And then the House adjourned until to-morrow morning, eleven o'clock.

THURSDAY, December 9, 1818.

Several other members, to wit: from Massachusetts, Samuel Taggart, and from New York, Jotham Post, junior, and Zebulon R. Shipherd, severally appeared and took their seats.

Mr. King, of Massachusetts, presented a petition of Thomas Cutts, junior, praying to be re-paid the sum of four hundred and twenty-five dollars, which was paid by him for a proportion of a certain schooner sold by a deputy marshal, to satisfy a judgment obtained by the United States, against Tristram Hooper, Moses Lowell, and Benjamin Chandler, of which proportion of said schooner he has been dispossessed by order of the supreme court of Massachusetts.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Committee of Claims.

Mr. King, of Massachusetts, also presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of Kennebunk, in the district of Maine, praying that the port of Kennebunk may be made a port of entry and delivery for foreign vessels, and vessels coming from foreign places.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures.

Mr. Crouch presented a petition of Ernest Greese, of Pennsylvania, praying to be allowed and paid for services rendered, and monies expended, in the pub. lic service, whilst an officer in the revolutionary

army.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Committee of Claims.

Mr. Macon presented petitions from Richard Curvat, John F. M'Grew, Bayley Chaney, George Freeland, senior, and Julian De Castor, respectively praying to be confirmed in their titles to tracts of land lying in the Mississippi territory.

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee on the Public Lands.

On motion of Mr. Beall,

Ordered, That the petitions of sundry inhabitants of Beaver county, in the state of Pennsylvania, presented on the 15th of July last, be referred to the Committee on the Post-office and Post-roads.

Mr. Jennings presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of Harrison county, in the Indiana territory, stating that they have embodied themselves as a company of rangers, under the laws of the United States, but, as more rangers have been raised than was di rected by law, they have been discharged, and praying to be continued in service.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.

On motion of Mr. Hempstead,

Ordered, That the petition of Kenzie and Forsythe, presented on the 11th of February, 1813, and the petition of Mary Philip Leduc, presented on the 5th of January, 1813, be referred to the Committee of Claims, and that the petition of Obadiah Scott, presented on the 11th of June, 1813, and the petition of Daniel Boone, presented on the 8th of January, 1810, be referred to the Committe e on the Public Lands.

On motion of Mr. Jennings,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Public Lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of subdividing the quarter sections of the lands of the United States.

Resolved, That the said Committee inquire into the expediency of reducing the price of the lands of the United States.

Resolved, That the said Committee inquire also into the expediency of giving further time to the purchasers of the public lands, who purchased prior to the 1st day of January, 1810, to complete their payments.

On motion of Mt. King,

The House again proceeded to consider the resolution submitted by him for the appointment of the Committee of Elections by lot.

And the question being taken to agree to the said resolution,

It was determined in the negative.

Ou motion of Mr. Grundy,

A Committee of Elections was then appointed pursuant to the standing rules and orders of the House, consisting of Mr. Fisk, of Vermont, Mr. Gholson, Mr. King, of Massachusetts, Mr. Pickens, Mr. Vose, Mr. Comstock and Mr. Anderson.

On motion of Mr. Bond,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Post-office and Post-roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post-route from Cahokia, in the Illinois territory, to the seat of justice of Madison county, and from Kaskaskia to the seat of justice of Johnson county, in said territory, and from thence to Salem, in Kentucky.

On motion of Mr. Rhea,

Resolved, That the Committec on the Post-office and Post-roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of authorizing members of Congress, the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, to transmit by mail, free of postage, copies of the acts of Congress, journals of the Senate and journals of the House of Representatives, public documents transmitted to either or both Houses of Congress by the President of the United States or any executive department, or in pursuance of any law or of any order or resolution of either House of Congress, to any post-office within the United States or territories thereof.

The House proceeded to the election of a Chaplain to Congress on their part, and upon an examination of the ballots it appeared that the Rev. Jesse Lee was duly elected.

Ordered, That the Clerk do acquaint the Senate therewith.

On motion of Mr. Grosvenor,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Post-office and Post-roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post-road from the town of Sheffield, in the county of Berkshire and state of Massachusetts, through the village of Spencertown, the towns of Hillsdale, Chatham, Schodack and Greenbush to the city of Albany, in the state of New York.

Patrick Magruder, the Clerk to the House, being absent from indisposition, the House proceeded to the choice of a Clerk pro tem. and George Magruder was unanimously chosen.

A confidential message was received from the President of the United States by Mr. Coles, his Secretary: Upon which,

The House was cleared of all persons except the Members, Clerk, Sergeant at arms and Door-keeper. and the doors were closed, and after remaining so for some time they were again opened.

And the House adjourned until to-morrow morning, eleven o'clock.

FRIDAY, December 10, 1813.

Several other members, to wit: from Pennsylvania, James Whitehill: from Maryland, Robert Wright; from Virginia, Damel Sheffey; from North Carolina, William Gaston, and from South Carolina, John J. Chappell, severally appeared and took their seats.

Mr. Dewey presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the states of New York. Vermont and NewHampshire, praying for the establishment of a postroute from Hoosack, in New York, to Greenfield, in Massachusetts.

Mr. Findley presented a petition of sundry inha bitants of Indiana, Armstrong and Butler counties, in Pennsylvania, praying for the establishment of a post-route from the town of Indiana to the town of Butler.

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee on the Post-office and Post-roads.

Mr. Shipherd presented a petition of Mary Fletcher, praying to be relieved from her distressed situation occasioned by the death of her husband, who was killed by the enemy whilst in the military service of the United States.

Mr. Wilson presented a petition of John Wilson, praying to be placed on the pension list in considera. tion of a wound accidentally received from a soldier in the service of the United States.

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee of Claims.

On motion of Mr. Wilson,

Ordered, That the petition of Rufus Reed and Daniel Dobbins, presented on the 2d of June, 1813, be referred to the Committee of Claims.

On motion of Mr. Archer,

Ordered, That the petition of Edward Kean, presented on the 30th of November, 1812; the petition of Aquila Deaver, presented on the 30th December, 1812, and the petition of John Thompson, of Virgi nia, presented on the 29th May, 1812, be referred to the Committee of Claims.

Mr. Hall presented two petitions from sundry inhabitants of the counties of Baldwin, Putnam, Greene, and Oglethorpe, in Georgia. praying that a nail-route may be established from Milledgeville by Greensborough to Lexington.

Mr. Hall also presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the counties of Baldwin, Twiggs, Pulaski, Laurens and Wilkinson, in Georgia, praying that a post-route may be established from Milledgeville through the said counties.