Mr. Wilkin, Willoughby, Mr. Wright, Yates.............64. Ordered, That the bill to prevent the circulation of the notes of unchartered Banks in the District of Columbia, do lie on the table. A message in writing was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Todd, his Secretary, as follows: To the Serate and House of Representatives of the United States: The government of Great Britain induced by the posture of the relations with the United States, which succeeded the conclusion of the recent commercial convention, issued an order on the 17th day of August, 1815, discontinuing the discriminating duties payable in British ports on American vessels and their cargoes. It was not until the 22d of December following, that a corresponding discontinuance of discriminating duties on British vessels, and their cargoes, in American ports, took effect, under the authority vested in the executive, by the act of March, 1816. During the period between those two dates there was, consequently, a failure of reciprocity or equality in the existing regulations of the two countries: I recommend to the consideration of Congress, the expediency of paying to the British government the amount of the duties remitted, during the period in question, to the citizens of the United States, subject to a deduction of the amount of whatever discriminating duties may have commenced in British ports after the signature of that convention, and 'been collected, previous to the 17th of August, 1815. JAMES MADISON. February. 3d, 1817 The said message was read and referred to the committee of Ways and Means. And then the House adjourned. TUESDAY, February 4, 1817. Mr. Vose presented petitions from the inhabitants of the towns of Henniker, Pembroke, Concord and Epsom, in the State of New-Hampshire, praying that the mails may not be transported or opened on Sundays. Mr. Champion presented a similar petition from sundry inhabitants of the State of Connecticut. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee appointed on a like petition from the inhabitants of Southampton, in Massachusetts. Mr. Baylies presented a petition of Alexander Gardner, praying for an increase of his pension. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims. On motion of Mr. Langdon, Ordered, That the petition of Seth Abbott, presented on the 15th December, 1815, be referred to the same committee. Mr. Davenport presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the towns of New-Canaan and Stamford, in Connecticut, Mr. Wm. P. Maclay, presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the counties of Huntingdon and Mifflin in Pennsylvania, Mr. Baer presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the western parts of the States of Maryland and Pennsylvania, respectively praying for the establishment of post-routes. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads.. Mr. Wm. P. Maclay presented a petition from sundry manufacturers of iron in the county of Huntingdon and State of Pennsylvania, praying that additional duties may be imposed on iron imported into the United States. Mr. Schenck presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the city of New-York on behalf of the domestic manufacturers within the United States. Mr Schenck also presented a similar petition from the merchants of the said city of New-York. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee of commerce and manufacturers. Mr. Roane presented a petition of Lawrence Muse, late collector of the customs for the Disrict of Tappahannock, in the State of Virginia, praying to be allowed further time to pay to the United States a balance found to be due on the settlement of his accounts. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee of Ways and Means. Mr. Tate presented a petition of sundry distillers in Berkeley county, Virginia, praying for a remission of a part of the duties secured by them to be paid on their distilleries, in consequence of the almost entire failure of the corn crops of 1816. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee of the whole House on the bill authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to remit the duties thereon mentioned. Mr. Burwell presented the petition of Madam Renaut Maynard de Pancenont, heiress of Philip Renaut, former director of the mines of Louisiana, and of her husband John Baptiste Francois Maynard de Pancemont, first president of the royal court of Nisines in France, by Philip Mercier, their agent, praying for a confirmation of their title to a tract of land lying in the Territory of Illinois Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee on Private Land Claims. On motion of Mr. Lattimore, Ordered, That the petition of the heirs of Hiram Sweazy, deceased, by Alexander Montgomery, their agent, presented on the 11th of November, 1811, be referred to the same committee. Mr. Johnson of Ky. presented a petition of Joseph Mims and Hannah Mims, administrator and administratrix of the estate of Samuel Mims, deceased, praying to be paid for the property of their intestate, destroyed by by the Indians during the late war. Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee of Claims. Mr. Alexander presented a resolution of the general assembly of the State of Ohio, requesting the passage of a law, giving to the inhabitants on the reservation at Lower Sandusky, the pre-emption right to such part or portion of said reservation as will secure to them their most valuable improvements; which resolution was read and referred to the committee on the Public Lands. Mr. Lowndes, from the committee of Ways and Means, to which have been referred the petitions of the manufacturers of umbrellas in Philadelphia, Boston, and New-York; and the petition of sundry merchants and coppersmiths in Boston, 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, who ask that "plate, braziers' and still copper" be exempt from duty, ought not to be granted. Mr. Lowndes, from the same committee, also made reports on the petitions of Edward Cheeseborough, Lowry and Gallowway, and Margaret Houtchins; which were read, and the resolutions there in contained, were concurred in by the House, as follows: Resolved, That the prayer of the petition of Edward Cheeseborough, ought not to be granted. Resolved, That the prayer of the petition of Lowry and Galloway ought not to be granted. Resolved, That the prayer of the petition of Margaret Houtchins ought not to be granted. Mr. Johnson, from the committee on Military Afairs, reported a bill respecting the ransom of American captives of the late war; which was read the first and second time, and committed to the committee of the whole House on the bill for the relief of infirm, disabled and superannuated officers and soldiers. Mr. Johnson from the same committee, who were instructed to inquire into the expediency of educating at the military academy at West Point, the sons of those officers and soldiers who have fallen in battle while in the service of the United States, made a report thereon, which was read and ordered to lie on the table. Mr. Thomas, from the committee on Indian Affairs, made a report respecting the amount of capital employed in trade with the Indians, which was read: When, Mr. Thomas reported a bill to regulate trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes, and to exclude foreigners from a participation therein; which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole House to-morrow. Ordered, That the committee of the whole House, to which is committed the bill for the relief of certain sufferers during the late war, be discharged from the consideration thereof, and that the said bill be committed to the committee of |