and the proceeds of the sale ordered to be refun- ||tuality was produced by events which those who ded. In the mean time, the ck of the court were subject to pay it could not control. had absconded, with the moneys in his hands, and it was the purpose of this amendment to pay the amount out of the public treasury. Some debate took place on the amendment, in which it was opposed on the ground that the cir. cumstances of the case had not been investigated by a committee of the House; that there were numerous claims of our own citizens which would be unsuccessful at this session, from the want of time to act on them; that this case ought not to have preference, &c. The amendment was sup ported on the merits and extreme hardness of the case, and the injustice of withholding payment, &c. The disagreement to this amendment was concurred in by the House, and the bill again sent to the Senate. Monday, March 1. On motion of Mr. Spencer, it was Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be requested to transmit to Congress, at an early period in its next session, a general statement of the condition of the Bank of the United States and its offices, similar to the returns made to him by the Bank; and a statement exhibiting, as near. ly as may be practicable, the amount of capital invested in the different chartered banks in the several states, and in the District of Columbia, the amount of notes issued by those banks in circulation, the public and private deposites in them, the amount of discounts and loans made by them and remaining unpaid, and the total quantity of specie they possess. And that he be requested, also, to report such measures as in his opinion In debate on Saturday the 27th ult. on the may be expedient to procure and retain a suffiproposition to take off the back interest on such cient quantity of gold and silver coin in the Unitof the public debtors, for the purchase of lands,ed States, or to supply a circulating medium in as shall pay the instalments which are due prior place of specie, adapted to the exigency of the to the 20th March, 1820, Mr. Poindexter and country, and within the power of the governMr. Barbour spoke against the amendment, and Mr. Harrison in favor of it; the former upon the ground of its being a new principle, which ought not to be adopted without a greater necessity than now appeared to exist; that the bill to which the amendment was offered prevented a forfeit ure of such lands as were not paid for one year longer; that this was going far enough: the pur chasers had the advantage of the rise of the iand and it was no hardship to make them pay the back interest, which even a court of equity would have made them pay for not complying with their contracts. ment. The House, on motion of Mr. Poindexter, agreed, by a vote of 48 to 44, to postpone the preceding orders of the day, and take up the report of the select committee on the petition of the surviving officers of the revolutionary army. The report concludes with the following resolution: Resolved, That each officer of the revolutionary army who was entitled to half pay for life un der the several resolves of Congress upon that subject, and afterwards, in commutation thereof, received the amount of five years' half pay, in certificates or securities of the United States, shall now be paid, by the United States, the nominal amount of such certificates or securities, without interest, deducing therefrom one eighth part of the said amount. The report and resolution having been read, and the question having been stated on concurring with the committee in the resolution Mr. M'Coy moved that it be indefinitely postponed; which motion was decided in the affirmative, as follows: For postponement, 60 48 So the motion was rejected and the subject dis The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting an account of the receipts and expenditures of the United States for the year 1817. To this Mr. Harrison replied, that the amend ment was a reasonable and just provision, both in relation to the public interests as well as that of individuals. The persons who would suffer by the present pecuniary embarrassments were the poorer class of people, who had no agency whatever in producing these embarrassments, and who were not able to bear the heavy penalty which the existing laws imposed for suffering the. day of payment to pass without making it. Many of them had settled in frontier situations, where the land had not appreciated more than the value of the improvements which had been made upon it. The provision for paying back interest was itself a very hard one, and such as a liberal indi-missed for the present session. vidual ought not, nor would not, insist upon. The United States had heretofore rigidly exacted it; but the circumstances of the country, in relation to money, was never before as embarrassing If the amendment was adopted, it would stimulate all the public debtors to make every exertion to raise the money before the expiration of the term to which the bill was limited. That our treasury would be more embarrassed in the present year than in any subsequent one, from the heavy instalments of the public debt which were to be paid this year. The public, therefore, would be gaining by any measure which would expedite the collection of their debts. It was true that the back interest would amount to a larger sum than the government would be oblig. ed to give if they were to borrow the money; but, as the back interest was intended to stimulate purchasers to punctuality, it would be in the highest degree unjust to exact it under circumstances like the present, when the want of punc-which the laws place within their power, to co || Tuesday, March 2. On motion of Mr Johnson, of Ky. the military committee were discharged from the further consideration of all such petitions referred to them at the present session, upon which they have not yet reported; and the said petitions were laid on the table. Mr. Pleasants, from the committee on naval affairs, to whom was referred a report of the commissioners of the navy pension fund, made to the House during the present session, made a report hereon; which was read, and the resolution therein contained, after some explanatory remarks by Mr. P. was concurred in, as follows: Resolved, That the commissioners of the navy ension fund be instructed to use all the means. formed the arduous and important duties of the chair. Al erce payment of the balances due to the fund from all persons who may be found indebted to the same, and that they report to the House of To which Mr. Clay replied as follows: Representatives at an early period of the next I beg you to receive, gentlemen, my most resession of Congress, a particular statement of the spectful acknowledgments for the flattering vote means which have been used, and the success of which you have done me the honor to pass. those means, in accomplishing the objects of this ways entertaining for this house the highest conresolution: And also, that they report whether sideration, the expression of your approbation any, and what, additional legislative provisions conveys a gratification as pure as it is indescribable. may be necessary to compel a compliance with I owe it to truth, however, to say, gentlemen, the different provisions of the laws on this sub-that, but for the almost unlimited confidence with ject. which you have constantly sustained the chair, I Mr. Pleasants, from the same committee, re- should have been utterly incompetent to disported without amendment the bill from the Se-charge its arduous duties. nate to incorporate into one act the several acts concerning hospitals, and sick and disabled seamen, and then, on motion of Mr. P made by the instruction of the naval committee, the bill was indefinitely postponed. The House took up the amendments of the Senate to the bill authorizing the formation of a state government for the territory of Missouri, and concurred in all of them, except that which struck out the prohibitory clause concerning the admission and toleration of slavery. Some debate arising again on the principle of this amendment-Mr. Tallmadge moved the indefinite postponement of the bill. If, gentlemen, in the course of our deliberations, momentary irritation has been at any time felt, or unkind expressions have ever, in the heat of debate, fallen from any of us, let these unplea. sant incidents be consigned to oblivion, and let us recollect, only, the anxious desire which has uniformly animated every one to promote what appeared to him to be for the prosperity of our common country. One painful circumstance fills me with the deepest regret. It is that, after having co-operated with many of you, with some for years, to advance the public good, we separate to meet, perhaps no more. I here bear testimony to the fide high and honorable trust committed to us by the nation. And every one of you will carry with you my most ardent wishes for your welfare and happiness. This motion was discussed at some length-lity with which you have all labored to fulfil the Messrs. Mills, Taylor, and Tallmadge, supporting the postponement; and Messrs. Scott, Anderson. of Ky. Poindexter, Tucker, of Va. Barbour, of Va. and Beecher, opposing it; and was decided | by yeas and nays, in the negative-ayes 69, noes 74. The question recurring on concurring with the Senate, in striking out the clause; Mr. Adams opposed the concurrence, at some length; and The question being taken, was decided in the negative, by yeas and, nays as follows: For concurring 76 78 So the House refused to agree with the Senate in striking out the clause, and the bill was returned to the Senate. A message was received from the Senate, announcing that they adhere to their amendment, (striking out the restriction of slavery,) to the bill authorizing a state government for the Missouri Territory. The said message was then taken up; when Mr. Taylor moved that this House adhere to its disagreement to said amendment; which motion brought on a renewal of the debate on the sub. ject; in which the restriction was zealously sup ported by Messrs. Taylor, Mills, and Tallmadge, and as zealously opposed by Mr. Cobb. The question was finally taken on adhering to the former decision of the House, and decided in the affirmative, yeas and nays, as follows: For adhering Against it 78 The adherence of the two Houses to their res pective opinions, precluding any further propositions or compromise on the subject, the bill was of course lost Wednesday, March 3. The following resolution was, on motion of Mr. Hugh Nelson, of Virginia, unanimously adopted: Resolved, That the thanks of this House be presented to the honorable Henry Clay, for the able, impartial, and dignified manner, in which he has presided over its deliberations, and per The following is the concluding part of the Report Bills originating in, and now pending before, the A bill for the relief of F. B. Langueville. A bill for the relief of R. P. Deslonds. A bill for the relief of Burding and Booth. A bill for the relief of William and Jas. Crooks. himself, in the face of the public, on the very scene of his death, the Capitol Square! Dear Sir,-In compliance with your request of yesterday, I have the honor to state, that I was born in England on the 13th April, (N. S.) 1752. My family and connexions are certified under the seal of this commonwealth, in the testimonial of the honorable Thomas Nelson, last secretary of state in Virginia, filed in the papers transmitted for the inspection of your honorable committee, if needful. In the autumn of 1768 my father sent me from school to Liverpool, thence to be sent to Messrs. Carter & Trent, native American merchants, on James river, to be brought up in the commercial pursuits of the tobacco trade. ginning and proceeding, de novo, on a map of the southern states; and while the public correspondence was carried on, during an interrupting indisposition of gen. Washington, I compiled for their temporary relief my Analysis of Virginia, which general Knox caused to be printed in Phil adelphia, reserving to me a copy right, for politi. cal reasons. Before a definitive answer was procured from the war office, I had completed about two thirds of my map of the southern states, on both a small and a large scale; but, alas! when the federal government deemed my ideas too comprehensive to be carried into effect, I was left without money, considerably involved in debts, my honor forbade me to evade, and the gist of the question of resOn my birth day, in 1769, I arrived in Virginia, ponsibility between the two governments hurled and was immediately received into their employ, the whole obligation on gov. Randolph's personserving them faithfully several years, and beingal estates; a circumstance of which no man of honin their confidence, intercourse, and connexion, est feelings would be base enough to avail himtill their death. This year I became intimate self. with your grandfather and father. In this dilemma, various projects were propos I was forbidden by my family to take part with ||ed, by subscription, &c. to enable me to procced, the Americans; but my own opinion of national and to persevere. My office continued open to rights preponderating, I joined Garland's volun-all the views of administration, at my own exteers, in Lunenburg, Va. but was not in action with them at the battle of the Great Bridge, (Norfolk) on account of my return from Petersburg to Lunenburg, on important business, under orders verbally. In April, 1776, and thereafter through the revolutionary war, I was in the first action fought with Indians, and in the storm of the enemy's left famous rock redoubt at the siege of Yorkwith the marquis de la Fayette, General Muhlenburg, &c.-See testimonials in my files, for my general conduct, attested. At the close of the revolution, under General Washington's farewell advice to the army, I became a member of the bar, with a practice of $8000 per annum; and the representative of my county in the legislature of North Carolina. || pense, and the treasury being then very poor, the lottery law of 1791 was resorted to, as well to give me some prospect of remuneration for my services rendered and the debts incurred, as to encourage my perseverance to accomplish the views of government. In 1792-3, I made two different journeys to the western country, surveying and collecting surveys and other information, and completing the Tennessee, Kentucky, and Georgia frontiers, as herewith exhibited; but for want of wagonage at that period, my trunks of documents were six months delayed in the hands of my friend Mr. M'Gavock, at fort Chiswell. At this time, I left an office fitted up at Knoxville, a similar one at Abingdon, and one on the eastern side of Shockoe creek, in the city of Richmond-all of them a dead loss to me. In 1783, family concerns (wherein I found a trick concerning the statute of limitations) in- In August, 1791, I sat out in company and with duced me to go to England; after 11 months ab- the aid of my old revolutionary friend and comsence I arrived in Norfolk in an indifferent state patriot, (col. Edward Carrington, of venerable of health, and although I found some of my neigh memory,) to Fredericksburg; thence under his bors in town with spare horses, the condition of introductory letters, to Georgetown and Washmy health induced me to come up to Richmond,ington, Columbia: we parted at Fredericksburg, by water, for the settlement of old affairs. At this period (February, 1790) came a request from general Knox, then secretary of war, under the orders of general Washington, to the governor and council of Virginia, to select the person they deemed to be most capable of giving such topographical additions to the existing maps as might enable the federal executive to know their country and provide for its defence. See governor Beverly Randolph's letters to me in my files. Unfortunately for me, general Washington's wish being always my law, I entered upon this ardous task without hesitation, contract, or ar rangement. I was countenanced by the honorable the executive of Virginia-had access to all the public archives of the state, apartments in the capitol, and every aid, but money, from all the departments of government. alas! to meet no more in this world. Georgetown being then the only populated part of Columbia, I fixed an office in the house of Messrs. Bowman & Co. of Baltimore, made all possible progress in collecting materials and doing public good, and advanced to Baltimore in face of the yellow fever. The violence of the yellow fever then raging in Baltimore, put a stop to all friendly arrangements which had been preparatorily made for me with an engraver in that place. I went to Philadelphia, established an office in the house of Mr. Charles Young, in Chesnut street, and negotiated with Messrs. Thackara and Vallance, the only competent engravers then in that place, but who were previously engaged on Griffith's map of Maryland, which delayed them longer than they expected, and too long for me to wait without resources. In After employing many months, with several New York I found no engraver in the map line. assistants, transcribing records in the capitol, &c. In Philadelphia I made considerable acquisitions it was discovered that every map and geographi- of topographical materials, and after becoming cal production of the country was so radically er- acquainted with the Spanish minister, (Don Joroneous, that the requisition of the federal admin-seph Jadannes, who had married Miss Stoughton, istration could not be complied with, without be. of Boston) he suggested the probability that Lo pez, in Madrid, who was bred an engraver in Lon don, might be disengaged, and that he had a strong desire that my maps should be engraven in the capital of his native country, and the two nations become more intimately known to each other, and bound in the reciprocal interests of commerce. Ultimately, he very liberally furnished me with letters of introduction and credit to his family in Madrid, about court, his private purse, and passports: but, on my arrival in Madrid, I found Lopez aud his whole force so occupied, on exten sive and important works for the king, that he could not touch the subject. The Legislat re passed the Lottery law, which colonel Tatham asked for, but a few days before his death. MISCELLANY. Translated from a Havana paper. from the island, in the year 1818, amounted, acIsland of Cuba -The Royal Revenue arising cording to the official statement, to $ 4,104,666, exceeding those of the year before, by $894,471. So flourishing is this island at present; so great has been its progress of late years, and so promFrom Madrid, I went to England in August ception of Mexico and Peru) it may be safely proising are its future prospects, that (with the ex1796, all which may be verified by my passports.nounced the most important possession of his I exerted myself in London till autumn 1800, try ing the whole time, (as will be seen by every year's correspondence in the files) supporting myself by my industry as an author and civil engineer, to effect our purpose against Mr. Pitt's violent opposition to our country's prosperity, and struggling with difficulties which compelled me to use my hereditary resources. While in London I continually conferred with our ministers, King and Monroe; I made two contracts to complete the geography of North America in connexion with an American house, buying out Mr. Arrowsmith, and engaging him, generally, in our service: this was lost by the fail ure of that house, in consequence of a few days stoppage of the Bank of England. The second contract was with Mr. Fairburn, and with Mr Adkins, (the second topographical draftsman in Eu rope,) who had engaged to prepare the whole general and detail maps of North America for the plates. This promising young man was killed by a stroke of the sun, when working on my first map, exposed to the focal heat of a full sun win dow. The materials accumulated in England, &c. exceed all probable conception, and can only be examined at the house I am compelled to keep; six rooms having long been necessary to display the contents of my accumulation, bearing me down with unavoidable expense. I left London in October 1801, under President Monroe's passport and letter of approbation. In 1806 I was appointed first commissioner of the United States on the survey of the coast of North Carolina; and have since expended, in surveying and investigating our maratime frontier, about seven years of my time, and five thousand dollars. During the late war, myself, and access to my documents, were detained and attached to the war office: It was distinguished by the new arrangement of the army, and I have ever since been borne down by loads of expense too heavy for one to bear without income. I have, in the topographical branch office alone, manuscripts of all the countries between our Atlantic and Pacific coasts, including Mexico. The worst is, that while thus perseveringly attached to the public service, many of my lands, &c. have been intruded on, and wasted by frauds. In the revolutionary war I drew one hunting shirt only, when naked, on Indian service. I have received no military lands or pay, but am over whelmed with debt, wounds and pains, and have nothing but the product of the lottery law to res cue me and my suffering family from begging in the street. 1 I am, dear sir, your grateful serv't. Catholic majesty on this side of the water. Indeed, when we call to mind the immense revenues which those two great vice royalties formeryielded to the mother country, but which from revolutions and civil discord they no longer yield, and recollect that prior to the Spanish revolution, Cuba was a burden instead of a benefit to the royal treasury, we cannot help considering her "the brightest gem" in Ferdinand's diadem. From the Baltimore American. LONGEVITY, There is now living in this city a negro man named John Shadwell Dock, a native of Africa, who, according to his own account to the gentle. man to whom he last belonged, is about one hundred and thirty-five years of age. He states that when about twenty-three years old, a war existed between the native Africans, in which he was taken prisoner and sold to the English From the English he was captured by the French and carried to France, where he lived twenty years.About two years after he arrived in America at Marlborough, in this state, from whence he was sold to Col. Benjamin Young, near Baltimore, with whom he lived twenty-one years; he then became the property of Mr. Zachariah Macubbin, with whom and with his son he lived sixty years, when the younger Macubbin died, which was in Nov. 1809. to provide theniselves with bills of health from N. B. Editors of newspapers in the principal sea ports, are requested as soon as it may be con venient, to give the above one insertion in their respective papers. FOREIGN AFFAIRS. GREAT BRITAIN. London, Dec. 3.-There are, it seems, forty fri gates now upon the stocks, or ordered to be laid down. May it be hoped that the American scale will be considered in the structure of every one of them? Some of the most painful of our historical recollections are those which place before us the unequal contests of British with American frigates. There had been means enough, even before this late war, to know the force of the lat sensations of gratitude for his distinguished services." The resolution is likely, from what appears on the subject, to pass both Houses. ARMY. Head Quarters, Eastern Section, Division of the Assistant Adjutant General's Office, GENERAL ORDER, warding troops, provisions, ordnance, and ordIn future, officers of the army charged with for nance stores, to Fernandina, or Amelia Island, By order of Major General Gaines. THE VICTORY. ter, for nothing is more public than ship building: A Song commemorative of the glorious 8th Jan. 1815. it must be carried on close to navigable channels, and the eye of every seaman readily compares the length and breadth of one ship with another. Yet with all this opportunity for preparation, not a single frigate existed in our navy, equal to the American rate. Surely this will not be the case hereafter. The subject should, however, be men. tioned in Parliament, and the money refused unless the vessels are built on a proper scale. HOME AFFAIRS. MICHIGAN. A committee, appointed for the purpose, has lately published a report giving a statist cal view of the city of Detroit. According to this report, it is situated in north latitude 42 deg 25 min. on the northwest bank of the river Detroit, nine miles distant from Lake St. Clair, and eighteen miles from Lake Erie. The present population. exclusive of the garrison, ts 1110: of whom 596 are white males, 444 females, and 70 free people of color The buildings are 142 dwelling houses, and 131 stores and shops, and public buildings, of which 51 were erected during the past year. There are two catholic and one protestant clergymen, 12 attorneys at law, 3 physicians and sur. geons, 5 instructors of the English, French, and learned languages, 170 scholars, and 174 mechanies. The value of exports during the past year was $69,330-Imports 15,611. LOUISIANA. TUNE "ANACHEON IN HEAVEN." Descends with bold step on the patriot shore, Ah! woe to her warriors of fame in the fight, The proud ones! who dare to invade the dear shore, For they came to pollute and enslave the dear shore, Round the brows of brave Jackson the laurel entwine; Drop a tear in the cup that we fill to their fame; It was he gave the vict'ry and biess'd the lov'd shore! EDITOR'S CABINET. In the House of Representatives of the state of From our hearts let the tribute of gratitude rise; Louisiana, on the 14th ultimo, Mr. Baker, agreeably to notice, presented a resolution-"That the legislature tender their thanks to major general Jackson for his gallant conduct during the inva sion of Louisiana by the British; and that they authorize the governor to procure a sword with appropriate devices (not to exceed in cost $900) and present the same to the general in behalf of this legislature; and that a committe of two members be appointed to draft a suitable address to him, stating that though slow in acknowledging their obligations, they have ever felt the liveliest CITY OF WASHINGTON, Slavery. The vehemence with which a certain portion of the Representatives of the people in the late House of Representatives fought for the principle of slavery, is a bad omen for the even |
