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hflOUSE OF RE PRESENTATIYES.
Tuesday, Jan. 20.
Brevet ' Rattle.—The House resumed 'T.e
1 t'«hsi«l6i#t5oTi oi' the report of vesterdojPi: com-
mtlteecf the wlmfr, mi the military appropriu-
t n bill for the year 1818. The question to con
cur in the amendment which strikes out the al
lowance of 35,000 dollars to del.ay the expense
of extra pay to bfevet. officers, who hold sepa
rate commands of districts or posts, according
,t» their brevet rank—gkv* rise to much debate,
of considerable inter est, and was ut length de
cided by yeas and nays.
On the one hand, it was said that a strained
construction had been given to that provision of
the law of lifts, which authorizes pay according
to the brcVct rank, tn such brevet officers of the
army as are employed on separate stations,
which provision was meant only to apply to ne
cessary detachments, &c.; that tils House had at
the last session endeavored to rethedy what they
thought an evil in this respect, by an express pro
vision of law, which had been rejected in the sen
ate ; that in the only way in which itwas proba
ble the object could be reached, it was proper for
thcllouse to attempt it, by refusing, in tiie exer-
ti»e of their legitimate power the appropriations
required for that object ; that if,the construction
given by the executive to the law was correct, it
was yet inexpedient to continue it, for reasons
connected with the'good of the service, and with
the principle tifbqual justice to all officers simi
larly situated; and that brevet rank was in itself,
especially unde - its present construction, injuri
ous to the interest ot the army and of the nation.
On the other hand,it was urged, that the law of
181-2. so far as it regarded brevet rank, was in
the nature of a compact, which this House ought
not to violate ; that the executive had correctly
construed the law, and could not well have done
otherwise, particularly with the four brevet major
generals than by placing them on separate com
mands; (hat at present of 72 brevet officers, about
27 only were so stationed as to entitle them to
brevet pay ; ‘that the number of brevet officers
would uaily diminish, and soon be entirely emer
ged in the lindf.l rank, as they became entitled to
promotion ; that it was inexpedient to ro • these
officers, whose high cha acter and service* were
(feuerOlly acknowledged, of this little pittance,
&c.; that, if it were admitted too great a lati
tude iiad been taken in the administration id’ the
_law, it could only be corrected by a modification
or/eoeal of tiie law, and not by this indirect
%o"r,e, which would have the effect mciely to
sir ft the'responsibility from the shoulders of the
executive officers on those of this House, 5:c,
By such, and similar arguments, the motion
was defended and opposed. On the question,
the llou-e agreed to concur with the committee
in striking out the provision for brevet pay, by a
Vote of 130 to 30, being a very decisive expres
sion of the opinion of this House on the subject.
'The bill Was then ordered to be engrossed ami
read a third time.
Thursday, January 22.
General 'Kosciusko.—Mr. Harrison of 0. hav
ing withdrawn the resolution he offered for con
sideration the day before yesterday, to which he
understood there was considerable objection, on
the ground of its'being in a joint form, moved
in lieu t.hereufi a rc’-blve to tne following effect,
with a view to expre'ESin* the sense of the house
alone on the suljject: “ Resolved, that this house
entertaining the highest respect for the ine-
meiiiory of General Kosciusko, his services, .
the members thereof will testify the same In
Wearing crape on the left arm for one month.”
After some debate, in which this motion was
supported by Mr. Harrison, ami opposed by Mr.
Keeil, Mr. Foesvrh, and Mr. Desha, Mr. Har
rison withdrew his resolution altogether, seeing
it was opposed, and that the want of unanimity
would destroy its value ;satisfied that, in moving
and supporting it, he had acquitted his con
science.
Commutation Bill.—On motion of Mr. John
son of K. the house proceeded to the considera
tion of the bill, now lyingtn the table, for the
commutation of soldiers’bounty lands, with the
amendments proposed thereto.
Mr. Garnett of Ya. moved to postpone inde
finitely the whole subject, believing that it had
been so widely debated as to make fui flier debate
thereon not necessary to ascertain the sense of
the house.
Mr. Johnson of K. said he did not, after all that
had been said, intend to enter into the debate ;
but contented himself with catling the yeas and
nays on the question.
Mr. Cobb of G. made some observations to
shew whv he thought the bill ought not to be in
definitely postponed ; because he believed that
the passage of ,i billon the principle of this,
would be important not only to the interests of
the improvident soldier, whose case had been
generally referred to in the former debate, but
those also of a different character whose interest
and wish it was licit to settle the lands which they
receive fromTlie government, preferring to re
main in the southern country. He regarded the
measure also as one of policy ; inasmuch as the
depreciated rates at which tiie warrants passed
into the hands of speculators, besides the United
States losing the value of these lands, deteriorat
ed also the bailie of other hods belonging to the
government.' Enlarging on .these views of the
subject, Mr. C. expressed bis opinion very de
cidedly to be, that some such act ought to pass,
and in the shape proposed by Mr. Robertson’s a-
mendment, to give a certain quantity of United
States’stock in lieu of money, for the land war
rants, the certificates of which, he thought, be
ing of small amount, and bearing interest, would
circulate freely from hand to hand, and would
be more acceptable to the holders of the warrants
than any price the speculators could give, &c.
Mr. Linn briefly delivered his opinions on the
Suliject of this bill. He was in favor of the inde
finite postponement of the bill, because he be
lieved, and used arguments intended to shew,
that no beneficial effect Would flow from it. He
<**iiied that it would'pievent speculation, which
fit said it was in vain to attempt to stop ; said
it' would not benefit the soldier; neither
Wbiitd it benefit thegovernment itself. The bill,
therefore, ought lot to pass or. any of the three
grounds on which it had bey'i sustained, ^c,
Mr. Lov/ntles opposed th* p'ostimiiiftqnt in a
short speech, of which the object only cab be here
noticed. If an arrangement, be said, could be
made in respect to the bounty lands, at once ben
eficial to the sitldier and the government, there
could be no doubt of the expediency of its adop
tion. That the measure before the house would
be beneficial to botli lie had no doubt, for reasons
which he stated at large. The soldier lie conceiv
ed, would be benefitted by receiving fur his land
warrant a price higher than tliat now given, which
he understood from various quarters was not
more than from 50 to 75 dollars; whilst the go
vernment would be benefitted by reclaiming into
its possession, and Withdrawing from the market
a body of land, the extent of which might, for
some years, reduce the value of the land of the
United States in that market. The loss the U.
States might sustain from that competition, Mr.
L. calculated might be, all circumstances consi
dered, from 62 to 75 cents for each acre thrown
into the market : and that price, therefore, it]
would be decidedly the interest of the govern
ment togive for these lands. Having demon
strated that the measure, therefore, would equal
ly benefit the United States and the soldier, he
had no doubt of its expediency. At the Eaiiie
time he objected to the amendment last proposed,
togive, in lieu of money, stock bearing an interest
of 6 per cent.—because it would not be in effect
equal! v beneficial to the soldier, and not .to the
United States, wliusc money in the treasury was
not worth 6 per cent, per annum) (the interest it
was proposed the certificates should bear) whico
was demonstrated by the tyct, that it could not
obtain at par its own 6 per cent, stock
Mr. Uobertgbb bfia, rose in opposition to the
proposition iWpostpimeinerit. The benefit of the
measure to the soldier, could not'be doubted ; bat
if it word,Tt wlis entirely at the option of the
soldier to avail himself of the provisions of the
bill or not—his fights, therefore, not being m the
least affected by it. As to toe United States, Mr.
R. contended, that the benefit of the measure
would be, if possible, still greater, by bringing
all that land again within its power, which, 'if
thrown into the market in competition with, the
United States, would set at naught all tiie calcu
lations of t!;c secretary of the treasury, or of the
committee of ways and means, on the product of
the annua! sales of public lauds. The lands in
cluded in the military survey were of greater
value than was generally known, and infinitelv
more important to the United States than his
friend (Mr. Lowndes) appeared to estimate them
—a a it was probable they would, in the course of
a few years, sell for three or four dollars per acre,
&.C.—and he could not see why thev should be
valued fet less than they would sell‘for. Thus
an important advantage would accrue to the U.
States, and at the same tilne a striking benefit
to the soldier, by the adoption of the measure it
was now proposed to reject, &c.
1 he quest.on was at length taken on the pro
position to postpone idelinitely; and the vote
thereon stood as lollows—-lor tiie indefinite post
ponement 77—against it 77. The house being
thus equally divided, the speaker, declaring the
pleasure it gave him to gi i e his vote to preserve
in existence a measure which he believed to be
fraught with the greatest benefit t o the soldier
and to the nation, voted against the proposed in
definite postponement. Bo tiie motion was re
jected.
The question then recurred on the amendment
moved bv Mr. Rebel t-no, which proposed to sub
stitute stock oft reriain description in lieu of
money, us the cbmmot ,*ion of the soldiers’ right
to bounty lands, which was eventually negativ
ed, 70 to 65.
Mr. Smith of Va. then moved to change the
amount of commutation tp he given for each 160
acres, by adding the wb”!,.“ sixty” to one hun
dred and sixty dollars, nfiip question on this
motion was decided without debate in the affuin-
ative, ayes 76.
Further debate ensued on the amendments to
the detail of the bill—before the house got thro’
the subject, a motion was made to adjourn, which
prevailed, ..
Friday, January 23.
On motion of Mr. Smith of Mil. it was “resolv
ed, that the committee on p ibl clands be instruct
ed to enquire into the expediency of providing
by law for the introduction into all patents here
after to be issued for lands' sold or granted bv the
United States, of a reservation to the use of the
United States of all copper mines, and of the ex-
pediencev of authorising the secretary of the
treasury to lease any copper mines the property
of the United States, for a term nut exceeding
seven years.”
On motion of Mr. Forsyth, it was “ resolved,
that the cmnmitt''c on commerce and manufactu
res be instructed to enquire into the expediency
of regulating by law (he number of passengers
to be brought into the United State* by American
and foreign vessels, according to the tonnage of
the vessels.”
On motion of Mr. Cobh it was “ resolved, that
the committee on Public lauds be instructed to
enquire into the expediency of establishing into
separate land destricts, alf that part of the Ala
bama territory whjch lies soutli of an east and
' west line, to be drawn from the boundary line
dividing the state of Mississippi from said ter
ritory, through fort Williams to the western boun
dary of Georgia ; and also into the expediency
of appointing a surveyor to ill public lands in
said destricts ; of surveying inf tEer mariner pre
scribed bylaw, such public landsf ftp which the
' Indian title has been extinguished)'ami of offer
ing the same.for sale as soon as possible.”
Commutation Bill.—The house resumed the
consideration of the bill to provide for the com
mutation of soldiers’ bounty lands. An amend
ment of some importance, moved by Mr. Taylor,
yesterday, was agreed to, yeas 78; noes 45.—
Ko other amendment having been offered—the
question was stated, on ordering the bill to be
engrossed for a third reading, and decided—yeas
■I, ; nays 82.
Claims for houses burnt in war.—On motion
of Mr. Williams of N. C. the hous# resolved it-
„c!f into a committee of the whole, Mr. Plea
sants in the chair, on the report of the conrtnit-
tee of claims on the claim ul J. Pattieenp, and
several other claims ol 5 like nature, referred to
the same committee. [This claim is lor a .house
sit ,atcd on the banks of the Patuxent, destroyed
by the enemy during the late-war, on account of
previous occupation by provisions and by sup
plies issued therefrom to a detachment of militia
in the. service of the United States, and for other
similar reasons, as the petitioner desires to esta
blish by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
The claim is one of those laid before the commis
sioner of claims, and by him, according to' the
provisions of the law oi the last session^ trans
mitted, to the House of Representatives lor their
decision on the tact.] Laid on the table.
SENATE.
Tuesday. Jrtr.. 20.
Mr Sanford, from the committee of Com
merce and Manufactures, reported a bill estab
lishing the port of entry for tlusdiijtiict ol Bruns
wick, in Georgia, at thetowu of Darien; which
bill was read and passed to the second, read-
?• * .
Mr. Williams, of Tenn. from the committee
of Military Affairs, to whom the subject had
titen referred, reported a bill directing the man*
ter of appointing Indian Agents, mid continu-
,ng the act for establishing trading houses with
the Indian tribes: [providing that thpSuperin-
tendant of Indian trade, and agents and assis
tant agents for Indian affair^ be hereafter ap
pointed by nomination to the Senate, and re
quiring of each of those officers a bond with two
securities in the sum of 10,000 dollars, for the
faithful discharge of their respective duties.]
The bill was passed tr> a second reading.
Mr,,Tait submitted a resolution to instruct
the Judiciary committee to enquire into the.ex-
ped(cncy of repealing the 3d section of the act
to establish a territorial government for the east
ern part of the Mississippi territory, and of in
vesting the. Legislature of Alabama with power
to regulate the judiciary ti creof in sucli manner
as it may deem expedient 5 and also of invest
ing the highest grade of con i ts which may be
established bv the said Legislature, with juris
diction in all cases in which the United States
shall be a party.
The motion yesterday submitted by Mr Rug-
gles, to instruct the committee on public lands
11 enquire into the expediency of providing by
law for the sale of so mu -li of the tract of one
hundred thousand acres of laud, granted as a
donation to actual settles in the Ohio Compa
ny’s purchase, as shall not have been conveyed
agreeable to the terms of the grant, was also a-
re*d to.
The following resolution, submitted yesterday
by Mr. Barbour, was taken up, and after a feu
explanatory remarks by the mover, and some
observations by Mr. Tait, approbatory of the
otiject of the motion, .it, was agreed to without
opposition : “ Resolved that toe committee on
Naval Affairs he instructed to inquire into the
expediency of establishing .naval depots in such
numbers, and in such places’,, a? may in their
opinion be most advantageous to the United
States.”
Wednesday, January 21. .
Mr. Williams, of Tenn. submitted the follow
ing resolution : •• Resolved that the President of
the United States be requested to inform the
Senate in what manner the troops in the service
of the United States, now operating against the
Seminole tribes of Indians, have been subsisted,
whether by contract or otherwise, and whethei
they have been furnished regularly with rations.
Friday, January 23.
The following resolution, submitted yesterday
by Mr. Rugglcs, was considered and agreed to :
“ Resolved, that the committee on public lands
be instructed to enquire into the expediency of
passing a law, to vest in the state of Ohio the
power of selling the remaining thirty-five sec
tions of land, in the six miles reservation at tiie
Scioto Salt Works, and applying the proceeds
of the sale to such purposes, for the use of the
state, as the Legislature thereof may think pro
per.”
FOitE'.GX.
LUT.sr kv<;i. ,ni»
A’t w-Fork' Jan. 21.— Bv the arrival, la t eve
ning of the ship Ann-M iria, capt. Waite, in 40
days from Liverpool, we have received from our
London and Liverpool correspondents, London
papers to the evening of the 8th of December
inclusive ; and Liverpool papers to the IOth.
I’he British Parliament has been further pro
rogued to the 27th of Jauiiary, when both Houses
are directed to meet for the despatch of business.
It is said and believed, that, cn an early dav. af
ter the meeting S Pa. iiuuieirt, addresses will Ire
moved for in both Houses, entreating the Prince
Regent to take into his consideration the pros
pect of the succession to the Throne. We un
derstand, (says a Liverpool paper.) that no spe
cific proceeding Vvift be suggested to his Roval
Highness; the general subject will be merely
recommended to his seri >us attention. It is ob
vious, that there are several measures, which mav
arise out of this; the unbiased choice of his
Royal Highness will d.reet what they shall be.
It is said that the Duke of York is about to
resign the office of commander in chief. A Li
verpool paper of the 8th of December, in no
ticing tins report, says :—There certainly has
been considerable discussion on the topic, indeed
it could not he avoided. The Duke of York
having once concurred in judgement with the
king, that the person hojding the high rank of
Heir Apparent ought not to command the army,
some persons think he will be puzzled to escape
under the distinction between apparent and
presumptive.
I he London Gazette of Dec. 6, contains a
proclamation for calling in that part of the cur
rent coin, commonly called the Old Tower half
pence and farthings.
The same Gazette also contains an official in
timation that the British government had resolv-'
ed to pursue a strict course of neutrality in U.t
strugg.- between Spain and her Colonies • \ .
this neutrality is to be. preserved by prevent „
British subjects from entering into any milit"’ 1 ’
services in South-America, whether under
banners of the Spanish government, or of th
persons exercising the powers of government in
the Suiltli-American provinces. “*
The Paris dates in our London nanera ar» *«
the 4th Dec. The chamber of Deputies were
occupied in new-moileiing the law on the libertS
of the press; and in maturing a project for tiie
recruitment of the French armies. The trial of
the case of the pretended Dauphin was to com-
mence at Rouen, on the 10th of December.
Austria, it is sail!, is about to enlarge her ar-
mies by a conscription bvhicli is to include all the
male subjects of Austria,between the ages of 20&
45. The first class between 20 and 25 are to he
drafted into the regiments of the line. A new
kingdom, it is also said, is to be formed of a part
of the Austrian territories.
A Russian squadron, consisting of 5 sail of
the line, 2 frigates anil a *un brig, from Rival,
and bound to Cadiz, arrived at Deal on the 27lh
of November.
Several of the states of Germany have recent,
ly acceded to the Treaty of Holy Alliance, at
the solicitation of the emperor of Austria.
At a late hour this morning the London Con.
rier of Dec. 8, received a Flanders mail, from
which we give the following important extracts
—■“ All the doubts which still subsisted, re
specting the retirement of his Royal Highness
the Prince of Orange, from his military employ,
meat-, have now ceased ; it is no longer doubt,
ful that the Prince has demanded hisdischarga,
and that, by a decree of his Majesty, of the 15th
of Nov. it has been accepted.”
Extract of a let'er, dated Liverpool, 6th Dec.
1817,—The import of cotton into the kingdim
in November was 35.271 bags, consisting of
3938 bags from the United States; 9662 Ben-
gals, direct1480 do. from Rotterdam; 143f
Surats ; 16,212 Brazils; 2442 other sorts,-.
Phis year’s supply therefore will. exceed what
was expected when we wrote our circular of
the 7th ult. by the whole import of December,
hut what that may be we have not any means of
(judging, though it is expected that it will be
very inconsiderable. The export in November
was onlv loop bags. The dealers and spinners
refrained from buying, except .in small quanti
ties, till they could not stay ouj of the market
any longer';, and between the 21st and 28th ulti
mo, 25.000 bags, were sold in the three seaports.
Tiie effect of this system was toreduce the pri
ces of all sorts of. cotton,; except Sea-Island*
l 1-2 to 2d. per lb. and had they Kept out of the
market till after the India sales of ll,000bales
oa tiie 28th ult. there was every prospect of a
further decline, which plainly evinces the very
exhau-ted state cf their stocks at that period;
we think it is a Ion* time since they were so much
reduced. Since the revival of the demand, Up
lands ol oidinary and middling quality have
advanced 3-4d per lb. It is a very striking
circumstance that between the 19th ^eptelhber,
and the 1st December, only I860 bales Orleans
were sold here, and between the 15th October,
and 21,t November only 1840 Uplands, though
we compute that the consumption of Orleans
was 9,000 bales, and nf Uplands 12,000 in Ihcio
periods. In general there is not much business
done in December, but if is probable this month
w ill form an exception, or at least there will be
good business done in it. The India sales in
London on the 9th ult. although for ordinary
and middling qualities lower than the previous
sales made here, were considered as favorablo
ones, and they have assisted in Strengthening tba
market: the d wand this week has b*en good,
and the market is steady and looks favourably.
The sales..amount to 7080 bags, the importsto
2908. Tiic^s was a public sale, of Sea-Island*
yesterday* .which went oft) at 2s 4d to 2s 7d for
ordin.irv to -good ; and a few ordinary Upland*
were sold a' ‘7 1-4d ber lb.
Cotton, Sea-Island,-per lb. St. Simon’s favorite
marks 2s Sd a Ss; SavaqHah 2s 3d a 2s 8d{
Charleston 2s 3d a 2s 8(1; Hta'tned Is lOd a 2s 2d;
Upland Is 6d a Is lOd; New-Orleans Is 81*2(1
a 1- 11 1 2d. v
Paris, t/Voc. 26.—General Tarot; de Tully, the
Ru sian ambassador to the United States nfAme-
lica, and M. de Gallatin, minister plenipotentia
ry from \Yii temburg, arrived this morning ia
Fa ris with their suits.
Earthquake at St. Helena.—Arrived at Spit-
lead the brig Sister-, with invalids from the Cape
if Good Hope. She left St. Helena on the 22(1
of September, and confirms that on the preced
ing night, the shock of an earthquake was felt all
over the Island, and so severely in James’ Val
iev, that two houses were shook down there, and
several were much damaged. It happened about
ten o’clock at night.
An extract of a letter received in Philadel
phia fmni St. Thomas, dated 3lst Dec. says—
“ Yesterday we received authentic information
from La Guira, that the royalists have gained*
decisive battle over the Insurgents at San Fer
nando de Apure, which may contribute a great
deal tu the amelioration of our trade.”
Bell’s Jaondon Messenger says “ our relation*
with America have become so important, or af
least in a progress of becoming so, that we shall
defer our considerations of them to an opportu
nity when we can discuss thgm by themselves.
Mr. Monroe is a man of great talent and activi
ty, and his movement is not without an object.
We think the point of difference wiU be, the af
fairs of Spanish Independgpce; We conceive
that we feel as strongly sp any one, for the true
glory of this country ; but it always has bee*
our opinion, and we know it personally to be that
of one of the greatest statesmen this country
ever produced, that Halifax, Canada, Ike. are not
worth what they would eventually cost England ;
and that the fi ue point of wisdom would be to
make the best bargain we could for them to the
United States. Go they must; and it is better
to let them go, before another debt of eight hun
dred millions be added to this country.”