Mr. Morrow presented a petition of H. Cadbury, of the state of Ohio, praying for permission to subdivide into quarter sections four sections of preemption lands, purchased from the United States.

Ordered, That the said petition do lie on the table. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Otis, their Secretary.

Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed the bill, entitled "An act making appropriations for defraying the expense of stationary, printing and all other contingent expenses of the Senate and House of Representatives during the present session of Congress, and an additional appropriation for the purchase of books, maps and charts for the library of Congress," with an amendment, to which they desire the concurrence of this House: also, a bill, entitled "An act freeing from postage all letters and packets from Thomas Jefferson," to which they also desire the concurrence of this House: And then he withdrew.

The House, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a committee of the whole House, on the amendatory report of the Committee of Elections, to whom were referred the petition of Charles Turner, junior, and the petitions of sundry inhabitants of Plymouth district, in the state of Massachusetts, contesting the election of William Baylies; and after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Bassett reported, that the committee had, according to order, had the said report under consideration, and made some progress therein, and directed him to ask leave of the House to sit again.

And on the question, "Shall the committee of the whole House have leave to sit again on the said report?" It was determined in the negative.

The several orders of the day were farther postponed until Monday next.

And the House adjourned until Monday moming, eleven o'clock.

MONDAY, June 26, 1809.

Mr. Macon presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of Washington county in the Mississippi territory, praying for a donation of the lands on which they have settled, for the reasons therein stated.

Ordered, That the said petition do lie on the table. Mr. Rhea, (of Tennessee) presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of the district of Newbury, in the state of South Carolina, whose names are thereunto subscribed, praying for the establishment of a postroute from Columbia by Poplar-grove to Newbury court house, in the said state.

Mr. Rhea also presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of Randolph county, in the state of North Carolina, whose names are thereunto subscribed, praying an alteration in the present post-route from Randolph to Salisbury.

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee of the whole House, on the bill to alter and establish certain post-roads.

Mr. Marion presented a petition of George Lusher, of Charleston, in the state of South Carolina, to the same effect with a petition of Thomas Lindsey, presented on the seventeenth instant.

Mr. Marion also presented to the House a petition of John Rinaldi, late master of the schooner William, of Charleston, state of South Carolina, praying to be exonerated from the payment of a bond given by him to the collector of Charleston, in April last, for the reasons therein stated.

The said petitions were read, and referred to the committee of the whole House, on the bill sent from the Senate, entitled "An act for the remission of certain penalties and forfeitures, and for other purposes."

A motion was made by Mr. Sheffey, and seconded, that the House do come to the following resolutions:

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled, That the President be requested to cause the several persons who were removed from the Batture of the suburb St. Mary, in the city of New Orleans, on the twenty-fifth day of January, one thousand eight hundred and eight, to be restored to the possession thereof; to be held with the same rights with which they respectively held the sanie immediately prior to such removal, any subsequent act or thing to the contrary notwithstanding.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representa tives of the United States in Congress assembled, That if the President shall be of opinion that the United States have such a legal claim to the Batture opposite the suburb St. Mary in the city of New Orleans, as will justify the expense of prosecuting the same, he be authorized, with the consent of the parties removed therefrom on the twenty-fifth day of January, one thousand eight hundred and eight, to name three referees, who shall have full power to hear and finally to determine all rights, title, claim and demand whatsoever, as well of the United States as of the parties so removed, both in law and equity, and their award or that of a majority of them shall be binding as well on the United States as the said parties.

Resolved, That if the President shall deem it most expedient he may compromise the conflicting claims of the United States and the persons removed from the Batture of the suburb St. Mary, in the city of New Orleans, and cause the same to be tried in a court of the United States, in such manner and at such place as will secure an impartial trial.

The said resolutions were read, and the first thereof ordered to be committed to a committee of the whole House, to-morrow.

The second and third of the said resolutions were then again read, and ordered to be committed to the conimittee of the whole House, last appointed.

Mr. Fisk, from the joint committee for enrolled bills, reported, that the committee did, on the twenty. fourth instant, present to the President of the United States, for his approbation, an enrolled bill, entitled "An act to fix the time for the next meeting of Congress."

A message was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Graham, notifying that the President did, on the twentieth instant, approve and sign an act which originated in this House, entitled "An act authorizing the discharge of John Heard from his imprisonment."

Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do acquaint the Senate therewith.

On motion of Mr. Smilie,

Ordered, That the report of the Committee of Elections, on the contested election of William Baylies, do lie on the table.

A message from the Senate, by Mr. Otis, their Secretary.

Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed the bill, entitled "An act concerning the naval establishment:" I am directed to inform this House that the President of the United States has approved and signed an act which originated in the Senate, entitled "An act to fix the time for the next meeting of Congress :" The Vice-President of the United States having obtained leave of absence for the remainder of the session, the Senate have elected Mr. Gregg President of the Senate, pro tempore: And then he withdrew.

On motion of Mr. John G. Jackson, and seconded, Ordered, That the committee of the whole House, to whom is committed the bill of this House, to amend and continue in force the act, entitled "An act to interdict the commercial intercourse between the United States and Great Britain and France, and their dependencies; and for other purposes," and the bill sent from the Senate, entitled "An act to amend and continue in force an act, entitled "An act

to interdict the commercial intercourse between the United States and Great Britain and France, and their dependencies; and for other purposes," be discharged from the farther consideration of the said bills.

The House then proceeded to consider the last mentioned of the said bills at the Clerk's table.

A motion was made by Mr. John G. Jackson, and seconded, to amend the same, by inserting after the word "vessel," in the first line of the third section, the words "except such as may be chartered or employed for the public service by the President of the United States."

And the question being taken thereupon,

It was resolved in the affirmative.

Another motion was made by Mr. John G. Jackson, further to amend the said bill, by inserting after the word "permitted," in the fourth line of the same section, the words "except such as may be chartered or employed as aforesaid."

And the question being taken thereupon,

It was resolved in the affirmative.

A motion was made by Mr. Sheffey, and seconded, to amend the said bill by adding to the end of the first section, the following proviso:

"And provided also, That nothing therein contained shall be construed to prevent any public vessel from entering the waters and harbors of the United States, belonging to any nation with whom commercial intercourse shall be permitted, whenever a full and satisfactory adjustment of existing differences shall have been made with such nation.”

A division of the question on the said proviso was called for by Mr. Sheffey, and seconded;

And on the question, that the House do agree to the first member of the said proviso, contained in the words following, to wit: And provided also, That nothing therein contained shall be construed to prevent any public vessel from entering the waters and barbors