A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate have passed the bill, entitled "An act supplementary to an act, entitled 'An act to regulate and fix the compensation of the clerks in Mr. CANNON, from the Committee on the Milithe different offices,' passed the 20th of April, tia to whom was referred the resolution instruct1818," with an amendment; in which they asking them to inquire into the expediency of clothing the concurrence of the House.

The SPEAKER laid before the House a letter Mr. MALLARY, who had been assigned a seat in from the Secretary of War, transmitting a copy the House during the discussion, rose, and occupied of the rules and regulations adopted by the Comthe floor in a speech of upwards of one hour in missioner and approved by the President, in relalength, in maintaining his right to the seat in question to the execution of the act of the 9th of April, tion; and, having concluded, the Committee rose, reported progress, and obtained leave to sit again; and the documents in the case were ordered to be printed.

JANUARY, 1820.

Vermont Contested Election.

H. OF R.

matter therein stated to be true. Sworn before me, that the statement of the within certificate is true, to this 24th day of November, 1819. the best of my knowledge. Hempstead, November, 20, 1819.

ISAAC NICHOLS,

ROBERT D. CLEMENTS.

Sworn before me this day.

EDWARD PARKER,. Deputy Clerk of Queen's County.

I, Jacobus Montfoort, clerk of the town of Oyster Bay, in the county of Queen's, and State of New York, do hereby certify that the certificate of the return of the election for two members of Congress to represent the first Congressional district of said State, held in the aforesaid town on the 28th, 29th, and 30th days of April, 1818, was written by me, and transmitted to the clerk of the said county of Queen's. And I do hereby further certify that the return of James Guyon, of eighty-three votes, was a mistake made by me, and that the true and proper return for the aforesaid town of Oyster Bay is James Guyon, junior, for Congressman, eighty-three votes, and the tickets were canvassed and read James Guyon, junior. Oyster Bay, November 19, 1819.

I, Abraham Crocheron, clerk of the town of Northfield, in the county of Richmond, and in the State of New York, doth certify and say, that I was one of the inspectors of the votes taken at the anniversary election held in the said town of Northfield, and in the county aforesaid, on the 28th day of April, 1818, at the house of John Johnson, innkeeper, and held, by adjournment, the two subsequent days, for two members of Congress to represent the first Congressional district of said State of New York in the House of Representatives of the United States; and, being so an inspector, did make a return in the clerk's office of the said county, as well as with Richard Crocheron, John Hillyer, and Sylvanus Decker, inspectors with me: that Ebenezer Sage had seventy-five votes, and James Guyon had seventy-five; when, in fact and in truth, the ballots were given, canvassed, and read James Guyon, junior, and were returned to the said clerk, through a mistake or error, without the junior, when, in fact, and in truth, and in justice, they should have been given and written James Guyon, junior. Given the month of December, I received from James Guyon, This may certify that, on or near the 20th day of under my hand, the 16th day of November, A. D.junior, a copy of the within certificates, perfectly ac

1819.

ABRM. CROCHERON.

STATE OF NEW YORK, Richmond county, ss.

Personally appeared before me, Abraham Crocheron, who doth depose and say, that the above ment, as subscribed by him, is just and true. And further this deponent saith not. Sworn before me, this 16th day of November, 1819.

Note.-One vote of the above number of eighty-three votes was written, read, and canvassed, James Guyon. J. MONTFOORT, Town Clerk. Oyster Bay, November 19, 1819. Sworn before me, EDWARD PARKER, Deputy Clerk of Queen's County.

cording with the same. Sag Harbor, January 3, 1830. EBENEZER SAGE.

We, Edward Parker, of the town of Jamaica, county of Queen's, and State of New York, and Thomas Hazstate-ard, jun. of Staten Island, State aforesaid, do solemnly swear that we were present on the day and date when Ebenezer Sage signed the annexed certificates, and did see him subscribe his name thereunto; and he ackowledged that he did receive a copy of the annexed certificates enclosed to him in a letter from James Guyon, junior, declaring his intentions to claim his seat in the House of Representatives of the United States.

DAVID MASEREAU, Judge.

This may certify that, on or near the 20th of the month of December last, I received from James Guyon, junior, a copy of the within certificates, correctly according with the same. Sag Harbor, January 3, 1820.

EBENEZER SAGE.

I, Edward A. Clowes, clerk of the town of Hempstead, and I, Thomas Tredwell, one of the inspectors of the town, do hereby certify that, at an election held in the aforesaid town for Congressman, on the 28th, 29th, and 30th days of April, 1818, the return was made by us to the clerk's office of the county of Queen's for James Guyon as Congressman, whereas we verily believe that the returned number of votes ought and should have been made in the name of James Guyon, junior, which junior was omitted in our return to the clerk of the said county, according to the best of our knowledge and belief. Dated at Hempstead, November 20, 1819, State of New York.

EDWARD A. CLOWES, Town Clerk.
THOMAS TRED WELL.
Sworn before me this day.

EDWARD PARKER,
Deputy Clerk of Queen's County.

I, Robert D. Clements, one of the clerks to the inspectors of the town of Hempstead, do solemnly swear

EDWARD PARKER,
T. HAZARD.
Queen's county, ss. Jamaica, January 6, 1820. Sworn
before me this day.
JAMES DENTON, J. P. &c.

VERMONT CONTESTED ELECTION. The House next proceeded, according to the order of the day, again to resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole (Mr. LIVERMORE in the chair,) on the report of the Committee of Elections on the contested election of Mr. MERRILL, of Vermont.

Mr. RANDOLPH spoke a short time, to vindicate the decision of this House, in 1804, in the case of the contested election between Mr. Spalding and Mr. Mead, (which had been cited in the present case,) and, without going into the merits of the present case, to show that there was no analogy between it and the case decided in 1804.

He was replied to by Mr. TAYLOR, who argued to show that such an analogy did exist in a strong degree, and in support of the report of the Committee of Elections.

The report of the committee was supported also by Mr. HOLMES, Mr. GROSS, and Mr. HEMPHILL, and was opposed by Mr. STORRS, Mr. BROWN, and Mr. WHITMAN, the last named gentleman moving that the report be so amended as to reverse it.

The discussion continued to a late hour on this and other motions. Finally, Mr. W.'s motion was lost, and the Committee rose and reported their concurrence in the resolutions of the Committee of Elections. The question was then taken on the resolution declaring that Mr. MERRILL is not entitled to a seat in this House, and decided in the affirmative by a large majority.

Before taking the question on the other resolution of the report, which declares Mr. Mallary entitled to the seat, a motion was made to adjourn, and the House adjourned.

THURSDAY, January 13.

Mr. SERGEANT presented a petition of Thomas Dobson and Son, stating that they published, with great labor and expense, Dr. Seybert's Statistical Annals, and praying Congress to authorize the purchase of eight hundred additional copies, which now remain on hand of that work, for which they state they are willing to take a reduced price; which was referred to a select committee; and Messrs. SERGEANT, WOOD, and BARBOUR, were appointed the said committee.

Mr. ANDERSON reported a bill for the establishment of additional land offices in the State of Illinois; which was read twice, and committed to a Committee of the Whole to-morrow.

JANUARY, 1820.

sion, on agreeing to the resolution, and lost—yeas 40, nays 56.

Mr. COCKE, of Tennessee, submitted the following resolution for consideration:

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed to report to this House whether any, and, if any, what revenue is derived to the Government of the United States from the fur trade.

Some discussion took place on this motion, in which Messrs. LIVERMORE, and SMITH of Maryland, objected to it, as useless and unnecessary, inasmuch as furs being an article of export only, no revenue could be derived from them, &c. It was supported by the mover, as calling for information on a subject to which the attention of the House had been directed, &c.

The question being put, on adopting the resolution, it was negatived-yeas 40.

A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate have passed the "resolution for the further distribution of the journal of the convention which formed the Constitution of the United States," with amendments; and they have passed a bill, entitled "An act authorizing payment to be made for certain muskets impressed into the service of the United States;" in which amendments and last mentioned bill they ask the concurrence of this House.

The SPEAKER laid before the House a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting a statement of the amount of moneys paid in each year for the expenses of holding courts within the District of Columbia, together with the amount paid to the circuit judges thereof, from the year 1801 to the year 1819, both inclusive, rendered in obedience to the resolution of the 7th instant; which was ordered to lie on the table.

ILLICIT INTRODUCTION OF SLAVES.
The SPEAKER laid before the House another

On motion of Mr. WHITMAN, a committee was appointed to inquire into the expediency of reviving and continuing in force, for a limited time, so much of an act, the provisions of which partially expired on the first day of November last, entitled "An act regulating the currency, within the United States, of the gold coins of Great Brit-letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, transain, France, Portugal, and Spain, and the crowns of France, and five franc pieces," as relates to the gold coins of those countries. Messrs. WHITMAN, LOWNDES, ALLEN, of Massachusetts, DICKINSON, and BEECHER, were appointed the said committee. Mr. BRUSH, of Ohio, moved the adoption of the following resolution :

mitting information in relation to the illicit introduction of slaves into the United States, with a statement of measures which have been taken to prevent the same, rendered in obedience to the resolution of the 31st ultimo; which was ordered to lie on the table. The letter is as follows:

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Jan. 11, 1820. Resolved, That a select committee be instructed to SIR: In obedience to a resolution of the House of consider the expediency of fixing the ratio of repre- Representatives of the 31st ultimo, directing the Secsentation of the House of Representatives of the Uni-retary of the Treasury to lay before the House "copies ted States, to take effect and be computed according of such communications as he may have received, to the rule prescribed by the Constitution, upon the since 1816, and such information as he may possess census next to be taken; with leave to report by bill in relation to the illicit introduction of slaves into the or otherwise. United States, with a statement of the measures adopted to prevent the same," I have the honor to submit the enclosed letters, from different collectors of the customs, to this Department.

Mr. WHITMAN objected to the resolution, on the ground that it would be better to wait until the census was taken, before any steps were adopted to fix the ratio, when the House would have all the information, and the whole subject before them. Any proceedings on this subject, at present, would take place without the proper information, and would be premature, and would, moreover, be entirely useless, should the next Congress differ in opinion from the present, &c.

The question was put, without further discus

this office, that no particular instructions have ever It appears, from an examination of the records of been given, by the Secretary of the Treasury, under the original or supplementary acts prohibiting the introduction of slaves into the United States.

The general practice of the Department has been to confine its attention, and to limit its instructions, to cases arising under the revenue laws, except where, by direction of the President of the United States,

the superintendence of other laws has been specially required of it. No such duty has, in relation to the laws prohibiting the introduction of slaves into the United States, been required of the Secretary of the Treasury.

His letter to the War and Navy Departments, of the 16th July, 1817, a copy of which is also enclosed, was writen during the absence of the President, under circumstances which did not admit of the delay necessary to obtain his direction and instruction. An additional reason for writing that letter may be found in the fact that the other heads of department were absent, and the officers exercising their functions, provisionally, were unwilling to incur the responsibility of the measures required by the occasion.

I have the honor to be your most obedient servant,
WM. H. CRAWFORD.

Hon. HENRY CLAY, Speaker House of Rep's.

H. OF R.

tion of the local authorities to preserve the accustomed
relations between independent States are considered,
and above all, the odious character of the traffic in-
tended to be restrained, the seizure of every vessel
freighted with slaves which shall be found in the river
St. Mary's, or hovering upon our coast, is respectfully
submitted. I have the honor to be, &c.
WM. H. CRAWFORD.

The SECRETARIES of War and Navy.

Extract of a letter from the Deputy Collector of Nova Iberia to the Secretary of the Treasury, dated July 9, 1818.

"By Mr. Dick's advice, last Summer, I got out State warrants, and had negroes seized to the number of eighteen, which were a part of those stolen out of the custody of the coroner, and the balance condemned by the district judge of the State; and the informers received their part of the net proceeds from the State TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 16, 1817. treasurer. Five negroes, that were seized about the SIR: From information recently received by this same time, were tried at Opelousas, in May last, by Department, there is just reason to believe that Sir the same judge; he decided that some Spaniards (that Gregor McGregor has taken military possession of were supposed to have set up a sham claim, stating Amelia Island, in the name of the Spanish patriots. that the negroes had been stolen from them on the high Considering that the restless and adventurous of all na- seas) should have the negroes, and that the persons tions, and especially of the Island of St. Domimgo, have that seized them should pay one-half the costs, and ranged themselves under the banners of the different the State of Louisiana the other. This decision had leaders, by sea and land, who are engaged in the civil such an effect as to render it almost impossible for me to obtain any assistance in that part of the country. war now raging between Spain and her colonies, and that the port of Fernandina will necessarily become the There has been lately up the Bayou Nementou two common rendezvous of all the vessels sailing under schooners from Galveston; they sold a part of their the various flags of the Spanish provinces which have cargoes, and deposited the balance, and I could get declared themselves independent, apprehensions are no assistance to take them. I made two seizures of justly entertained by the citizens of the southern secwine, a part of one of the cargoes, in the neighbortion of the State of Georgia, that their peace and tran-hood of the Vermillion bridge, about twenty miles to quillity will be disturbed, and their rights infringed, unless protected by the presence of a force sufficient to command respect from the troops thus expected to be congregated in their immediate neighborhood.

In addition to the circumstances already communicated, the disposition which has been manifested by the vessels of Spain engaged in the African slave trade, to introduce, illicitly, into that section of the Union, the persons who, in the prosecution of their traffic, have been subjected to their control, seems to require the presence of a force sufficient to enforce the due execution of the laws against the introduction of slaves into the United States. From the known character and conduct of the leader of the enterprise against Amelia Island, there is just ground to apprehend that this illicit traffic, if continued, will, under his auspices, assume a bolder character; and, if abandoned, that it will be substituted by measures equally derogatory to the laws, and more destructive of the rights and interests of the citizens of the eastern section of the Southern States. To guard against the unlawful introduction of slaves, and to repress any attempt that may be made by the foreign belligerent force, collected in that neighborhood, to excite domestic insurrection among the blacks, it appears to me to be absolutely necessary that a land and naval force be stationed at St. Mary's.

the westward of this place. I summoned assistance, a part of which refused to assist, a part deserted while guarding the property, and the balance not being sufficiently strong to protect it, it was taken from them the ensuing night. The smugglers had forcibly prevented our removing the property in the day time."

COLLECTOR'S OFFICE, DIS. BRUNSWICK, GA.,
Port of Darien, July 5, 1818.
SIR: On the 14th of March, I did myself the honor
to address you on the subject of Africans illicitly in-
troduced into the United States. Not being favored
with a reply, it may be proper for me to state, that a
demand being subsequently made, by the Executive of
this State, for all such Africans in my possession, in
compliance therewith I delivered over to his agent
ninety-one negroes.

I have the honor to be, &c.
W. I. MCINTOSH, Collector.
Hon. Wм. H. CRAWFORD,
Secretary of the Treasury.

As the portion of East Florida immediately border- "It has been stated to me, on the authority of a leting on the United States is but sparsely, if at all, in- ter to a respectable gentleman of this city, that there habited, the entrance of vessels into the river St. Mawere three schooners lying in the river Merineutau, ry's, freighted with slaves, can have no other object belonging to Commodore Aury's squadron, smuggling than the violation of our laws, by covertly introducing their cargoes on shore. The audacity of the piratical a population which is prohibited. Under such circum-set, since they find Galveston has not been, and as stances, and especially when imbecility or indisposi- they say, will not be, suppressed, knows no bounds.