THE committee to whom was referred the petition of John Eccleston, of Dorchester county,
report, that they have taken the same into consideration, and examined the several vouchers accompanying
it, which they find to be true; they are therefore of opinion that the prayer of said petition
ought to be granted.  Your committee find, that the actual sum paid by your petitioner, beyond
what was due, was one hundred and fifty pounds two shillings and nine-pence, with interest
on the several payments to the fifth of December, seventeen hundred and ninety-six, and costs of
suit, amount to three hundred and twenty-five pounds eighteen shillings and three-pence, the sum
actually due to your petitioner.  Your committee further find, that fifteen pounds are claimed by
your petitioner, as his expences in attending the legislature to obtain redress at different times in the
above, the propriety of granting which is submitted to the house.  For the purpose of granting relief
to your petitioner, the following resolution is submitted:
    RESOLVED, That the treasurer of the western shore give credit to John Eccleston, of Dorchester
county, on his bond to the state of Maryland, for the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds two
shillings and nine-pence, it being the amount of his principal paid to the state beyond what was
due for the purchase of three lots of Nanticoke Indian lands, with interest on his said principal to
the fifth of December, seventeen hundred and ninety-six.
    All which is submitted.
                                                            By order,                                    J. W.  KING, clk.
Which was read.
    Mr. Key, from the committee, brings in and delivers to the speaker the following report:
    THE committee to whom was referred the memorial of the commissioners of the federal
buildings, beg leave to report, that they have examined into the several facts therein stated, and do
report to the house, that congress did, at their last session, pass an act, guarantying a loan for the
use of the said city of any sum not exceeding three hundred thousand dollars, of which not more
than two hundred thousand dollars are to be borrowed in any one year; that the said commissioners,
in virtue of the said act of congress, under the direction of the president of the United States, have
proceeded to open a negotiation at the city of Amsterdam for a loan of two hundred thousand dollars,
which said negotiation appears to be in a train promising to be ultimately successful, though
now delayed by the unsettled state of affairs in Holland; that the said commissioners appear to be
authorised and required by the president of the United States, by themselves or by their attorney or
attornies, agent or agents, to borrow of the state of Maryland any sum of money not exceeding one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and to receive stock of the United States bearing an interest of
six per cent. at par; that the said commissioners have duly authorised Gustavus Scott, one of the
said board of commissioners, under the authorities aforesaid, to negotiate said loan; that upon an
examination into the value of the property proposed to be pledged, and of the funds for the payment
of the annual interest, they appear to be amply sufficient for the proposed objects.  The committee
beg leave to observe, that the funds of the state are adequate to the contemplated loan, but it appears
to them that more than one hundred thousand dollars six per cent. stock ought not to be loaned,
because of the negotiation in Europe to borrow two hundred thousand dollars, which completes the
amount of the loan guarantied by the act of congress, and they submit to this house the expediency
and propriety of granting to the commissioners, on loan at par, the sum of one hundred thousand
dollars six per cent. stock, to be specifically returned in stock, with interest thereon to be paid half
yearly.  All which is submitted.
                                                            By order,                                    J. W.  KING, clk.
Which was read.
    On motion, the question was put, That a second reading of the said report be made the order of
the day on Friday next?  Determined in the negative.
    The question was then put, That a second reading of the said report be made the order of the
day on Wednesday next?  Resolved in the affirmative.
    ORDERED, That the vouchers attending the said report be printed for the use of the general
assembly.
    The bill for the benefit of Eleanor Shuman, widow of Peter Shuman, and her children, was read
the second time, passed, and sent to the senate by the clerk.
    On motion, ORDERED, That the further consideration of the bill for the better administration of
justice in the several counties of this state be postponed till to-morrow.
    A petition from Tristram Thomas, of Talbot county, stating, that his mother removed from
this state to Pennsylvania, and carried with her a negro man named George, and praying she may
be authorised to bring the said negro into the state, was preferred, read, and referred to Mr. Harwood,
Mr. J. C. Thomas and Mr. Nicholson, to consider and report thereon.
    On motion, ORDERED, That the bill to authorise and empower the justices of the levy court of
Kent county to assess and levy a sum of money on the inhabitants of said county for the purpose
therein mentioned be committed for amendment.
    Mr. Key, from the committee, brings in and delivers to the speaker the following report:
    THE committee to whom was referred the petition of Eleanor Davidson, William Davidson,
Margaret Davidson and Thomas Harris, junior, of the city of Annapolis, beg leave to report, that
they have taken the same into consideration, and are of opinion, that from the circumstances disclosed
a law ought to pass agreeably to the prayer of the petitioners.  All which is submitted to the
house.
                                                            By order,                                    J. W.  KING, clk.
Which was read.