appointed by the President, and were Messrs. Moseley and Bunce.

On motion, the Council then adjourned.

MONDAY, January 15, 1827.

The Members of the Council met this day at 11 o'clock, agreeably to adjournment on the 1st inst.

Mr. McDonell presented the petition of certain inhabitants of the third township south, range seven, east, praying that said township be set off and organised by the name of "Huron." Read and laid on the table.

On motion of Mr. Burt,

Resolved, That each member of the Council be authorised to order, for his use, any number of newspapers, printed in the Territory, not exceeding twelve, during the present session of the Council; the expense of which shall be defrayed from the contingent fund appropriated by Congress for the expenses of the Council, for the year 1827.

A message on Executive business was received by the hands of Mr. E. A. Brush.

Resolved, That the daily hour, to which the Council shall stand adjourned, be eleven o'clock in the forenoon, until otherwise ordered,

On motion of Mr. Bunce,

Resolved, That the following committees, constituted and appointed at the last session of this Council, be, and they are hereby constituted the standing committees for this session; and that they have leave to report on the unfinished business of the last session, and also on such business as may come before them, by bill or otherwise, viz :

Committee on the Judiciary.

Committee on the Militia.

Committee on Claims.

Committee on Roads.

Committee of Enrolment.

Committee on Territorial Affairs.

Committee on Schools.

Mr. Stockton submitted the following:

Whereas a proposition is now pending before Congress, relative to a separate Territorial Government, which includes the Northwestern part of this Territory-therefore,

Resolved, That a special committee of three members be appointed to inquire into the expediency of such proposition, and that they report upon the same to the Council.

Mr. Irwin moved that the foregoing resolution be adopted, and the motion was decided in the affirmative.

The President announced that he had appointed Messrs. Stockton, Irwin, and Forsyth, to be the select committee contemplated by said resolution.

Mr. McDonell gave notice that he should on Wednesday next, ask leave to bring in "a bill to render civil offices or appointments, derived from the Territorial authority, incompatible with the holding or exercising offices or appointments under the United States, or any of the departments thereof."

On motion of Mr. Stockton, the Council proceeded to the consideration of Executive business; and having disposed of the same, Mr. Forsyth moved that the Council adjourn to the first Monday of February next.

Mr. Stockton moved that the consideration of the motion to adjourn, be postponed until to-morrow; and the motion was agreed to. Mr. McDonell laid the following resolution upon the table:

Resolved, That the committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire into the expediency of passing a legislative act, to define the offence called "a contempt of court," and directing the mode of trial and the punishment thereof.

On motion of Mr. Burt, the Council then adjourned.

TUESDAY, January 16, 1827.

Mr. McDonell laid the following resolutions on the table; Resolved, That a committee of three members be appointed, to be called a "Committee on Expenditures," whose duty it shall be to make contracts relative to the expenses of the Council during the session, and to whom all claims or allowances, chargeable to the contingent fund, shall be referred.

Resolved, That the committee on Claims, when reporting any bill to this Council, in relation to claims or allowances, be instructed to report particularly the items of services performed, or to be performed, or the nature of the claim, as the case may require; so that the members of the Council, as well as the people at large, may know the nature of the claim and the amount of services performed, and for which the several appropriations are made.

Resolved, That all bills of appropriation be printed, after having been reported, at least three days before the same shall be read a second time; that the members of the Council, as well as the people, may have an opportunity of examining the items of appropriation, before the same shall become a law.

On motion of Mr. Forsyth, the Council went into the consideration of the motion made yesterday to adjourn to the first day of February next.

Mr. Forsyth then moved to amend his motion, by substituting the 15th day of February at 11 o'clock A. M. in lieu of the first day of February, and the motion was agreed to.

The question was then taken on the motion to adjourn, as amended; and it was decided in the affirmative.

Mr. Stockton called for the ayes and nays upon the question, and they were taken as follows:

Ayes-Messrs. Bunce, Connor, Dole, Durocher, Edwards, Forsyth, Lawrence, Lacroix, Moseley, McDonell-10. Nays-Messrs. Burt, Irwin, Stockton-3.

The President then declared the Council adjourned.

THURSDAY, February 15, 1827.

Prayer by the Rev. Mr. Wells.

The President presented the petition of John P. Sheldon and Stephen Wells, booksellers and stationers of the city of Detroit, praying, that for reasons stated therein, they may be exempted from the operation of the "act for the assessment and collection of Territorial taxes." Read and laid on the table.

Mr. Durocher presented the petition of sundry inhabitants of the village of Monroe, praying that an act may be passed for the incor poration of said village. Read and referred to the committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. Lacroix presented the petition of Robert Clark, John An derson, and Josiah Wendell, on their own behalf, and in behalf of the citizens of the village of Monroe, praying for the passage of a law to incorporate certain persons as a banking company, under the name and style of "The President, Directors and Company of the Bank of Monroe." Read and referred to the committee on the Judiciary.

1

Mr. Burt presented the petition of sundry inhabitants of the counties of Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb, praying for the appointment of three commissioners, to lay out a road from the city of Detroit to the northeast corner of section thirteen, in township three north and 11th range east, or to some point near thereto. Read and laid

on the table.

Mr. Lawrence presented the petition of sundry inhabitants of the township of Erie, in the county of Monroe, praying that the system of township government, as existing in the State of New-York, may be extended to them, &c. &c. Read and referred to the committee on Territorial affairs.

Mr. McDonell submitted the following preamble and resolution, which were laid on the table:

"Whereas doubts are entertained in the minds of many persons, relative to the validity and legality of all the corporate bodies within this Territory, created by special legislative acts, adopted (as purported) by the Governor and Judges; a number of which acts of incorporation paralise the enterprise and industry of the citizens,

particularly of the farming class of our community, by impeding the communication and free intercourse that is so necessary to the growth and prosperity of a country but thinly populated, and where every encouragement to a vigorous and active emigration is so very desirable; and whereas the said grievances have become a source of complaint by the people in general-and that certain conditions. are annexed to many of said charters, which may never have been complied with:

Therefore Resolved, That a select committee of three be ap pointed, whose duty it shall be to examine particularly into said acts of incorporation, and the propriety of repealing said acts, or any of them-or of confirming any that may be found beneficial to the public; and that said committee be authorised to send for persons and papers, and to report by bill or otherwise."

Mr. Forsyth presented the claim of James May, Jr. for serving as crier to the Circuit Court for Wayne county. Referred to the committee on Claims.

Mr. Stockton moved that a committee of three be appointed to superintend the printing which may be required during the present session of the Legislative Council. The motion was agreed to, and Messrs. Stockton, Forsyth, and McDonell, were appointed said committee.

Mr. McDonell gave notice that he should to-morrow ask leave to bring in a bill to amend an act entitled "an act to regulate the assessment and collection of Territorial taxes."

On motion of Mr. Irwin,

Resolved, That the committee on Printing be instructed to inquire into the expediency of having the daily proceedings of the Council published in the French language, and the additional expense that would be incurred in the execution thereof.

Mr. Forsyth moved that a special committee of three be appointed to superintend the translating of such papers, &c. from the English into the French language, as may be required by the Council during the present session. The motion was agreed to, and

Messrs. Forsyth, Moseley, and Lacroix, were appointed said

committee.

On motion of Mr. Burt, the Council then proceeded to the consi deration of Executive business; and having disposed of the same, On motion of Mr. Irwin, the following resolutions, submitted by Mr. McDonell, on the sixteenth ultimo, were taken up :

"Resolved, That a committee of three members be appointed, to be called a "Committee on Expenditures," whose duty it shall be to make contracts relative to the expenses of the Council during the session, and to whom all claims and allowances, chargeable to the contingent fund, shall be referred.

Resolved, That the committee on Claims, when reporting any bill to this Council, in relation to claims or allowances, be instructed to report particularly the items of services performed, or to be per

formed, or the nature of the claim, as the case may require; so that the members of the Council, as well as the people at large, may know the nature of the claim and the amount of services performed, and for which the several appropriations are made.

Resolved, That all bills of appropriation be printed, after having been reported, at least three days before the same shall be read a second time; that the members of the Council, as well as the people, may have an opportunity of examining the items of appropriation, before the same shall become a law."

Mr. Irwin moved to amend by striking out all of the 2d and 3d of the foregoing resolutions; whereupon

Mr. McDonell moved that leave be given him to withdraw said 2d and 3d resolutions; and the motion was agreed to.

Mr. Moseley then moved that the consideration of the remaining resolution be postponed until to-morrow; and the motion was decided in the affirmative.

On motion of Mr. Burt, the Council then adjourned.

FRIDAY, February 16, 1827.

Prayer by the Rev. Mr. Wells.

Mr. Burt presented the petition of sundry inhabitants of the Territory of Michigan, praying for the incorporation of certain persons as a company, for the purpose of improving the navigation of Clinton River.

Mr. Burt moved that the said petition be referred to a special committee of three members. The motion was decided in the af firmative, and

Messrs. Burt, Lawrence, and Stockton, were appointed said committee.

Mr. McDonell moved for leave to bring in a bill to amend the act entitled "an act to regulate the assessment and collection of Territorial taxes.' The motion was agreed to; and

Messrs. McDonell, Lacroix, and Connor, were appointed a committee to prepare said bill.

The Council then took up for consideration the resolution relative to the appointment of a committee on expenditures; and

Mr. Irwin moved that said resolution be amended so as to read as follows:

Resolved, That a committee of three members be appointed, to be called the "Committee on Expenditures," whose duty it shall be to contract for committee rooms, stationery, fuel, and such other conveniences as may be required by this Council, and which is authorised to be paid for out of the contingent fund; and that accounts made in pursuance of contracts by said committee, be referred to, and passed upon by them.

Mr. Stockton moved that the resolution submitted as an amend