Harpers-Ferry free press. [volume], January 22, 1822, Image 2

About Harpers-Ferry free press. [volume] (Harper's Ferry, Va. [i.e. Harpers Ferry, W. Va.]) 1821-1824

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CONGRESS.
IN THE SENATE.
MONDAY, JAN. 14.
Mr. Talbot communicated to the Se
nate a preamble and sundry resolutions
adopted by the legislature of the state of
Kentucky, in favor of the Maryland pro
position to grant the old states such por
tion of the public lands as will correspond
in just proportion with the grants made
in the new states; and the document was
read.
Mr. Johnson, of Louisiana, laid before
the Senate a communication from the Su
perintendant of Indian Trade, embracing
information called for by the committee
on Indian Affairs ; which communication,
on motion of Mr. J. was ordered to be
.printed.
Mr. Ware, according to notice, and
having obtained leave, introduced a bill
concerning the process of execution issu
ing from the sixth circuit court of the
United States for the district of Georgia;
which bill was twice read, and referred
to the committee on the Judiciary.
The Senate then proceeded, according
to the order of the day, to the considera
tion of the following resolution,, submit
ted by Mr. R. M. Johnson,“of' Kentucky,
On the 12th of December.
Resolved, by the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States of
America, in Congress assembled, That
the following amendment to the constitu
tion of the United States be proposed to
the legislatures of the se. eral states,
Welch, when ratified by the legislatures
of three-fourths of the states, shall be va
lid, to all intents and purposes, as part of
the said constitution.
“ That, in all controversies where the
judicial power of the United States shall
be so construed as to extend to any case
in law or equity, arising under this con
stitution, the laws of the United:"'States,
or treaties made, or which shall be made,
under their authority, and to which a
state shall be a party; and in all contro
versies in which a state may desire to be
come a party, in consequence of having
the constitution or laws of such state
questioned, the Senate of the U. States
shall have appellate jurisdiction.”
Mr. Johnson, of Ky. rose in support of
(position, and addressed the Senate
han two hours in an argument to
:he expediency of the proposed
went, but before he had concluded
larks, took his seat with an inten
resuming them to-morrow,
r a few observations from Mr. Otis
ncidental point of Mr. Johnson’s
;nt,
Senate went into the consideration
of executive business ; and then adjourned.
TUESDAY, JAN. 15.
After the transaction of some business
of minor importance, the Senate resumed
the consideration of the proposition intro
duced by Mr. Johnson of Ky. to amend
the constitution.
Mr. Johnson resumed the speech which
he had commenced yesterday, in support
of his resolution, and spoke about two
-hours. When he had concluded,
Mr. Holmes, of Maine, moved to strike
out all that part of the resolution which
proposes to give appellate jurisdiction to
the Senate, in certain cases, and to insert
the following amendment to the constitu
tion :
“ Any judge of any court of the United
States may be removed from office by the
President of the United States, on the ad
dress of both houses of Congress.”
After some observations by Mr. Van
Beuten, the further consideration of the
-Subject was postponed until to-morrow.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 16.
Mr. Thomas, from the committee on
public lands, reported a bill supplemental
to an act, entitled “ an act to authorize
the appointment of commissioners to lay
out the road therein mentioned.”
[This bill provides that the road autho
rized to be laid out from Wheeling to the
left bank of the Mississippi, shall be laid
out through Columbus, Indianapolis, and
Vandalia, the seats of government of the
states of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.]
On motion of Mr. Lloyd, the resolutions
submitted by him for making certain ap
propriations of the public lands to the
purposes of education in the old states,
were taken up ; and, with the view of fix
ing a day certain for their discussion,
were made the order of the day for Wed
nesday next.
The Senate proceeded to the consider
ation of the joint resolution proposing an
amendment to the constitution, for estab
lishing an uniform mode of electing elec
tors of President and Vice President of
the United States and Representatives to
Congress.
After some discussion, the resolution
was postponed to to-morrow.
On motion of Mr. Talbot, the resolve
for amending the constitution, with res
pect to cases of controversy between states
and the United States, &c. was made the
order of the day for Tuesday next.
THURSDAY, JAN. 17.
The resolution for amending the con
stitution, as regards the election of elec
tors, &c, was taken up, and, on motion of
-Mr. Smith, postponed to this day week.
j ''"The hill to provide for the repair of the
' Cumberland Road was taken up, and, af
ter some debate, was ordered to lie on the
table.
FRIDAY, JAN. 18.
Mr. Findley submitted a resolution di
recting an inquiry into the expediency of
establishing a more direct post route from
Washington City to Pittsburg.
The remainder of the sitting was spent
on the bill to establish certain collection
districts; and to fix the compensation of
officers of the customs.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
MONDAY, JAN. 14.
Among the petitions this day present
ed, was a memorial, by Mr. Gorham,
| from sundry inhabitants of Boston, ad
verse to an uniform system of bankrupt
cy ; and one from New York, by Mr.
Colden, also adverse to it, which were re
ferred to a committee of the whole on that
subject.
Mr. Sergeant, from the committee on
' the Judiciary, reported a bill to provide
j for delivering up persons held to labor or
| service in any of the states or territories
j who shall escape into any other state or
! territory ; which was twice read and com
j mutea.
Mr. Williams, -from the corn nil
! claims, made a report unfavorable to the
memorial of the legislature of the state
of Tennessee, asking- that provision may
be made to pay for horses lost by her citi
zens in the expedition during the Semi
nole war; which report was read and re
ferred to a committee of the whole house,
and with the memorial of the legislature,
and documents accompanying the same,
were ordered to be printed.
Mr. Rankin, from the committee on
public lands, reported a bill to authorize
the state of Illinois to open a canal thro’
the public lands, connecting the Illinois
river with lake Michigan, which was
twice read and committed.
Mi\ Nelson, of Md. after adverting to
the importance of the subject of the mo
tion which he had laid on the table some
days ago, proposing the appointment of
a committee to consider the expediency
of making appropriations of public lands
i for the purposes of education in the old
states, and to the fact that it had received
the approbation of several states, and
therefore was entitled to the serious at
tention of this house, moved that the house
should now proceed to the consideration
of that motion.
The house agreed to consider it. Se
veral amendments were proposed arid re
jected.
The remainder of the sitting was spent
in the discussion.
TUESDAY, JAN. 15.
Mr. Cocke, fro n the committee on re
volution?^- pensions, reported a bill sup
plenigjj|^K- to the act to provide for cer
i tain perils engaged in the land and na
! val service of the United States in the
revolutionary war.
On motion of Mr. J. T. Johnson, of Ky.
the house agreed to consider (ayes 69,
noes 49) a resolution by him submitted
j on a former day, directing the committee
j on military affairs to inquire into the ex
pediency of establishing a national manu
factory of arms, &c. on the western wa
ters; and the same was thereupon adop
ted.
Mr. Scott laid on the table the follow
; ing resolution :
Resolved, That the Secretary of War
] be requested to report to this house a
statement, shewing the number of sol
, diers who have received their bounty lands
for services rendered during the late war;
the quantity of land received by them ;
the number of soldiers yet entitled to re
ceive bounty lands; and the quantity of
land that will be required to satisfy their
claims, over and above what has been set
apart by former acts of Congress.
Mr. Condict laid on the table the fol
lowing resolution :
Resolved, That the President of the U.
States be requested to communicate to
this house such information as he may
possess, and which may not be improper
to communicate, in respect to any outra
ges and abuses committed upon the per
son of the officers, or crews, of the Ame
rican vessels at the Havana, or other Spa
nish ports in America; also, whether any
measures have been adopted under Spa
nish authority, tending to punish, restrain,
or countenance, either such personal out
rages or piratical depredation upon the
property of our merchants; also, whe
ther, in the opinion of the President, any
further legislative provisions may be ne
cessary to enable the executive more ef
fectually to protect our rights from simi
lar aggressions.
The Speaker presented a communica
tion from the Secretary of the Treasury
Department, in compliance with a call of
the house, transmitting a statement shew
ing the nett proceeds of the sales of the
public lands in the state of Indiana, Illi
nois, and Missouri, from the several pe
riods required.
1 he Speaker also presented a commu
nication from the Treasury Department
on the subject of the Cumberland road ;
which, on motion of Mr. Trimble, was re
ferred to the committee on roads and ca
nals, and ordered to be printed.
On motion of Mr. Mercer, it was
Resolved, That the committee on the
suppression of the slave trade be instruct
ed to inquire whether the laws of the U.
States prohibiting that traffic have been
duly executed, and, if so, into the general
effect produced thereby on the trade it
self, also, to inquire into and report the
defects, if any exist, in the operation of
the laws, and to suggest adequate reme
dies therefor.
Mr. Nelson, of Md. withdrew the reso
lution under discussion yesterday in the
house, and in lieu thereof offered the fol
lowing :
Resolved, That each of the U. States^
has an equal right to participate in thJ|
benefit of the public lands, the common
property of the union.
Resolved, That the states in whose fa
vor Congress has made appropriations of
land for the purposes of education, are
entitled to such appropriations as will
correspond in a just proportion with those
heretofore made in favor of the other
states.
Resolved, That a committee he ap
pointed with instructions to report a bill
in pursuance of the foregoing resolutions.
On motion of Mr. N. the same were
referred to the committee of the whole on
the state of the union, and ordered to he ;
_ printed.____: _
WEDNESDAY) JAN. 16.
Mr. Floyd laid upon the table the fol
! lowing resolution :
j Resolved, That the President of the U.
! States be requested to cause to be laid
before this house all the correspondence
which led to the treaty of Ghent, which
has not yet been made public, and which,
in his opinion, it may not be improper to
i disclose.
On motion of Mr. Scott, the house
agreed to consider the resolution submit
ted by him on yesterday; which was
thereupon adopted.
Mr. Tomlinson laid before the house
certain resolutions of the legislature of
Connecticut, approving the proposition to
grant to the old states a portion of public
land, corresponding with the appropria
tions thereof to the new states, for the
purposes of education ; which were, on
motion of Mr. T. referred to the commit
tee of the whole to which the resolutions
of Mr. Nelson, of Md. on the subject were
committed.
On motion of Mr. Bateman certain re
solutions of the legislature of New Jer
sey, of a similar purport, heretofore com
municated, were referred to the same
committee of the whole.
The house, on motion of Mr. Condict,
took up the resolution yesterday laid on
the table by him ; and, after modifying it,
at the suggestion of Mr. Lathrop, by
striking out the clause which requested
the President’s opinion as to the further
legislative provisions necessary to enable
him to protect the rights of our citizens
from piratical aggression, the resolution
was adopted.
THURSDAY, JAN. 17.
Mr. Floyd, from the committee to whom
was referred an inquiry into the expe
diency of occupying the mouth of the Co
lumbia river, and of regulating the inter
course with the Indian tribes; reported,
in part, a bill to regulate the intercourse
with the Indian tribes within the United
States, and territories thereof; which was
twice read and committed.
Mr. Hobart laid the following resolu
tion on the table :
Resolved, That the Post Master Gene
ral be directed to communicate to this
house a statement of the gross amount of
postages, the number of post offices in the
United States, the extent in miles of post
roads, the amount of compensation to de
puty postmasters, the expenses of trans
porting the mail, together with the inci
dental expenses of the post office depart
ment, and the balances in favor or against
the same, in each of the last six years-—
and, in case the revenue of the said de
partment should now be insufficient to
meet the expenditures thereof, to suggest
such measures as he may deem proper,
either to supply such deficiency or to re
duce the said expenditures.
Mr. Harvey communicated to the house
a report and sundry resolutions adopted
by the legislature of New Hampshire in
June last, in favor of the proposition for
granting a portion of the public land to
the old states for the purpose of educa
tion—and, on the motion of Mr. H. the
document was committed to the commit
tee of the whole on that subject.
The house resolved itself into a com
mittee of the whole on the bill for appor
tioning the representatives of the several
states to Congress, according to the cen
&Uo U1 iOZV.
The ratio of apportionment was fixed
at 42,000 by the committee. Nineteen
different propositions were made, varying
from 35,000 to 75,000. After the bill was
reported to the house, Mr. Durfee and Mr.
Randolph made some remarks in opposi
tion, and Mr. R. moved that the further
consideration of the bill be postponed un
til next Monday week, which was carried,
FRIDAY, JAN. 18.
Among the petitions presented this day
was one, by Mr. Dickinson, from the in
habitants of Troy, in the state of New
York, remonstrating against the enact
ment of a system of bankruptcy for the
United States.
Mr, Cannon, from the committee on the
militia, reported a bill to provide for ' j'j
clothing of the militia, when called hit
the service of the United States ; wine
was read twice and committed. §E$
Mr. Floyd, from the committee appoint
ed on the subject, reported a bill to authd^
rize the occupation of the Columbia rive%tf°
this bill was read twice and committed.^!
Mr.Tomlinson submitted the following!)®
Resolved, That the committee of way,a<
and means be instructed to inquire intrei
the expediency of appropriating the sui^n
of five hundred dollars to carry into e’fteyif
„ a resolution of Congress, passed June iyi
| 1777, providing for the erection of a mtjj
nument to the memory of General Davi,,se
Wooster, who fell in bravely repelling a.Ji
inroad of the British forces to Danbury
in Connecticut. 4
The resolution was adopted. JlB
The principal part of the day was de^
voted to the discussion of a private clairr:[|r
and the house adjonrned to Monday. ' T,,
Jr
MORE PIRACIES. ' <«t
NORFOLK, JAN. 10. J0'
We are indebted to the polite attentio
of capt. Saunders, of the schr. Jame £
Monroe, for the following- account of pb"
ratical outrages recently committed o#1
American commerce. ^
The schr. Planet, Dennison, arrived
the Balize 21st December, in 13 days froi: t
St. Thomas—on the 16th, off Cape Ante, ’1
nio, was boarded by two piratical schrr,rise
of 15 or 20 men each, which robbed t hi hi
captain of all the money he had on boarate
about §300, 38 bags of coffee, 40 boxes oisb
cider, took all the clothing and blanketli
belonging to the captain and mate, am it
flogged the captain severely, to extoi
from him where the balance of the money :
was concealed. Capt. Dennison also in ./
formed capt. Saunders, that these pirate :
had previously captured the ship Liver f
pool Packet, (of Portsmouth) capt, Rick
er, from Rio Janeiro, bound to Havana
from which they robbed sixty thousanc
dollars, and took a boy from the ship tc c
fill water casks for their use. This boy,
they afterwards put on board the Planet
When the Planet hove in sight, comings
round the Cape, the pirates cut the cables
of the ship and let her go, after putting t
on board the crew of the English brig ,
Alexander, (of Greenock) which they had
captured and burnt some days previous. ...
and the captain and steward of which
they had murdered.—[Beacon.
NEW YORK, JAN. 14. ;?v
Capt. O’Bryan, from Havana, furnishes
the following particulars of one of the
most outrageous acts that have been heard
ol in the days of modern piracy. The
particulars stated in the following letter,
were verified by captain Ricker himself,
whom captain O’Bryan saw, and who in
formed that the pirates, to the number of
about fifty, have their dwelling on or near 1
Cape Antonio. The Liverpool Packet
was from Rio Janeiro, bound to Havana, '
Capt. O’Bnjan—The ship Liverpool '
Packet, Ricker, of Portsmouth, N. H. was
boarded on the 9th inst. by a Colombian '
cruizer, and the passengers, leinnum-'8
ber, were robbed of every thing. The
captain and crew were treated, politely, •
although the cruizer took from them a
quantity of provisions, and did not pay for !
them, because, they said, they could not.
The passengers were Spaniards. On the 1
16th, off Cape St. Antonio, Cuba, she was
again boarded by two piratical schooners; ■
two barges, containing thirty or forty •
men, robbed the vessel of every thing -i
moveable, even to her Jiags, rigging, one
boat which happened to be afloat, and
having a boy in it who belonged to the :
ship. They held a consultation whether r
they should murder the crew or not—-in i
the mean time taking the ship into an- )j
choring ground. On bringing her to an
cnor, the crew saw a brig-close alongside,
burnt to the water’s edge, and three dead
bodies floating near her. The pirates ;
said they had burnt the brig- the day be
fore, and murdered all the crew l—and in
tended doing the same with them. They
said u look at the Turtles,” (meaning the
dead bodies,) you will soon be the same.
Ihey said the vessel was a Baltimore
brig,which they had robbed and burnt, and
murdered the crew, as before stated, of
which there is little doubt. Capt. Ricker
was most shockingly bruised by them.
He stripped himself in presence"of my
self and Capt. Wilkinson, of the brig
Maine from Philadelphia, and I never
saw a man more bruised. The mate was
hung till he was supposed to be dead,
but came to, and is now alive. They told
the captain they belonged to Regia, and
should kill them all to prevent discovery.
Pie knew the person who told them. There
is no doubt that piratical vessels are sail
ing from this port weekly in the charac
ter of coasters. WM. B, SMITH.
Havana, Dec. 22, 1821.
WEEKLY ALMANAC.
JANUARY,
1822.
23 Wednesday
24 Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
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RISES.
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SETS.
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PHASES.
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