Resolved, That the prayer of the petitions of Jeptha Brown, Samuel White, and Joseph Davis, respectively, ought not to be granted; and that Joseph Davis have leave to withdraw his petition. Resolved, That William Brough have leave to withdraw his petition and documents.

Mr. Rhea also made an unfavorable report on the petition of Charles Russel and others, which was read and ordered to lic on the table.

Ordered, That the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims, be discharged from the further consideration of the petitions of Armistead Whitehead, and Charles Van Dyke, and that they be referred to the Secretary of War.

Ordered, That the committee of Claims be discharged from the further consideration of the petition of John Whiting, and that it be referred to the committee on Military Affairs.

Mr. Lowndes, from the committee of Ways and Means, reported a bill, making appropriations for the support of the Navy of the United States, for the year 1818, which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole to-morrow.

Mr. Lowndes also reported a bill for the relief of John B. Dabney, which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole, to-morrow.

Ordered, That the claim of John Ireland, transmitted to this House by the Commissioner of Claims, together with the report of the committee of Claims thereon, be recommitted to the committee of Claims.

Mr. Johnson, of Kentucky, from the committee on Military Affairs, reported a bill to repeal so much of an act of the 6th of July, 1812, as allows pay and emoluments to brevet rank; which was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole, to-morrow.

The Speaker laid before the House, a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, on the petition of Joseph Wellington Page, which was read and ordered to lie on the table.

The Speaker laid before the House, a report from the Secretary of War on the petition of brigadier general Moscs Porter, which was read and ordered to lie on the table.

The Speaker also laid before the House, a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting sundry statements in relation to the accounts of major general St. Clair, in obedience to a resolution of this House, of the 3d instant; which was read and ordered to lie on the table.

In pursuance of notice given yesterday, Mr. Harrison obtained leave to bring in a bili to extend for a further term of five years, the pensions heretofore granted to the widows and orphans of the officers and soldiers who died, or were killed in the late war; and,

Mr. Harrison, Mr. Moore, Mr. Johnson, of Kentucky, Mr. Storrs, and Mr. Stewart, of North Carolina, were appointed a committee to prepare, and bring in the same.

On motion of Mr. Robertson, of Louisiana,

Resoved, That the committee of Ways and Means be instructed to inquire into the expediency of amending the laws in relation to the salaries and emoluments of the registers and receivers of public moneys.

On motion of Mr. Smith, of North Carolina,

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be requested to lay before this House a statement of the number of tons of bar iron, iron in pigs, cast and rolled iron, that has been imported into the United States annually, and from what countries the same may have been imported from the 1st of May, 1812, until the 1st of May, 1817; and if any, what quantity has been exported during the same period.

On motion of Mr. Johnson, of Kentucky,

Resolved, That the Secretary of War be directed to report to this House any information tending to show the propriety of continuing the office of Claims for the term of one year from the 9th of April next.

A message from the Senate, by Mr. Cutts, their Secretary: Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed bills of the following titles, viz:

An act for the relief of Richard M. Johnson,

An act, supplimentary to the act, entitled "An act further extending the time for issuing and locating military land warrants, and for other purposes;" and,

An act to authorize certain purchasers of public land to withdraw their entries, and transfer the moneys paid thereon; in which bills, they ask the concurrence of this House.

And then he withdrew.

The former of the said bills was read the first and second time, and referred to the committee of Claims; and,

The two latter were severally read the first and second time, and referred to the committee on the Public Lands.

The House resumed the consideration of the resolution submitted yesterday by Mr. Robertson, of Louisiana, and depending at the time of adjournment; when,

Mr. Taylor moved to amend the same, by striking out these words, viz: at the military school of the United States; which amendment was rejected by the Housc.

A motion was then made by Mr. Moore, to amend the said resolution by striking out from the word expediency to the end thereof, and inserting the following, to wit: "of bringing in a bill, embracing the following principle, viz: that in all applications hereafter, for the admission of cadets into the military academy at West Point, a preference shall be given to the sons of the officers, noncommissioned officers and soldiers, who were killed in battle, or died in the service of the United States in the late war, giving a preference to those least able to educate themselves, and who may be best qua lified for the military profession."

The amendment being read, Mr. Thomas M. Nelson moved to amend the same by striking out the words or died in the service of the United States; which was rejected by the House.

The question was then taken on the amendment moved by Mr. Moore;

And passed in the affirmative.

The said resolution was then agreed to as amended.

The House proceeded to consider the report of the conferees apponted on their part, to attend a conference with the managers appointed on the part of the Senate, upon the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the first amendment proposed by the Senate, to the bill, entitled "An act making appropriations for the military service of the United States, for the year 1818;" and the said report being again read; when it was

Resolved, That this House do adhere to their disagreement to the first amendment proposed by the Senate to the said bill.

Ordered, That the Clerk acquaint the Senate therewith.

The House resolved itself into a committee of the whole, on the bill to establish ang uniform system of bankruptcy throughout the United States; and after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Smith, of Maryland, reported that the committee had made some progress therein; and directed him to ask leave to sit again.

Ordered, That the committee of the whole have leave to sit again on the said bill.

On motion of Mr. Livermore,

Ordered, That when the House adjourns, it will adjourn to meet again on Monday next.

And then the House adjourned,

MONDAY, February 16, 1818.

Mr. Storrs presented a petition of Elizur Steel, praying for a pension.

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

On motion of Mr. Holmes, of Massachusetts.

Ordered, That the petition of Jeremiah Bettes, together with a letter from the Secretary of War, to him (Mr. Holmes) upon the subject of thesaid petition; and,

On motion of Mr. Cook,

Ordered, That the petition of James Wood, presented on the 31st December, 1818, be also referred to the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims.

Mr. Storrs presented a petition of William Handy, stating, that previous to the division of the state of New York, into two judicial districts, certain goods, wares, and merchandise, belonging to him, were seized and libelled, in the northern part of said state, and that

the judge of the southern district refuses to deliver up the proceeds of the sale of said merchandise to await the issue of the trial of the said libel, in the court of the northern district, and praying that an act may be passed, directing the judge of the said southern district to deliver over the said proceeds, together with such records and documents as may now remain on file in said district in relation to the said libel, to the judge of the said northern district.

Mr. Beecher presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the state of Ohio, members of the Legislature of the said state, praying that the circuit and district courts of the United States, within, and for the state of Ohio, may be removed from Chillicothe to Columbus.

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

On motion of Mr. Robertson, of Louisiana,

Ordered, That the petition of Richard Claiborne, presented on the 14th February, 1816, be also referred to the committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. Comstock presented a petition of Sally King, wife of John King, of Alexandria, in the District of Columbia, stating that the said John King abandoned her about four years ago, without any fault on her part, and that he hath made no provision for her support; that he is now living in open adultery with a negro woman, whom he permits to assume his name; and that his whole conduct to her, since their marriage, has been of the most cruel, wanton, and abandoned nature, and praying to be divorced from the said John King.

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

Mr. Tallmadge presented a petition of John J. Johnson, Samuel Plumb, Ralph Patcham, Samuel Bouten. Hannah De Bevoise, and Margaret Duffield, of Brooklyn, in the state of New York, praying compensation for damages sustained by them, in consequence of the occupation of their property by troops of the United States, in the late war with Great Britain.

Mr. Spencer presented a petition of Eli Hart, praying compensation for property destroyed by the enemy in the late war, in consequence of its being in the use and occupancy of the troops of the United States.

Mr. Herkimer presented a petition of John Bedford, praying to be paid the amount of moneys due him for his services as a soldier in the army during the late war, which is withheld in consequence of having been returned as a deserter, when in fact, he was captured by the enemy, and remained in captivity until a few months previous to the conclusion of the war.

Mr. Wendover presented a petition of John B. Smith, a deputy contractor under Elbert Anderson, contractor for supplying rations to one of the armies of the United States, in the late war with

Great Britain, praying to be paid for a number of hides destroyed by the enemy, upon their invasion of the Niagara frontier, in the month of December, 1813.

Mr. Baldwin presented a petition of Nathan W. Curtis, stating that at the commencement of the late war with Great Britain, he resided in Upper Canada, and was possessed of considerable property, and that owning to services which he rendered to the American army, and his known attachment to the cause of the United States, he was compelled to abandon the province; that the whole of his property has been confiscated by the British government, and that he is now destitute in a strange land, with a wife and nine children, and praying for such relief in the premises, as to the wisdom and justice of Congress, may seem meet and proper.

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

Mr. Spencer presented another petition of Eli Hart, praying to be paid the balance which now remains due on a draft, given by a certain James M-Closky, an assistent deputy quartermaster general on the War Department, which is withheld in consequence of said McCloskey's not having settled his accounts at that Departmentment.

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

Mr. Hopkinson presented a petition of sundry dry good merchants, traders, and master tailors, in the city of Philadelphia, praying that the duty on ready made clothes imported into the United States, may be increased.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee of Commerce and Mannfactures.

Mr. Sergeant presented a petition of the Philadelphia Irish Emigrant Society, praying to the same effect with the petition of the New York Irish Emigrant Society, presented by Mr. Taylor on the 13th instant.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committe on the Public Lands.

On motion of Mr. Bloomfield,

Ordered, That the report of the Secretary of War on the peti tion of brigadier general Moses Porter, be referred to the committee on Private Land Claims.

Mr. Rhea, from the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims, made reports on the petitions of Joseph Gwynne, Edward Kain, and Stephen Barnum, which were read, and the resolutions therein contained, were concurred in by the House, as follows:

Resolved, That the prayer of the petitions of Joseph Gwynne, and Edward Kain, ought not to be granted; and that Stephen Barnum have leave to withdraw his petition.

Mr. Rhea also made an unfavorable report on the petition of Cornelius Baldwin, which was read, and ordered to lie on the table.