The question was then taken, Shall the said bill be engrossed and read a third time, And passed in the affirmative. Yeas.................106, Nays..................34. 34. The yeas and nays being required by one-fifth of the members Ordered, That the said bill be read athird time to-morrow. The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting the annual statements of the importations of merchandise in American and foreign vessels for one year, ending on the 30th September, 1816; which was ordered to lie on the table. The Speaker also laid before the House another letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting sundry statements presented in obedience to "An act establishing a mint and regulating the coins of the United States;" which was ordered to lie on the table. The Speaker also laid before the House sundry papers, transmitted to him by the Secretary of State, being the remainder of those referred to in his report of the 14th March, accompanying the mesmage of the President of the United States of that date; which papers were ordered to lie on the table. And then the House adjourned. THURSDAY, April 16, 1818. Mr. Poindexter presented sundry documents in relation to the charges against judge Toulmin, which were referred to the committee on the Judiciary. Mr. Wilson, of Pennsylvania, from the joint committee for Enrolled Bills, reported that the committee did, this day, present to the President of the United States the enrolled bills the examination of which was reported yesterday. Mr. Wilson also reported, that the committee had examined enrolled bills entitled An act to enable the people of the Illinois territory to form a constitution and state government, and for the admission of such state into the union on an equal footing with the original states; An act to abolish the port of delivery established at the mouth of Slade's Creek, in the state of North Carolina; An act fixing the time for the next meeting of Congress; An act for the relief of Thomas Miller and Stephen Baker; An act for the relief of Major General Jacob Brown; An act concerning navigation; and An act to suspend for a limited time the sale or forfeiture of lands for failure in completing the payment thereon; And found the same to be truly enrolled: when, The Speaker signed the said bills. Ordered, That the Clerk acquaint the Senate therewith. Mr. Lowndes, from the committee of Ways and Means, to which was referred the bill from the Senate, entitled "An act authorizing a subscription for the Statistical Annals by Adam Seybert, and the purchase of Pitkin's Commercial Statistics, reported the same without amendment. Ordered, that the said bill be committed to a committee of the whole to-morrow, Mr. H. Nelson, from the committee on the Judiciary, to which was committed the bill from the Senate, entitled "An act in addition to an act to incorporate the subscribers to the bank of the United States," reported the same without amendment. A motion was then made, that the said bill be postponed in definitely; And the question being taken thereon, It passed in the affirmative, Yeas.............85. The yeas and nays being required by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative, are Ordered, That the Clerk acquaint the Senate therewith. Mr. T. M. Nelson, from the committee on Military Affairs, reported a bill to authorize the recovery of public moneys; which was read a first and second time, and ordered to be engrossed and read a third time to-morrow. On motion of Mr. Poindexter, Resolved, That the committee of Commerce and Manufactures be instructed to inquire into the expediency of giving effect, by law, to an act passed by the general assembly of the state of Mississippi, entitled "An act making appropriations for the use of the Natchez Hospital." On motion of Mr. Hugh Nelson, Resolved, That the committee of Accounts be authorized and directed to make the same allowance for extra services to the persons serving this House as were granted at the end of the last session, and to Christopher Dunn, for his services, fifty dollars. On motion of Mr. Robertson, of Louisiana, Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to obtain from the Spanish authorities all records and official documents appertaining to the government of Louisiana, particularly such as concern grants and titles to land which may have been taken out of that country at the period of its cession to the United States. Mr. Robertson and Mr. Irving were appointed a committee to present the said resolution to the President of the United States. On motion of Mr. Robertson, Resolved, That the memorials and petitions relative to land claims which have been addressed to this House from the state of Louisiana and the territory of Missouri, be referred to the Secretary of the Treasury, and that he be instructed to report to Congress, at its next session, a plan for their final adjustment and settlement. Ordered, That leave be given to withdraw the petitions of Louis Doliver, Sylviant Mottus, John Forbes & Co. Alexander Murray, Daniel Evans, and the representatives of Joseph Clay. Mr. Lewis submitted the following proposition of amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which was read and ordered to lie on the table: Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, two-thirds of the same concurring, That the following sections be recommended to the several states of the union, for their adoption, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States: I. The President of the United States shall not, in future, have the power of approving or disapproving any bill, or bills, or joint resolutions, passed by the Senate and House of Representatives. H. The Senate and House of Representatives of the United States shall, by joint ballot, appoint to offices, and fill all vacancies in the judiciary of the United States. III. The Senate and House of Representatives of the United States shall appoint, by joint ballot, the following heads of departments, whose term of service shall continue years; but may be removed from office at any time during the term for which they were elected, for inability to discharge the duties of office, or for high crimes and misdemeanors: 1st. A Secretary of the Treasury, who shall appoint all officers belonging to the Department of the Treasury. |