A new member, to wit, from New York, Thomas P. Grosvenor, elected to supply the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Robert Le Roy Livingston, appeared, produced his credentials, was qualified, and took his seat.
Grant to Daniel Boone.
Mr. Hempstead, from the committee to whom were referred the petition of Daniel Boone, and the resolutions of the Legislature of Kentucky in his behalf, made a report; which was read twice, and committed to a Committee of the Whole on Monday next.
Territory of Missouri.
Mr. McKee, from the select committee which was directed to inquire into the propriety of amending the act for the government of the Missouri Territory, reported against any amendment. The report is as follows:
That they have had the subject to them referred under their consideration, and have examined the act above recited. The principal difficulty suggested to the committee, occurring in the execution of the law, appears to relate to the election of a delegate to represent the interest of the Territory in the Congress of the United States. By the first clause of the 6th section of the act it is provided "that the House of Representatives shall be composed of members elected every second year, by the people of the said Territory, to serve for two years." By the 13th section of the said act it is also provided "that the citizens of the said Territory entitled to vote for Representatives to the General Assembly thereof, shall, at the time of electing their Representatives to the said General Assembly, also elect one delegate from the said Territory to the Congress of the United States." It also appears that an election was held in pursuance of the act on the second Monday of November last, when a delegate was elected. It appears that doubts have been entertained whether the delegate thus elected can legally hold his seat after the 3d day of March next, and an alteration of the law has been suggested as necessary to obviate the difficulty. It seems to the committee that the first clause of the 6th section, and the 13th section of the act, taken together, leaves no room for doubt, but evidently fixes the period for which the delegate may hold his seat at two years from the second Monday of November last; and it follows, as a necessary consequence, that the delegate elected in pursuance of the law, and for the term of two years, cannot be deprived of his right to a seat by any subsequent law.
It also appears to the committee that the Territorial Legislature are furnished, by the 7th section of the act, with competent power to change the time of holding elections so as to obviate any difficulty that may occur in the subsequent elections of a delegate.
The committee, therefore, recommend the following resolution:
Resolved, That the act entitled "An act providing for the government of the Territory of Missouri," requires no amendment.