GENTLEMEN,

1 RECEIVE with pleasure the affurances you give me, that you will dili gently and anxiously pursue such measures as fhall appear to you conducive to the intereft of your conftituents; and that an early and ferious confideration will be given to the various and weighty matters recommended by me to your

attention.

I have full confidence, that your deliberations will continue to be directed by an enlightened and virtuous zeal for the happiness of our country. G. WASHINGTON.

Mr. Speaker and the members being returned into the House, The Speaker laid before the Houfe a letter from the Secretary of the Trea. fury, accompanied with his report relative to a provifion for the fupport of the public credit, made pursuant to the order of this House of Saturday last; and the faid report, with the papers therein referred to, being read,

Refolved, That this Houfe will, on this day fortnight, refolve itfelf into a committee of the whole House, to take into confideration the faid report and papers.

Ordered, That three hundred copies of the faid report and papers be forthwith ftruck for the use of the members of both Houses.

And then the Houfe adjourned until to-morrow morning eleven o'clock.

FRIDAY, January 15.

Another member, to wit, James Jackfon, from Georgia, appeared and took

his feat.

A memorial of John Cochran, late receiver of continental taxes in the state of New-York, and commiffioner of the loan-office for the fame, was presented to the House and read, praying that a further allowance may be made him for his fervices and expences in the faid two offices, the falary allowed by the late Congrefs having been very inadequate thereto. Also,

A petition of William Montgomery and Abraham Owen, praying that any exclufive privilege which Congrefs fhall judge proper to grant to James Rumfey, as the author of certain devices and inventions, may be reftricted to the plans or fpecifications thereof depofited by the faid Rumfey in the files of Congress, in fuch manner that the petitioners or others may not be precluded from making or ufing any machinery not comprised in the faid plans or specifications. Ordered, That the said memorial and petition do lie on the table.

The Speaker laid before the Houfe a letter from the Secretary at War, accompanied by his reports on the feveral petitions of James Gibbon and Alexander M'Alifter, Dudley Tyler, Charles Markley, John Hurt, Patrick Bennet, Henry Malcolm, and John M'Garragh, which were referred to him to examine and report upon by an order of this House of the twenty-fifth of September last. The faid letter and reports were read, and ordered to lie on the table. The House then, according to the standing order of the day, refolved itself into a committee of the whole Houfe on the state of the Union.

Mr. Speaker left the chair.

Mr. Baldwin took the chair of the committee.

Mr. Speaker refumed the chair, and Mr. Baldwin reported, that the committee had, according to order, had the state of the Union under confideration, and had come to a refolution thereupon, which he delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the fame was read, and is as followeth :

D

Refolved, That it is the opinion of this committee, that the feveral matters recommended by the President of the United States, in his fpeech to both Houses of Congrefs, relating to a provifion for the national defence; to the promotion of manufactories, for effential, particularly for military fupplies; to a compenfation to the perfons employed in the intercourfe between the United States and foreign nations; to the establishing a uniform rule of naturalization; to the establishment of uniformity in the currency, weights and meafures; to the advancement of the agriculture, commerce and manufactures of the United States; to the encouragement of useful inventions; to the establifhment of post-offices and poft-roads; and to the promotion of fcience and literature, ought, feverally, to be referred to felect committees to be appointed by the House, to prepare and bring in a bill or bills, providing for each particular purpose.

The faid refolution being again read,

Ordered, That a committee be appointed to prepare and bring ina bill or bills, providing for the national defence; and that Mr. Gilinan, Mr. Peter Muhlenberg, Mr. Heister, Mr. Mathews, and Mr. Floyd, be of the faid committee.

Ordered, That a committee be appointed to prepare and bring in a bill or bills, for making compenfation to perfons employed in the intercourfe between the United States and foreign nations; and that Mr. Sedgwick, Mr. Huntington, and Mr. Lee, be of the faid committee.

Ordered, That a committee be appointed to prepare and bring in a bill or bills, for establishing a uniform rule of naturalization; and that Mr. Hartley, Mr. Tucker, and Mr. Moore, be of the faid committee.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Secretary of the Treafury to prepare and report to this House, a proper plan or plans, conformably to the recommendation of the Prefident of the United States, in his fpeech to both Houses of Congrefs, for the encouragement and promotion of fuch manufactories as will tend to render the United States independent of other nations, for essential, particularly for military fupplies.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Secretary of State to prepare and report to this Houfe, in like manner, a proper plan or plans for establishing uniformity in the currency, weights and meafures of the United States.

Ön motion,

Ordered, That a committee be appointed to prepare and bring in a bill or bills, to make fuch alteration in the laws of the United States, as are neceffary to conform the fame to the prefent circumstances of the state of NorthCarolina; and that Mr. Benfon, Mr. Trumbull, and Mr. Cadwalader, do prepare and bring in the fame.

And then the House adjourned until Monday morning eleven o'clock.

MONDAY, January 18.

Two other members, to wit, from New-Jerfey, Thomas Sinnickfon; and from Maryland, Michael Jenifer Stone, appeared and took their feats.

A petition of James Hubbs, of the ftate of New-Jerfey, mariner, was prefented to the House and read, praying to be relieved from a profecution.commenced against him at the suit of the United States, for the fum of four hundred dollars, being the penalty fixed by law for tranfporting goods from one district to another of the fame State, without a manifeft, of which law, at the time of committing the offence, he was wholly ignorant.

Ordered, That the faid petition, together with the memorial of John Cochran, prefented on Friday laft, be referred to the Secretary of the Treasury, with inftruction to examine the fame, and report his opinion thereupon to the House.

A petition of Hannibal William Dobbyn, of the kingdom of Ireland, was prefented to the House and read, fetting forth that he is defirous of becoming a citizen of the United States, and of making a confiderable purchase of the public lands; and praying that the Secretary of the Treasury may be authorised to contract with him for that purpose.

Ordered, That the faid petition be referred to Mr. Page, Mr. Scott, and Mr. Partridge, that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the fame with their opinion thereupon to the House.

The Speaker laid before the House a letter from Gerard Bancker, treasurer of the state of New-York, accompanied with a copy of the laws of the said State, tranfmitted for the use of this House, pursuant to concurrent resolutions of the Senate and Affembly of the faid State.

Ordered, That the said letter do lie on the table.

Mr. Fofter, from the committee appointed, prefented, according to order, a bill providing for the actual enumeration of the inhabitants of the United States, which was received and read the first time.

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

TUESDAY, January 19.

A petition of Benjamin Bird, of Waltham in the state of Massachusetts, was prefented to the House and read, praying that there may be granted to him, under fuch restrictions or bonds, as Congress fhall require, duplicates of eight continental loan-office certificates, amounting to three thoufand four hundred dollars, the property of the petitioner, and which he cafually loft fome time in the year one thoufand feven hundred and feventy-eight. Also,

The feveral petitions of Nathan Fuller, of the fame State, and of Salmon Burr, Lemuel Cravath, John Holbrook, Jeremiah Ryan, Ezra Smith, and Ruth Roberts, relict of Lemuel Roberts, deceafed, of the ftate of Connecticut, praying that their refpective claims for loffes or injuries fuftained in the fervice of the United States, during the late war, may be liquidated and fatisfied. Ordered, That the faid petitions do lie on the table.

A bill providing for the actual enumeration of the inhabitants of the United States, was read the second time, and ordered to be committed to a committee of the whole House on Friday next.

On motion,

Ordered, That it be an inftruction to the committee appointed to prepare and bring in a bill or bills, for making compenfation to perfons employed in the intercourse between the United States and foreign nations, to include therein a compenfation to perfons who may be employed in fuch intercourfe. Mr. Page, from the committee to whom was referred the petition of Hannibal William Dobbyn, made a report, which was read, and ordered to lie on the table.

The Speaker laid before the Houfe a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, enclosing his report on the petition of Chriftopher Saddler, which was read, and ordered to be referred to Mr. Ames, Mr. Sturges, Mr. Stone, Mr. Griffin, and Mr. Wynkoop.

On motion,

Ordered, That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed to report to this House, such information as he may have obtained, respecting any difficulties which may have occurred in the execution of the feveral laws for collecting duties on goods, wares and merchandizes, and on tonnage, and for regulating the coafting trade, together with his opinion thereupon.

And then the Houfe adjourned until to-morrow morning cleven o'clock.

WEDNESDAY, January 20.

Two other members, to wit, James Madison, junior, and Jofiah Parker, from Virginia, appeared and took their seats.

Ordered, That the feveral petitions of Ruth Roberts, Jeremiah Ryan, Ezra Smith, and Salmon Burr, which were prefented yesterday, be referred to the Secretary at War, with inftruction that he do examine the fame, and report his opinion thereupon to the House.

A petition of fundry inhabitants of the county of Westchester, in the state of New-York, was prefented to the House and read, praying to be compen fated for confiderable quantities of wheat, rye, corn, oats and hay, cattle, fheep and hogs, which were taken from them during the late war, for the ufe of the army.

Ordered, That the faid petition do lie on the table.

The Houfe proceeded to confider the report of the committee on the petition of Hannibal William Dobbyn: Whereupon,

Ordered, That the faid report do lie on the table; and that the Secretary of the Treasury be directed to report to this House, a uniform fyftem for the dif pofition of lands the property of the United States.

On motion,

Ordered, That the ftate of facts refpecting the western territory, reported by a committee of this House, the last feffion, be referred to the Secretary of the Treasury for his information.

Mr. Wadsworth, from the committee to whom was referred the message from the Prefident of the United States, with the statement of the fouth-western frontier, and of the Indian department, made a report, which was read, and ordered to lie on the table.

A meffage from the Senate by Mr. Otis their Secretary.

Mr. Speaker-The Senate have agreed to a refolution appointing a committee on their part, to confer with fuch committee as may be appointed on the part of this House, to confider and report whether or not the business begun previous to the late adjournment of Congrefs, fhall now be proceeded in as if no adjournment had taken place; to which they defire the concurrence of this House: And then he withdrew.

The faid refolution being twice read at the Clerk's table,

Refolved, That this Houle doth agree to the fame, and that Mr. Sherman, Mr. Thatcher, Mr. Hartley, Mr. White, and Mr. Jackson, be a committee on the part of this Houfe for the purpose therein mentioned.

And then the Houfe adjourned until to-morrow morning eleven o'clock.

THURSDAY, January 21.

Several other members, to wit, from Massachusetts, George Leonard; from New-York, Peter Silvefter; and from l'ennsylvania, Thomas Fitzfimons, ap. peared and took their feats.

A petition of Lemuel Miller, of the state of Massachusetts, was prefented to the Houfc and read, praying to be allowed the commutation of half pay, for his fervices five years and five months, as a licutenant in the army during the late

war.

Ordered, That the faid petition do lie on the table.

On motion,

Ordered, That the petition of David Sturges, which was prefented at the laft feffion, praying to be allowed a penfion in confideration of a wound in his left hand, which he received in the service of the United States, during the late war, be referred to the Secretary at War, with inftruction that he do examine the fame, and report his opinion thereupon to the House.

A message, in writing, was received from the President of the United States, by the Secretary at War, who delivered in the fame, together with the Plan therein referred to, and then withdrew.

The said message was then read, and is as followeth :

UNITED STATES, January 21, 1790.

Gentlemen of the Senate and House of Representatives,

THE Secretary of the department of War, has fubmitted to me certain principles to serve as a Plan for the general arrangement of the Militia of the United States.

Conceiving the fubject to be of the greatest importance to the welfare of our country, and liable to be placed in various points of view, I have directed him to lay the Plan before Congrefs for their information, that they may make fuch use thereof as they fhall judge proper.

G. WASHINGTON.

Ordered, That the faid meffage and plan be referred to the committee of the whole House on the state of the Union.

Ordered, That three hundred copies of the faid plan be forthwith ftruck for the use of the members of both Houses.

Mr. Sedgwick, from the committee appointed, presented, according to or. der, a bill providing the means of intercourfe between the United States and foreign nations, which was received and read the first time.

On motion,

The report of the committee to whom was referred the meffage from the Prefident of the United States, with the statement of the fouth-western frontier, and of the Indian department, was read the second time, and ordered to be commit ted to a committee of the whole House immediately.

The House accordingly refolved itself into the faid committee.

Mr. Speaker left the chair.

Mr. Baldwin took the chair of the committee.

Mr. Speaker refumed the chair, and Mr. Baldwin reported, that the committee had, according to order, had the faid report under confideration, and agreed thereto without any amendment.

The Houfe proceeded to confider the faid report, and after fome time spent therein,

The House adjourned until to-morrow morning eleven o'clock.

FRIDAY, January 22.

The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Secretary of the Treafury, accompanying a report made to him by the Postmaster-general, respecting the post-office, and fuggefting a plan for its future establishment; which was read, and ordered to be referred to Mr. Fitzfimons, Mr. Gerry, Mr. Sinnickfon, Mr. Parker, and Mr. Stone-that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the fame, with their opinion thereupon, to the House.

A bill providing the means of intercourfe between the United States and foreign nations, was read the fecond time, and ordered to be committed to a committee of the whole House on Monday next.

Mr. Sherman, from the committee appointed to confer with the committee appointed by the Senate, to confider and report, whether or not the business begun previous to the late adjournment of Congrefs, fhall now be proceeded in as if no adjournment had taken place, reported, that in the opinion of the committee, the business unfinished between the two Houses at the late adjourn ment, ought to be regarded as if it had not been passed upon by either. Ordered, That the faid report do lie on the table.

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