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tee of Ways and Means, to whom was referred, on the eighth instant, the memorial of sundry sugar refiners, citizens of and residents in the State of Pennsylvania, made a report thereon; which was read and ordered to be referred to a Committee of the whole House to-morrow.

On motion, it was

Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be requested to transmit to the Executives of the several States copies of the article of amendment proposed by Congress to be added to the Constitution of the United States respecting the election of President and Vice President.

Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do carry the said resolution to the Senate, and desire

their concurrence.

The House proceeded to consider a motion of the second instant, in the words following, to wit: Resolved, That the prayer of the petition of Stephen Kingston is reasonable, and ought to be granted.

And the said motion being twice read at the Clerk's table, was disagreed to by the House.

Mr. FINDLEY, from the committee appointed on the twenty-second ultimo, to whom was referred a petition of sundry inhabitants of Georgetown and its vicinity, in the District of Columbia, reported a bill to incorporate the Directors of the Columbian Library Company; which was read twice, and committed to a Committee of the whole House on Thursday next.

On motion, the House adjourned.

TUESDAY, December 13.

Mr. THOMAS, from the committee appointed on the eighteenth of October last, who were directed by a resolution of this House of the second ultimo, "to inquire by what means the mail may be conveyed with greater despatch than at present, between the City of Washington and Natchez and New Orleans," leans." made a report thereon; which was read, and ordered to be referred to a Committee of the whole House on Thursday next.

An engrossed bill for the relief of the officers of Government, and other citizens, who suffered in their property by the insurgents in the western counties of Pennsylvania, was read the third time, and passed.

The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the report of the Committee of Ways and Means, of the eighth instant, to whom was referred, on the seventeeth ultimo, a motion relative to "the expediency of discontinuing the office of Commissioner of Loans in the different States, and of transferring the duties of that officer to the Secretary of the Treasury," with the accompanying documents; and, after some time spent therein, the Committee rose and reported to the House their disagreement to the resolution contained in the said report.

The House then proceeded to consider the said report at the Clerk's table; when, on motion, it adjourned.

WEDNESDAY, December 14.

H. or R.

Two memorials of the Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen, and Common Council, and of sundry citizens of Georgetown, in the District of Columbia, were presented to the House and read, respectively submitting certain propositions to the consideration of Congress, by way of amendments to the existing law for incorporating the said town, which they pray may be adopted, for the convenience and benefit of the inhabitants thereof. Referred.

COMMISSIONER OF LOANS.

The House resumed the consideration of the report of the Committee of Ways and Means of the eighth instant, on a motion of the seventeenth ultimo, relative to the expedieney of discontinuing the office of Commissioner of Loans in the different States, and of transferring the duties of that officer to the Secretary of the Treasury," to which the Committee of the Whole House yesterday reported their disagreement; and the resolution contained therein being twice read, in the words following, to wit:

Resolved, That it is inexpedient to discontinue the office of Commissioner of Loans in the several States:"

The question was taken that the House do concur with the Committee of the whole House in

their disagreement, and was determined in the affirmative-yeas 58, nays 55, as follows:

YEAS-Willis Alston, jun., Isaac Anderson, George Michael Bedinger, Phanuel Bishop, John Boyle, Robert Brown, Joseph Bryan, William Butler, George W. Campbell, Levi Casey, Thomas Claiborne, John Clopton, Frederick Conrad, William Dickson, John B. Earle, James Elliot, William Findley, James Gillespie, Andrew Gregg, Josiah Hasbrouck, William Hoge, James Holland, David Holmes, John G. Jackson, Nehemiah Knight, Michael Leib, John B. C. Lucas, Matthew Lyon, Andrew McCord, David Meriwether, Thomas Moore, Jeremiah Morrow, Anthony New, Thomas Newton, jun., Gideon Olin, Beriah Palmer John Randolph, jun., John Rea of Pennsylvania, John Rhea of Tennessee, Jacob Richards, Cæsar A. Rodney, Erastus Root, Thomas Sandford, John Smilie, Richard Stanford, Joseph Stanton, John Stewart, David Thomas, Philip R. Thompson, Abram Trigg, Isaac Van Horne, Matthew Walton, John Whitehill, Marmaduke Williams, Richard Winn, Joseph Winston, and Thos. Wynns.

NAYS-Nathaniel Alexander, Simeon Baldwin, David Bard, Silas Betton, William Blackledge, William Chamberlin, Martin Chittenden, Clifton Claggett, Joseph Clay, Jacob Crowninshield, Manasseh Cutler, Richard Cutts, Samuel W. Dana, John Davenport, John Dawson, John Dennis, Thomas Dwight, Peter

Early, William Eustis, Calvin Goddard, Edwin Gray, Gaylord Griswold, Roger Griswold, Samuel Hammond,

John A. Hanna, Seth Hastings, Joseph Heister, David Hough, Benjamin Huger, Samuel Hunt, Walter

Jones, William Kennedy, Joseph Lewis, jun., Thomas Lewis, Thomas Lowndes, William McCreery, Nahum Mitchell, Samuel L. Mitchill, Thomas Plater, Samuel D. Purviance, Ebenezer Seaver, Tompson J. Skinner, John Cotton Smith, John Smith of New York, William Stedman, James Stephenson, Samuel Taggart, Benjamin Tallmadge, Samuel Tenney, Samuel Thatcher,

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George Tibbits, Joseph B. Varnum, Daniel C. Verplanck, Peleg Wadsworth, and Lemuel Williams. And on motion, the House adjourned.

THURSDAY, December 15.

A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate have passed a bill entitled "An act to authorize the sale of the frigate General Greene, and a further addition to the naval armament of the United States;" to which they desire the concurrence of this House. The said bill was read twice, and committed to a Committee of the whole House on Monday next.

The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the bill giving effect to the laws of the United States within the territories ceded to the United States by the treaty of the thirtieth of April, one thousand eight hundred and three,

between the United States and the French Republic, and for other purposes; and, after some time spent therein, the Committee rose and reported progress.

The House resolved itself into a Committee of

the whole House on the supplementary report of the Committee of Claims, of the thirteenth instant, on the memorial of Paul Coulon, a French citizen; and, after some time spent therein, the Committee reported a resolution thereupon; which was twice read, and agreed to by the House, as follows:

Resolved, That there be paid to Paul Coulon, as Agent for the captors of the ship Betty Cathcart, and brig Aaron, prizes to the privateer La Bellone, out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of six thousand two hundred and fortyone dollars and forty-four cents, being the amount retained by the Treasury Department from the sales of the ship Betty Cathcart, for duties on the cargo of the

brig Aaron.

Ordered, That a bill or bills be brought in, pursuant to the said resolution; and that the Committee of Claims do prepare and bring in the

same.

On motion, it was

Ordered, That the report of a select committee, made the second of March last, on a letter from

William Henry Harrison, President of the Con

vention held at Vincennes, in the Indiana Terri

tory, declaring the consent of the people of that Territory to the suspension of the sixth article of compact between the United States and the said people; also, on a memorial and petition of the inhabitants of the said Territory; be referred to Mr. RODNEY, Mr. BOYLE, and Mr. RHEA, of Tennessee; to examine and report their opinion thereupon to the House.

Resolved, That a committee be appointed to inquire into the expediency of vesting the powers usually exercised by a court of equity, in the Judges of the United States within the Indiana and other Territories; and, also, to inquire into the expediency of allowing writs of error and appeals from the judgments and decisions of the said Judges to the Supreme Court of the United States.

DECEMBER, 1803.

Ordered, That Mr. RODNEY, Mr. BOYLE, and Mr. RHEA, of Tennessee, be appointed a committee, pursuant to the said resolution.

Mr. Eustis, from the committee to whom was referred, on the fifth instant, a Message from the President of the United States, enclosing sundry papers relative to the amicable adjustment of differences between the United States and the Emperor of Morocco, made a report thereon; which was read, and ordered to be referred to a Committee of the whole House on Monday next.

FRIDAY, December 16.

A message was received from the Senate stating that they had passed the salary bill, with sundry amendments-also that they had resolved to postpone till the first Monday of September, the amendment to the Constitution sent to them by the House of Representatives.

[This is the amendment, in lieu of which the amendment agreed to by the two Houses was passed.]

Mr. JOHN C. SMITH, from the Committee of Claims, presented a bill for the relief of Paul Coulon; which was read twice and committed

to a Committee of the whole House on Wednes

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DECEMBER, 1803.

Louisiana Territory-Mail Routes.

signed by William Dunbar, their Speaker pro tempore, and attested by Richard S. Wheatly, their Clerk, was presented to the House and read, stating certain disadvantages to which the inhabitants of the settlement on the Tombigbee and Alabama rivers have been and are now subjected, in consequence of their remote situation from the other inhabited parts of the said Territory; and praying that a line of separation may be drawn between the settlements on the Mississippi river, and those of Washington district, or that judges. learned in the law. may be appointed to reside within the said district, for the benefit and convenience of the inhabitants thereof.

Ordered, That the said memorial be referred to the committee appointed, on the twenty-fifth ultitimo, on the petition and memorial of sundry inhabitants of the District of Washington, situate on the Mobile, Tombigbee, and Alabama rivers, in the said Mississippi Territory; to examine and report their opinion thereupon to the House.

TERRITORY OF LOUISIANA.

An engrossed bill giving effect to the laws of the United States within the territories ceded to the United States by the treaty of the thirtieth of April, one thousand eight hundred and three, between the United States and the French Republic, and for other purposes, was read the third time: Whereupon a motion was made, and the question being put, that the said bill be recommitted to the consideration of a Committee of the whole House, it passed in the negative. And then the main question being taken that the said bill do pass, it was resolved in the affirmative-yeas 88, nays 13, as follows:

YEAS-Willis Alston, junior, Nathaniel Alexander, Isaac Anderson, David Bard, George Michael Bedinger, William Blackledge, John Boyle, Robert Brown, Joseph Bryan, William Butler, George W. Campbell, John Campbell, Levi Casey, Martin Chittenden, Clifton Claggett, Thomas Claiborne, Joseph Clay, John Clopton, Frederick Conrad, Jacob Crowninshield, John Dawson, William Dickson, John B. Earle, Peter Early, James Elliot, William Findley, James Gillespie, Edwin Gray, Andrew Gregg, Thomas Griffin, Samuel Hammond, John A. Hanna, Josiah Hasbrouck, Seth Hasting, Joseph Heister, William Hoge, James Holland, David Holmes, Benjamin Huger, Samuel Hunt, John G. Jackson, Walter Jones, William Kennedy, Nehemiah Knight, Michael Leib, Joseph Lewis, junior, Henry W. Livingston, John B. C. Lucas, Andrew McCord, William McCreery, David Meriwether, Nahum Mitchell, Samuel L. Mitchill, Nicholas R. Moore, Thomas Moore, Anthony New, Thomas Newton, jun., John Patterson, Samuel D. Purviance, John Randolph, jun., John Rea of Pennsylvania, John Rhea of Tennessee, Erastus Root, Thomas Sammons, Thomas Sandford, Ebenezer Seaver, Tompson J. Skinner, John Smilie, John Smith of New York, Richard Stanford, Joseph Stanton, James Stephenson, John Stewart, Samuel Tenney, Samuel Thatcher, David Thomas, Philip R. Thompson, Abram Trigg, John Trigg, Isaac Van Horne, Joseph B. Varnum, Daniel C. Verplanck, Peleg Wadsworth, John Whitehill, Marmaduke Williams, Richard Winn, Joseph Winston, and Thomas Wynns.

H. OF R.

Cutler, Samuel W. Dana, John Davenport, John Den-
nis, Calvin Goddard, David Hough, Matthew Lyon,
Jeremiah Morrow, Gideon Olin, Thomas Plater, and
George Tibbits.

The House proceeded to consider the amendments proposed by the Senate to the bill, entitled "An act fixing the salaries of certain officers therein mentioned:" Whereupon,

Ordered, That the said amendments, together with the bill, be committed to a Committee of the whole House to-morrow.

MAIL ROUTES.

The House went into a Committee of the Whole on the following report of the Post Office Committee:

The Committee on the subject of the Post Office and Post Roads, to whom was referred a resolution of the 2d ultimo, directing them to inquire by what means the mail may be conveyed with greater security and dispatch than at present, between the City of Washington and Natchez and New Orleans, report

That the late cession of Louisiana by France to the United States renders it an object of primary importance to have the nearest and most expeditious mode of communication established between the City of Washington and the city of New Orleans, the capital of that province; not only for the convenience of Government, but to accommodate the citizens of the several commercial towns in the Union.

That at present the mail is conveyed on a circuitous route from this place to Knoxville and Nashville in Tennessee, and from thence through the wilderness by Natchez to New Orleans, a distance of more than 1500 miles.

That, by establishing a post route as nigh on a direct line between those two cities, as the Blue Ridge and Alleghany Mountains will admit of, will not only lessen the distance about 500 miles; but as this route will pass almost the whole way through a country inhabited, either by citizens of the United States or friendly Indians, the mail will be more secure, and the persons employed in transporting it better furnished with the

means of subsistence.

The committee flatter themselves that the views of the General Government, in effecting this important object, will be seconded by the governments and citizens of those States through which this road will pass, by laying out, straitening, and improving the same, as soon as the most proper course shall be sufficiently ascertained; but as this has not heretofore been used for conveying the mail between those places, they pre

sume that the best route will be better known after it

has been used for this purpose, than it can be at present; and with this view of the subject, they deem it improper at this time to designate intermediate points; they are, therefore, of opinion

That a post road ought to be established from the City of Washington, on the most direct and convenient route to the Tombigbee settlement in the Mississippi Territory, and from thence to New Orleans.

And further, that a post road ought also to be established from the said Tombigbee settlement to the Natchez. This road will not only afford the inhabitants of that place a direct mode of communication with the seat of the Territorial Government, who at present are destitute of any, but will shorten the distance be

YEAS-Simeon Baldwin, Silas Betton, Manasseh | tween this city and Natchez nearly three hundred

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miles. And for the consideration of the House, the committee submit the following resolution

Resolved, That a post road ought to be established from the City of Washington, on the most direct and convenient route, to pass through or near the Tuckabachee settlement to the Tombigbee settlement in the Mississippi Territory, and from thence to New Orleans; and also from the said Tombigbee settlement to Natchez.

Mr. STANFORD moved the insertion of the following words:

"And Carter's Ferry on James river, Cole's Ferry on Stanton, Dansville on Dan river, in Virginia; Salisbury, Beatty's Ford, on Catawba, in North Carolina; Spartanburg, Greenville Courthouse, and Pendleton Courthouse, in South Carolina; and Jackson Courthouse, in Georgia:"

His object being to designate the intermediate points of the route between the seat of Government and New Orleans and Natchez.

This motion was supported by Messrs. STANFORD, J. RANDOLPH, EARLY, EARLE, and MACON, on the principle that it was proper that Congress should designate the route, and on the ground that the route contemplated by the amendment would be the fittest.

On the other hand, the motion was opposed by Messrs. THOMAS, SMILIE, HOLLAND, CLAIBORNE, S. L. MITCHILL, and G. W. CAMPBELL, on the ground that a discretionary power should be reposed posed in the Postmaster General to designate the route; and on the ground that, if Congress should undertake to designate the route, the one fixed by the amendment was not an eligible one. Mr. DENNIS declared himself in favor of the House exercising the power of designating the route, but was not sufficiently informed to vote on any particular line.

Mr. R. GRISWOLD moved that the Committee of the Whole should rise and ask leave to sit again, with the view that leave should be refused, and the report recommitted to the Post Office Committee, in order to obtain from them a detailed report, that would furnish the House with satisfactory information.

This motion was supported by Mr. GREGG, and opposed by Mr. THOMAS, and carried-yeas 70.

The House then refused leave to the Committee of the Whole to sit again-yeas 19, and recommitted the report to the Post Office Committee.

TUESDAY, December 20.

Mr. ALSTON presented a memorial from sundry inhabitants of the Indiana Territory, praying a repeal of the sixth article of the ordinance establishing the Indiana Territory, which prohibits slavery in said Territory.

Mr. VARNUM objected to the reference of the memorial on the ground that its prayer was both unconstitutional and unjust.

Mr. ALSTON replied that this remark might be an argument against agreeing to the prayer of the memorial, but would not apply against making the reference, especially as the same subject was already referred to a committee on another petition. The reference to a committee was carried-yeas 48, nays 34.

DECEMBER, 1803.

Mr. CLAIBORNE moved a resolution for the appointment of a committee to inquire whether any, and, if any, what description of claims against the United States are bound by statutes of limitation, which in reason and justice ought to be provided for by law, with leave to report by bill or otherwise. Ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. SAMUEL L. MITCHILL, from the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, who were directed by a resolution of this House of the ninth ultimo, "to inquire and report by bill, or otherwise, whether a drawback of duties ought not to be allowed on sugar refined in the United States, and exported to foreign ports or places," made a report thereon.

Ordered to lie on the table.

ZACHARIAH COX.

Mr. EARLY called for the order of the day on the report of the Committee of the Whole on the petition of Zachariah Cox.

The House took up the report, which is, that the prayer of the petitioner cannot be granted.

Mr. EARLY hoped the report would be disagreed to, in which case he would move the following resolution:

Resolved, Although the arrest and confinement of Zachariah Cox, by Winthrop Sargent, Esq. appears to have been illegal and oppressive, yet that the circumstances are not such as to justify the interposition of this House.

Messrs. R. GRISWOLD and SMILIE opposed the adoption of this motion, on the ground that it involved a decision on the character of a public officer on ex-parte evidence; that if Governor Sargent had abused his power, he was a fit subject of impeachment, and that this would be the becoming course to pursue; and that inasmuch as he might be brought before a court of justice, it was highly improper and unjust to impose a stigma on his character, which might operate injuriously to the course of justice.

Messrs. EARLY and J. RANDOLPH advocated the adoption of the motion, on the ground that Governor Sargent appeared, from documents which he had himself transmitted to the Department of State, to have made an illegal and oppressive arrest and confinement of the petitioner, for which act he was, in their opinion, impeachable; but inasmuch as the power of impeachment was a high and solemn one, which ought not to be cheapened by an application to trifling cases; and inasmuch as it was the general opinion of the House that this was a case that did not merit such interposition, it became proper, at the same time, to avoid a decision, that might appear, in a side way, to exculpate Governor Sargent, which might be considered as the effect of confirming the report, that the prayer of the petitioner cannot be granted.

On concurring in the report of the committee, viz: that the prayer of the petitioner cannot be granted, the House divided-yeas 54, nays 26.

This decision of course superseded the motion contemplated to be made by Mr. EARLY, in case the report of the committee should have been disagreed to.

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SALARIES OF OFFICERS.

The House went into Committee of the Whole on the amendments of the Senate to the salary bill. These amendments were:

1. To strike out these words, "as established by the act passed the second of March 1799, and no other."

2. To increase the salary of the Postmaster General from $3,000 to $4,000.

3. To increase the salary of the Assistant Postmaster General from $1,700 to $2,000.

4. To insert a new section, prohibiting the allowance of any extra compensation, from contingent funds, to officers compensated by fixed sal

aries.

The Committee disagreed to the three first amendments, and agreed to the last.

The House immediately took up the report of the Committee, and concurred in it.

On a concurrence with the Committee on their agreement, to the last amendment, the yeas and nays were taken-yeas 56, nays 42, as follows:

YEAS-Willis Alston, jr., Simeon Baldwin, David Bard, George Michael Bedinger, Phanuel Bishop, John Boyle, Robert Brown, Joseph Bryan, William Butler, George W. Campbell, Levi Casey, William Chamberlin, Martin Chittenden, William Findley, James Gillespie, Edwin Gray, Andrew Gregg, Josiah Hasbrouck, William Hoge, James Holland, David Holmes, Walter Jones, William Kennedy, Nehemiah Knight, Henry W. Livingston, John B. C. Lucas, Andrew McCord, William McCreery, David Meriwether, Samuel L. Mitchill, Nicholas R. Moore, Jeremiah Morrow, Anthony New, Thomas Newton, jr., Gideon Olin, John Patterson, John Randolph, jr., John Rea of Pennsylvania,

Thomas Sandford, Ebenezer Seaver, John Smilie, John

Smith of New York, Richard Stanford, Joseph Stanton,

John Stewart, Benjamin Tallmadge, David Thomas, John Trigg, Isaac Van Horne, Joseph B. Varnum, Daniel C. Verplanck, John Whitehill, Marmaduke Williams, Richard Winn, Joseph Winston, and Thomas Wynns. NAYS-Nathaniel Alexander, Silas Betton, John Campbell, Thomas Claiborne, Joseph Clay, John Clopton, Jacob Crowninshield, John Davenport, John Dawson, John Dennis, William Dickson, Thomas Dwight, John B. Earle, Peter Early, James Elliot, Calvin Goddard, Thomas Griffin, Gaylord Griswold, Roger Gris wold, Samuel Hammond, Seth Hastings, David Hough, Benjamin Huger, Samuel Hunt, Michael Leib, Joseph Lewis, jun., Thomas Lowndes, Matthew Lyon, Nahum Mitchell, Thomas Moore, Thomas Plater, John Rhea of Tennessee, Tompson J. Skinner, John C. Smith, William Stedman, James Stephenson, Samuel Taggart, Samuel Tenney, Samuel Thatcher, George Tibbits, Abram Trigg, and Lemuel Williams.

WEDNESDAY, December 21.

The report received yesterday, from the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, who were directed by a resolution of this House of the 5th ultimo, "to inquire and report, by bill or otherwise, whether a drawback of duties ought not to be allowed on sugar refined in the United States and exported to foreign ports or places," was read, and ordered to be referred to a Committee of the whole House on Monday next.

The House resolved itself into a Committee of

H. or R.

the Whole on the bill for the relief of Paul Coulon. The bill was reported without amendment, and ordered to be engrossed and read the third time to-morrow.

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed to report to this House an account of the money received for the support of sick and disabled seamen; designating particularly the sums collected and expended at each port.

On motion of Mr. CLAIBORNE, it was

Resolved, That a committee be appointed to inquire whether any, and, if any, what description of claims against the United States are barred by the statutes of limitation, which, in reason and justice, ought to be provided for by law; and that they have leave to report by bill or otherwise.

Ordered, That Mr. CLAIBORNE, Mr. TENNEY, Mr. VARNUM. Mr. STANTON, Mr. TALLMADGE, Mr. CHITTENDEN, Mr. PATTERSON, Mr. SMILIE, Mr. NICHOLSON, Mr. SANDFORD, Mr. WINSTON, Mr. DICKSON, Mr. CASEY, Mr. MERIWETHER, Mr. MORROW, Mr. LATTIMORE, and Mr. GRAY, be appointed a committee pursuant to the said resolution.

On motion, it was

Ordered, That Mr. PURVIANCE and Mr. VERPLANCK be added to the committee appointed, on the eighteenth of October last, "to inquire, and report, by bill or otherwise, whether any further provisions are necessary for the more effectual protection of American seamen."

On motion, it was

Resolved, That the committee appointed " to inquire and report whether any further provisions are necessary for the more effectual protection of American seamen," do inquire into the expediency of granting protections to such American seamen, citizens of the United States, as are free persons of color; and that they report by bill or otherwise.

Mr. DENNIS observed that he was one of those who had long been of the opinion that the existing duties paid on certain imported articles ought to be either taken off or reduced. He considered the situation of the country such as would now justify a reduction. He, therefore, moved a resolution, declaring it expedient to reduce the duty on brown sugar to one cent per pound, and enjoining it on the Committee of Ways and Means to bring in a bill for that purpose.

Ordered, To lie on the table.

The House went into a Committee of the

Whole on the bill to incorporate the Directors of the Columbian Library Company.

Mr. J. CLAY moved an amendment to limit the term of incorporation to fourteen years. Motion lost-ayes 25.

After making a few verbal amendments, the Committee rose and reported the bill, and the House ordered it to be engrossed for a third reading to-morrow.

Mr. STANFORD moved an instruction to the Post Office Committee, to inquire into the most convenient route, designating the same, for the mail from Washington to New Orleans.

Agreed to without a division.

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