Naval Sites.
UNAUTHORIZED PURCHASES.
Mr. Mitchill, from the committee appointed on so much of the President's Message as relates to naval sites, &c., made a further report. The report concludes as follows:
"The committee find that, prior to the fourth of March, 1801, the sum of one hundred and ninety-nine thousand and thirty dollars, and ninety-two cents, has been expended in purchasing navy yards and making improvements upon them, without any law authorizing the purchase, or any appropriation of money, either for purchase or improvements."
Wednesday, April 28.
Sedition Act.
PETITION OF THOMAS COOPER.
A petition of Thomas Cooper, of the county of Northumberland, in the State of Pennsylvania, was presented to the House and read, setting forth that, in the month of April, eighteen hundred, he was tried and condemned at Philadelphia, before Samuel Chase and Richard Peters, judges of the circuit court of the United States there sitting, for having written and published a libel upon the political character and conduct of John Adams, the then President of the United States; and was thereupon adjudged to pay a fine of four hundred dollars, and to suffer an imprisonment of six months; which punishment he accordingly underwent; that he apprehends the said trial, condemnation, and punishment, were unjust: first, because the law, commonly called the Sedition law, under which he was indicted, was passed in direct opposition to the letter and the spirit of the Constitution of the United States; and secondly, because the said judges did not only take for granted the constitutionality of the said law, but did unjustly and improperly refuse to grant him a subpœna ad testificandum, directed to the said John Adams; and therefore praying such redress as the wisdom of Congress shall deign to bestow.
Mr. Griswold moved to reject the prayer of the petition.
Mr. Giles moved to postpone the consideration of the petition till the third Monday in November.