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& CONGRESS. house vr representatives. Turf :Jay, December 3. The president, after delivering his add refs f for which Jee our laf\, with drew ; the members of the house of representatives then returned to their chambers, where the president’s ad dress was read by the clerk. It was then referred to a committee to report the draft of an answer. A meflage from the president, by . his fecrctary, communicating sundry papers and documents mentioned in his address. A mefl'Age from the senate, that they had chosen, on their part, the right reverend dottor White, as chaplain. The house those, on their part, the reverend doctor Green, as chaplain. Mr. Bondinot moved for the ap pointment of a committee to report on the unfinilhed bufincls ot the lail house, .which being agreed to, a com mittee was appointed accordingly. IP'ecinejday, December 4. The following motion, laid on the table yelterday, was called up, i hat a committee be appointed to report a bill empowering the president to con vene the legifluture at any other place than that to which they may have ad journed. Mr. Smith (S. Carolina), (fated the dilemma the legislature would have been placed in, if the late malignant fever had continued its ravages beyond the period fixed for the meeting ci the legislature. The prelent he considered the molt proper time to take up this motion, as the houle enjoyed compe tent leisure, and the minds of mem bers were fully imprefled by the re collection of the late calamity, with the necelTity of fotqe such provision. Mr. Giles laid, he doubted the propriety of entering into the conside ration of the motion at present. The gentleman who had introduced it had remarked, that the fonllitutian autho riled the preli lent to convene congress npori extraordinary occasions, at any oilier time than that to which they flood adjourned ; but that he was not authorilfd to alter the place of ad journment, and the object of the mo tion was to fuppty this luppofed defect in the conftitufion- Mr. Gi’es doubted the propriety of (applying the defects ot the conditution by means of law. If the authority proposed to be given to the-president, by the motion, be ncHf in the conllitution, the legislature polled’pot the authority of placing it there : tSiere is a mode pouted out by the comdirution for remedying any defects in tXm inftrurnent, which expe rience minlnt fugged ; he therefore conceived, fin this instance, the con flitutcd mod® ought not to be departed from. He remarked, that probably in the courle f the session, the subject of propoleJf amendments would be brought iptto the house. He inferred this frorti the conduct of fome of the Bate governments during the recels of cocvgrefs ; particularly the decilion of determination upon the queflion of the fuability of dates ; he therefore 1 thought it bed to defer the confidera [ tionof the present motion until the 1 iubject of amendments should be taken ‘up generally. He observed, that the leisure of the house at this time, had ibeen urged as an argument in favour t.oc entering into the conllJeration of The motion without farther delay ; he ypdinitted the argument had its force, 1-nd if there exiiteJ no found objection hgaind it, that it ought to prevail ; * |ut the reason urged by him for poft *>onement, appeared to he an import ant oife, and to his mind, more than to counterbalance that only Vnalning argument. The reasons -• ponement were further en (, ■ from the recollection that no \ -at present exited for the ob r V ’ed proposed to be embraced by the motion ; nor was it probable that any such necelfity would arile until the ob jedcould be effected (if it Ihould here after be deemed advifeable) in the mode pointed out by the constitu tion. Mr. Sedgwick, in answer, was de cidedly of opinion, that the power of appointing a place ot meeting for the legislature should be veiled in the prelideut. He meant nodilrefped by the allulion, but he was fatisfied that congress had a right to grant such an authority to their door-keeper. In case of an invafiort from a foreign enemy, or of another yellow fever, which hetrufted never would happen, were the members of the legislature tamely to fit (till in Philadelphia, as if they had been bound hand and foot, without adopting any mealure eflential for their personal lafery ? The idea of granting such a power was in itfelf highly proper, and lure every prin ciple pointed out the president as the mod eligible perlbn for the ponellion of this authority. The quellion, on taking up the re solution, was 1011. A communication was received from the secretary at war, containing a Hate of the non-commiflioned officers andfoldiers in thefcrvice oftheUnitcd States ; also a copy of the indructions for the three commilfioners appointed to treat with the hollile Indians on the north of the Ohio. A report by these cominiffioners, of their proceedings, in the form of a journal, and a letter from genera! Wayne, concerning foine of his late operations. The indructions to the connniiTion ers were then read, and the clerk was proceeding to read their journal, as transmitted to the secretary at war. Upon this one of the members object ed ; that the contents might be of a nature extremely improper for publi cation. He laid that he was unac quainted with the journal, hut he had heard several particulars in the in dructions themselves, which, in his opinion, had better have been fup prelfed. It was a measure that he believed to be without example in the hillory of negociations, to read before a mixed alfembly like the pre sent, the confidential dispatches of a miriifter in a dillant and refponlible (itnation, without its having been pre viously alcertained that their contents were perfect y calculated for publicity. He hoped that the government of A meriea would dever degrade its adnii niliration into a mystery ; a mode of proceeding which lie for cue detefled. But Hill there was a middle path, nor could he consent that the journal Ihould be read without lbme previous ideas that it might be done with pro priety. He said that it might, among other materials of an exceptionable nature, contain reflections upon l'ome of the powers of Europe. He con ceived that the house of representatives might remit the journal to beexamined by the president, and if it was found to contain nothing improper for pub lication, then it might be read before the house. Several other members spoke, and It was strongly urged, that the whole contents ought to be read. It was laid the Indian war had been unpo pular, that the perulal of the diL patches, if the cominiffioners had aided agreeable to their inftructioi'is, would vindicate the federal government - that the tongue of clamour would be mod effectually {fenced ; and the public be completely fatisfied, that the United States had only been driven into this war by neceflity, and were ready to dole it upon equitable terms. One member hinted, that it nfight be requisite to clear the gallery before reading the journal referred to, as had upon former occasions been the of the houle. ‘ This.was ob jected to, and at a quarter pad one o’clock the house, on a motion to that effect, adjourned. Thursday, December 5. The clerk, by order of the house, proceeded to read the journal of the commissioners appointed to treat with the hoflile Indians on the north of the Ohio. At a quarter before one o’clock a message was delivered from the pie fident, with certain communications concerning the powers ol Europe [ for which fee our and lundiy docu ments! from the commissioners ap pointed to fettle the debts of the U nited States. The papers communicated from die secretary at war, were referred to a committee of the whole house on the Hate of the union. Adjourned at three oclock. Friday , December 6. Mr. Smith (S. C.), of the commit tee of eledions, reported that all the members whole credentials had been referred to them, were duly returned, with one exception only, that of a member from Delaware, against the legality of whole ele&ion a protefl had been entered by a candidate for the farrlc feat. The house resolved into a commit tee of the whole, mr. Trumbull in the chair, on the draft of an answer to the prefldent’s address. This draft was reported by the committee with out amendment, the report adopted by the houle, and mellfs. Madifori, Sedgwick, and Hartley, were ap pointed to wait on the prelident to learn when it will be convenient to him to receive this answer. They before adjournment reported that he would receive the address to-morrow at 12 o’clock. This address is as follows .* Sir, The representatives of the people of the United States, in.meeting you for the fir A time lince you have been again called by an unanimous luffrage to your present flation, find an occa sion which they embrace with no less lincerity than promptitude, for expref ling to you their congratulations on lb diflinguifhed a tellimony of public approbation, and their entire conn deuce in the purity and patriotism of the motives which have produced this obedience to the voice of your country. It is to virtues which have commanded lone and universal reverence, and ser vices from which have flowed great and Lifting benefits, that the tribute of praise may be paid without the re proach of flattery ; and it is from the lame iources that the faireft anticipa tions may be derived in favour of the public happiness. The United States having taken no part in the war which has embraced, in Europe, the powers with whom they have the moft extensive relations, the maintenance of peace was justly to be regarded as one of the moft impor tant duties of the magistrate charged with the faithful execution of the laws. We accordingly witness with appro bation and plealure the vigilance with which you have guarded against an interruption of that blessing, by your proclamation, admonishing our citizens of the consequences of illicit or hoflile acls towards the belligerent parties ; and promoting, by a declaration of the existing legal state of things, an easier admillion of our rights to the immu nities belonging to our situation. The connexion of the United States with Europe, has evidently become extremely interesting. The commu nications which remain to he exhi bited to us will, no doubt, aflift in giving us a fuller view of the fubjcdl, and in guiding our deliberations to‘ such reiults as may comport with the rights and true interells of our coun try. We learn with deep regret, that the mealures dictated by a jove of peace, for obtaining an amicable termination ol the afflicting war on our frontier, Ihould have been fruftrated, and that a resort to oftenlive measures Ihould have again become necelfary. As the latter, however, mud be rendered more fatisfadory in proportion to tire solicitude for peace manifefted by the former, it is to be hoped they will be pursued under the better auspices on that account, and be finally crowned with more happy success. In relation to the particular tribes of Indians against whom effenfive mea fureshave been prohibited, as well as on the other important subjects which you have prclented to cur view, we shall bellow the attention which they claim. We cannot however refrain tit this time, from particularly expref. sing our concurrence in your anxiety for the regular difeharge of the pub’ic debts, as far as circumflances and events will permit ; and in the policy of removing any impediments that may be found in the way of a faithful representation of public proceedings, throughout the United States ; being peHiiaded with you, that on no fub jecl more than the former, can delav be more injurious, or an economy of time more valuable ; and that with respect to the latter, no resource is so firm for the government of the United States as the affections of the people, guided by an enlightened policy. Throughout our deliberations we shall endeavour to cherifii every sen timent which may contribute to ren. der them conducive to the dignity as well as to the welfare ot the United States, and we join with you in im ploring that Being, on whole will the fate of nations depends, to crown with luccefs our mutual endeavours. Saturday, December 7. Among the communications from the war department, read on the sth instant, were two letters from general Wayne. These letters are dated, the firfl, in the beginning, and the other on the 23d of October. The general dates that lotne fitknefs has p-evaded among his troops, wfto were however then fad recovering. He dates their whole amount at 3861. Part of these, those debt Jila t edjhy lit 1c riels i jic, . ~ he will leave to protect the frontier forts. His legion will then confilt of 2600 fighting men ; these added to 1029 mounted volunteers from Ken tucky, will make a grand total of 5629 men for active operations. The gene., ral conceives the season too far ad vanced to permit him to aid much 01.1 the olfenfive ; he willies, betides, for additional aid by the completion of the legion. His intention, he intimates, is to take a drong polition about fix miles in front of Fort Jeflferfon, in which, if the Indians attack him, and lie thinks they may have the ralhnefs to do it, he hopes to make them repent their temerity. He gives an account in his lad of the convoy intercepted by the Indians, in which the officers commanding the escort, and thirteen men, bravely fell. By the report of the commiilioners for fettling the accounts of the United States with the individual dates, read also in the fame fitting, the following dates have the reJpective amounts an nexed : Debtor flutes. Dollars . . New-York, 274,846 . Pennsylvania, 76,709 Delaware, 612,428 \ Maryland, 151,640 . Virginia, 100,899 North C arolina, 51,802 Creditor Jlates. New-Hamplhire, 75,055 Malfachufetts, 1,2+8,801 Ilhode Illand, 299, bii Connecticut, 619,121 • New Jersey, 49,030 South Carolina, 1,205,978 Georgia, 19,998 PHILADELPHIA, December 5. Captain Allen informs, that lie left the Downs the; nth of October, in company with the British fleet, com manded by admiral M‘Bride, confid ing of 150 fail, under convoy of a 50 gun fliip and two frigates, bound for the Weft Indies.