ing, are deeply interested in the resolution now under consideration. Commerce, the farming interest, and manufacturing interest, are all deeply interested in the safe navi. gation of those vast seas; in fact, our whole country is directly or in. directly interested. The proposed measure, therefore, is one well calculated to save lives and property, and to further extend our prosperity. I hold in my hand, (continued Mr. Reed,) a chart, on which is traced the routes of the whaling ships. They extend from Cape Horn, in the Pacific, six thousand miles north, and westerly, ten thousand miles, to the Japan Isles, Asia, and New.Holland. I also hold in my hand, a newspaper, printed some time since, at Nantucket, giving an account of two hundred islands, reefs, and shoals, never surveyed, or laid down on any chart. These islands, shoals, &c. have been dis. covered, from time to time, by the whale ships; but they did not possess either the means, or time, to survey them with accuracy. The resolve now under consideration, is the mere expression of an opinion, that it is expedient to make the pro. posed survey and examination, provided it can be done without preju. dice to the naval service; and provided it can be done without addi. tional appropriation for that service, during the present year.

Some opposition was made to this resolution, by Mr. Hoffman, but it was agreed to, by the house.

A bill was also introduced, providing for the extra expenses of the expe. dition, which were estimated at $50,000. This bill was not acted upon, for want of time; but the secretary of the navy, in conformity with the resolution, directed a vessel to be fitted out for the expedi tion; and at the commencement of the second session of congress, the expedition was prepared, and ready to proceed to sea, as soon as the appropriation for the extraordinary expenses should be made.

The bill, for that purpose, received the sanction of the house of representatives, at the present sess⚫ ion-97 ayes, 59 nays.

In the senate, the bill met with an unexpected opposition, which caused its defeat.

On the 7th of February, Mr. Hayne, from the committee on naval affairs, to whom it was referred, submitted the following resolu tion.

Resolved, That the president of the United States be requested to cause to be laid before the senate, a detailed statement of the expenses incurred in fitting out, and preparing an expedition for exploring the Pacific ocean, and South seas, together with the additional amount which will be necessary to cover all the

expenses of such an expedition; and that he be also requested to cause to be submitted, a detailed statement, showing the several amounts transferred from the dif ferent heads of appropriation for

the support of the navy, to this object, and the authority by which such transfers have been made.

In submitting this resolution, Mr. Hayne took occasion to object to the course taken by the secretary of the navy, respecting this expedition. The secretary had acted under the resolution of the house only. The expedition had never been sanctioned by law. He also thought that the expedition was on too magnificent a scale; and that instead of $50,000, it would cost at least $300,000, besides the wear and tear of the vessel.

The resolution was agreed to, and a report was made by the secretary of the navy, in answer to the call, showing that no such transfer had been made, as was suggested in the resolution; and that the expenses of the expedition would not, probably, exceed the amount in the bill before the senate.

The expenses incurred, besides the repairs of the Peacock, which would have been made at all events, amounted to about $2,500.

A majority, however, of the na. val committee, reported against the bill, and proposed an amendment, by which the President was authorized to cause one of the pub. lic vessels of the squadron in the Pacific, to be detached for the purpose of exploring the islands, &c. in the Pacific.

The bill was consequently lost, and the expedition defeated.

The main business of the session, was, the legislation on the subject of the Cumberland road. The discussion of Mr. discussion of Mr. Buchanan's amendment, providing for the conditional cession of the road to the different states within whose boundaries it passes, occupied about one half of the session, and drew into it, the question of the constitutional power of Congress to erect toll gates, &c. The house decided, by a considerable majority, in favour both of the constitutionality and expediency of erecting gates, and imposing a system of tolls, in order to keep the road in repair. The senate, without discussing the constitutional power, struck out the sections relating to toll gates and tolls, and simply appropriated the 100,000 dollars required to put the road in repair. Another bill passed both houses, appropriating money for the construction of the road westwardly from Zanesville.

which was necessary, to the taking the census according to the provisions of the constitution, was overlooked by the leading members of congress, whose attention was engrossed by the arrangements consequent upon the organization of the new administration.

It consequently did not become a law, and its consideration was postponed, together with several other important bills, to the next congress.

were

Among those bills which either left unacted on, or defeated, were the bill for graduating the price of public lands, &c.; the bill to provide for the militia, volunteers, engaged in the land and naval service of the United States, during the revolutionary war; the bill to amend the act to reduce and fix the military peace establishment, having reference to the case of Colonel Bissell; the bill to abolish the rank of major general; the bill to continue the act for the relief of the purchasers of public lands, &c.; the bill repealing the tonnage duty on Ame

can vessels, together with a large number of acts providing for the payment of claims on the treasury.

A treaty concluded with Brazil, recognising the liberal commercial principles of the United States, was not ratified, until after the accession of General Jackson to the presidency, although it was completed under the administration of. Mr. Adams.

Some bills were also reported from the committee of retrenchment, appointed to inquire into the abuses of the government, at too late a period of the session, to be acted on. These bills proposed various retrenchments in conformity with the suggestions contained in the report, an abstract of which, is contained in Chapter 1; but the ends of the inquiry having been answered, by the result of the presidential election, no steps were taken by the party, to carry into effect the proposed reform, and the bills remained on the table, and shared the fate of the other unfinished business.