IN SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES,

FEBRUARY 12, 1821.

The following motion was submitted by Mr. TALBOT for consideration:

Resolved, That the bill to establish an uniform system of Bankruptcy throughout the United States, be committed to the Committee on the Judiciary, with instructions to report amendments thereto, which shall secure to all classes of the community, other than the descriptions of persons contained in the first section of the bill, the privilege, at their election, of becoming voluntary bankrupts, with the consent and approbation of a major part, in value, of all the creditors of such voluntary bankrupt, previously obtained and duly certified. And further providing, that such bankrupt shall be subjected to the same proceedings, and liable to the same penalties, fines, and forfeitures, and be entitled to all the privileges, benefits, and advantages, as are provided for, and made applicable to, all other bankrupts by the regulations of the said bill.

IN SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES,

FEBRUARY 13, 1821.

Mr. SMITH, from the Committee on the Judiciary, to which was referred the petition of William Pancoast, made the following REPORT:

The petitioner states, "that he obtained a patent for a certain tract of land, situate in the county of Washington, in the District of Columbia, called Pancoast's Adventure, bearing date the first day of October, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-nine; and conceiving an opinion that he had discovered some more vacant land thereunto adjoining, he applied to the land office of Maryland for a warrant of resurvey, on the day of the date of the said patent, which warrant he received and placed in the hands of Mr. John Magill, surveyor for Prince George's county, the then name of the county where the land lies, but the surveyor not laying the same, he applied for a second warrant, within twelve months of the date of the first, agreeably to the requisition of the law, and presented it to the surveyor, previously to the period when Congress assumed the jurisdiction of the District of Columbia, with a view to have the same executed for his benefit, which the surveyor refused to do, and prays for relief."

On the 16th of July, 1790, the Congress of the United States passed a law to authorize the acceptance of a district of territory, not exceeding ten miles square, to be located, &c. at the some place between the mouths of the Eastern Branch and Connogochegue, &c. for the permanent seat of the government of the United States; to this is annexed the following proviso: "That the operation of the laws of the state within such district shall not be affected by this acceptance, until the time fixed for the removal of the government thereto, and until Congress shall otherwise by law provide.'

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On the 19th of December, 1791, the legislature of Maryland passed the following law:

"SEC, 2. Be it enacted, &c. That all that part of the said territory, called Columbia, which lies within the limits of this state, shall be, and the same is hereby acknowledged to be, forever ceded and relinquished to the Congress and government of the United States, in full and absolute right and exclusive jurisdiction, as well of soil, as persons residing, or to reside thereon, pursuant to the tenor and

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