Thursday, January 28.
Lieutenant Sterret, his Officers and Crew.
The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the report of a select committee of the nineteenth instant, on the resolutions of the Senate, in the form of joint resolutions of the two Houses, "in respect to Lieutenant Sterret, the officers, and crew of the United States' schooner Enterprise;" to which Committee of the whole House were also referred the said resolutions of the Senate; and, after some time spent therein, the Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Davis reported that the committee had had the said report and resolutions under consideration, and directed him to repeat to the House their disagreement to the said resolutions of the Senate, and their agreement to two resolutions contained in the report of the select committee thereupon, in the form of joint resolutions of the two Houses; which he delivered in at the Clerk's table.
The House then proceeded to consider the said report and resolutions: Whereupon, the resolutions of the Senate, to which the Committee of the whole House reported their disagreement, being twice read at the Clerk's table, in the words following, to wit:
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, as a testimony of the high sense they entertain of the nautical skill and gallant conduct of Lieutenant Andrew Sterret, commander of the United States' schooner Enterprise, manifested in an engagement with, and in the capture of, a Tripolitan corsair, of superior force, in the Mediterranean Sea, fitted out by the Bey of that Regency to harass the trade, capture the vessels, and enslave the citizens, of these States, the President of the United States be requested to present Lieutenant Sterret with a gold medal, with such suitable devices thereon, as he shall deem proper, and emblematic of that heroic action, and the mercy extended to a barbarous enemy, who three times struck his colors twice, and recommenced hostilities: an act of humanity, however unmerited, highly honorable to the American flag and nation; and that the President of the United States be also requested to present to each of the Lieutenants, Porter and Lawson, of the Navy, and Lieutenant Lane of the Marines, who were serving on board the Enterprise in the engagement, and contributed, by their gallant conduct, to the success of the day, a sword, with such suitable devices as the President may deem fit.
"Be it further resolved, In consideration of the intrepid behavior of the crew of the Enterprise, under the orders of their gallant commander, and their receiving no prize money, the corsair being dismantled and released after her capture, that one month's pay, over and above the usual allowance, be paid to all the other officers, sailors, and marines, who were actually on board and engaged in that action; for the expenditure of which charge Congress will make the necessary appropriation."
The question was taken that the House do concur with the Committee of the whole House in their disagreement to the same, and resolved in the affirmative.
The resolutions contained in the report of the select committee, to which the Committee of the whole House reported their agreement, being twice read, in the words following, to wit:
"Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That they entertain a high sense of the gallant conduct of Lieutenant Sterret, and the other officers, seamen, and marines, on board the schooner Enterprise, in the capture of a Tripolitan corsair, of fourteen guns and eighty men.
"Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to present to Lieutenant Sterret a sword, commemorative of the aforesaid heroic action; and that one month's extra pay be allowed to all the other officers, seamen, and marines, who were on board the Enterprise when the aforesaid action took place."
The question was taken that the House do concur with the Committee of the whole House in their agreement to the same, and resolved in the affirmative.
Ordered, That the said resolutions be engrossed, and read the third time to-morrow.