places into, or with which the vessels of the United States are not ordinarily permitted to enter and trade.

Mr. Reed presented a petition of William Gray and Joshua Eldridge, praying to be allowed the bounty on a fishing voyage, which is withheld from them in consequence of the wreck of their vesscl and the consequent loss of her papers.

Mr. Wendover presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the city of New-York, on behalf of the manufacturing interest in the United States, praying to the same effect with the petition presented yesterday from the American Manufacturing Society.

Mr. Condict presented a petition of sundry manufacturers of bar iron in New-Jersey, praying that additional duties may be imposed on iron imported into the United States

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

Mr. Gold presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the counties of Oneida, Oswego, Cayuga, Ontario and Genessee, in the State of New-York,

Mr McLean presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of Greenville, in Kentucky, and of Shawnee town, in the Illinois Territory, respectively 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. Wendover presented a petition of Jonathan Lawrence, merchant of the city of New-York, praying a remission of the forfeiture of a vessel and cargo for an alleged breach of the art prohibiting commercial intercourse with Great Britain and her dependencies, for reasons stated in the pe tition.

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

Mr. Brocks presented a petition of Hugh Howell and Isaac B. Tyler, praying compensation for provisions furnished troops of the United States, during the invasion of the Niagara frontier by the enemy during the late war.

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

On motion of Mr. McCoy.

Ordered, That the order of this House of the 8th instant, referring the petition of Moses M-Clintie to the Secretary of War, be rescinded, and that the said petition be referred to the committee on Military Affairs.

Mr. Forsyth presented a petition of the Columbian Institute for the promotion of the arts and sciences, praying for a grant of a portion of the public ground within the city of Washington, known on the plat of said city, by the name of the Mall, to enable the said Institute to establish a botanical garden, and to carry into effect the other objects of their association.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee for the District of Columbia,

Mr. Lattimore presented a petition of Edwin Lewis, legal representative of John Kennedy, praying for a donation right to a tract of land therein described, instead of a pre-emption right which he already holds; for the reasons stated in his petition.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee on Private Land Claims.

Ordered, That Daniel Pettibone have leave to withdraw his petition and papers presented on the 12th December, 1816.

On motion of Mr. Jackson,

Resolved, That the committee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post-road from Harrison county court-house, by the court-house of Lewis county, to Mason county court-house in Virginia.

On motion of Mr. Harrison,

Resolved, That the Military committee be instructed to inquire into the expediency of granting the bounty of 160 acres of land, to all the noncommissioned officers and soldiers of the army, who, having been enlisted previously to the 24th of December, 1811, are not entitled under existing laws to the said bounty, but who have faithfully served to the close of the late war, and obtained an honourable discharge.

On motion of Mr. Pope,

Resolved, That the committee on the Public Lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of granting or securing to the town of St. Louis, in the Missouri Territory, as a common, all the sand bar or batture, formed by the recession of the Mississippi river between the said town and low water mark, and to prohibit the location of any floating claim in the said Territory thereon, or if any location should have been made, to prohibit by law, the issuing of a patent therefor:

Resolved, also, that the committee on the Public Lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of prohibiting by law, the location of any floating claim on any lands in the Territory of Missouri, the right of pre-emption to which land, has been secured to any settler by the act of the 12th of April, 1814, or if any such location should have been made, to prohibit by law, the issuing of a patent therefor.

Resolved, also, that the committee on tl.e Pub

lic Lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of prohibiting by law, the location of any floating claim in the Territory of Missouri, on any lands the right, title, or claim to which has been at any time heretofore given notice of, or filed with either of the boards of commissioners in said Territory, or with the recorder of land titles, acting as such, under any law of Congress, for the adJustment of land titles in said Territory, or if any such location should have been made, to prohibit by law, the issuing of patents therefor.

Resolved, also, that the committee on the Public Lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of prohibiting by law, the location of any floating claim in the Territory of Missouri, on any town lot, village lot, out lot, or common field lot, or commons, in, adjoining or appertaining to any of the towns, or villages in the Territory of Missouri, or if any such location shall have been made, to prohibit by law, the issuing of patents therefor.

Ordered, That the bill concerning the navigation of the United States, be recommitted to the committee of the whole House, to which has been referred the bill to prohibit all commercial intercourse with the ports or places into, or with which the vessels of the United States are not ordinarily permitted to enter and trade.

The House again resolved itself into the committee of the whole, to which was committed the bill to prohibit commercial intercouse with ports or places into, or with which the vessels of the United States are not ordinarily permitted to enter and trade; and after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Breckenridge reported that the committee had made further progress therein, and directed him to ask leave to sit again.

Ordered, That the committee of the whole House, have leave to sit again on the said order. Mr. Jackson submitted the following resolution, which was read and ordered to lie on the table.

Resolved, That there shall be appointed by the Speaker, for the present session and at the commencement of each ensuing session of Congress, three clerks of committees, to be assigned to such standing committees as he may designate, with such daily compensation during the sessions as he shall prescribe, to be paid out of the contingent fund of the House of Representatives.

And then the House adjourned.

FRIDAY, January 31, 1817.

Mr. Carr presented a petition of Park Holland, confined in prison at Castine, in the District of Maine, at the suit of the United States, praying to be released from his said confinement.

Mr. Birdseye presented documents in support of the claim of Asa Wells.

Ordered, That the said petition and documents be referred to the committee of Claims.

Mr. Betts presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the city of New-York, in behalf of the manufacturers of domestic goods; which was referred to the committee of Commerce and Manufactures.

Mr. Irving, of N. Y. presented a document in support of an of an application of Frederick P. Stevenson to be placed on the pension list; which were referred to the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims.

Mr. Little presented a petition of Henry Weist, praying compensation for carrying the mail from the city of Baltimore, in Maryland, to Carlisle, in