom Lafittes may be class
ed foremost, and most actively engaged iu the
Galvezton trade, and owners ot several cruizers
under the Mexican flag. Many of our citizens
are equally guilty, and are universally known to
he owners ol the same kind of vsssels. A num
ber ot these characters being at Galvezton alter
the abandonment readily saw the advantages that
would result in the re-establishment of a govern
ment at that place, its situation, so immediately
in the vicinity of our settlements, being much
preferable to Matagorda, their views being entire
ly confined to introducing their cajilures into
this state ; accordingly a meeting was called on
tne 15tii April, and it was resolved to re-estab
lish the government and a true copy of their deli
berations you have enclosed. 1 can vouch for
the correctneof the copy, having received it
from a person of undoubted veracity : and thus
without even the semblance of authority from the
Mexican republic, they immediately proceeded
to condemn vessels and cargoes as good prizes,
and to introduce them into this port, and among
the rest the cargo of the Evening Post. It was
-ome time before this was known cere, great pains
having been taken to keep it secret. Since it has
been known, I have felt it my duty to report all
vessels and cargoes which have arrived here from
Galvezton, to the district attorney who has had
them arrested under the .Spanish treaty; but ow
ing to the unfortunate absence of the judge no de
decision can be had thereon. These steps of the
officers of the port have irritated the Barrataiian
gentlemen and their connexion in a high degree,
and representations filled with falsehoods will
probably b; made against them, particularly on
the score of enmity to the patriotic cause. As well
might a man be accused of being an enemv to
personal liberty, who arrests and confines a rob
ber as that the officers of the port of New-Orleans
should be accused of being unfriendly to the re
volution iu the Spanish provinces, because they
have attempted to prevent a lawless establishment
at Galvezton from violating the laws.
The prizes made by' the privateers under the
Alexican flag are to a very large amount of mer
chandize, such as jewelry, laces, silks, linen,
britanias, muslins, seersuckers calicoes, Ac.—all
ol whicji are repacked in small bales, ol conve
nient size for transportation on mules, and the
greatest part introduced clandestinely. Other
articles, such as iron, nails, tallow, leather,glass
ware, crockery, cordage, beef, <5j'c. are brought
here in their own prizes. It is stated and univer
sally believed, that capt. Champlin sold the slaves
captured in the Patronila and Enrequita, to the
Lafittes, Sauvinet, and other speculators in this
place, who have or will resel them, to the plan
ters ; and the facility afforded to smugglers by
the innumerable inlets, are too obvious, on a
view ol the map, to doubt but they either are or
will he all introduced into this state, without the
possibility ol the officers of the revenue being a-
ble to prevent or punish them ; more especially
as a great portion id the population are disposed
to countenance them in violating our laws. A
lew days ago information having been given that
one ol our citizens had gone to the AY. with a
very considerable sum in specie, to purchase
slaves for himself and two other planters, I de
termined to make an effort to arrest him on his
return, and immediately purchased a fine bout on
account of government, (which had been lately
captured by a party I hud sent on lake Ponciiar-
train, and condemned for a violation of the slave
act) which I have sent under command of an ac
tive, enterprising inspector, with a military guard
ol twelve men, and am in hopes of his falling in
with and capturing the party. lam persuaded
you will approve ot my not waiting for instruc
tions, at the risk of seeing the laws violated with
impunity, and I cannot but hope the government
wdl see the necessity of giving instructions to
the naval force on this station to prevent the re-cs-
tabljshment of Galvezton, otherwise the bav will
no longer be sale tor any flag. Since they have
been denied shelter in Port an Prince, they have
no other asylum than Galvezton. On the part of
these pirates we have to contend with, we behold
an extended and organized system ol enterprizc,
of ingenuity, of indefatigability, and of audaci
ty, tavored by a variety of local advantages, and
supported always by force of arms ; and unless
they be met by corresponding species of resis
tance, the results of the contest are of very sim
ple calculation.
A ou will, I trust, see the necessity of either
granting a certain number of revenue cutters, of
the description l have mentioned, or that the na
val lorce on this station may be enjoined strictly
to prevent these privateers from Inhering in our
waters, and violating our laws. It is a fact you
may rely on, all the cruizes of these privateers
commence and end at this port; they enter in
distress, comply with the formalities of the law.
and it they do not augment their force aud re
new their crews iu port, they do in our waters,
and it is not in my power to prevent it.
FOREIGN.
from kills' nr.eisTkk. —
Summary of the latest news—A Russian fleet
of ten sail of the line was daily expected to touch
at Portsmouth for fresh provisions and water-
which it was said by some, but denied by others’
had 10,000 troops on board. This affair has ex
cited much speculation, and it is positively stated
that Russia has satisfactorily settled all her tlif.
terences with the Turks ; the object of the fleet
had not been determined upon by the London r-
ditors, and we are quite.in the dark about it
though some say it is destined for a Spanish port!
It was also rumored that Great Britain was a!
bout to send a large fleet, provisioned for fi mf
months, to the Mediterranean ; and there is soim,
talk about a probable difteience with Spain, be
cause she will not give up some fortresses that
she ceded to England by the late treaty. There
was a very remarkable and rapid reduction of the
price of the British stocks on the 23d October—
“ in consequence of the warlike preparations of
this country,” as the London paper says—they
lowered three per cent, in two days, and a further
depression was expected. ,
It is positively stateil that the army of occupa
tion in France will not be reduced the present
year. AA’ellington had arrived in Loudon on his
private h flairs.
We have also several reports about the misun
derstanding between Spain and Portugal. Seine
of them actuall y say that the former has invaded
the latter with three several armies, containing ir,
the whole nearly 40,000 men,—but others say
there is no truth in these reports, or any probabi
lity that these powers will make actual war ou
one another, and that their disputes will be ami
cably settled.
England, <§y.—Grain had so fallen in price ii*
England that no doubt appeared to exist but that
tlie ports would be shut on the 15th of November.
American flour 50 to 54s. per bbl.
The fever in Ireland had considerably decreas.
ed among the poor, was increasing and bocomiu"-
very fatal among ths rich.
The trials for high treason at Derby had termim
ated—some of the poor creatures are to he hung,
and some transported—others were discharged.
American stocks iu England—6 per cents. 105
1-2. Bank shares 321. lag.
Some misunderstanding is said to exist between
Great Britain and Turkey respecting the occu
pancy of the Ionian islands by the former.
Sagacity of a dog.—It appears by a late En
glish paper, that a dog was regularly taught to act
as thief—snatching reticules from ladies, Ac. anil
carrying them off to his master.
Lord Byron's family estate at Newcastle Ab
bey, consisting of upwards of 5,000 acres, ha*
been sold at auction in London, for 96,500 gui
neas.
France.—I.ate accounts from Europe stata
that Carnot, the patriotic, the estimable Carnut,
lived very retired at Magdeburg. It is said he is
writing a history of the revolution of France, anil
its influence ou Europe, from 1789 to the restora
tion ot Louis XVIII in 1815. Such a work from
such a pen, would bo a valuable addition to the»
history of the world.
The “ occupation army” is composed ol the fol
lowing corps—23,400 Russians, 22,200 British,
12,000 Danes, Saxons, and Hanoverians.
It is stated that the police of France havetVa
disposal of forty millions [ of francs] per annum,,
ot which no account is rendered !
Milan, Italy, Sept. 24.—A new convent of Je 1
suits has been formed in Piedmont. One ol the
principal noblemen of the court of Turin, tha
-Marquis Grimaldi, has taken their habit. Tlie
government has taken an annual revenue of 24,—
000 francs, from the university of Gone, to give
to this religious order.
Germany.—Jerome Bonaparte has lately pur*
chased the estate of Engersfield, and Madam
Murat has bought the lordship of Ort, people and
all, tor 900,000 florins. Beauharnois lives ia
great pomp at Munich.
The emperor of Austria has lately issued two
important decrees—absolutely prohibiting the
importation ol iron manufactures and of cotton
and woollen goods into any part of his states,
from foreign piaces. ’The English think this is
very unfriendly in the emperor, though they
themselves act so to all nations.
India.— The British anxious for more plunder,
appear to have excited many of the native chiefs
to resistance, and an extensive war in India wu
immediately expected—they call the defence<|f
their own country by the natives, insurrection,
and like Bonaparte, whom they so much abuse for
it, they have seized the person of a “ legitimate
prince” railed the l’iesliwa, aud committed him
to safe custody. The Mahratta chiefs arc suppo-
sed to be generally combined againsrthe British,
ami it they succeed in driving the “invaders” into
the sea—we shall not be sorry fur it. But «e
fear that no such just result can be expected : the
“ Moody usurpers” are strongly armed, and their
intrigues have divided, to destroy tlie people ot
India.
Ladroon Pirates.—The ship Wabash of Balt**
more, lying in Macoa Roads, was boarded in the
night by a Ladroon boat, with 25 or 30 men, win*
attacked the crew unexpectedly with long knivtb
and alter killing some and wounding others,soc-
ceeded in obtaining possession of the ship which,
they robbed of specie, opium, Ac. to the value®*
more than $50,000, with which they made their
escape. Efforts were making by our consul **
Canton for the recovery of the property, and the
punishment of the robbers, in which the ChiflM®
officers were assisting.
Barbnry Powers.—The Russian imperial con
sul at Hamburg on the 30th Sept, officially- com-
inunicated to the captains of Russian ships, l" c
important intelligence - that his majesty tlie*®) -
perm- in concert with the allied powers had **'
ready resolved ou the most efter’ual measure*
put an end to tlie piracies of tlie Barbary powers-
[It is most probable that tlie fleet expected in h®'
gland is destined to give effect to this determine
till!!.] °
Algerine and Tripolitan vessels are said tub*
committing great depredations in the Mediterra®
ea:i. Y\ ,j have not heard that any * m". :<"!•> re ■