mide a Spanish territory the place of
rendezvous and encampment of an ene
my, Mitd whicli has still more lately per
muted the Indian inhabitants of lhat ter
ritory, (whom Spain was bound by treaty
to resti ain ) to engage in savage hosti
lities against us; for all these acts of war,
a people less attached to peace would
s?-rk redress only by war. To capture and
confiscate the ships and -property of the
w rung -doer, would he admitted to be a
policy of mildness and forbearance. But,
b> such reprisals, the government that
d?.es the wrong suffers less than the un
offending subject. It seems a more just
reprisal to occupy the province which
ha* been made an insttument of injury,
w?uch lus been designated by Spain
hctscll ai? the fund for our indemnity,
and whose occupation by the United
States, w:il stop the accumulation of
claims for compensation and redress,
v hich the mUgovernmcnt of that ne
glrcied colony continually produces
The committee submit to the house a
bill to authorize the president of the
United States to take possession of Fast
and West Florida, and establish a tem
porary government therein.
There appeats too much reason to be
lieve, from the mistake of the Spanish
negotiator, as to the dates of the Spanish
grants, which it was intended to annul,
if the projected treaty had been ratified,
that the crown lands in Florida may he
insufficient to provide the expected in
tieinuity for our losses. But these may
be applied, as far as t'iev will go, to the
compensation of our citizens, and for the
excess of our claim, Spain, by whose
act the domain ofF?orida has been ren
dered inadequate, must expect us to
look westward. Perhaps, w hen our at
tention is thus forced to a direction more
interesting to Spain, hrr government
may at last admit that it is as much her
interest as ours, that the just claims of
the United States should be provided
for by friendly convention, and we may
hope that the next treaty between the
tv* > iations may be executed as well a
signed.
The following bill accompanied the
report:
Tie it enacted , is'c. That the pre
sident of the United States be, and he
is hereby, authorized and required to
take po*se<sion of, and occupy, the ter
ritories of East and West Florida, and
tiie appendages and appurtenances
thereof; and he is hereby authorized,
for that purpose, to employ any part of
the army and navy of the United States,
and the militia of any state, which lie
may deem necessary.
*1nd be it further enacted , That until
the end of the next session of congress,
unless provision for the ten?porar> go
vernment of the sai J territories be soon
er made by congress, all the military,
civil, and judicial powers exercised by
the officers of the existing government
of the same territories shall be vested in
such pe rson and persons, and shall be
exercised in such manner, as the presi
dent of t United States shall direct,
for maintaining o! ssid inhabitants of said
ter i it'^ries in the fn.e enjoyment of their
liber y. property, and religion; and the
laws ot the United States relative to the
collection of the revenue, and the im
portation of persons of colour, shall be
extended to saiH territories; and the pre
sident of the United States shall be, and
he is he. eby authorized, within the tei m
afiresaid, to establish such districts for
the collection of the revenue, and during
the recess of congress to appoint such
officers, whose, commissions shall expire
at the end of the next session of con
gress, to enforcc the said laws, as to him
shall seem expedient.
.In 7 be it further emitted , That the
sum of ? dollars is hereby appropri
ated, for the purpose of'tjarrying this
act into effect, to be paid out of any mo
ney an the treasury r?ot otherwise ap
proptiated, and to be applied under tne
direction of the president of the United
States.
The bill was twice read, and referred
to a committee of tiie whole on the stale
of the Union.
The resolution lying on the table to
authorize the publication of pan of the
secret journal of congress, under the ar
ticles of confederation, arid the amend
ments reported thereto by the select
committee, being read, were concurred
in by the house, and the resolution, as
amended, was ordered to be engrossed
and tead a third time.
Tne following message was received
from the ptesidentof tiie I nited States,
by Mr. J. J. Monroe:
To the Speaker of the House of Representa
tive- a
I transmit to the house of represen
tatives, in pursuance of their resolution
of ?iie 22 i of last month, a r. port fftmi
the secretary of state, with the papers
containing the information requested by
lhi? resolution.
J A MLS MONRUK.
Wj?he?<ton, .Ifurrli 20, IS JO.
ro tlf President of the U..ited States*
w I ' tary of state, to whom has
of Kjf'-n td tiie resolution of the bouse
Ouestirf "*Jt've* ultimo, re
li'Mjs' an'e ,f' impart to that
f,u, jfj, ?mrnunication* touching the
fort- lieen c.i w,,,cl1 l,aVC h?*ieto
?'??inna^n 0j'?unicated, ar.d the coin
*??? |>" M,dic,ich' h,s?P,,,io'b ,,|dy
Uni ids f ? 10 ",c i>k' rt-?ls 'he
"*?C >, ,,a? | . r . *?_
ting U? the president the papers c?n. tain
ing the information in possession of this
department request- d by I Ik: revolution.
John Qi'inty Ad\ms.
Department of State, 7th March, 1820
[_The documents accompanying this
report were ordered to be printed.]
Military yt/ifirofmutims. ? Fortification*.
The house again resolved itself into a
committee of the whole on the bill ap
propriating monies for the support of
the military establishment for the year
18J0.
The whole of the remainder of the
day was occupied on this bill, and prin
cipally on the subject of the appropria
tion for fortifications.
The debate resulted in fixing on
800,000 dollars as the amount of appro
priation for fortifications, for the present
year, beiojj the sum recommended by
the committee of ways and incans.
B.tore finishing the consideration of
this bill, the committee rose (at four
o'clock) and the house adjourned.
Friday, .Varch 10.
On motion of Mr. Cannon, it was
7V< a'i/j'rf/, That the committee of the
whole house who have under considera
tion the biil making appropriations for
the military establishment lor the yeai
1820, l?c instructed to inquire into the
expediency of abolishing the military
academy at West Point, in the state of
New York; also of repealing all laws in
relation to sai'l academy, from and after
the first day of May next, and exposing
to sale to the highest bidder all the pro
perty of the United Stales, in and about
the same, in such manner as may be di
rected by the president of the United
States.
Vhe bill from the senate for changing
the mode of disposing of the public
lands from credit to cash; and the bill,
also from the senate, for extending the
time for payment for the public lands,
Stc. were twice read, and referred to the
committee on public lands.
The engrossed resolution directing
the publication of the secret journal of
the old congress, from the treaty of
178 J, to the commencement of the go
vernment, was read a third time, and
passed.
The house having again resoived it
self into a committee of the whole, on
tlie military appropriation bill ?
Mr. Cobb withdrew the motion which
he yesterday offered to amend the bill,
under the impression that it had better
be annexed to the bill making the civil
appropriations for the current year.
Mr. Cocke inquired from the chair
man of the committee of ways and
means, what portion of the appropria
tions contained in this bill related to the
expenses of the expedition up the Mis
souri river? his object being to strike
out that pari of the appropriation.
Mr. Smith, of Maryland, answered,
that he could not say more on this sub
ject th;m was disclosed^by the report on
1 this subject by the war department, in
puisuance of the requisition of this
house, and which was in possession of
| the house.
After some conversation, it appeared
to be seitl^d that the proper time for
Mr. Cocke's motion would :>e when the
question came before thr house for con
cut renrtt in the appropriations agreed
to by thi>> committee.
And on motion ot Mr. Clay, this bill
having been gone through, it was or
dered to lie on the table.
The house thru proceeded to the
consideration of the proposition of Mi.
Cannon, directing the committee of the
whole to inquire into the expediency of
abolishing the military academy.
Whereupon a debate of three hours
arose, of which it is not possible to
crowd even a very brief report in this
pape r.
Mr. Clay ??ubmitted a resolution,
" that it is inexpedient at this time to
abolish the military academy at West
Point."
Those who supported the affirmative
and negative sides of this proposition,
in debate, were as Follows:
y/Jir i native ? ? Messrs. Clay, Camp
bell, Foot, Tornlinson, Fuller, Smith,
of Maryland, Smyth, of Virginia, Ulooin
field, Brown, and Case.
JWifatbve. ? Messrs. l/iver more, K'?ss,
Stevens, Walker, Smith, of N. Carolina,
and Cannon.
Among tnc si'p^or'crs of the acade
my, Mr. Campbi ;i, and peihaps others,
were of opinion the number of students
might be reduced one half, and of course
the expenditure propertionably.
A motion was made to strike out the
syllable in from Mr. Clay's motion, so
as to make it read expedient instead of
inexpedient. Tnis motion was negatived
after a division, in which it was support
ed by forty -one votes
And Mr. Clay's motion prevailed by
a like majority.
The committee then rose and report
ed their agreement to this resolution;
and also repot ted, w it ti amendments, the
inilitaiy appiopi iution bill.
And the bouse adjourned.
Hat unlay, March II
I be house proceeded to consider the
report of the committee of the whole
on the bill making appropriations for the
support ol ' .e militai y establishment for
the year i <*'. 'J.
On tin question to concur in filling
the blank ft?i rntdii at, hospital and quar
tet -ma >.ei '?> s o' es. w ith 3 00,000 dollar*,
i debate wj, co:nto?:ii< e-J b> Mi .Cwckc,
of Tennessee, opposition being made to
it by him, on the ground of hostility to
the Missouri expedition.
The further prosecution of that ex
pedition w us supported and opposed by
the following gentlemen:
Affirmative ? Messrs. Simkins, Stro
ther, Smith, of Md. Cook, Qiurtes,
Smith, of Virg. Rhea, and Sergeant.
Negative. ? Messrs. Cocke, Storrs,
Hard in, Ross, and Foot.
The cjuestion being taken on agreeing
to the proposed sum of 500,000 dollars
for this item of expenditure, was decid
ed thus: ? For this amount 70? Against
it 75.
So the house refused to concur with
the committee of the whole in filling
the blank with this sum. And, without
proceeding further in the hill,
The house adjourned.
.VoinJay, .March 13.
MISSOURI EXPEDITION.
The house then again proceeded to
the consideration of the bill making ap
propriations for the support of the mili
tary establishment for the year 18 20.
Ami the question being on filling the
blank for the quarter-master's depart
ment ? the house having on Saturday
refused to fill it with 500,000 dollars ?
M r. Cocke moved to fill it with
400,000; thus reducing it a hundred
thousand, with a view to arresting the
Missouri expedition.
Mr. Trimble moved to fill it with
480,000. lie intimated his opinion,
that, after what had passed indicative of
the \iews of this house, and particularly
under the present aspect of our foreign
relations, the expedition would b?- re
stricted to the Council Bluffs. But.
even in retracing its steps, Sec. certain
expenses must be incurred, to the same
amount, or very nearly, as if the expe
dition had gone on.
Now again commenced the debate on
the merits of the expedition to the Yel
low Stone, or rather to tiie Mandan vil
lages; when the following gentlemen
supported and opposed the prosecution
of the expedition.
.iffirmatix'e. ? Messrs. Holmes, Stro
ther, Brown, Ford, Gross, of N. York,
Cook, Nelson, and Rhea.
A'rgative. ? Messrs. Southard, Floyd,
Johnson, Cocke, Foot, and Storrs.
Mr. Ilolmes had moved to fill the
blank with 495.000 dollars; being, in
effect, a proposition to retain the appro
priation for the prosecution of the Mis
souri expedition to its ultimate objects.
At the close of the debate, the ques
tion on this proposition was decided, by
yeas and nays, by the following vote:
For that sum, 77
Against it, 83
On Mr. Trimble's motion, the vote
was ?
For his motion, 77
w Against it, 84
On the motion of Mr. Cobb to fill the
blank with 450,000 dollars, (predicated
on the maintenance of the expedition at
the Council Bluffs,) the question was
not taken by yeas and nays, but was de
cided affirmatively, by a lurge majority.
And the house adjourned.
T uevlay, .l/arch 14.
Mr. Sn.iih, of Md. presented a prti
tion of sundry merchants and underwri
ters in the city of Baltimore, in the state
of Maryland, praying to be indemnified
for spoliations committed on their pro
perty on the high seas by French crui
ser*, between the years 1793 and 1798,
under the authority of illegal oidvrs and
decrces issued by the government of
France; their claims upon which for re
dress were relinquished by the govern
ment of the United States in the con
vention of the 30th Se;>?. 1800: and the
petition was ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. Smyth, of Va. from the com
mittee on militaiy affairs, reported the
following bill:
He it enacted by the tenate and h<iu*e
of refirehentatmrH of the United State a
of America in congee** amcm/ded, That
ho much of any act as unites the milita
ry academy with Hie corps of engineers,
arid subjects the pro lessors, assistant
professors, and teachers, (not being of
ficers of the army of the L*. States,) and
cadets of the said acadeni), to martial
law, shall be, and the same is hereby re
pealed.
And he it further enacted , That the
super inte'ndant and professors, or a ma
jority of them, shall constitute a court
for the trial of cadets charged with con
duct unbecoming a gentleman, insub
ordination, neglect of duty, or oth^r r?f
fcncc against law or morality, and may
scntcnce any cadet found guilty, accord
ing to the nature of the offence, to be
censured, suspeixled, or dismissed from
the academy.
And be it further enacted , That the
president of the United States shall have
authority to appoint visitors of the said
academy, to direct examinations and rc
poris to he made, to prescribe the course
of instruction which shall be observed,
nnd to make rules for the regulation,
management, and control of the said
academy.
And be it further enacted , That every
cadet hereafter to be admitted, sh*ll he
healthy and well formed, and shall, to
gether with his father or guardian, sign
a promise, in writing that he will, if he
shall be appointed an officer in the army
of the United States, serve five years,
unless sooner discharged; and on failure
to pei form such promise, the cadet so
U. .t>g, ai.d lu? fjtiier or guardian, shall
be jointly and severally liable to f to
the United States the expense oi the
education of such c adrt.
The bill wa* twice read and com
mitted.
On motion of Mr. Slocumb, the com
mittee on the judiciary was instructed to
inquire and report to this house, whe
ther any, and, if any, what measures are
necessary to be taken for the greater
security of debts due the United States
io consequence of certain loans of pow
der, lead and other munitions, belonging
to government, havir.g been made to
private citizens by any officer of the
United States.
On motion of Mr. Cobb, it was
Reaolvrd, That the president of the
United States be requested to commu
nicate to this house any information
which may have been received by the
department of state, or other executive
department, of the amount of claims of
tiie citizcns of the United States for
Spanish spoliations upon their property
a.-d commerce, or those for which the
Spanish government is held responsi
b.e.
On motion of Mr. Campbell, a com
mittee was ordered to be appointed to
inquire into the expediency of providing
by law for the satisfaction of unloratt-d
warrants which have issued to officers
and soldiers of the Virginia line on the
continental establishment; and also for"
emanation of patents in cases where lo
cations have been made and patents not
obtained.
Mr. Bloomficld submitted the follow
ing resolution:
Keaolvtdt That Brigadier General
Boyd, of the army of the Uuited States,
in the late w\r with Great Britain, be
admitted within the house of represen
tatives.
The said resolution being read, Mr.
Floyd moved to lay t lie same on the ta
ble; which motion was negatived, and
The resolve was agreed to.
The house resumed the consideration
of the bill making appropriations for the
support of the military establishment
for the year 18'20.
The item of fortifications next pre
senting itself tor consideration ? and the
question being on concurrence with the
committee of the whole in Riling the
blank for the amount with the sum of
eight hundred thousand dollars.
Mr. Butler, of New Hampshire, and
Mr. Corke, opposed the tilling the blank
with the amount, and Mr. Smith, of Md.
defended it.
The question was decided affirma
tively, by yeas and nays, 1 03 votes to 5 1 .
Tlie next question was on concurring
in the appropriation for contingent tx
penccs, books, maps, J*. c. for the mili
tary academy.
To try the sense of the house on the
question of appropriating any thing for
that institution, the question was taken
by yeas and nays, and was dccidrd in fa
vor of the appropriation by 111 vot?s
to 42.
On the question to concur with the
committee of the whole in striking out
the ciau-?e making an appropriation for
the completion of the arsenal at Augus
ta. in Georgia ?
Some debate took pHce between
Messrs. Cobb, Smith, of Mil. Rcid, and
Cuthbcrt, on the subject. When, on the
question bting taken, the houv: r - fused
to strike out that clause; and agreed to
fiN the blatik with the sum of 27,C0u
dollars, viz.* 25,000 for completing the
arsenal, and 2,00 i dollars for diaining
the marsh near it.
The next item whieh exntrd atten
tion was that which embrace* an appro
priation of 2,776,000 for the payment ol
the military and revolutionary pension
ers. Hereupon aiose a debate; of which
we havr not room to tracc even the out
lines. It began by Mr. Barbour'* ob
jecting to the amount of this appropria
tion, because of his intention to propose
certain restrictive provisions on the sub
ject, which, if adopted, would reduce
the number of revolutionary pensioners.
The debate was kept up with some ani
mation until near 4 o'clock; when the
house decided, by yeas and nays, to a -
gree to the above amount of appropria
tion, being ntces%ary to the payment of
the pension* actually granted.
The bill was then at length ordered
to be engrossed for a third reading; and
The house adjourned.
Wednesday, .l/arrh 1.1.
The speaker laid before the hou?e a
letter from the war department, trans
mitting statements of the sums which
have, been actually paid since the peace
establishment, to the general officers
and their staff, specifying particularly
on what account, to whom, and when,
paid ? rendered in obedience to a reso
lution of this house.
On motion of Mr. Hooks the com
mittee on commerce were instructed to
inquire into the expediency of having
buoys p!ar ed on certain parts of the
coast attd inlets of the state of North
Carolina, to dircct vessels into the dif
ferent channels.
On motion of Mr. Itankin, the com
mittee of commerc e was instrut ted t<i
inquire into the expediency of establish
ing a port of entry at the mouth of I'us
cpgoula, in the state of Mississippi.
Oil motion ol Mr. Shaw, it was
lifx'ilvrri , That the secretary of the
navy be direr t. d to lay before tin-* house
the amount ol money received under
the act prmiditig for the deduction of
two pi i cc: t horn ?' ?? vdc of prizes
captured by private armtd vessels,
condemned un^er ihe laws of the Unit
ed States, for the ben? fit of the disabled
(iiRccr? aiul ??an)ei) of such piivate "Ar
med vessels. Also, the number of in
valids, togeihcr with the amount of their
pensions charged upon that fund, as
well as the amount pjid tu the widow?
and children of such officers and sea
men, slain in such service, and the a
mount of the balance, if any, remaining
in the hands of the treasurer of the
above fun.!, unapplied.
Mr. Slocutnb moved to proceed to
the considv ration of the resolution of
fered by him* for fixing a period for the
termination of the present session: and
the motion to take it up was negatived.
The engrossed oill making appropri
ations for the support of the military
establishment during the year 182", was
read a third lime, passed, and sent tu the
senate.
The remainder of the day was spent
in committee of the whole on the ap
propriation bill for the payment of tue
civil list.
Considerable discussion took plare on
some of the items>uf the bill; particu
larly on that, appropriating the sal.oy
of a thousand dollars to the reporter of
the decisions ?.f the supreme court. A
motion to strike out thai clause faikd
by a lari^e majority.
The committee had not goiK- through
the hill at half past thice o'clock: when
the committee lose, reported progress,
and obtained leave 10 sit again.
And the house adjourned.
liv\te ? otcignlnteWigtnce.
Charleston, March 1 ,
By tlit* ship Meteor, captain (ilo
ver, arrived on Saturday afternoon,
in the extraordinary short passage.
"F 28 days from Liverpool, which
place she left on the 1 1th ultimo, we
have received London papers to the
8th nil. inclusive.
(?e?rge the 3d, kin/; of England,
died at \\ indsor on tlie evening of
the 24th of January, m the H2d year
of his age, and in tiie 59th year of his
reign. He was horn on the 4th of
June, IT.58. and succeeded his grand
father George the 2d, on the 25th of
October, lTtiO.
The duke of Kent died about a
week before his venerable father
and the late prinre regent, now
George the 4th, had been dangerous,
ly ill, but was considered better ar
the last dates.
| The prince regent had been pub
li< ly proclaimed king throughout the
I nit**d Kunfih'in. a |*?<*< tarnation
for this purp ?se was read in the dif
ferent ritics. towns, Ate. at periods
previously notified, and immense
concourses of people generailv at
tended.
Iti the national distress, occasion*
cd b> the death of the late king, and
the duke of Kenr. and the iilijc*, or
the new king, George the 4th, all
remembrance of the radicals ap|K?ani
to be absorbed ? scarcely a word is
said about them in any or our pa
|X M.
The winter in England had been
very severe. The mails hetwe.n En
gland and Scotland were rt'|?eatcdly
i etarded, m the month or Jauuar>,
by the snow.
Several person* had been ti ied and
convicted at Mam hester, Tor illegal
training and drilling, and sentenced
to imprisonment ? in most * as? s to
three and six iuonths_iu one for
three years.
Ireland is in a disturbed state. Se
veral private individuals, of some
standing, had been assassinated liom
political causes.
Troops were embarking at Liver
pool, lor Ireland: the disturbances io
that country rendering an addition
al military lorce necessary.
'I here had been a great flood of
the river Lee, w he h inundated a
considerable part of the citv of Cork.
The houses had at least four or five
feet of water on the ground floor.
Hammond'* marsh, Clark's marsh,
Hanover street. Nil,, street. Cross
street, and all the lanes by which
j they are intersected, presented an
uninterrupted sheet of water, on
which were rapidly hurried along
fragments of furniture, tables^ hairs,
ftr.
A report prevailed in Tendon on
the 8th or Feb. of the death of Mr.
Grattan, in Ireland. Itut Irish pa.
pcrs received that day contradicted
the report; and add, that lie had per*
fectly recovered from the indisuoni.
tion which occasioned it.
I here had been the most destruc
tive inundations in Holland. Man)
villages were under water, and it
some places entire houses, with af
their inhabitants, were swept awat.
" Hague, January 28. |
" In the dreadful situation of t*
distri. ts inundated by the prodigio*
rise of the waters, it is some cons#
lation to see the anxious attention ?F
hii majesty to the distress of the sil