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PI TI.AEELPI IIA, Jan, 4.
Arrived this morning, the
o; ip Matilda, rapt. Talbut, in
25 days from New-Orleans.
No troops had arrived there,
and the n (Indians on American
trade continued to be rigidly
enforced.
WASHINGTON CITY,
December 31.
Wc underdand that the Ex
ecutive have received authentic
information, that the late fuf
penfion of the right of depofit
at New-Orleans was undertaken
without orders from the Spaniffi
government, and that the mea
fure had been immediately com
municated to the governor of
Cuba, who has a Aiperintcnding
authority over Loiirfuua, as it
doubtlefs was to the Span ids
gwernmern. It is certain alfo
that the governor at New-Or
leans, who has no authority over
the officer from whom the fuf
penfion ifoued, objeded to the
meafurc. Under thefe circum
dances, and the interpofitions of
cur own government, it may be
reafonably hoped that the mat
ter will be peaceably and early
aoj uded.
We underftand that Tome
days fince, Mr. Rutledge, a j
member of the houfe of repre
sentatives, Cent a challenge to j
Mr. Ellery, a member of the
fenate, then to Port Tobacco,
whither the former, attended by
Mr. Lewis R. Morris had fol
lowed the latter. The challenge
was not accepted. OnTuefday I
Mr. Ellery, on his return to the
city, was attacked at a public
houfe at Pifcataway, by Mr.
Rutledge. Mr. Ellery w r as
without any means of defence.
Mr. Rutledge flruck him leve
ral times with a cane or club,
until Mr. Ellery clofed upon
him and held him till they were
feparated by the interpofition
of third perfons.
We do not, at prefent, give
the particular circuits (lances of
this tranftvdion, as it is our wifli
that what fo deeply implicates
character, Ihould be dated with
the utmod corrcdlnefs.
CONG RESS
Of the UNITED STATES.
House or Representatives.
' Tburjday , December 30.
Mr. Claiborne prelented the
petition of Sampfon Henderiba
praying pecuniary re lief. Re
ared to the committee of
claims,
Mr. Mitchell moved a refo-
Intion for the appointment of a
committee tor enquiring into
the expediency of amending and
reviling the kveral acts relped
ing patent, and cony rghrs, to
report thereon by bill or ocher
wife.
Before ofoe ring the refolntion,
Mr. Mitchell oblerved that his
<>bje<sl was to fimplify the exid
h:g (latures refpe&iog parents,
by comprising them in the act.
Refolucion agreed to without
ad v ft on.
Tucjda y, Jan. 4, 1803.
I he fpeaker laid before the
! euft a letter from the lecretary
of the trerfjry, inciofinga ftate
fuent of the duties and draw
chandize imported ir.ee, and ex
ported from the United States
during the years 1 799, ißco,
and 1801.
'The houfe refolved itfelfinto
a committee of the whole, Mr.
John C. Smith in the chair, on
the bill for the relief of infolvent
debtors within tine diflrict of
Columbia.
Mr Nicholfon (aid that when
this (h 6l ion was under confede
ration yefterday, a number of
gentlemen had declared them
(elves decidedly againft the
principle of it. lie therefore
moved to (trike out the fe6lion
though lie fhould vote agalnft
u o
it.
On this motion the queflion
was immediately taken, and car
ried in the affirmative by a large
majority-—Ayes 50.
When on motion of Mr.
Nicholfon, the committee rofe,
the houfe refuted their permif
fion to (it again, and recommit
ted the bill to the committee
who introduced it.
The houfe went into a com
mittee of the whole, Mr. Daw-
Ton in the chair, on the bill mak
ing a partial appropriation (or
the naval lervice during the
year 1803. The bill appro
priates 100,000 dollars.
The committee having gone
through the bill, reported it
without amendment to the houfe,
who immediately took it up,
and ordered to be eng r o(Ted for
a third reading to-morrow.
The houfe refolved itfelf into
a committee of the whole—Mr.
Dawfon in the chair—on the bill
making appropriations for the
military cdabkdiment of the
United States for the year 1803,
who filed up the fcveral blanks
and reported it with an amend
ment. to the houfe, who con
curred therein, and ordered it
to be engroffed for a third read
ing, to-morrow.
IVedneJday , January 5, 1803.
A mefoage was received from
the prefident, by Mr. Lewis his
fecrctary, inclofing, in com
pliance with a refclution of the
houfe, a (latetnent of the militia
of thofe (la cc s from which re
turns have been received dat
ing that the returns comprifed
but a (mall part of the aggregate
militia of the United States j
and inclofmg a copy of a circu
lar letter add re (Fed by the fecre
tary of war to the feveral dates.
Referred to the committee
appointed on fo much of the
mefiage of the prefident as re
lates to the militia inditutions.
Two engrofoed bills, the one
making a partial appropriation
for the naval dr vice during the
year 1803, the other, making
appropriations for the military
edabh(lament of the United
States for the year 1803, were
read a third time and pa (Ted.
Mr. Gn Avoid called up his
refolucion rcfpedling Louifiana,
laid on the table yederday, as
follows:
Refolved, that the prefident
01 the United States, be requed
eu to clnebl the proper officer,
to liv before this houfe, copies
of (uch official documents as
have been received by this ga
announcing the e’ef
fion of Louifiana to France, to
gether with a report explaining
and conditions under which
that province is to be delivered
up —unlefs fuel) documents and
report will, in the opinion of the
prefident, divulge to the houfc
particular transitions not pro
per at this time to be commu
nicated.
The queftion was put on
taking it into confideracion, and
carried—Ayes 36 —Noes 32.
Mr. Randolph obfervccl that
the difcufTion on this motion
might embrace points nearly
connected with the fubjet re
ferred to a committee of the
whole on the (late of the Union,
and whu h had been difculT d
with doled doors. He there
fore thought it would be expe
dient to commit this motion
alfo to the committee of the
whole on the ftate of the union
to whom had* been committed
the meftage of the prefident ref
peting New-Orleans.
Mr. Randolph accordingly
made fuch a motion.
Mr. Grifwold only rofe to
make a queftion of order, viz.
whether the gentleman could
move the reference of the refo
lurion to a committee of the
whole, on a fubjeft whofe dif
cuffion required fiiut doors.
Mr. Speaker laid the motion
was to refer the refolution to a
committee on the Union gene
rally—There was no fpccial
committee on the ftate of the
Union,
Mr. Grifwold faid he made no
queftion of order of that. He
had no doubt it was in order.
The fpeaker decided the
motion to be in order.
Mr. Grifwold hoped the mo
tion would not prevail. He
did not fee what arguments
could be urg*d in favour of it.
The refolution related to a pub
lic tranfation dated on the
journal. He did not think that
any thing which ought to be
kept fecret could be involved
in the difcufTion of it. What is
its purport ? It only requefts
the president to furnifh docu-.
ments refpeting “ the ceffion
of the Spanifh province ofLou
ifiana to Fiance, which took
place in the courfe of the lat£
war,” —and which the prefident
favs “ will, if carried intoeffet,
make a change in the afpect of
onr foreign relations, which
will doubtlefs have juft weight
in any deliberations of the legif
lature connected with that lub
jet.”
Mr. Randolph's motion to
refer the fubjet ro a commit
tee of the whole on the ftace of
the Union was fupported by
Mefilfs. Smilie and Gregg, and
oppofed by Meftrs. Dana, Da
vis, Huger and Bacon.
The queftion was taken by
yeas and nays, and carried m the
affirmative —yeas 49 —nays' 39.
The houfc immediately re
folved icfelf into a committee of
the whole on the ftate of the
Union, Mr. John C. Smith in
the chair.
When Mr. Randolph rofe,
and faid he held in his hands
certain refolutions connected
with the meffcge of the prefident
the difcufTion of which had been
ordered to be carried on with
clofrd door 0 . He appealed to
the cha r 10 know whether the
.. llflf ' 11-U r*l '
The cf uTrran thought t \,c.
clearing of die galleries mull be
the aft of the houfe.
Mr. Randolph then called
for the reading of the prdidcnt’fi
mefiage.
The chairman declared thva
call nor in order, as that
could only be read with clofed
doors.
Mr. S. Smith moved that the
committee fhould rife, in order
to obtain the directions of the
houfe to clear the galleries.
This motion was oppofed by
Medics. Gnfwold, Dana, Rut
ledge, and L. R. Morns ; and
fupported by MefTrs. S. Smith,
and Macon, Carried—Ayes
49—Noes 37—the yeas and
nays being called.
The queftion was then take a
on clearing the galleries— Ayes
41 —Noes 41 —The fpeaker
declaring himfelf in the affirma
mative, the galleries were clear
ed at about 3 o’clock. They'
remained fo for about ten mi
nutes, when the doors were
opened, and the houfe adjourns
ed.
Ihurjday , January 6, 1805.
The fpeaker laid before the
houfe a letter from the fccreta
ry of the treafury, indofing two
ftatements reipefting the inter
nal revenues received from the
commifTioncr of the revenue.
Mr. Gi ifwold moved that the
houfe fhould refoive itfclf into
a committee of the whole on*
the flare of the Union, on hia
refoludon refpefting Louifiana.
The fpeaker faid the houfe
could not refoive itfelf into 3,
committee of die whole on the
Race of the Union, on any par
ticular lubjed. It mull bedonp
generally.
Mr. Grlfwold fo modified
his motion.
The motion was fupported
by MefTrs. Grlfwold, Lowndes,
Hemphill, Goddard, and Dana,,
and oppofed by MefTrs, S,
Smith, Bacon, Dawfon, and
Randolph, in an animated de.~
bate which continued for two
hours; on which the yea« and
nays were taken, on the call of
Mr. Grlfwold, and were yeas
38 —nays 48.
Immediately after the deci
fion of the houfe was declared
by the fpeaker, Mr Randolph,-
and Mr. Grlfwold both contend
ed fur the floor.
The fpeaker gave the prefc*
rence to Mr. Grlfwold, who
immediately moved rcfolutions
to the following effeft, with a
view to refer them to the com
mittee of the whole houfe.
1. Refolved that the people
of the United States are entitled
to the free navigation of cnc
MiflifTippi.
2. Refolved, that the navi
gation of that river has been ob
flrufted by recent irregular
meafures carried on at New-
Orleans.
1 , Refolved that the right of
the people of the United t tares
to the free navigation of that r -
ver ought never to be abandon
ed.
4. Refolved, that a commit
tee be appointed, to enqc ;C
whether any, and what leg!na
tive meafures are neceflary to r
taken to fecure the free nav a
ti< n of that river.
The aueftion was put on