covery of the most direct route from the city of Washington, to the city of New Orleans.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Secretary of the Treasury, with instruction to examine the matter thereof, and report the same with his opinion thereon to the House.

On motion of Mr. Livermore, and seconded, Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed to cause to be laid before this House a copy of any instructions issued by the present or any former administrations to the collectors of the several districts of the United States, relative to refusing clearances to any private armed vessels of the United States.

Mr. Nelson, from the committee on the military establishment, made a report in part on that part of the message of the president of the United States, of the third instant, which relates to the raising of a volunteer force, which was read and referred to a committee of the whole House to-morrow.

On motion of Mr. M'Bryde, and seconded, Resolved, That the Committee on Post-offices and Post-roads, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post-road from Lamberton, in Robeson county, to Elizabethtown, in Bladen county, thence to Columbus court-house, and from thence to Wilmington, all in the state of North Carolina. On motion of Mr. Wheaton,

Ordered, That the petition of sundry inhabitants of the state of Massachusetts, presented on the twenty-fifth of May last, be referred to the Committee on Post-offices and Post-roads.

Mr. Desha presented a petition of Daniel Boones, of the territory of Louisiana, stating that he has em. ployed the greater part of his life in exploring the western wilds, and in promoting the settlement and civilization of that portion of America, and that by à construction of the land laws applicable to the said territory, he has been deprived of a piece of land to

which he conceived himself intitled, and praying, that in consideration of the services before stated, Congress will extend to him some evidence of the liber ality of his country.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to Mr. Desha, Mr. Van Dyke and Mr. Kenan, with instruction to examine the matter thereof and report the same with their opinion thereon to the House.

The House, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a committee of the whole House on the bill to revive and continue in force forsa, fur, ther time the first section of the act, intitled "An act further to protect the commerce and seamen of the United States against the Barbary powers ;" and after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Desha reported, that the committee had, according to order, had the said bill under consideration and made no amendment thereto.

Ordered, That the said bill be engrossed and read the third time, to-morrow.

The House, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a committee of the whole House, on the bill respecting the commercial intercourse between the United States and Great Britain and France, and for other purposes; and after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Desha reported, that the committee had, according to order, had the said bill under consideration and made some progress therein.

Resolved, That this House will, to-morrow, again resolve itself into a committee of the whole House, on the said bill.

The House, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a committee of the whole House, on the report of the Committee of Elections, in the case of the contested election of Jonathan Jennings,, the delegate from the territory of Indiana; and after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Desha reparted, that the committee had,

according to order, had the said report under consideration, and directed him to report to the House their agreement to the resolution therein contained, in the words following, to wit:

"Resolved, That the election held for a delegate to Congress for the Indiana territory, on the twentysecond of May, one thousand eight hundred and nine, being without authority of law, is void, and consequently the seat of Jonathan Jennings, as a delegate for that territory, hereby declared to be vacant.”

The House proceeded to consider the report of the committee of the whole House: When

An adjournment was called for: On which The several orders of the day were farther postponed until to-morrow.

And the House adjourned until to-morrow morning, eleven o'clock.

TUESDAY, January 9, 1810.

On motion,

Ordered, That the Committee for the District of Columbia be discharged from the consideration of the petition of the trustees of the academy at Stephensburg, in Frederick county, state of Virginia, and that the said petition be referred to the Committee on the Public Lands.

Mr. Turner presented three petitions from sundry inhabitants of Plymouth county, state of Massachusetts, respectively praying that the present post-route between the towns of Bridgewater and Rochester may be discontinued, and that a post-route may be established from Taunton, through Middleborough and Carver to Plymouth, all in said county.

Mr. J. C. Chamberlain presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the states of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, praying for the establishment of a post-route from Boston, in Massachusetts, to Bratleboro, in the state of Vermont.

Mr. Tracy presented two petitions from sundry inhabitants of the county of Onondago, in the state of New York, to the same effect with a petition of sundry other inhabitants of the said county, presented on the second instant.

Mr. Hubbard presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of Cavendish, Windsor county, state of Vermont, praying that the present post-route between the towns of Rutland and Windsor, may be discontinued, and that a post route may be established from Cavendish to Windsor aforesaid.

Ordered, That the said petitions be severally referred to the Committee on Post-offices and Post-roads.

Mr. Southard presented a petition of sundry manufacturers of paper, in the counties of Essex and Morris, in the state of New Jersey, stating the great inconvenience and disadvantages to which they are exposed on account of the great importations of foreign manufactured paper, and praying that Congress will grant such aid to the manufacturers of that arti cle within the United States, as shall appear expedi ent and proper.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures.

Mr. Fisk presented a petition of Jonathan Wil. liams, colonel.commandant of the corps of engineers, and superintendant of the military academy, praying to be exonerated from the payment of certain sums of money expended by him on account of the public and while in the discharge of his official duties.

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

On motion of Mr. Sammons, and seconded, Resolved, That the Committee on Post-offices and Post-roads be instructed to inquire into the expedi ency of establishing a post-road from the village of Hamilton, by Guilderland and Berne, to Scholarrie court house, and from thence to Middleburg, Coles

kill and Worcester to Collyers on the Susquehannah river.

On motion of Mr. Poindexter,

Ordered, That the petition of Richard Davidson, presented on the twenty-fifth of January, one thousand eight hundred and nine, be referred to the Committee of Claims.

On motion of Mr. Desha, and seconded,

Resolved, That the Committee on Post-offices and Post-roads be directed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post-road from Flemingsburg to Paris, in the state of Kentucky.

On motion of Mr. Howard,

Ordered, That the petition of Margaret Lapsley, presented on the eighteenth of November, one thousand eight hundred and eight, be referred to the Committee of Claims.

On motion of Mr. Whitman, and seconded,

Resolved, That a committee be appointed to inquire into the expediency of altering the times for holding the two terms of the district court for the district of Maine, now by law holden on the last Tuesday of May and the first Tuesday of September, so that the former shall be hereafter holden on the fourth Tuesday of June, and the latter on the second Tuesday of September, and that the committee have leave to report by bill or otherwise.

Ordered, That Mr. Whitman, Mr. Hufty and Mr. Sheffey, be appointed a committee pursuant to the said resolution.

The Speaker laid before the House, a letter from the Secretary of the Navy, transmitting his report made in obedience to the act of the twenty-first of April, one thousand eight hundred and eight, enti tled "An act concerning public contracts," which were read, and ordered to lie on the table.

The Speaker also laid before the House, another letter from the Secretary of the Navy, transmitting hisreport of the number, names and salaries of the