The reflector. (Milledgeville, Ga.) 1817-1819, February 10, 1818, Image 2

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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.”