ment of an additional number of Deputy or Assistant Quartermasters, with a view of securing a more effective responsibility in the disbursements of property in that Department.

A message was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Everett, his Secretary, notifying that the President did, on the 15th instant, approve and sign “ An act making a partial appropriation for the service of the year 1824."

Ordered, That the Clerk do acquaint the Senate therewith.

The House resolved itself into a committee of the whole House on the bill further to amend the act authorizing payment for property lost, captured, or destroyed, by the enemy, while in the military service of the United States. and for other purposes, passed April 9th, 1816; and, after some time spent therein, the Speaker resumed the Chair, and Mr. Campbell, of Ohio, reported that the committee had, according to order, had the said bill under consideration, and made some progress therein.

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

And then the House adjourned.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1824.

Ordered, That the several petitions and memorials presented to this House at the last session of Congress, and which were referred to committees, and not reported upon, be again referred to the committees to which they were referred, respectively, at the last session.

Mr. O'Brien presented a petition of Daniel Small, Elias Foss, Benjamin Day and Harvey Libbey, of the state of Maine, soldiers of the Revolution, praying for pensions; which petition was referred to the Committee on Revolutionary Claims.

Mr. Allen, of Massachusetts. presented a petition of Joshua Wheeler, of the state of Massachusetts, a soldier of the late war with Great Britain;

Mr. Francis Johnson presented a petition of Archibald Felts, a soldier of the Revolution; praying, respectively, to be placed on the pension list..

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims.

On motion of Mr. Jennings,

Ordered, That the petition of Samuel Littel. heretofore presented, on the 19th Feb. 1823, be referred to the Committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims.

Mr. Crowninshield presented a petition of Susan Decatur, widow and legal representative of Capt. Stephen Decatur. of the navy of the United States, for herself, and in behalf of all the officers and others, who were under the command of the said Stephen Decatur, in the ketch "Intrepid," at the destruction of the frigate Philadelphia,” · in the harbor of Tripoli, on the night of the 16th of Feb. 1804, pray

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ing compensation for the destruction of the said frigate Philadelphia; which petition was referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs.

Mr. Ten Eyck presented the petition of the postmasters on the road from Syracuse to Watertown, in the state of New York, praying for the establishment of a post route; which was referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads.

Mr. Francis Johnson presented a petition of Robert Huston, pray. ing compensation for supplies furnished a detachment of militia, in the service of the United States, in the year 1812.

Mr. Call presented a petition signed by late Spanish officers and individual Spanish inhabitants of Florida, praying compensation for losses sustained during the military operations in Florida, in the late war between the United States and Great Britain.

Mr. Richard, delegate from the territory of Michigan, presented a petition of Daniel D. Norton, praying compensation for two horses taken from him by the British troops in the late war.

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

Mr. John T. Johnson presented a petition of Richard Gaines, stating that he has purchased a quarter section of land of the United States, and paid, in part, for the same; that he is unable to pay the balance now due, and praying that he may be permitted to retain such portion of the land as has been paid for.

Mr. Conway presented a petition of H. Boswell, William Noland, Bernard Smith, and Benjamin Desha, Registers and Receivers of the Land Office of the United States in the territory of Arkansas, praying for an increase of compensation.

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee on the Public Lands.

Mr. Hamilton, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported a bill making certain alterations in the mode of making payment to the enlisted soldiers of the army of the United States, in order to prevent the crime of desertion; which bill was read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole House to-morrow.

Ordered, That the Committee on the Public Lands be discharged from the further consideration of the petitions of Wm. Hambly, Thomas Goff, and Elizabeth Cox, former wife of Thomas Bills, and of the children of said Bills; and that the said petitions be referred to the Committee on Private Land Claims.

Mr. Whittlesey, from the Committee of Claims, made an unfavorable report on the petition of Thomas H. Bradford; which was laid upon the table.

Ordered, That the Committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims be discharged from the consideration of the petitions of Joseph Patton, William Grady, and William Lewis, and that they be referred to the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions; also, from the consideration of the petition of Thomas Burke, and that it lie on the table; and from the consideration of the petition of John Bryan, and that it be referred to the Secretary of War.

Mr. Little, from the Committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims, made unfavorable reports on the petitions of Cason Morriset, and Nathaniel Hicock; which were ordered to lie upon the table.

On motion of Mr. Scott,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Public Lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of repealing or amending so much of the act of Congress of the 26th May, 1824, entitled "An act enabling the claimants to land within the limits of the state of Missouri and territory of Arkansas to institute proceedings to try the validity of their claims," as imposes on the claimants the costs and charges incident to the presentation and prosecution of their claims, under the provisions of said act.

On motion of Mr. M'Arthur,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post route from the town of Chillicothe, in the county of Ross, by Greenfield and Leesburg, in the county of Highland, and Wilmington, in the county of Clinton, to Lebanon, in the county of Warren, in the state of Ohio.

On motion of Mr. Sandford,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be intructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post route from Columbia, in Maury County, by Hart's Cross Roads, Williamsville, at Rockspring, Fishing Ford, Duck River, Hooper's Cross Roads, Monroe's, on Cane Creek, to Fayetteville, in Lincoln county, and to Pulaski, in Giles county, in the state of Tennessee.

On motion of Mr. Adams,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a mail route from the town of Murray, in Genesse county, and state of New York, by way of Clarendon and Byron, to the village of Batavia, in the said county of Gennesce.

On motion of Mr. Conway,

Resolved. That the Committee on Indian Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of organizing all the territory of the United States lying west of the state of Missouri and territories of Arkansas and Michigan, into a separate territory, to be occupied exclusively by the Indians; and of authorizing the President of the United States to adopt such measures as he may think best to colonize all the Indians of the present states and territories permanently within the same.

On motion of Mr. Call,

Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means be instructed to inquire into the expediency of allowing a compensation to John Miller, Clerk of the District Court of West Florida, and Benjamin Wyman, Deputy Marshal, for services rendered in the examination of claims arising under the 9th article of the late treaty between Spain and the United States.

On motion of Mr. M'Coy,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads inquire into the expediency of establishing a post route from Harrisonburg, in the county of Rockingham, to Franklin, in the county of Pendleton, in the state of Virginia.

On motion of Mr. Gurley,

Resolved, That the Committee on Private Lands Claims be instructed to inquire into the expediency of granting to actual settlers, reported by the Commissioners of the Land Office at St. Helena Court-house, in the state of Louisiana, under the act of Congress of the 3d of March, 1819, a right of pre-emption to one section of land, including their improvements, in all cases where such settler is not entitled to said land as a donation, or by title derived from, or confirmed by, the go. vernment of the United States.

On motion of Mr. Tracy,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post route from Fredonia, through Gerry and by St. Clairsville to Jamestown, in the county of Chautauque, in the state of New York.

On motion of Mr. Adams,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a mail route from the Post Office in the town of Gaines, in the county of Genessee, and state of New York, to the post office in the town of Barré in the same county.

On motion of Mr. Long,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post route from Pittsborough, by Joseph L. Brook's, William Lindley's store, Albright's store, Jehu Carter's, Long's store, Jonathan Hadly's mill, Mebane's store, to Greensborough, in North Carolina.

On motion of Mr. Ellis,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post route from Pennsborough, in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, on the state road, passing by Webster's tavern. to Meansville, in Bradford county.

Mr. Cambreleng laid the following resolution on the table for consideration to-morrow, viz:

Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to communicate to this House, if compatible with the public interest, the correspondence with the Spanish government, relating to the piracies of the island of Cuba.

Mr. Brent offered the following resolution, which was read and laid upon the table.

Resolved, That the report of the Secretary of the Treasury, relative to the claim of the Marquis de Maison Rouge to a large tract of land in the state of Louisiana, situated in the parishes of Ouachita and Catahoula, together with the accompanying documents, which were re

ferred to the Committee on Private Land Claims at the last session of Congress, and upon which a bill was passed in this House, and lost in the Senate, be referred to the committee appointed to act upon the claim of the Baron de Bastrop; and that the Committee have leave to report by bill or otherwise.

An engrossed bill, entitled "An act to confirm certain claims to land in the western district of Louisiana," was read the third time and passed.

Ordered, That the title be as aforesaid, and that the Clerk do carry the said bill to the Senate, and ask their concurrence therein.

The House again resolved itself into a committee of the whole on the bill further to amend the act authorizing the payment for property lost. captured, or destroyed by the enemy, while in the military service of the United States, and for other purposes; and, after some time spent therein, the Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Campbell of Ohio, reported that the committee had, according to order, again had the said bill under consideration, and made further progress therein. Ordered, That the committee of the whole House have leave to sit again on the said bill.

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

And the House then adjourned.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1824.

Mr. Longfellow presented a petition of Ebenezer Lord, of the state of Maine, praying for a pension, in consideration of injuries sustained while in the military service, in the late war with Great Britain.

Mr. Foote, of New York, presented a petition of Sebra Backus, widow of Electus Backus, who died of wounds received in battle, while commanding a regiment in the army, in the late war with Great Britain, praying for a continuance of the pension heretofore granted to herself and the children of the said Electus Backus.

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims.

Mr. Lathrop presented a memorial of David Porter, Thomas S. Williams, and William H. Imlay, on behalf of citizens of the state of Connecticut, praying that an examination and survey of the river Connecticut may be made by authority of the United States, with a view to the improvement of the navigation of that river.

The Speaker presented a memorial of Reuben A. Carter, of the state of Tennessee, suggesting a mode for the improvement of the navigation of the rivers Ohio and Mississippi, which, in the opinion of the memorialist. is preferable to that laid down in the act of the last session for the improvement of said rivers, and praying Congress to adopt the plans proposed by him, and that he may be appointed to superintend the execution thereof.

Ordered, That the said memorials be referred to the Committee on Roads and Canals.