1 Mr. Pleasants, from the committee on Naval Affairs, made an unfavorable report on the petition of Flannigain & Parsons, which was read and ordered to lie on the table. Mr. Pleasants, from the same committee, also reported a bill authorizing the distribution of a sum of money among the represen tatives of commodore Edward Preble, and the officers and crew of the brig Syren, which was read the first and second time and committed to a committee of the whole, on Monday next. Mr. Harrison, from the committee appointed for that purpose, reported a bill to extend for a further term of five years, the pen sions heretofore granted to the widows and orphans of the officers and soldiers who died, or were killed in the late war; which was read the first and second time and committed to a committtee of the whole, on Monday next. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Cutts, their Secretary: Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed the bill, entitled "An act for the relief of Israel Smith." And then he withdrew. On motion of Mr. Thomas M. Nelson, Resolved, That the committee on Naval Affairs, and the committee on Military Affairs, be instructed to inquire into the expedi ency of amending the laws granting pensions to invalids, so as to require of the pensioners, evidence of a continuation of the disabili ty which entitles them to pensions, at the time of each application for the payment thereof; and to provide also, that whenever any pensioner shall accept an appointment of profit, under the general government, his pension shall cease. On motion of Mr. Hendricks, Resolved, That the committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing the following post roads, viz: from fort Harrison, through the counties of Monroe and Lawrence, to Brownstown; from Peola, by the way of Orleans, to the seat of justice of the county of Lawrence; from Salem, by the way of Bono, to the seat of justice of the county of Monroe; and from Madison, through Graham, to Brownstown; all in the state of Indiana. Ordered, That the report of the committee on the Public lands, on the petition of Bernhard Steiner, be committed to a committee of the whole, on Saturday next. The House resumed the consideration of the bill, by which the right of citizenship may be relinquished; and the question recurred on the motion depending on Saturday last, at the time of adjournment, viz: that the said bill be laid on the table; Which being withdrawn; A motion was then made by Mr. Johnson, of Virginia, further to amend the said bill by striking out the 2d section, except the enacting clause, and inserting the following, viz: “That whereas, sundry persons who had been citizens of the United States of America, and who had exercised the right of dissolving the connexion which bound them to the United States in the character of citizens, by voluntarily, and regularly becoming citizens or subjects of other governments, have been held bound to answer in the character of citizens, in the courts of the United States, for offences alleged to have been committed subsequently to the exercise of this right; and for which, citizens only would be amenable, in the said courts. And whereas, in the Declaration of Independence, of the thirteen United States of America, the following truths are held to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Therefore be it enacted, and it is hereby expressly enacted and declared, that all men do possess the right to seek their happiness in any climate, and under any form of government they may elect; and that, consequently, the right to dissolve the connexion which binds the individual to the government of the United States, in the character of citizen, and to form a similar connexion with any other government, is equally unalienable, and founded on truth equally self evident." The said amendment being read; A motion was made by Mr. Colston, that the said bill and amendment be postponed indefinitely. And the question being taken thereon, It was determined in the negative, {Nay Yeas....................73, The yeas and nays being required by one-fifth of the members. present, Those who voted in the affirmative, are Anderson, Ken. Mr. Hale, Hall, N. C. Harrison, Robertson, Ken. Robertson, Lou Sampson, Savage, Seybert, Stewart, N. C. Strother, Tucker, Va. Tucker, S. C. A motion was then made by Mr. Barbour, of Virginia, to amend the said amendment, by striking out the word enacted, where it first occurs, and to insert declared; and to strike out the words "enacted and" in the succeeding line; which was rejected by the House. The question was then taken on the amendment proposed by Mr. Johnson; And determined in the negative. A motion was made by Mr. Robertson, of Louisiana, further to amend the said bill by striking out the 2d section except the enacting clause, and inserting the following, viz: "That in all prosecutions which may hereafter be instituted against any person for having engaged in military, or naval service, for, or against any foreign power, when without the jurisdiction of the United States, who, before the commission of the fact with which he may stand charged, shall have been a citizen of the United States, but shall have exercised his right of expatriation, by becoming the citizen or subject of any foreign state or community by adoption, it shall be lawful for such person to give such fact of expatriation in evidence. upon the general issue, and if upon the trial of such person so charged as aforesaid, he shall prove such fact to the satisfaction of the jury, he shall be discharged from such prosecution." ble. The said amendment being read, was ordered to lie on the ta Several messages, in writing. were received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Joseph Jones Monroe, his Secretary. The first of the said messages is as follows: To the Senate and House of Representatives: The Commissioners of the two governments, under the 4th article of the treaty of Ghent, having come to a decision upon the questions submitted to them, I lay before Congress copies of that decision, together with copies of the declaration, signed and reported by the Commissioners, to this government. Washington, February 25, 1818. The second message is as follows: JAMES MONROE. To the House of Representatives of the United States: I lay before the House, a report from the Secretary of State, together with the papers relating to the claims of merchants of the United States, upon the government of Naples, in conformity with the resolution of the House, of the 30th January last. Washington, February 28, 1818. The third message is as follows: JAMES MONROE. To the House of Representatives of the United States: I communicate herewith to the House of Representatives, a copy. of a letter from the governor of the state of South Carolina, to the Secretary of State, together with extracts from the journals of proceedings, in both branches of the legislature of that commonwealth, relative to a proposed amendment of the Constitution; which letter and extracts are connected with the subject of my communication to the House, of the 6th instant. February 27, 1818. JAMES MONROE. The said messages were severally read, and ordered to lie on the table. The Speaker laid before the House, a letter from the governor of the state of Maryland, transmitting a resolution of the general assembly of that state, respecting the selection and appropriation of a site for the monument to the memory of major general the baron De Kalb, ordered to be erected by a resolution of Congress of the 14th October, 1780. The said resolution was read, and referred to the committee of Ways and Means. And then the House adjourned. TUESDAY, March 3, 1818. On motion of Mr. Folger, Ordered, That the petition of Eleazer Nickerson, presented on the 25th March, 1816, be referred to the committee of Commerce and Manufactures. Mr. Ruggles presented a petition of Samuel Burr, praying payment of certain Loan Office certificates, issued in the revolutionary war. Mr. Mason, of Rhode Island, presented a petition of Gabriel Allen, praying for a reimbursement of the moneys advanced by him for the public service, while an officer in the revolutionary army; and that he may be allowed and paid the depreciation of pay and commutation of half pay to which he conceives himself entitled in consideration of his services aforesaid. Mr. Irving, of New York, presented a petition of Sarah Stotesbury, and others, daughters and only surviving children of Hugh Hughes, deceased, a quartermaster general in the revolutionary army, praying that the accounts of the said Hughes may be adjusted, and that they may be allowed for advances of money made by him for the public use, as also, compensation for his personal services. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims. Mr. Wilson, of Massachusetts, presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the counties of Hancock and Penobscot, in the District of Maine, praying for the establishment of a post route. Mr. Floyd presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the state of Virginia, also 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. |