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Rodman, Ebenezer Seaver, Samuel Shaw, John Smilie,
William Strong, and Robert Whitehill.

MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT, &c.

The unfinished business of yesterday being postponed, the House went into Committee of the Whole on the bill making appropriations for the Military Establishment of the United States for the year 1812; the bill making appropriations for six companies of mountain rangers, for the year 1812; and the bill making appropriations for the support of an additional military force, for the same period. The Committee having filled up the blanks in the several bills, they were reported to the House. The House took them up, concurred with the Committee in the amendments, and ordered the bills to be engrossed for a third reading to-morrow.

FEBRUARY, 1812.

The bill making appropriations for the mounted rangers; the bill making appropriations for the Military Establishment; the bill making appro priations for the Navy; and the bill making appropriations for the additional military force, were severally read the third time, and passed.

Mr. CONDIT said, that it might not be considered that those who voted against the passage, of the bill for classing and arming the militia, were unfriendly to arming the militia, and believing favor of arming, he moved the following resoluthere was a considerable majority of the House in tion; which was agreed to:

"Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be directed to report a bill making provision for arming the militia of the United States."

On motion of Mr. MORROW, the House went into a Committee on the bill authorizing the SecThe House again resolved itself into a Commit-retary of the Treasury to locate certain lands retee of the Whole on the bill making appropria- served for Jefferson College, in the Mississippi tions for the support of the Navy for the year Territory; which was reported without amend1812. The Committee having gone through the ment, and ordered to be engrossed for a third bill, reported it to the House with amendments. reading. The House considered the amendments, agreed to them, and ordered the bill to a third reading on

to-morrow.

When the Committee of the Whole came to fill up the blank which contains an appropriation including "forage for Staff,"

Mr. D. R. WILLIAMS moved to strike out this item. He knew no occasion that officers of ma

rines had for forage. He considered it a wasteful expenditure,

Messrs. BASSETT and LITTLE said these marines were employed on land as well as at sea, and were sometimes called from one part of the United States to another.

The motion was negatived-45 to 43.

THURSDAY, February 6.

Mr. MORROW presented the memorial of a number of persons, complaining of the present mode of disposing of the public land; stating that they are poor, and suffering, while thousands of acres of land, the property of the United States, are lying unoccupied; that they consider every man entitled by nature to a portion of the soil of the country; that no man ought to possess more than two hundred acres; and pray for relief.

On motion of Mr. GHOLSON, the House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the bill for the relief of Selah Benton. The Com

mittee, after considerable debate, agreed to allow him a pension of twenty dollars per month. It served the United States faithfully through a appeared from the debate, that Captain Benton great part of the Revolutionary war; that, having received no wound in the service, he did not come within the law of Congress, providing for persons of that description. But, it was stated that he contracted a disease in the service, which had disabled him ever since from performing any kind of labor; that he is now seventy-two years old, and very poor.

The claim was supported by Messrs. GHOLSON, MITCHILL, WRIGHT, GOLD, TALLMADGE, WIDGERY, and NELSON; and opposed by Messrs. ROBERTS, WILLIAMS, ALSTON, SMILIE, BACON, and MACON.

The Committee rose and reported the bill, but the House did not act upon it.

Mr. WILLIAMS, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported a bill authorizing a detachment of the militia of the United States. [The detachment is proposed to consist of 100,000 men.] Twice read and committed.

Mr. M. proposed to refer this petition to the Mr. W. said, he was also directed by the same Committee on the Public Lands. The motion committee to offer a resolution for the adoption of was first rejected; but, on Mr. M.'s expressing a the House, in relation to the bill for classing and wish that this petition might have a reference, arming the militia, rejected yesterday, owing to and moving to refer it to a select committee, stat- the absence of members from the House (for ing the petitioners to be numerous, and formed counting the whole House there would have been into a society, called the "True American Soci- a majority of seven members in its favor.) Beety," partly living in the western part of Penn- lieving that the efficiency of the militia very sylvania, Ohio, and Illinois Territory, a member much depended upon their being classed and armwho voted against the reference, moved to recon-ed, and it having been suggested as an argument sider the vote, which was done, and the memorial was referred.

Mr. POINDEXTER presented a memorial from the Mississippi Legislature, praying for an extinguishment of certain Indian titles to lands in that Territory-Referred.

against the passage of the bill that it would not be well received by the people, the committee wish that the people may have an opportunity of being made acquainted with the principles of the bill; and, for that purpose, he moved the following resolution:

FEBRUARY, 1812.

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Disabled Officers and Soldiers.

Resolved, That the Clerk of this House be directed to publish in all the newspapers in which the laws of the United States are published, the bill for classing and arming the militia of the United States, as engrossed and read a third time on the 5th instant."

This resolution was objected to, as establishing a precedent that might hereafter be attended with much trouble and expense; as, whenever a favorite bill was lost, its friends would want to send it out to the people in this way; it was objected, also, that it might by some be mistaken for a law, instead of a rejected bill. The motion was disagreed to.

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DISABLED OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS.

On motion of Mr. DAWSON, the House took up the report of the Committee of the Whole, made some time ago, on the bill for the relief of infirm, disabled, and superannuated officers and soldiers. Some objections to the bill were made by Mr. ROBERTS, in which he expressed his apprehensions that persons who are on the pension lists of the several States might take advantage of this bill, and so receive a double allowance; at the same time that there are other persons, with families, entitled to relief, who could not join this invalid corps. Mr. R. said, the measure would be attended with great expense, and, except he received more light on the subject than he possessed, he should vote against it.

The bill passed to a third reading-yeas 84, nays.38, as follows:

YEAS-John Baker, Burwell Bassett, Abijah Bigelow, James Breckenridge, William Butler, Epaphroditus Champion, Matthew Clay, Lewis Condit, John Davenport, jr., John Dawson, Joseph Desha, William Findley, James Fisk, Thomas Gholson, Peterson Goodwyn, Edwin Gray, Isaiah L. Green, Felix Grundy, Aylett Hawes, Richard M. Johnson, Lyman Law, Joseph Lefever, Joseph Lewis, jr., Peter Little, Robert Le Roy Livingston, Aaron Lyle, Thos. Moore, James. Milnor, Samuel L. Mitchill, Jeremiah Morrow, Jonathan O. Moseley, Hugh Nelson, Anthony New, Stephen Ormsby, William Piper, James Pleasants, junior, Benjamin Pond, Peter B. Porter, Elisha R. Potter, Josiah Quincy, William Reed, Henry M. Ridgely, Samuel Ringgold, John Sevier, Adam Seybert, George Smith, John Smith, Philip Stuart, Lewis B. Sturges, Laban Wheaton, Leonard White, Thomas Wilson, Richard Winn, and Robert Wright.

NAYS-Willis Alston, jr., Stevenson Archer, Ezekiel Bacon, David Bard, William W. Bibb, Adam Boyd, Robert Brown, John C. Calhoun, Langdon Cheves, James Cochran, William Crawford, Roger Davis, Samuel Dinsmoor, Meshack Franklin, Bolling Hall, Obed Hall, John A. Harper, Jacob Hufty, John M. Hyneman, Richard Jackson, jr., William R. King, William Lowndes, Samuel McKee, Alexander McKim, James Morgan, Thomas Newbold, John Rhea, Jonathan Roberts, William Rodman, Ebenezer Sage, Thomas Sammons, Ebenezer Seaver, John Smilie, Richard Stanford, Silas Stow, William Strong, Uri Tracy, and Robert Whitehill.

FRIDAY, February 7.

Mr. KING presented a petition of John Rutherford, of the State of North Carolina, by his attor

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ney in fact, John London, praying permission to bring into the said State sundry negro slaves, at present on an estate belonging to him in one of the British Bahama islands, which negroes were formerly taken from the State aforesaid to the said island.-Referred to a select committee. Mr. KING, Mr. MOORE, and Mr. DAVENPORT, were appointed the committee.

A message from the Senate informed the House that they have passed a bill "respecting the enrolling and licensing of steamboats;" to which bill they desire the concurrence of this House.

Mr. GHOLSON, from the Committee of Claims, made a report on the petition of William Dent Beall, which was read; when Mr. GHOLSON presented a bill for the relief of Lieutenant Colonel William D. Beall; which was read twice, and committed to a Committee of the Whole on Monday next.

The bill from the Senate, "respecting the enrolling and licensing of steamboats," was read twice, and committed to the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures.

An engrossed bill, authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to locate the lands reserved for the use of Jefferson College, in the Mississippi Territory, was read the third time, and passed.

Another message from the Senate was read, informing the House that they had postponed the further consideration of the bill for establishing a quartermaster's department until the first Monday

of December next.

Mr. WILLIAMS thought the Senate had taken a very extraordinary course. They passed a bill for establishing a quartermaster's department, and sent it to this House; this House passed the bill with an amendment; and now they inform the House they have postponed the amendment to the first Monday in December, and thus destroyed the bill. He thought this was an unprecedented and indecorous course, and ought not to be ac

ceded to.

Mr. ALSTON said the practice was not unprecedented; he had known several instances of the same kind..

The SPEAKER said there could be no question on the subject. The Senate had thought proper to take this course, and it could not be objected to by this House. Whether it was decorous or not, was not a question to be inquired into now.

The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the bill authorizing the President to make a detachment of the militia.

[This bill authorizes the calling out of one hundred thousand militia, and appropriates one million of dollars. The bill is similar to the former laws on this subject, except that it contains no provision for accepting of volunteers.] It was ordered to a third reading, without amendment.

The House went into a Committee on the bill to establish a land district in the Illinois Territory, &c. The bill was reported without amendment, and ordered to a third reading.

The House went into a Committee on the report of a select committee, allowing the legal rep

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Death of General Blount-Disabled Officers and Soldiers.

FEBRUARY, 1812.

resentatives of the officers and soldiers who fell settling the military bounties allowed to the offiat the battle of Tippecanoe certain bounties. cers and soldiers of the Virginia line on the ConAfter some time spent upon the report, Mr. JEN-tinental Establishment, were read the third time, NINGS moved to change the allowance reported and passed. by the committee from money to land. The chairman of the select committee not being present, on motion of Mr. GRUNDY, the Committee rose, and obtained leave to sit again!

The bill for the relief of Selah Benton was ordered to a third reading, 71 votes to 31, the yeas and nays being taken.

The House took up the report of the Committee of the Whole, made some days ago, on the bill to ascertain the western boundary of a tract of land reserved for the officers and soldiers of the Virginia Continental line. The report was agreed to, and the bill ordered to a third reading.

The House went into a Committee, on the report of the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, on a report on the case of Stephen Kingston, of Philadelphia. This is an old drawback case, which has been before Congress ever since the year 1803. It appeared Mr. K. had failed to comply with certain requisites of the law, which were stated to be absolutely necessary to prevent fraud. The Committee of Commerce and Manufactures reported favorably, and the Committee of the Whole agreed to the report; but the yeas and nays being called, the House refused to concur-55 to 44.

MONDAY, February 10.

DEATH OF GENERAL BLOUNT.

Mr. MACON called the attention of the House to the informal proceedings of Saturday, occasioned by the death of his friend and colleague, General THOMAS BLOUNT, which he moved might be entered on the Journals. The motion was unanimously agreed to, and they were entered as follows: "HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

Saturday, February 8, 1812. "In consequence of the death of General THOMAS BLOUNT, last evening, at eight o'clock, a member of the House of Representatives from the State of North Carolina, of which Mr. Blackledge communicated information to the Speaker, he requested the attendance of the members in the Chamber of the House of Representatives on this day at twelve o'clock; and, a quorum having accordingly assembled, he addressed

them as follows:

"Of the distressing event, gentlemen, which has deprived this House of one of its most valuable members, and a disconsolate wife of one of the tenderest of husbands, you have all heard. The usage of the House of Representatives, in paying the last sad respect to departed worth on such occasions, I have no doubt, accords with the sentiments of every one of you. To enable you to execute this melancholy duty, your informal attendance has been requested. You will, therefore, take such order as may seem to you proper.

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Whereupon, on motion of Mr. Williams,

"1. Resolved, unanimously, That a committee be appointed to take order for superintending the funeral of General Thomas Blount, late a representative from the State of North Carolina.

"Mr. Macon, Mr. Alston, Mr. Blackledge, Mr. Coch

Mr. MAXWELL presented to the House a letter from Jonathan Coleman, an American seaman, impressed on board a British ship of war; stating the manner of his impressment, and claiming the interference of the Government in procuring his release. Referred to the Secretary of State. Mr. WILLIAMS, from the committee appointed ran, Mr. Franklin, Mr. King, Mr. McBryde, Mr. Pearon that part of the President's Message which re-son, Mr. Pickens, Mr. Sawyer, and Mr. Stanford, were lates to filling the ranks and prolonging the en- appointed the said committee. listments of the regular troops, and to an auxiliary force, to the acceptance of volunteer corps, and to detachments of militia, reported the bill from the Senate "making further provision for the Corps of Engineers," with several amendments; which were read, and, together with the bill. committed to a Committee of the Whole to

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this House will testify their respect for the memory of "2. Resolved, unanimously, That the members of General Thomas Blount, late one of their body, by wearing crape on the left arm for one month.

"3. Resolved, unanimously, That a message be sent to the Senate to notify them of the death of General Thomas Blount, late a member of this House, and that his funeral will take place to-morrow morning, at ten o'clock."

On motion of Mr. MACON,

to the Executive of the State of North Carolina Resolved, That the Speaker give information of the vacancy in this House, occasioned by the death of General THOMAS BLOUNT, late one of the Representatives from that State.

DISABLED OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS. The bill for the relief of disabled and superannuated officers and soldiers was read the third time; and on the question being put, "Shall the bill pass its third reading?" it was opposed by Messrs. STOW, ALSTON, and RHEA, and supported by Messrs. GOLD and WRIGHT.

Mr. DAWSON.-When this bill was before the Committee of the whole House, it will be remem

FEBRUARY, 1812.

Disabled Officers and Soldiers.

bered that I invited, that I solicited the friendly aid of all to amend its defects, and to render as efficacious as possible a system which seems to meet with the approbation of all, and the want of which has so long disgraced the country, and daily presents to you, even at the portals of your Capitol, the aged, infirm, and superannuated soldier, shivering in the blast, and, like Belisarius the Great, asking in vain for the "crumbs which fall from the rich man's table."

No proposition of amendment was made, except one by an honorable gentleman from Pennsylvania, which, I believe, his candor induced him to withdraw, and one by an honorable gentleman from South Carolina, supported by his honorable neighbor from North Carolina, to which I assented, and it forms part of the bill."

When the Committee rose, the bill was, on my motion, contrary to practice, laid on the table for three days, for the avowed purpose of enabling gentlemen to search out its defects. These three days were extended to three weeks; owing to the pressure of public business, and, perhaps, to my not being able to call it up, in consequence of my indisposition. It was taken up on last Wednesday or Thursday, and passed to its present stage, without any propositions to amend, on the motion then, and, for the accommodation of the vener able gentleman from Tennessee, its third reading was postponed.

This, sir, is the history of the bill, and after the delays which have taken place, and the many opportunities which have been given to amend it, particularly to the gentleman from Connecticut, whom I know to be a military man, and whose friendly aid I did invite to amend its defects, I do not think it fair, candid, or liberal, to attack the bill in detail at this stage, when its defects cannot be remedied. I will, however, endeavor to remove the objections stated by the honorable gentleman from Connecticut. [Here Mr. D. proceeded to show that the last clause gave to the President the power of fixing the rank and grade of the officers who would receive pay according to that rank; and, that the requisites in the fifth clause were so numerous and strict that it would be impossible for any person to get into the corps without he was justly entitled.]

Mr. Speaker. I ought here to ask pardon of the venerable gentleman from Tennessee for having omitted to mention that, when in Committee of the Whole, some amendments were proposed by that gentleman and rejected without a division. I might, perhaps, be pardoned by the House, should I improve this opportunity, and express to that gentleman the high sense which I entertain for his eminent services; but, sir, when I reflect on the sublimity and extent of his genius, the mind exerted flies back on itself, and is rendered unequal to the task.

The politeness and urbanity of his manners, the grace and dignity of his elocution and atti tudes, while they entrance the imagination and rivet the attention of all who hear him, assure a rich feast to the understanding. With a heart

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truly benevolent, he daily enlightens the path of this bewildered House on every subject of legislation which is brought before them. Not content with traversing these States from one extreme to the other, and opening an easy communication through that country where the untutored savage reigns-with establishing offices in the various posts, from which his speeches in this House, and other useful information, is conveyed to every class of our fellow-citizens-his mighty genius soars to far other objects. At one moment we behold him rapidly descending from the summit of Spencer's mountain,* bounding over this immense plain, marshalling the military force of the United States according to order-regulars, volunteers, and militia-and fixing to each its Constitutional limits; thence marching to the Heights of Abraham, capturing and captivating all who behold him, and there plucking the unfading laurel from the brows of Montgomery and Wolfe. We next behold him visiting our seaport towns in the most courteous manner, and, with gunboats and bombs, erecting fortifications which shall defy the united armadas of Europe. Nay, sir, we see him boldly adventuring on the watery deep, and there, to the astonishment of the finny tribe, building a ship,† the like of which was never seen, and far surpassing in size any ever contemplated by the inhabitants of that country which gave birth to the celebrated Don Quixotte and the renowned Sancho Panza, and which the great Bonaparte now endeavors in vain to subjugate to his arms.

Mr. Speaker, while inclination and justice call on me to pay my homage, and this tribute, to the superior talents of the venerable gentleman from Tennessee, candor obliges me to declare that he has not discovered on this occasion that perspicuity which in general marks his character. With a soul, no doubt honest and honorable, to render service to this meritorious and long neglected class of our fellow-citizens, he has adopted the best means to defeat them. His ingenuity alone could have invented them; and, sir, I do assert that, should that bill fail, and these poor fellows be delayed in receiving that pittance which it proposes to give them, it must, it will be attributed to the aid which they have received from that venerable gentleman.

Mr. TALLMADGE spoke in favor of the bill generally, but objected to certain parts of the details. On which account, Mr. GOLD moved to recommit the bill. This motion was negatived-50 to 37; and afterwards the bill was lost-yeas 47, nays 57, as follows:

YEAS-William Anderson, John Baker, Burwell Bassett, William Blackledge, Jas. Breckenridge, Elijah Brigham, William Butler, Matthew Clay, John Dawson, James Fisk, Asa Fitch, Thomas Gholson, Thomas R. Gold, Charles Goldsborough, Edwin Gray, Felix Grundy, Obed Hall, Aylett Hawes, Lyman Law, Joseph Lewis, jr., Robert Le Roy Livingston, Thomas

A very high mountain in Tennessee.

On the Navy bill, Mr. RHEA proposed to build the largest ship which ever was, and which should beat all others.

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Moore, Archibald McBryde, James Milnor, Jeremiah Morrow, Jonathan O. Moseley, Hugh Nelson, Anthony New, Thomas Newton, Stephen Ormsby, James Pleasants, jr., Josiah Quincy, William Reed, Henry M. Ridgely, Samuel Ringgold, John Sevier, Adam Seybert, Daniel Sheffey, George Smith, John Smith, Philip Stuart, Lewis B. Sturges, John Taliaferro, Laban Wheaton, Leonard White, Thomas Wilson, and Robert Wright.

NAYS-Willis Alston, jr., Stevenson Archer, William W. Bibb, Adam Boyd, Robert Brown, William A. Burwell, John C. Calhoun, Epaphroditus Champion, Langdon Cheves, James Cochran, Lewis Condit, William Crawford, John Davenport, jr., Roger Davis, Joseph Desha, Samuel Dinsmoor, Elias Earle, Meshack

Franklin, Peterson Goodwyn, Isaiah L. Green, Bolling Hall, John A. Harper, Jacob Hufty, John M. Hyneman, Joseph Kent, William R. King, Abner Lacock, William Lowndes, Aaron Lyle, George C. Maxwell, William McCoy, Samuel McKee, Alexander McKim, Arunah Metcalf, James Morgan, Thomas Newbold, Israel Pickens, William Piper, Benjamin Pond, William M. Richardson, John Rhea, John Roane, Jonathan Roberts, William Rodman, Ebenezer Sage, Ebenezer Seaver, Samuel Shaw, John Smilie, Richard Stanford, Silas Stow, Samuel Taggart, Uri Tracy, Charles Turner, jr., Pierre Van Cortlandt, jr., Robert Whitehill, David R. Williams, and William Widgery.

BATTLE OF THE WABASH.

The House again resolved itself into a Committee on the report of a select committee on certain petitions in relation to the affair on the Wabash; when Mr. JENNINGS' amendment, which proposed allowing the widows, &c., of the slain officers and soldiers bounties in land, instead of money, was negatived. The resolutions allowing the bounties, pensions, &c., as recommended by the select committee, were all agreed to. The report of the Committee of the Whole was concurred in by the House, as follows:

1. Resolved, That one month's pay ought to be allowed, in addition to the common allowance, to the officers, (according to the rank which they held,) the non-commissioned officers, and privates, of the regulars, volunteers, and militia, and to the legal representatives of those who were killed, or have since died of their wounds, composing the army under the command of Gov. Harrison, in the late campaign on the Wabash. 2. Resolved, That five years' half pay ought to be allowed to the legal representatives of the officers, (according to the rank which they held,) the non-commissioned officers, and privates, of the volunteers and militia, who were killed in the battle of the seventh of November, one thousand eight hundred and eleven, or who have since died of their wounds.

3. Resolved, That provision ought to be made by law to place on the pension list of the United States the officers, (according to the rank which they held,), the non-commissioned officers, and soldiers, of the volunteers and militia, who served in the late campaign on the Wabash, under the command of Governor Harrison, who have been wounded or disabled in the said campaign.

4. Resolved, That provision ought to be made by law to pay for the horses and other property of individuals lost in, or in consequence of, the said battle. 5. Resolved, That the further time of years ought to be allowed to the officers and soldiers who

FEBRUARY, 1812.

were wounded, and to the legal representatives of those who were killed in the said battle, to complete the payments due, or which may fall due to the United States, on any purchase of the public lands made by them before the said battle.

Ordered, That a bill be brought in, pursuant to the said resolutions; and that the committee appointed on that part of the President's Message which relates to Indian affairs do prepare and bring in the same.

TUESDAY, February 11.

The SPEAKER laid before the House a resolu

tion of the Legislature of the State of Georgia, ratifying and confirming an amendment proposed by Congress to the Constitution of the United States, relative to titles of nobility; which was read, and ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. NEWTON, from the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, to whom was referred the bill from the Senate "respecting the enrolling and licensing of steamboats," reported the same without amendment.

Ordered, That the said bill be committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Thursday

next.

Mr. WILLIAMS, from the committee appointed on that part of the President's Message which relates to detachments of militia, and to such a preparation of the great body as will proportion its usefulness to its intrinsic capacity, presented a bill supplementary to An act making provision for arming and equipping the whole body of the militia of the United States;" which was read twice, and committed to a Committee of the Whole to-morrow.

On motion of Mr. WILLIAMS,

Resolved, That the committee appointed on so much of the Message of the President as relates to military affairs, be directed to inquire into the expediency of authorizing the enlargement of the armories of the United States, and the establishment of an additional number; and that they have leave to report by bill, or otherwise.

Mr. WRIGHT, from the committee appointed on the petition of Arthur St. Clair, reported a bill for the relief of Arthur St. Clair; which was read twice, and committed to a Committee of the Whole to-morrow.

A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate have passed the bill "for the more convenient taking of affidavits and bail in civil causes depending in the Courts of the United States," with amendments; to which they desire the concurrence of this House.

The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole, on the bill for the relief of the Board of Commissioners west of Pearl river. The Committee reported the bill without amendment, and it was ordered to a third reading. [This bill merely goes to allow the commissioners for a certain number of days which they sat beyond the period contemplated in the law under which they acted.]

The House went into a Committee on the bill

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