The question on postponement was put and carried—44 to 40.
Alien Enemies, &c.
Mr. Sewall, from the Committee for the Protection of Commerce and the Defence of the Country, reported the bill respecting alien enemies, newly modified, which was some days ago recommitted to the committee for that purpose. Also, a bill authorizing merchant vessels to defend themselves against French depredations. This bill authorizes the commanders and crews of merchant vessels to oppose the attack or search of any French armed vessel, and to repel any such search or attack by force, and to capture the vessels making such attack. All such captures to go—one-half to the owner of the vessel making the capture, and the other half to the captors. No armed merchant vessel to be suffered to clear out but such as is owned by citizens of the United States, who, together with the commander, shall enter into bond that she shall not commit any outrage against the vessels of any nation at amity with the United States, and that said vessel shall not, during her voyage, carry any articles contraband of war.
A bill was received from the Senate entitled "An act concerning aliens." This bill goes to authorize the President of the United States to order all such aliens as he shall deem dangerous to the United States to depart out of its territory; and if, after such order, any such alien shall be found at large, he shall be imprisoned for three years, and for ever after deprived of the privilege of becoming a citizen of the United States. And if any alien shall return to this country, after he shall have been sent out of it, he shall be imprisoned and kept to hard labor for life. And all commanders of vessels who shall arrive in any of the ports of the United States after the 1st day of July next, shall make a report in writing of all aliens who shall come passengers on board their vessels, giving an account of their age, profession, description of their person, &c., on pain of forfeiting three hundred dollars.
These bills were severally made the order of the day for Monday.
Saturday, June 9.
Mr. J. Parker moved that the bills, with the amendments of the Senate to them, for altering the time of entering stills, and for the more effectual collection of the internal revenues, be referred to a select committee. Agreed to.
The House spent the remainder of the day principally in going through a very long bill to provide for the valuation of lands and dwelling houses, and the enumeration of slaves within the United States, previously to the laying a direct tax on them. The bill was gone through in the Committee of the Whole, without any debate of consequence, except as to what related to filling the blanks intended to contain the amount to be appropriated for carrying the law into execution, the salary of the Commissioners, Assessors, &c. The committee had leave to sit again. No other business of importance was done this day.