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A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
House Journal --MONDAY, November 20, 1820.
Several other members appeared and took their seats, to wit:
From Virginia, John Floyd and Severn E. Parker; and from Tennessee, Henry H. Bryan and Robert Allen.
Solomon Sibley appeared, produced his credentials, and took his seat as the delegate from the territory of Michigan, in the room of William W. Woodbridge, resigned: the oath to support the constitution of the United States being first administered to him by the Speaker.
Mr. Mallary presented a petition of Jonathan Dikeman, and a petition of John Rumsey, respectively praying for a pension in consideration of services rendered in the revolutionary army.
Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions.
Mr. Baldwin presented a petition of Andrew Finley, an officer in the revolutionary army, praying to be allowed the half pay to which he is entitled for services in that capacity.
Mr. Montgomery presented a petition of John Fleece, praying for a pension in consideration of services rendered in the revolutionary army.
Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims.
Mr. M'Lean, of Kentucky, presented a petition of Jacob Hunsinger, praying to be permitted to make payment to the receiver of public
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moneys in the land office at Shawaneetown, for such portion of a half section of land, entered at said office by a certain John Gillison, as is now owned by the petitioner.
Mr. Bates presented a petition of the legislative council and house of representatives of the territory of Arkansas, praying that provision may be made for confirming claims to land in said territory, derived from warrants of concession, issued by the French and Spanish governments.
Ordered, That the said petitions he referred to the Committee on Private Land Claims.
On motion of Mr. Cooke,
Ordered, That the petition of the heirs of Peter Dominick Robert, presented on the 3d of March, 1817, and the petition of John Edgar, presented on the 10th January, 1820, be also referred to the Committee on Private Land Claims.
Mr. Sloan presented a petition of sundry inhabitants of Stark and Medina counties, in the state of Ohio, praying for the establishment of a post route; which was referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads.
Mr. Hendricks presented a petition of sanity inhabitants of the county of Switzerland, in the state of Indiana, praying to be allowed further time to complete their payments for lands purchased of the United States.
Mr. Bates presented a petition of the legislative council and house of representatives of the territory of Arkansas, praying that the right of pre-emption may he extended to the inhabitants of that portion of still territory lying south of the river Arkansas, in the purchase of the lands on which they have long resided and made valuable improvements.
Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee on the Public Lands.
Mr. Crowell presented a petition of John M'Cartney, praying compensation for a number of cattle taken from him for the use of the troops of the United States, in the year 1817.
Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the Committee of Claims.
Mr. M'Lean, of Kentucky, presented a document in Support of the claim of Henry Cain; when it was
Ordered, That the committee of the whole, to which is committed the report of the Committee of Claims, made on the 14th of January last, on the said claim, be discharged from the consideration thereof, and that the papers in the case, together with the document this day presented, be referred to the Committee of Claims.
Mr. Eddy submitted the following resolution, viz:
Resolved, That a committee be appointed to inquire into the expediency of so amending the act entitled an act allowing compensation to the members of the Senate, members of the House of Representatives of the United States, and to the delegates from the territories, and repealing all other laws on that subject, as to reduce the
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compensation thereby allowed from eight to six dollars per day, and the rate of travel for every twenty miles, from eight to six dollars; and that said committee bare leave to report by bill or otherwise.
The said resolution was read; and the question was taken, Will the House now proceed to consider the same?
And determined in the negative.
Mr Storrs submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That the eighteenth rule of the standing rules and orders of this House, be annulled.
The said resolution was read and ordered to lie on the table for one day.
On motion of Mr. Bloomfield,
The House proceeded to consider the resolution submitted by him on the 16th instant, respecting the reference of petitions, and the same being again read, was modified and agreed to as follows:
Resolved, That in all cases where petitions were presented at the last session to this House, and referred to committees, but not reported upon, the said petitions shall be again considered as referred to the said committees respectively, upon application of any member to the Clerk, without special order from the House to that effect. And it shall be the duty of the said committees, respectively, to consider and report thereon, in the same manner as if said petitions were referred by special orders of the House; but, no petition shall be received or acted upon by a committee, under this order, which shall not have been endorsed in, and transmitted to the committee through, the office of the Clerk.
Mr. Linn submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means be directed to inquire into the expediency of reducing the compensation allowed to members of Congress to six dollars per day, and a proportional reduction for travelling to and from the seat of government: and, also, of reducing the pay of all the officers of government, that has been increased since the year 1809, to what it was at or before that period.
The said resolution was read, and ordered to lie on the table.
On motion of Mr. Cocke,
Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of reducing the military peace establishment of the United States.
Mr. Smith, of North Carolina, submitted the following proposition of amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which was read the first and second time, and committed to the committee of the whole on the state of the Union:
Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses concurring, That the following amendment to the Constitution of the United States be proposed to the legislatures of the several states, which, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the states, shall be valid, to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution:
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That, for the purpose of choosing Representatives in the Congress of the United States, each state shall, by its legislature, be divided into a number of districts, equal to the number of Representatives to which such state may be entitled. The districts shall be formed of contiguous territory, and contain, as nearly as may be, an equal number of persons entitled by the Constitution to be represented, or of persons qualified to vote for members of the most numerous branch of the state legislature. In each district, the persons qualified to vote shall choose one Representative.
That, for the purpose of choosing Electors of President and Vice President of the United States, the persons qualified to vote for Representatives in each district shall choose one Elector. The two additional Electors, to which each state is entitled, shall be appointed in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct. The Electors, when convened, at the time and place prescribed by law for the purpose of voting for President and Vice President of the United States, shall have power, in case any of them shall fail to attend, to choose an Elector, or Electors, in place of him, or them, so failing to attend. The division of states into districts, as hereby provided for, shall take place immediately after this amendment shall be adopted, and immediately after every future census and apportionment of Representatives under the same; and such districts shall not be altered until a subsequent census shall have been taken, and an apportionment of Representatives under it shall have been made.
The House proceeded to consider the resolution submitted by Mr. Foot, on the 17th instant, for the appointment of a standing committee for the examination of engrossed bills; and the same being again read, the question was taken, Will the House agree to the same?
And determined in the negative.
On motion of Mr. Hackley,
Ordered, That the petition of Wardwell Green, presented at the last session, be referred to the Secretary of War.
Ordered, That Mr. Bryan be appointed of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of State, in the room of Mr. Holmes, resigned.
And then the House adjourned.
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