further so amended, as to require from the President of the Institution on oath an annual report of their property, funds, receipts, expenditures, &c., to the Secretary of the Treasury, and by him to be laid before Congress. On motion of Mr. LLOYD, several other amend ments were made to the details of the bill-amongst them an obligation on the managers to provide for the vaccination of indigent persons, free of any charge. Mr. L. having gone through the bill, Mr. ROBERTS entered into a very general review of the provisions of the bill, to show their inadequacy to the objects contemplated by the friends of the measure, as well as their objectionable character in some respects; and having some doubts of the constitutionality of the bill in its present shape, which question, however, he did not discuss. Mr. LLOYD rose to reply to Mr. R., when, on motion of Mr. TALBOT, the bill was laid on the table. GRANT OF LAND TO LOUISIANA. The Senate resumed the consideration of the bill for granting to the State of Louisiana a piece of public land in the county of Point Coupee, whereon to establish a school for the use of the people of that county. The bill was so amended yesterday as to grant to the State the pre-emption right only. Mr. LLOYD moved to lay the bill on the table, that it might be taken up in connexion with the proposition to grant to the old States donations of the public lands for the benefit of education, corresponding to those which have been conferred on the new States, deeming the two subjects similar in their character. Mr. BROWN spoke to show that the present bill had no connexion in principle with the important proposition referred to; that this was a small isolated piece of land necessary to the people of the county of Point Coupee for the purpose contemplated; that the State would be willing to pay for it the small sum which the minimum price would amount to, but that it would not be worth the cost of sending a United States surveyor one hundred miles to survey it, make out a plat, and set it up to sale, &c. He thought Congress might safely make a donation of it to the State, without danger of establishing any litigated principle; but that there could be no objection to the bill now, he thought, as it proposed simply to give the State a pre-emption right to the land, &c. Mr. LLOYD replied to Mr. BROWN, and argued in support of the objections which he had at first suggested against acting on this bill now, which, if it were passed in its present shape, would be used as an argument against the proposition he had referred to. The question being taken, the bill was ordered to lie on the table-ayes 22. FRIDAY, January 26. The PRESIDENT communicated a report of the Secretary of War, to whom was referred, by resolution of the Senate of the 29th December last, the JANUARY, 1821. memorial of the Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty of the city of New York; and the report was read, and together with the memorial referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. The PRESIDENT also communicated a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting, in obedience to a resolution of the 16th instant, statements showing the state of the several banks in the District of Columbia; and the letter and statements were read. Mr. WILLIAMS, of Tennessee, presented the memorial of Kon-na-noo-lus-kee or Chalange, a native of the Cherokee nation of Indians, praying that the life estate to a reservation of land in the State of Alabama, secured to him by the treaty with said nation in 1817, may be extended to a fee-simple estate, or that he may be permitted to purchase the same at the minimum price, with a reasonable time to accomplish the payment; and the memorial was read, and referred to the Committee on Public Lands. Mr. BARBOUR presented the memorial of Richard S. Hackley, late Consul of the United States at Cadiz, praying to be remunerated for certain disbursements made by him in the discharge of his official duties; and the memorial was read, and referred to the Committee of Claims. Mr. LANMAN presented the petition of Abel Sholes, of Connecticut, praying an increase of his pension; and the petition was read, and referred to the Committee on Pensions. Mr. SMITH presented the petition of John Lowden, of South Carolina, praying to be refunded the amount of an export bond paid at the custom house at Charleston, for reasons stated in the petition; which was read, and referred to the Committee on Finance. Mг. THOMAS, from the Committee on Public Lands, to whom was referred the memorial of the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, praying permission to tax the lands sold by the United States; made a report, accompanied by a resolution, that the prayer of the memorialists ought not to be granted. The report and petition were read. Mr. JOHNSON, of Louisiana, obtained leave to bring in a bill to authorize the clerk of the District Court of the United States for the District of Louisiana to appoint a deputy to aid him in the discharge of the duties of his office; and the bill was twice read by unanimous consent; and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. On motion by Mr. THOMAS, it was agreed to reconsider the vote of yesterday on ordering the bill entitled "An act for the relief of Nicholas Jarrott," to be read a third time; and it was recommitted to the Committee on Public Lands. The Senate proceeded to consider the report of the Committee of Claims on the petition of Jacob Barker; and it was postponed to Monday next. The bill for the relief of Matthew McNair, and the bill to establish the district of Blakeley, were severally read the second time. The bill for the relief of Nathan Ford was read the third time, and passed. The Senate proceeded to consider, as in Committee of the Whole, the bill for the relief of Samuel Tucker, late a captain in the Navy of the United States; and it was postponed to, and made the order of the day for, Monday next. The Senate proceeded to consider, as in Committee of the Whole, the bill further to establish the compensation of the officers employed in the collection of duties on imports and tonnage, and for other purposes; and it was postponed to, and made the order of the day for, Monday next. The Senate proceeded to consider, as in Committee of the Whole, the bill for the relief of General Robert Swartwout; and it was postponed to Monday next. The Senate proceeded to consider, as in Committee of the Whole, the bill for the relief of John Hoffman; and on motion by Mr. JOHNSON, of Louisiana, it was laid on the table. The Senate proceeded to consider, as in Com. mittee of the Whole, the bill concerning Thomas Shields and others; and it was postponed to, and made the order of the day for, Monday next. The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the consideration of the bill authorizing the payment of a sum of money to John Gooding and James Williams; and it was postponed to Monday next. The Senate proceeded to consider, as in Committee of the Whole, the bill entitled "An act for the relief of Daniel McDuff;" and it was postponed to Friday next. SENATE. HORSEY, ordered to lie on the table, with the view of allowing to an individual who conceives his private rights affected by the bill, time to make his representation to the Senate on the subject. Mr. EATON, having obtained leave, introduced a bill supplementary to the act of last session, for the relief of John Harding, Giles Harding, John Shute, and John Nichols; which was read." VIRGINIA MILITARY LANDS. The bill from the other House for extending the time for locating Virginia military land warrants (for two years longer) was taken up in Committee of the Whole. This subject gave rise, as usual when under consideration heretofore, to a good deal of discussion. Mr. THOMAS briefly explained to the Senate the considerations in favor of extending the indulgence proposed by the bill. Mr. KING, of New York, thought it was time that something explicit was done, as to the time when this subject should be closed, and some report made of the lands located, and those which remained for the disposal of the United States, &c. He gave a brief narrative of the circumstances which produced the reservation by Virginia, of the country between the Sciota and Little Miami, for satisfying her military land warrants. The body of land in Ohio, reserved by Virginia for this purpose, was of great extent, and the surplus belonged as much to the United States as any other land in that State; and it was time, he thought, that something was done to show what quantity was left-how this matter stood-and to begin to think of some termination to this long standing subject. Instead of passing this bill with an extension of two or three years; Mr. DICKERSON, from the committee to which he would give but one year, with an understandwas referred the resolution proposing an amend-ing, that it would not be extended longer, unless ment of the Constitution of the United States, as some explanation should be given to justify it. it respects the election of President and Vice President of the United States, and Representatives to Congress, reported the same with an amendment, (to make it imperative on the Electoral Colleges to fill vacancies, instead of merely authorizing them to do so ;) which report was read. Mr. HORSEY, from the Committee on the District of Columbia, to whom was referred the resolution from the House of Representatives, authorizing the President of the United States to cause astronomical observations to be made to ascertain the longitude of the Capitol, in the city of Washington, from some known meridian in Europe, reported the same without amendment. The bill for the relief of the legal representatives of Patience Gordon passed through a Committee of the Whole, and was ordered to a third reading. Mr. VAN DYKE, from the Committee on Public Lands, to which was referred the petition of Thos. Sloo and John Caldwell, the register and receiver of public moneys at Shawneetown, praying an increase of compensation, made an unfavorable report thereon; which was read. The bill to authorize the publication of private acts of Congress and Indian treaties in some one newspaper in the city of Washington, was taken up in the Committee of the Whole, where it was explained by Mr. EATON; and the bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading. The bill to authorize the sale of certain lots in the public reservation No. 10, in Washington city, being taken up, it was, on motion of Mr. Mr. BARBOUR entered into a history of the subject, to show the difficulties which had impeded a final adjustment of this whole subject. He adverted to the cession made by Virginia to the Union, of all her immense northwestern possessions, presumed then to extend to the Pacific ocean, out of which territory she had reserved a tract for satisfying the pledge she had given to her Revolutionary officers and soldiers. This pledge was made as well to those of the State line as of the Continental line, but in the contract of cession and reservation, by some unknown means, the word State was omitted; and the Congress of the United States had taken advantage of this omission, in the face of the most conclusive circumstances, even its recognition of the principle, in one of the articles, to reject all applications to satisfy warrants of the State line. Mr. B. animadverted on this conduct, which he would not characterize by the epithet which would be applied to it in private life. Leaving this part of the subject, Mr. B. argued to show that most of the persons originally possessing these unlocated titles, being scattered far and wide, were either ignorant, or their descendants or heirs were igno rant, of their title; many of these were orphans, who would sooner or later learn their right, and claim it; that it would be cruel and unjust to foreclose them, &c., and he defended the bill as it stood. Mr. TRIMBLE made some remarks explanatory of the circumstances of this reservation, and the course heretofore pursued by Congress, as well as by Virginia; the difficulties which had grown out of the conduct of Virginia herself, from turning out the surveyor appointed by the officers, &c., and to show the reasons why all the locations had not been made; one of which was that the Indian title to a great part of the tract between the Sciota and Miami had not until recently (a part of it as late as 1818) been extinguished, and which of course could not previously be located. He was decidedly of opinion that it would be great injustice in Congress to refuse ample time for the location of those warrants. JANUARY, 1821. of Washington, severally praying an extension of the charters of the said banks respectively; and the petitions were read, and severally referred to the Committee on the District of Columbia. Mr. SANFORD presented the petition of Harriet Shackerley and others, surviving children of Peter Shackerley, who was slain on board the frigate Chesapeake, in the rencounter with the British frigate Leopard, in 1807, praying to be allowed a stipend equal to that proffered by the British Government, to the families of those killed on that occasion; and the petition was read, and referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs. Mr. KING, of New York, presented the memorial of the Chamber of Commerce of the city of New York, praying that such an increase of the naval force of the United States on the southwestern coast of America may be made, as will afford sufficient protection to the commerce of the United States in that quarter; and the memorial was read, and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. Mr. JOHNSON, of Kentucky, thought this a question simply whether Congress would enforce the principles of the statute of limitations against the Mr. HUNTER presented the petition of Stephen just claims of the poor war-worn soldier, or his F. Northam and others, of Rhode Island, merfriendless orphans. Against such a course he pro- chants, representing that they took out license in tested and reasoned. These claims had lost no the year 1815, for distilling spirits from molasses part of their validity by delay; much less had for one year; that a few days after their distillery they been forfeited; and he did not believe it was inundated, and so much injured by the viocould, he hoped it could not, ever become a seri-lent gale of wind and flood of tide, which at that ous question in Congress whether time should be allowed for them to be brought in. Mr. THOMAS referred to the several acts of Congress on the subject, and spoke as to the legislative history of this subject, illustrative of the propriety and justice of extending the full time proposed. Mr. RUGGLES, of Onio, moved to strike out two years, and insert one year as the time of extension. He argued that those lands which were not taken up by the warrants, remained unsettled; and that the further extension of indulgence operated to prevent the populating of the country in question; that there ought to be some limit established to this indulgence, and he thought one year more would enable Congress to judge when this limit could be fixed, and a termination be put to this drawback on the settlement of the country. The motion was opposed by Messrs. BARBOUR, TALBOT, and TRIMBLE; and it was negatived without a division. The bill was then reported to the Senate, and ordered to a third reading. MONDAY, January 29. The PRESIDENT communicated a letter from the Secretary of War, transmitting statements exhibiting the contracts which were made by the quartermaster general, commissary general of subsistence, the ordnance department, the commissary general of purchases, and the engineer department, in the year 1820; and the letter and statements were read. time happened, as to suspend its operation nearly half the year, and praying that so much of the money paid for said license may be restored to them, as will be equal to the time the distillery remained inoperative; and the petition was read, and referred to the Committee on Commerce and Manufactures. Mr. JOHNSON, of Kentucky, presented the petition of Watson Brown, of Louisiana, praying a grant of land in consideration of military services; and the petition was read, and referred to the Committee on Public Lands. Mr. ROBERTS, from the Committee of Claims, to whom was referred the petition of George Jackson, made a report, accompanied by a resolution, that the prayer of the petitioner ought not to be granted. The report and resolution were read. Mr. ROBERTS, from the same committee, to whom were referred the petition of J. L. B. Macarty, made a report, accompanied by a bill for the relief of J. L. B. Macarty; and the report and bill were read, and the bill passed to a second reading. Mr. ROBERTS, from the same committee, to whom was referred the petition of James Villere, made a report, accompanied by a resolution, that the prayer of the petitioner ought not to be granted. The report and resolution were read. Mr. ROBERTS, from the same committee, to whom the subject was referred by resolution of the Senate of the 19th instant, made a report on the claim of Matthew B. Cathey, accompanied by a resolution, that the petitioner's claim ought not to be allowed. The report and resolution were Mr. HORSEY presented the petition of the pre-read. sident and directors of the Bank of Columbia, and Mr. ROBERTS, from the same committee, to the petition of the directors of the Patriotic Bank | whom was referred the memorial of E. B. Clem son, made a report, accompanied by a resolution, that the prayer of the petitioner ought not to be granted. The report and resolution were read. Mr. VAN DYKE, from the last mentioned committee, to whom was referred the petition of Hanson Catlett, made a report, accompanied by a resolution, that the prayer of the petitioner ought not to be granted. The report and resolution were read. Mr. SANFORD, from the Committee on Finance, to whom was referred the petition of William Smith, jr., made a report, accompanied by a resolution, that the prayer of the petitioner be refused. The report and resolution were read. The Senate proceeded to consider the report of the Committee on Public Lands, on the memorial of the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, praying permission to tax certain lands; and on motion by Mr. THOMAS, it was laid on the table. The Senate proceeded to consider the report of the Committee on Public Lands, on the memorial of the register and receiver of the Land Office at Shawneetown; and, in concurrence therewith, resolved that the prayer of the memorialists ought not to be granted. The Senate resumed the consideration of the report of the Committee of Claims, on the petition of Jacob Barker; and, on motion by Mr. KING of New York, it was laid on the table. The bill supplementary to an act passed on the 5th of April, 1820, entitled "An act for the relief of John Harding, Giles Harding, John Shute, and John Nichols," was read the second time, and referred to the Committe of Claims. The bill for the relief of the representatives of Patience Gordon, widow, deceased, was read the third time, and passed. The bill supplementary to the act passed on the 11th of May, 1820, entitled "An act to provide for the publication of the laws of the United States and for other purposes," was read the third time, and passed. The bill from the House of Representatives, entitled "An act to extend the time for locating Virginia military land warrants, and returning surveys thereon to the General Land Office," was read the third time, and passed. The Senate spent some time in considering the bill for the relief of Commodore Samuel Tucker; which bill was advocated at some length by Mr. WALKER of Georgia. The bill was then postponed to Wednesday. The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the consideration of the bill further to establish the compensation of the officers employed in the collection of imports and tonnage, and for other purposes; and having amended the same, the Senate adjourned. TUESDAY, January 30. Mr. NOBLE presented the petition signed by a number of individuals, concerned, directly or indirectly, as purchasers of public lands prior to the law "making further provision for the sale of public lands," stating, that said law operates in SENATE. juriously upon them, and praying that they may be permitted to apply the payments already made to such portion 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 petition was read, and laid on the table. Mr. KING, of New York, laid on the table sundry resolutions adopted at an assemblage of the citizens of the city of New York, consisting of the most respectable merchants, landlords, and others, declaring the pernicious and injurious effects upon commerce from sales at auction, under the existing system; which were read, and referred to the Committee on Commerce and Manufactures. Mr. SANFORD, from the Committee on Finance, to whom was referred the bill concerning the collection of public moneys, reported the same with amendments; which were read. Mr. THOMAS, from the Committee on Public Lands, to whom was referred the bill, entitled "An act for the relief of Daniel Seward," reported it without amendment. Mr. THOMAS, from the same committee, to whom was referred the bill, entitled "An act to regulate the location of land warrants, and the issuing of patents in certain cases;" reported it with amendments, which were read. The bill for the relief of J. L. B. Macarty was read the second time. Mr. WILLIAMS, of Tennessee, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the resolution from the House of Representatives, to suspend the recruiting service for a limited time; reported it without amendment. The Senate proceeded to consider the report of the Committee of Claims, on the petition of George Jackson; and it was postponed to Monday next. A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate that the House of Representatives have passed a bill, entitled "An act for the relief of John Webster;" a bill, entitled "An act to establish the district of Pearl river;" and a bill, entitled "An act further to regulate the entry of merchandise imported into the United States from any adjacent territory;" in which bills they request the concurrence of the Senate. The three bills last brought up for concurrence were read, and severally passed to a second reading. Mr. VAN DYKE, from the Committee of Claims, made an unfavorable report on the petition of Thomas Hardeman, which was read. The reports of the Committee of Claims unfavorable to the petitions of Matthew B. Cathey, of E. B. Clemson, of Hanson Catlett, and that of the Committee of Finance against the petition of William Smith, jun., were severally considered and agreed to. The Senate took up the bill further to establish the compensation of the officers employed in the collection of the customs, and spent some time in maturing its details. In the course of its consideration, Mr. HOLMES, of Maine, submitted the views which governed him in proposing this measure, and referred to various facts touching probable abuses, in the illegal conversion of public funds to private emolu ment, to show the expediency of the bill, as well in regard to the prevention of these abuses, as to the object of retrenchment and economy. Before the bill was gone through On motion of Mr. LLOYD, who wished a little further time to examine its important provisions, the bill was postponed to Thursday. The bill concerning Thomas Shields and others, passed through a Committee of the Whole, in which it was explained by Mr. PLEASANTS, and was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading. RELIEF TO LAND PURCHASERS. The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the consideration of the bill for the relief of the purchasers of public lands. The question under consideration was an amendment offered by Mr. THOMAS, in substance, to extend the provisions of the bill to those who hold lands under the original purchasers from the public. Mr. KING, of New York, submitted at large his views of the policy of this bill, and the reasons which claimed his support of it-stating his ideas of the mode and measure of relief proper to be granted to the different classes of purchasers, &c. The amendment proposed by Mr. THOMAS was agreed to without a division. Various other amendments were adopted on successive motions of Mr. THOMAS, making its provisions more extensively applicable to the various classes of purchasers; as well as in other features of its detail. JANUARY, 1821. WEDNESDAY, January 31. The PRESIDENT communicated a letter from the Postmaster General, transmitting a statement of all contracts made by the Post Office Department during the last year, and a statement of contracts made in a former year; and the letter and statements were read. The following Message was received from the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To the Senate of the United States: I transmit to Congress a report from the Secretary of the Treasury, submitting copies of the instructions the 15th of May, 1820, authorizing the location of a given to the commissioners appointed under the act of road from Wheeling, in the State of Virginia, to a point on the left bank of the Mississippi river, between St. Louis and the mouth of the Illinois river; and copies of the report made by the said commissioners to the Treasury Department, of the progress they have made in the execution of the duties prescribed by the said act, together with maps of the country through which the location is to be made. JAMES MONROE. WASHINGTON, January 31, 1821. The Message and report were read, and referred to the Committee on Roads and Canals. Mr. ROBERTS, from the Committee of Claims, to whom were referred the bill, entitled "An act for the relief of Joseph McNiel;" the bill, entitled "An act for the relief of Alexander Milne," the bill entitled "An act for the relief of Lewis H. Guerlain ;" the bill, entitled "An act for the relief of John RodMr. WALKER, of Alabama, moved an amend-riguez;" the bill, entitled "An act for the relief of ment going to extend the proposed discount to the whole amount of purchase money, instead of merely on the sum remaining due: in support of which he referred to the reasons submitted by him some days ago in favor of such a provision. A debate of some length took place on this proposition; in which it was opposed by Messrs. VAN DYKE, LOWRIE, and KING, of New York, and was defended by Mr. WALKER, of Alabama. The proposed amendment was ultimately rejected without a division. The blank in which to insert the discount contemplated to be allowed to these purchasers on their payments, Mr. THOMAS moved to fill with "thirty-seven and a half" per cent. This motion produced likewise some debate, touching the proper deduction to be allowed, &c., Messrs. LowRIE, and KING, of New York, op posing this amount. The amendment was agreed to-19 to 11. Mr. VAN DYKE moved an amendment, going to limit the extension of the credit to those who have purchased no more than two contiguous half quarter sections of land. On this motion considerable discussion arose, in which Messrs. VAN DYKE, KING of Alabama, EDWARDS, KING of New York, and WILLIAMS of Mississippi, took part. Before the question was taken on the motion the usual hour of adjournment had arrived; and, about 4 o'clock, the Senate adjourned. Francis B. Languille;" and the bill, entitled "An act for the relief of Bartholomew Duverge ;" reported them severally without amendment. Mr. THOMAS, from the Committee on Public Lands, to whom was recommitted the bill, entitled "An act for the relief of Nicholas Jarrott," reported it with amendments; which were read. Mr. HORSEY presented the petition of the President and Directors of the Central Bank of Georgetown and Washington, in behalf of the stockholders, praying that the charter of said bank may be continued, until they can effectually close the concerns thereof; and the petition was read, and referred to the Committee on the District of Columbia. Webster;" the bill, entitled "An act to establish the district of Pearl river;" and the bill, entitled "An act further to regulate the entry of merchandise imported into the United States from any adjacent territory;" were severally read the second time, and the bill, entitled "An act for the relief of Claims. John Webster," was referred to the Committee of The bill, entitled "An act for the relief of John trict of Pearl river;" was referred to the CommitThe bill, entitled "An act to establish the distee on Commerce and Manufactures. The bill, entitled "An act further to regulate the entry of merchandise imported into the United States from any adjacent territory," was referred to the Committee on Finance. The Senate proceeded to consider the report of |