Mr. Caldwell presented a petition of sundry in habitants of Belmont, in the State of Ohio, also praying for the establishment of a post-route.

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads. Mr. Irving, of N. Y. presented a petition of Henry Lee, merchant, of Boston; stating that subsequent to the operation of the act laying a new tariff on imports, he imported into New-York in a British ship, a quantity of goods from the British possessions in the East Indies, and praying that the said goods may not be charged with higher duties than if they had been imported in an American vessel.

Mr. Wm. P. Maclay presented a petition of sundry manufacturers of cast and wrought iron in Huntingdon county, in Pennsylvania, praying that additional duties may be imposed on those articles imported into the United States.

Mr. Herbert presented a petition of sundry pilots for the Potomac river and Chesapeake bay, residing in Alexandria, in the District of Columbia, praying that the provisions of the act of the State of Maryland, passed in the year 1803, may be extended to the county of Alexandria in the said district, and that a Board of Wardens may be constituted to decide upon the qualifications of persons offering themselves as pilots.

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee of Commerce and Manufactures.

Mr. Irving, of N. Y. presented a petition of the President and Directors of the Dutchess County Slate Company, in the State of New York, praying that the present advalorem duty upon foreign Slates may be discontinued; and that, in lieu thereof, a specific duty may be imposed on that article imported into the United States.

Mr. Smith, of Md. presented a petition of John Wilmot, praying that the duties paid into the Treasury on a cargo of merchandise imported into the United States in the year 1807, in the sch ooner Collector, may be refunded to him, as the Supreme Court of the United States have decided that duties were not payable on the said cargo.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee of Ways and Means.

Mr. Wendover presented a petition of George Buckmaster, boat builder in the city of New-York, praying to be paid for a number of whale boats built for the service of the United States, in the late war with Great Britain, by order of general George Izard.

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

Mr. Bassett presented domuments in support of thn petition of captain Teakle Savage; which were referred to the committee on Naval Affairs.

Mr. Edwards presented a petition of Lavinia Hawkins, widow of Benjamin Hawkins, late agent for Indian affairs in the Creek nation, praying for a confirmation of the grant of the lands granted by the said Creek Indians to the said Benjamin Hawkins, his wife and children, at the treaty concluded with them by general Jackson on the 9th of August, 1814.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to

the committee on Private Land Claims.

Mr. Harrison presented petitions from sundry inhabitants of the State of Ohio. praying that certain lands in said S'ate ceded to the United States by the Indians. at the treaty of Greenville, and reserved, may be sold on the terms and conditions

on which other public lands of the United States are sold.

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

On motion of Mr. Wilde,

Ordered, That the petition of Thomas Carr, presented on the 18th January, 1816, be referred to the same committee.

Mr. Harrison presented a petition of Waterman Harris, praying for a grant of the land to which he conceives himself entitled for his services as a soldier in the late army, and that his present pension may be increased.

Mr. Lattimore presented a petition of William Hargrave, an officer of the revolutionary army, praying to be allowed and paid the commutation of half pay, to which he is entitled for his services as an officer aforesaid, and that some relief may be extended to him for his sufferings while in captivity, nearly six years, in a Spanish colony by the off

cers of that nation.

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims.

Mr. Lowndes, from the committee of Ways and Means, made a report on that part of the estimates for the military service for the year 1817, which relates to the charge produced by brevet commissions; which was read: When,

Mr. Lowndes reported a bill respecting the pay and emoluments of certain officers of the army of the United States; which was read the first and second time and committed to the committee of the whole House. to which is committed the bill for the relief of infirm, disabled, and superannuated officers and soldiers.

Mr. Lowndes, from the same committee, also re:

ported a bill making appropriations for the support of the Navy of the United States for the year 1817; which was read the first and second time and committed to the committee of the whole House, to which is committed the bill making appropriations for support of the government for the year 1817.

Mr. Lowndes also made reports on the pctitions of Daniel S. Dexter, Jesse Hunt, Jacob Davey and Robert Mauck; which were read, and the resolutions therein contained, were severally concurred in by the House, as follows:

Resolved, That the prayer of the petition of Daniel S. Dexter ought not to be granted.

Resolved, That the prayer of the petition of Jesse Hunt ought not to be granted.

Resolved, That the prayer of the petition of Jacob Davey ought not to be granted.

Resolved, That the prayer of the petition of Robert Mauck ought not to be granted.

Mr. Thomas Wilson, from the committee appointed in the petition of Francis Le Barron, reported by leave of the House, a bill authorizing the opening and working copper mines on lake Superior; which was read the first and second time and committed to a committee of the whole House on Monday next.

Mr. Johnson, of Ky. from the committee appointed on the petition of John Bate, reported, by leave of the House, a bill for the relief John Bate; which was read the first and second time and committed to a committee of the whole House on Saturday next.

Mr Moseley, from the committee appointed on the petition of Andrew Law, reported by leave of the House, a bill to extend the patent granted to Andrew Law for an improvement in the mode

of printing music; which was read the first and second time and committed to a committee of the whole House on Saturday next.

Mr. Gaston, from the committee appointed on the 20th instant, on the memorial of the Legislature, of the State of North-Carolina, made a detailed report thereon; which was read: When,

Mr. Gaston reported a bill supplementary to an act, entitled " An act to authorize the State of Tennessee to issue grants and perfect titles to certain lands therein described, and to settle the claims to vacant and unapproriated lands within the same; which was read the first and second time and committed to a committee of the whole House on Friday next.

Mr. Gaston from the same committee to which had been referred the petition of sundry inhabitants of Blount county, in Tennessee, made a report thereon, which was read and the resolution therein contained, was concurred in by the House. as follows:

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

The House resumed the consideration of the bill to prevent citizens of the United States from selling vessels of war to the citizens or subjects of any foreign power, and more effectually to prevent the arming and equipping vessels of war in the ports of the United States, intended to be used against nations in amity with the United States, and the question depending yesterday on the amendment proposed by Mr. Forsyth to the second section recurred: When,

The said second section was read as follows:

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the owners of all armed ships, sailing out of the ports of the United States,