Congressional Compensation.

DECEMBER, 1820.

the Committee of Claims, to whom was referred to the inhabitants of the counties of Attakapas, Opethe memorial of Eliza Dill, Jane Jervis, and Lou-lousas, and Avoyelles, in the State of Louisiana, their isa St. Clair Robb, daughters of the late General claim to the common use of all cypress and cypress Arthur St. Clair; and in conformity therewith swamps within the limits of those counties. resolved, that the prayer of the petitioners ought not to be granted.

Resolved, That the Committee on the Public Lands be instructed to inquire into the causes which have occasioned the delay in surveying the public lands and private claims within the State of Louisiana, and into the expediency of modifying existing laws on that subject, so as to facilitate the surveying of those lands. the expediency of making, by law, such provision as Resolved, That the same Committee inquire into may be deemed essential, to cause patents to be issued for all private land claims within the State of LouisThe Senate proceeded to consider, as in Com-iana, which have been legally confirmed; and into the mittee of the Whole, the bill, entitled "An act for expediency of making further provision for compenthe relief of Elias Parks," together with the amend- sating the principal deputy surveyors of Louisiana, ment reported thereto by the Committee of Claims; for the services required of them. and, having agreed to the amendment, the President reported it to the House amended accordingly; and the amendment being concurred in, it was ordered to be engrossed, and the bill read a third

until to-morrow.

time as amended.

SENATE.

The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the consideration of the bill to incorporate the Columbia Society for literary purposes, together with the amendment last reported thereto by the Committee on the District of Columbia; and the consideration thereof was further postponed

Mr. THOMAS, from the Committee on Public Lands, to whom was referred the bill for the relief of the legal representatives of Gabriel Berzat, deceased, reported it without amendment.

A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate that the House have passed the bill, entitled "An act for the relief of Margaret Perry," and the bill, entitled "An act for the relief of William McIntosh;" in which bills they request the concurrence of the Senate.

The two bills last brought up for concurrence were read, and severally passed to a second reading. The amendment to the bill entitled "An act for the relief of Elias Parks," having been engrossed, the bill was read the third time as amended, and passed.

CONGRESSIONAL COMPENSATION. The Senate, agreeably to the order of the day, proceeded to the consideration of the following resolution, introduced by Mr. BURRILL, of Rhode Island, on the 16th ultimo :

Resolved, That the act entitled "An act allowing compensation to the members of the Senate, members of the House of Representatives of the United States, and to the delegates of the Territories, and repealing all other laws on the subject," passed at the first session of the fifteenth Congress, ought to be so altered and amended that the compensation to the members and delegates aforesaid shall hereafter be six dollars for each day's attendance, and six dollars for every twenty miles' travel, instead of the compensation now allowed by said act; and that it be referred to a committee, to prepare and report a bill for altering and amending said act accordingly.

Upon the merits of the proposition, and of the several motions made in the course of its consideration, a spirited, good tempered, and interesting debate took place, occupying more than three hours. The following embraces a statement simply of the proceedings and of the names of those gentlemen who took part therein :

The resolution was supported by Messrs. BURRILL and ROBERTS, and was opposed by Messrs. JOHNSON, of Kentucky, and DANA; and Mr. J. concluded his remarks by moving to postpone the resolution to the second Monday of January next.

The postponement was supported by the mover, and was opposed by Messrs. MACON, DANA, and

Proceedings.

DECEMBER, 1820.

BURRILL; and negatived by yeas and nays: For the postponement 16; against it 20.

Mr. MORRIL moved to postpone the resolution to Monday next, for reasons which he stated; and it was opposed by Mr. WILSON. The motion was negatived, without a division.

NAYS-Messrs. Chandler, Dana, Edwards, Elliott, Gaillard, Holmes of Maine, Holmes of Mississippi, Johnson of Kentucky, King of Alabama, Macon, Morril, Noble, Palmer, Parrott, Pleasants, Talbot, Taylor, Tichenor, Trimble, Walker of Alabama, Walker of Georgia, and Williams of Tennessee-22.

The question being taken on the amendment of Mr. DANA, it was agreed to; and the resolution, as amended, was then agreed to by the following

vote:

Mr. DANA moved to amend the resolution by striking out all after the word Resolved, and inserting the following substitute:

That a committee be appointed to inquire into the propriety of reducing the allowances authorized by the act entitled An act allowing compensation to the members of the Senate, the members of the House of Representatives of the United States and to the delegates of the Territories, and repealing all other laws on the subject,' with the allowances to the officers of the respective Houses of Congress; and also reducing the allowances made by law to the principal and other officers in each of the Executive Departments; and that the committee have leave to report by bill or other-upon them, and praying that they may be permitted to apply the payments already made, to such portions of their entries as such payments will cover at two dollars per acre, and that the residue may revert to the United States; and the memorials were read, and referred to the Committee on

Mr. NOBLE presented four memorials, signed by a number of individuals, concerned directly or indirectly as purchasers of public lands prior to the law "making provision for the sale of the public lands," stating that said law operates injuriously

wise."

Public Lands.

YEAS-Messrs. Burrill, Chandler, Dana, Dickerson, Edwards, Elliott, Gaillard, Holmes of Maine, Holmes of Mississippi, Hunter, Johnson of Kentucky, Johnson of Louisiana, Lowrie, Macon, Morril, Noble, Palmer, Parrott, Pleasants, Roberts, Ruggles, Sanford, Smith, Talbot, Taylor, Thomas, Tichenor, Trimble, Walker of Alabama, Walker of Georgia, and Williams of Tennessee-32.

Mr. ROBERTS required a division of the question; and it being accordingly first taken on striking out, it was determined in the affirmative-ayes 23. Considerable debate followed on the relative merits of this amendment and the original resolution, in which the amendment was advocated by Messrs. DANA, JOHNSON, of Kentucky, and CHANDLER, and was opposed by Messrs. BURRILL and ROBERTS; in the course of which Mr. BURRILL moved to strike out of the amend-read, and referred to the Committee on Military

The PRESIDENT communicated a report of the Secretary of War, made in obedience to a resolution of the Senate of the 30th of November, on the petition of Eleanor Lawrence; which was

ment so much as relates to the salaries of the executive officers, wishing to encumber, and therefore endanger, the main object as little as possible. The motion, after considerable discussion, was decided in the negative, as follows:

YEAS-Messrs. Burrill, Dickerson, Eaton, Hunter, Johnson of Louisiana, King of New York, Lowrie, Roberts, Ruggles, Sanford, Smith, Thomas, and Wilson-14.

NAYS-Messrs. Eaton, King of Alabama, King of New York, and Mills-4.

Messrs. DANA, BURRILL, JOHNSON, of Kentucky, ROBERTS, and SMITH were appointed the committee; and the Senate adjourned.

SENATE.

consequence of there being no land office in the District of Columbia for that purpose, he is unable to obtain a right to certain vacant lands discovered by him within said District in the year 1799, and praying relief; and the petition was read, and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

WEDNESDAY, December 20.

Mr. JOHNSON, of Kentucky, presented the petition of William Pancoast, representing that, in

Mr. JOHNSON, of Louisiana, presented the memorial of Thomas Shields, a purser in the Navy, praying remuneration for certain losses sustained by him whilst in the New Orleans station, in the Winter of 1814 and 1815; and the memorial was read, and referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs.

Affairs.

Mr. ROBERTS, from the Committee of Claims, Kemper, made a report, accompanied by the folto whom was referred the petition of Presley lowing resolution:

Resolved, That the prayer of the petitioner ought not to be granted.

The report and resolution were read.

Mr. HOLMES, of Mississippi, from the Committee on Indian Affai to whom the subject was referred, reported a bill for the better regulation of the trade with the Indian tribes; and the bill was read, and passed to a second reading.

Mr. TRIMBLE, from the Committee on Roads and Canals, to whom was referred the bill to authorize the appointment of commissioners to lay out a canal in the State of Ohio, reported it without amendment.

Mr. HOLMES, of Maine, submitted the following motion for consideration:

Resolved, That the Committee of Finance be instructed to inquire what diminutions and alterations may be made in the compensations to officers of the

customs.

Mr. WILLIAMS, of Tennessee, from the Committee on Military Affairs, made an unfavorable report on the petition of Horatio Stark, late an officer in the Army, praying to be allowed to enter one thousand acres of public land at the minimum price, in consideration of his military services from 1801 to 1815, when he was disbanded without receiving more advance than officers of younger standing.

The Senate took up the bill to amend the act for the relief of the legal representatives of Henry Willis.

BANK OF THE UNITED STATES.

Mr. SANFORD, from the Committee on Finance, to which was referred the petition of the President and Directors of the Bank of the United States, reported the following bill, which received the first reading:

DECEMBER, 1820.

Carolina, this day at three o'clock; and, as a testimony of respect for the memory of the deceased, they will go into mourning, and wear a black crape round the left arm for thirty days.

THURSDAY, December 21.

MONTFORT STOKES, from the State of North Carolina, attended.

Mr. EATON, from the Committee on Public Lands, to whom was recommitted the bill, entitled "An act to amend the act entitled 'An act for the relief of the legal representatives of Henry Willis," reported the same with amendments, which were read, and taken up as in Committee of the Whole; and having been agreed to, the bill was reported to the House, amended accordingly; and the amendments having been concurred in, they were ordered to be engrossed, and the bill be read a third time as amended.

A message from the House of Representatives announced to the Senate the death of JESSE SLOCUMB, late a member of the House of Representatives from the State of North Carolina, and that his funeral will take place this day at 3 o'clock.

On motion, by Mr. MACON, it was

Resolved, unanimously, That the Senate will attend the funeral of Jesse Slocumb, late a member of the House of Representatives from the State of North

FRIDAY, December 22.

Mr. PLEASANTS presented the memorial of the Roanoke Agricultural Society, praying that no additional duties may be imposed on imported goods; and the memorial was read, and referred to the Committee on Commerce and Manufactures.

Be it enacted, &c., That it shall be lawful for the Directors of the Bank of the United States to appoint an agent and a register; and that all bills and notes of the said corporation, issued after the first appoint-referred to the Committee of Claims. ment of such agent and register, shall be signed by the agent, and countersigned by the register; that such bills and notes shall have the like force and effect as the bills and notes of the said corporation which are now signed by the president, and countersigned by the cashier, thereof; and that, as often as an agent or a register of the said corporation shall be appointed, no note or bill, signed by an agent, or countersigned by a register, shall be issued, until public notice of the appointment of such agent or register shall have been previously given, for ten days, in two gazettes printed at the City of Washington.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That if any president, director, cashier, or other officer or servant of the Bank of the United States, or of any of its offices, shall fraudulently convert to his own use any money, bill, note, security for money, evidence of debt, or other effects whatever, belonging to the said bank, such person shall, upon due conviction, be punished by imprisonment, not exceeding three years, and by standing in a pillory not more than three times in open day, in some public place, during one hour at a time; which standing in a pillory, when inflicted more than once, shall be on different days.

Mr. CHANDLER presented the petition of Nathan McWarren, praying to be allowed pay for the time he was detained as a prisoner by the enemy in the late war; and the petition was read, and

Mr. WILLIAMS, of Tennessee, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the petition of Eleanor Lawrence, and the report of the Secretary of War thereon, reported the "following resolution:

Resolved, That the claim of the petitioner ought to be liquidated and paid by the War Department, and for that purpose no act of Congress is necessary.

The resolution was read, and concurred in. Mr. MORRIL Submitted the following motion for consideration:

Resolved, That the Committee of Pensions be directed to inquire into the expediency of so amending the law regulating pensions, that the heirs of noncommissioned officers and soldiers in the Army of the United States, who have deceased while in actual service, since the close of the last war, or who may hereafter decease while in actual service, shall be entitled to receive five years half pay, under such regulations as the Secretary of War may prescribe.

Mr. LowRIE, from the Committee on Public Lands, to whom was referred the petition of Daniel W. Coxe, made a report, accompanied by a bill confirming the title of the Marquis de Maison Rouge; and the report and bill were read, and the bill passed to a second reading.

The Senate proceeded to consider the report of the Committee of Claims, on the petition of George Love, and, in concurrence therewith, resolved that the prayer of the petitioner ought not to be granted.

The Senate proceeded to consider the report of the Committee on Pensions, on the petition of Park Avery; and, in concurrence therewith, resolved, that the prayer of the petitioner ought not to be granted.

The Senate proceeded to consider the report of the Committee on Military Affairs, on the petition of Horatio Stark; and, in concurrence therewith, resolved, that the prayer of the petitioner ought not to be granted.

The Senate proceeded to consider the report of the Committee of Claims on the petition of Presly Kemper; and the further consideration thereof was postponed to Tuesday next.

The Senate proceeded to consider the motion of the 19th instant, instructing the Committee on Public Lands to inquire into the expediency of

The Senate proceeded to consider the motion of the 19th instant, instructing the Committee on Public Lands to inquire into the causes of the delay in surveying the public and private land claims, and into the expediency of modifying the existing laws on that subject, so as to facilitate the surveying of those lands in Louisiana; and the consideration thereof was postponed until to

morrow.

The Senate proceeded to consider the motion of the 19th instant, instructing the Committee on Public Lands to inquire what provisions are necessary to cause patents to be issued for all confirmed private land claims, and what further provision is necessary for compensating the principal deputy surveyors in Louisiana, and agreed thereto.

The bill for the better regulation of the trade with the Indian tribes was read the second time.

The amendments to the bill, entitled "An act to amend the act, entitled 'An act for the relief of the legal representatives of Henry Willis," having been reported by the committee correctly engrossed, the bill was read the third time as amended, and passed.

The bill from the other House, to amend the act to alter the terms of the circuit court of Wash

ington county, in the District of Columbia, (to intermit the December term thereof, in consequence of the new arrangement of the terms,) was taken

up.

The Senate proceeded to consider the motion of the 20th instant, instructing the Committee on Finance to inquire what diminutions or alterations may be made in the compensation to officers of the customs; and agreed thereto.

The bill to amend the act, entitled "An act to incorporate the subscribers to the Bank of the United States," was read the second time and referred to the Committee on Finances.

The bill for the relief of Thomas L. Ogden and others was read the second time.

Mr. JOHNSON, of Louisiana, gave notice that, on Tuesday next, he should ask leave to bring in a bill for the relief of John Hoffman.

The Senate resumed the consideration of the motion of the 19th instant instructing the Com

The bill, entitled "An act for the relief of Margaret Perry," was read the second time, and referred to the Committee on Public Lands. The bill, entitled "An act for the relief of Wil-mittee on Public Lands to inquire into the causes liam McIntosh," was read the second time, and of the delay in surveying the public and private referred to the Committee on Public Lands. land claims, and into the expediency of modifying the existing laws on that subject, so as to facilitate the surveying of those lands in Louisiana, and it was amended and agreed to as follows:

Some debate took place on this bill; in which Mr. LANMAN stated the facts coming within the knowledge of the committee to which the bill had been referred. Mr. ROBERTS opposed, and Messrs. OTIS, HOLMES, and DANA favored the bill. After an unsuccessful motion by Mr. ROBERTS, to postpone the bill indefinitely, it was ordered to a third reading by a large majority.

Mr. LANMAN moved that the bill be read a third time to-day, inasmuch as the term to be suspended would commence on Monday next, and the bill therefore would be ineffectual unless passed promptly. Mr. ROBERTS objected to this motion, and it was therefore negatived, the rules of the Senate 16th CoN. 2d SESS.-5

SENATE.

requiring an unanimous consent to a third reading to-day.

A motion was made to adjourn to Tuesday, but it was negatived, (with the view, it was understood, of meeting to-morrow, for the purpose of passing the bill just under consideration;) and then the Senate adjourned until to-morrow.

SATURDAY, December 23.

Mr. WILLIAMS, of Tennessee presented the memorial of the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Missouri, in behalf of the purchasers of public lands in Missouri, praying that a law may pass authorizing all persons who have purchased a quarter section or more of land to apply the payments made to any one or more sections, quarter or half-quarter sections, so as to complete the payments for said sections or parts of sections, and to release the purchasers from the remainder; and the memorial was read, and referred to the Committee on Public Lands.

Mr. SANFORD presented the petition of Jacob Barker, of the city of New York, praying that the existing differences with the Treasury Department, in relation to his contract for a portion of the loan of 1814, may be referred to the Supreme Court; and the petition was read, and referred to the Committee of Claims.

Resolved, That the Committee on Public Lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of modifying the existing laws in relation to the surveying of the public lands and private claims within the State of Louisiana, so as to facilitate the surveying of those lands.

The bill, entitled "An act to amend the act, entitled 'An act to alter the times of the session of the circuit and district courts in the District of Columbia," was read the third time and passed. The Senate adjourned to Tuesday next.

TUESDAY, December 26.

DEATH OF MR. BURRILL.

The Journal of Saturday having been read— Mr. HUNTER, of Rhode Island, rose, and, with much emotion, said, he had to perform a melancholy, and, to him, truly distressing duty. His friend and worthy colleague, the Honorable JAMES BURRILL, Jr., bad departed this life about ten o'clock last night, and it devolved upon him to announce the painful event to the Senate.

Mr. DANA, of Connecticut, said, the serious loss which had just been announced must be extremely felt by the Senate, and he could not doubt its dis

Proceedings.