The bill being read throughout, the question was put, That the said bill do pass? Resolved in
the affirmative.

    THE house met.  Present the same members as on yesterday.  The proceedings of yesterday
were read.  Mr. Butcher appeared in the house.
    A petition from Samuel Day, of Harford county, praying an act may pass for levying a sum of
money on Harford county for the support of his wife, was preferred, read, and referred to Mr.
McComas, Mr. Hall and Mr. Jarrett, to consider and report thereon.
    The bill for the preservation of the breed of fish in Patuxent river was read the second time, and
the question put, That the said bill do pass?  Resolved in the affirmative, and sent to the senate by
the clerk.
    On motion, Leave given to bring in a supplement to the act, entitled, An act to remove the 
market-house at the head of Elk, and establish the same, and for the advancement and regulation
of said town.  ORDERED, That Mr. Hollingsworth, Mr. Wallace and Mr. Savin, be a committee
to prepare and bring in the same.
    Mr. Reintzel, from the committee, brings in and delivers to the speaker a bill, entitled, An act
to authorise a lottery in George-town, in the territory of Columbia; which was read the first time
and ordered to lie on the table.
    A petition from sundry inhabitants of Montgomery county, counter to a petition from said county
for confirming a road laid out by Allen Bowie and Richard Wootton, was preferred, read, and referred
to Mr. Swearingen, Mr. Oneale and Mr. Reintzel, to consider and report thereon.
    Mr. Barroll has leave of absence for a few days.
    A petition from Mary Sherburn, of Charles county, stating that she had two sons in the service
of the United States during the late war, and praying hte depreciation of their pay, was preferred,
read, and referred to Mr. Digges, Mr. Duckett and Mr. Hopewell, to consider and report thereon.
    Mr. Whittington, from the committee, brings in and delivers to the speaker a bill, entitled, An
act to repeal the thirty-seventh section of the constitution and form of government of this sate, so
far as the same relates to any senator or delegate of assembly; which was read the first time
and ordered to lie on the table.
    Mr. Johnson, from the committee, brings in and delivers to the speaker a bill, entitled, An act 
to empower John Erskine and John Thomas, administrators of Richard Johns, to collect the balances
due to Richard Johns as sheriff and collector of Talbot county; which was read the first time
and ordered to lie on the table.
    The report on the petition of Basil Williams was read the second time, and the resolution therein
contained assented to, and sent to the senate by the clerk.
    Mr. McComas, from the committee, brings in and delivers to the speaker the following report:
    THE committee to whom was referred the petition of Samuel Day, of Harford county, report,
that they have taken the same into consideration, and the certificate of the subscribers thereto annexed,
are of opinion, upon the principles of humanity and justice, the prayer of the petitioner
ought to be granted.  All which is submitted to the house.
                                                                By order,                                    A.  GOLDER, clk.
    Which was read the first and second time, concurred with, and leave given to bring in a bill pursuant
thereto.  ORDERED, That Mr. McComas, Mr. Hall and Mr. Jarrett, be a committee to 
prepare and bring in the same.
    Mr. Ridout, from the committee, brings in and delivers to the speaker the following report:
    THE committee to whom was referred the petition of Vachel Stevens, of the city of Annapolis,
report, that they have taken the same into consideration, and find, from an examination of sundry
authentic documents laid before them, that the facts stated in said petition are true, and your committee
are fully impressed with the justice and fairness of the petitioner's claim on the state; they
therefore submit the following resolution:
    RESOLVED, That the treasurer of the western shore be and he is hereby directed to pay unto
Vachel Stevens, of the city of Annapolis, or his order, out of any unappropriated money in the
treasury, the sum of sixty pounds ten shillings, being the amount of money erroneously paid to the
state by a certain William Hanson, deceased, and to which money the said Vachel Stevens is entitled
by virtue of a contract made by him with the trustee of said Hanson.
                                                                By order,                                    J.  HARWOOD, clk.
    Which was read the first and second time, and the resolution therein contained assented to, and
sent to the senate by the clerk.
    The clerk of the senate delivers a letter from Ninian Pinkney, stating, that he copied the argument
made by Messieurs Lyons in favour of the bank stock now pending in the chancery court of
England, agreeably to the direction of the senate, endorsed; " By the senate, December 17, 1796:
" Read and referred to the consideration of the house of delegates.
                                                                " By order,                                  A.  VAN-HORN, clk."
    The report on the petition of Gabriel Peterson Van-Horn was read the second time, and the resolution
therein contained assented to, and sent to the senate by the clerk.
    The letter of Ninian Pinkney was read, and referred to Mr. Oneale, Mr. Duckett and Mr.
J. C. Thomas to consider and report thereon.