adjudication of prizes: in his annual message to Congress on 8 Nov., TJ asked the body to consider a measure that would allow for the legal condemnation of captured Tripolitan vessels in foreign ports. Four days later, the House of Representatives appointed a select committee with Caesar A. Rodney as its chair to respond to this part of TJ’s message. Between the formation of the committee and the initial reporting of the bill on 3 Dec., TJ consulted with Madison on aspects of international law in relation to establishing admiralty courts in foreign countries. The bill included language from TJ’s draft, but replaced his provision allowing owners from neutral nations to decline trial with a provision for appeal of a final decree to the U.S. Supreme Court. The bill as reported would also provide for the appointment of a marshal and a proctor for the new court. On 10 Dec., the House debated the proposed bill and recommended that the last section, which gave the president power to abolish the court, be altered to allow it to continue in operation until its business was complete. Eight days later, the committee reported an amendment to that effect. The House did not resume discussion on the bill (JHR description begins Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States, Washington, D.C., 1826, 9 vols. description ends , 5:11-12, 30, 50, 58; Annals description begins Annals of the Congress of the United States: The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States … Compiled from Authentic Materials, Washington, D.C., Gales & Seaton, 1834-56, 42 vols. All editions are undependable and pagination varies from one printing to another. The first two volumes of the set cited here have “Compiled … by Joseph Gales, Senior” on the title page and bear the caption “Gales & Seatons History” on verso and “of Debates in Congress” on recto pages. The remaining volumes bear the caption “History of Congress” on both recto and verso pages. Those using the first two volumes with the latter caption will need to employ the date of the debate or the indexes of debates and speakers. description ends , 14:783-91; Relfs Philadelphia Gazette, 6, 7 Dec.; Annual Message to Congress, 8 Nov.; TJ to Madison, 18 Nov.).