Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee on Public Lands. By Mr. Ficklin: A petition of citizens of Crawford county, Illinois, praying for a grant of a portion of the unsold lands in the Wabash valley, for the improvement of the navigation of the Wabash river from Terre Haute to the Ohio river; Also, the proceedings of a public meeting of citizens of Lawrence county, Illinois, in favor of the same object. By Mr. Steenrod: All the petitions and memorials heretofore presented, and on the files of the House, praying for an appropriation for the erection. of a bridge across the Ohio river at Wheeling. By Mr. Schenck: A petition of citizens of the State of Ohio, praying for an appropriation for the completion of the Cumberland road. Ordered, That the said petitions, memorials, and proceedings be referred to the Committee on Roads and Canals. By Mr. Dunlap: A petition of citizens of Portland, Maine, praying for indemnity for spoliations committed by the French prior to the year 1800: referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. By Mr. Joseph A. Wright: A petition of Violet Calhoun, widow of John Calhoun, who was a soldier in the revolutionary war, praying for a pension: referred to the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions. By Mr. Harper: A petition of citizens of Muskingum county, Ohio, praying for such an amendment of the Constitution that the representation in Congress may be in proportion to the free population in the States, respectively referred to the select committee on the subject. By Mr. Dickey: A petition of citizens of Erie county, Pennsylvania, praying for an appropriation for the prosecution of the public work at the harbor of Erie. By Mr. Sample: A memorial of citizens of South Bend, in the State of Indiana, praying for an appropriation for continuing the public work at the harbor of Michigan city, in said State. By Mr. Stiles: A memorial of the chamber of commerce and of the commissioners of pilotage for the city of Savannah, praying for the establishment of lights and beacons in the Savannah river. Ordered, That the said petition and memorials be referred to the Committee on Commerce. By Mr. Owen: A memorial of George H. Evans, of the State of Indiana, praying for the settlement of the Territory of Oregon "on the agrarian plan :" referred to the Committee on the Territories. By Mr. Carroll: The petition of Anne W. Angus-heretofore presented January 18, 1842. By Mr. Phoenix: A petition of John S. Gilbert, of the city of New York, praying that all appropriations for dry-docks may be withheld until his plan can be examined by competent judges. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs. By Mr. Beardsley: A petition of Parmela Slavin, of Oneida county, New York, formerly Parmela Blue, widow of John Blue, deceased, praying for a pension in consideration of the services rendered, and the disabilities incurred, by the said decedent, in the war of 1812 with Great Britain. By Mr. Dickey: A petition of Christian Poorman, of Beaver county, Pennsylvania, praying for compensation for his services to the United States in the war of 1812 with Great Britain. By Mr. St. John: A petition of Alpheus McIntyre, of the State of Ohio, who was a soldier in the war of 1812 with Great Britain, and who was placed on the pension roll in 1826, praying for arrears of pension. By Mr. Joseph A. Wright: A petition of Lucy Johnson, of the State of Indiana, praying for a pension. By Mr. McConnell: A petition of John H. Gooldsby, of Cherokee county, Alabama, praying for compensation for services rendered and disabilities incurred in the war of 1812 with Great Britain. By Mr. Cave Johnson: A petition of Elizabeth Ragan, widow of Robert Ragan, praying for compensation for the services of her late husband in the war of 1812 with Great Britain. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. John Stewart: Thirty-four petitions from citizens of New Haven, Connecticut, praying for a revision of the post office laws in relation to franking, and for a reduction in the rates of postage. By Mr. St. John: A petition of citizens of Crawford county, Ohio, praying for a mail-route. By Mr. Perley B. Johnson: A poetical petition of eighty-one ladies of McConnellsville, Ohio, praying for a reduction in the rates of postage and the abolition of the franking privilege; Also, a petition of citizens of Washington county, Ohio, praying for the same object. By Mr. Florence: A petition of Gideon Peters and Company, of Lancaster, Ohio, praying that payment be made to them for leather sold to A. H. Patterson for the purpose of being manufactured into mail-bags for the use of the United States; which mail-bags were destroyed by fire when ready to be delivered to the agents of the Post Office Department. By Mr. A petition of citizens of Cayuga county, New York, praying for the establishment of a mail-route from Baldwinsville to Wolcott, in said State. By Mr. Preston King: A petition of citizens of St. Lawrence county, New York, praying for a reduction of the rates of postage, and a restriction of the franking privilege. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads. Mr. Wise moved the following resolution; and the rule requiring the same to lie upon the table being dispensed with, it was considered and agreed to, to wit: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Navy be requested to report to this House a detailed statement of the expenditures for daily cost of the sick per man in each of the naval hospitals and naval stations within the United States for the last ten years, with a detailed statement of the expenditures of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery since its establishment up to the present time, as well for the bureau itself, as for each of the hospitals and stations referred to; together with a statement, in detail, of all unpaid claims against said bureau, of any nature or character whatsoever. And to report further, what contracts are in existence for supplying the navy with butter and cheese, when and by whom they were made, and when they will terminate; together with all the correspondence of the Secretary of the Navy concerning them. Mr. Hopkins gave notice of a motion to amend the 133d rule of the House of Representatives, by adding thereto the following words: "But the House may at any time, by a vote of a majority of the members present, suspend the rules and orders for the purpose of going into committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union; and also of providing for the discharge of the Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union from the consideration of any bill referred to it, after acting without debate on all amendments pending, and that may be offered." On motion of Mr. Cave Johnson, The House, at half-past 4 o'clock, p. m., adjourned until to-morrow, at 12 o'clock meridian. SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 1844. A motion was made by Mr. Schenck that the rules in relation to the order of business be suspended, to enable Mr. Giddings to make an explanation to the House in relation to an article contained in the Globe, newspaper, of yesterday. And the question being put, It was decided in the negative, {eas, Two-thirds not voting in favor thereof. The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are Mr John Quincy Adams John B. Ashe James E. Belser Julius W. Blackwell Edward Cross Alvan Cullom Garrett Davis Richard D. Davis Solomon Foot Henry D. Foster Henry Frick Mr. Thomas W. Gilmer Those who voted in the negative are Mr. J Phillips Phoenix Mr. Absalom H. Chappell Mr. John B. Dawson James Del el Alexander Duncan Mr. Cave Johnson George W. Jones Mr. James H. Relfe On motion of Mr. Dean, Resolved, That the Committee of Elections be instructed to inquire into the expediency of providing by law that the election for the electors of President and Vice President of the United States shall be held on one and the same day throughout the several States of the Union. Mr. Hughes moved the following resolutions; which were read, and, the rule requiring the same to lie upon the table one day being dispensed with, they were considered and agreed to: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Navy be required to inform the House 1st. How many establishments of a national character are established for the manufacture of hemp for the navy, when established, and what the annual cost. 2d. What is the quantity of hemp consumed, and cordage or canvass, or other manufacture of hemp, manufactured at each. 3d. What is the kind of hemp used, foreign or domestic; and what the cost of "each" per ton at each establishment. 4th. What experiments or inquiries (if any) have been made to determine the relative value of foreign and domestic hemp, and what the result. 5th. What has been the annual quantity of cordage manufactured or purchased for the navy within the last five years, and whether made of foreign or domestic hemp; and also the quantity of canvass required for the navy within the last five years-how much thereof domestic, and how much of foreign manufacture. And also that he be required to inform the House whether the joint resolution of the Senate and House of Representatives establishing hemp agencies in the States of Kentucky and Missouri for the purchase of water-rotted hemp, approved February, 1843, for the use of the navy, has been carried into effect in part or in whole; if the former, the reasons for it. And that he also inform this House of the expenses of cultivating hemp in this district, under the direction of the Secretary of the Navy; and the persons employed, and the price paid them, and the quantity of land in cultivation. Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be required to inform the House what has been the annual quantity of foreign hemp, cordage, canvass, and cotton bagging for the last five years, distinguishing the tons, yards, or pounds of each, the value, and from whence imported, and the quantity of these re-exported. Mr. Holmes moved the following resolution; which was read, and, the rule requiring it to lie one day upon the table being suspended, it was considered and agreed to: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury report to this House the amount of moneys received from the Government of Mexico under the treaty of indemnity; the amounts paid for transporting the said moneys to the United States; the names of persons to whom compensation has been paid; and the amount of moneys transported in the vessels of the United States navy. And further, that he inform this House why compensation has been refused to Commander J. D. Knight for bringing on one of the instalments of the Mexican indemnity. Mr. Simons moved the following resolution; and, the rule requiring it to lie one day upon the table being dispensed with, it was considered and agreed to, viz: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Navy be directed to furnish to this House a tabular statement of the salaries and payments made to officers, overseers, superintendents, and laborers; designating the yearly, monthly, and daily salaries or wages of each, and the prices of job-work in the several navy-yards, and other public works under his departinent, during the years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842, and 1843. Mr. Wilkins, from the Committee on the Judiciary, made a report upon the petition of William Jones, accompanied by a bill (No. 56) to extend to the District of Columbia the provisions of an act entitled "An act respecting fugitives from justice, and persons escaping from the service of their masters," approved February 12, 1793, and to repeal certain laws: which bill was read a first and second time, and committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. Saunders submitted the views of the minority of the Committee on the Judiciary upon the said petition of William Jones: which were also committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. St. John gave notice of a motion for leave to introduce a bill to continue the law authorizing certain pre-emption rights to lots of land situate in the town of Perrysburg, in the State of Ohio. Mr. Jacob Brinkerhoff moved the following resolution; which was read, and ordered to lie upon the table one day, under the rule: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Navy be directed to report to this House a list of the names of all the officers of the navy above the rank of midshipman, specifying the grade, age, and residence of each; the time when each officer respectively was last engaged in active duty, under the orders of the Navy Department; and when the absence from active duty in any case exceeds six months prior to the first day of the present month, a brief statement of the reasons which, in each case respectively, have governed the department in permitting such absence; and, also, the amount of pay per annum of an officer of each grade respectively, when not engaged in active duty. Mr. Hardin gave notice of a motion for leave to introduce a bill to authorize the inhabitants of township nineteen north, of range nine west, of the third principal meridian, in Cass county, Illinois, to exchange their present school section. On motion of Mr. Sample, Resolved, That the Committee on Indian Affairs be directed to ascertain and report to the House whether the claims against the Pottawatomie and other tribes of Indians, examined by William B. Mitchell, esq., a commissioner appointed by the Secretary of War in 1840, as confirmed by the War Department, can be liquidated on any other principle than |