The Congressional Globe, Volume 14: Twenty-Eighth Congress, Second Session Page: 19

CONGRESSIONAL GLOBE.
19
house at New Orleans from 1832 to 1837, for payment of ar-
rears of salaries: referred to the Committee on Commerce.
By Mr. STILES: The memorial of the Central Railroad
and Banking Company of Georgia, praying relief from cer-
tain bonds given for duties on railroad iron imported under
the provisions of the act of Congress of the 14th July, 1830:
referred to the Committee of "Ways and Means.
By Mr. THOMASSON; The petition of W. N. Bullitt &
Co., and others, of Louisville, Kentucky, praying a reduc-
tion of postage: referred to the Committee on the Post Of-
fice and Post Roads.
By Mr. SAMPLE: The petition of Abner E. Van Ness, of
Cass county. Indiana, praying indemnification for losses
sustained by him in a contratt for surveying public lands in
the State of Michigan: referred to the Committee on Public
Lands.
The petition of John Anderson and seventy-one others,
and of A. &. Rhodes and thirty-two others, citizens of Indi-
ana, praying for a mail route irom Rochester to Wabash
town.
The petitions of G. C. Buell and thirty-four others, and of
Win. Tatman and eighty-seven others, praying for a mail
route from Lafayette to Michigan city: referred to the
Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads.
The memorial of John J. Deming and one hundred and
thirty-two others, citizens of St. Joseph county, Indiana,
praying a reduction in the rates of postage.
The memorials of E. P. Taylor and two hundred and twen-
ty-one others, and of A. P. Richardson and one hundred and
twenty-live other?, of the same county, and of J. D. Ross
and others, ol Porter county, for the same object: referred
to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads.
The petition of D. E. Long and seventy -five others, cit-
izens of Indiana, prayingthat some regulation may be made
by law for the drainage of the wet public lands m the land
districts ol Fort Wayne and Winamao.
The petition of Thomas Bently and others, for the iame
object.
The petition of Thomas Parmer and others, for the same
object.
The petition of Jacob Ruple and others, for the same ob-
ject
The petition of Wm. C. Coppock and others, for the same
object.
The petition of V/m. Montgomery and others, for the
same object.
The petition of George L. Harris and others, for the same
object.
The petition of Jesse Coppock and others, for the same
object: referred to the Committee on Public Lands.
By Mr. T. 11. SEYMOUR: The petition of Elijah Blodgett,
of Connecticut, for a pension: referred to the committee on
Invalid Pensions.
The petition of Major Charles Larrabee, of Connecticut,
an invalid pensioner, praying Congress for an increase of
pension: referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. •
Thepetitioa of Frederick Pearle, of Connecticut, a pen-
sioner under the act of 131S, asking Congress for a sum of
money equal to the amount of pensions withheld from him
from 3S20 to 1823: referred to the Committee on Revolution-
ary Tensions.
The petition of Daniel B Perkins for an allowance for
services to the government, by which he received injuries:
referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions.
The petition of Solomon Hunt, of Connecticut, praying
Congress to authorize, some proper ofiicer, under the super-
intendence of the petitioner, to cause to be made a number
of. pieces of ordnance from wrought iron: referred to the
Committee on Naval Affairs.
By Mr. CALDWELL: The petition of Mrs. Nancy Hag-
gard, of Cumberland county, Kentucky.
The petition of Thomas Emerson, administrator and heir
of John Emerson, deceased, of Cumberland county, Ken-
tucky: refened to the Committee on Revolutionary Claims.
IN SENATE.
Wednesday, December 11, 1844.
The PRESIDENT pro tem. laid before the Senate
a communication from the Navy Department, trans-
mitting, in compliance with a resolution of the Sen-
ate of 18th March, 1842, a list of the names of all
officers then in the navy, the periods of their admis-
sion into the service, the dates of their present com-
missions, and the term of their respective sea ser-
vice, &c., (fee.; which, on motion of Mr. BAYARD,
was referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs.
On motion by Mr. JOHNSON, leave was grant-
ed to withdraw from the files the original papers of
Elisha Winter and William Winter.
On motion by Mr. WOODBURY, leave was
granted to withdraw from the files the papers in
reference to the claim of Walker and Beatty.
Mr. HANNEG-AN presented a memorial from
citizens of Indiana, and others, asking Congress to
make mi appropriation of lands to continue the Wa-
bash and Erie canal to the Ohio river: referred to
the Committee on Roads and Canals.
Mr. MILLER presented a memorial from the
stockholders of the Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank
of Georgetown, asking for a renewal of their char-
ter: referred to the Committee on the District of
Columbia.
Mr. ASHLEY presented a memorial signed by
members of the general assembly of Arkansas, ask-
ing for the establishment of a mail route from Little
Rock to, Dallas; and another from Perryville to
Parks, in that State: referred to the Committee on
the Post Office and Post Roads.
Also presented documentary evidence in support
of the petition of Asahel Brainard; which was re-
ferred to the committee having the petition in
charge.
Mr. BUCHANAN presented the memorial of
Mary Reeside, the executrix of the last will and tes-
tament of James Reeside, praying Congress to pass
a law authorizing the settlement of the claim of her
deceased husband against the Post Office Depart-
ment. Mr. B. moved its reference to the-Judiciary
Committee.
Mr. MERRICK made an argument in favor of
referring the memorial to the Committee on the Post
Office and Post Roads. He maintained that the
claim was one growing out of the connection of-Mr.
Reeside with the Post Office Department. He was
aware the United States court for the district of
Pennsylvania had rendered a judgment against the
government in favor of Mr. Reeside for a large
amount, yet that did not change the nature of the
claim. Though the judgment had been rendered,
yet it appeared upon the books of the department
that there was some §60,000 due the United States
by Mr. Reeside. That, -he argued, was a good rea-
son for the reference he proposed.
Mr. BUCHANAN, on the other hand, contend-
ed that there was a judicial question involved, found-
ed' upon the judgment rendered in favoi^ of Mr.
Reeside; that the judiciary Committee'had, had at
the lastsession, charge of the subject, and reported a
bill referring the claim to an accounting ofiicer
in one of the executive departments for investiga-
tion, with the view that a report should be made"to
Congress of the amount which might be found due
to the claimant. That bill was passed by the Sen-
ate, but failed in the other House for want of time
to act upon it. The Judiciary Committee, having
investigated the claim at the last session, were better
prepared to mature a bill for its adjustment in time
to be passed at this session of Congress, than the
Post Office Committee, who would have to examine
such a mass of details before they could arrive at
any conclusion, that it would be impossible for
them to embody their opinion in time to be acted
upon this session. He would not enter into the
merits of the claim at that stage of the proceeding,
though he mentioned, by way of reply to the senator
from Maryland, 'that the books of the Post .Office
Department, which that senator stated showed Mr.
Reeside to be indebted to the United States some
$60,000,'were exhibited to the court and the jury
before whom the case was investigated, and the ver-
dict rendered in favor of the then claimant for a large
amount. He expressed a wish that the matter
might go to the Judiciary Committee, so as to vender
it more certain that justice would be done in the
case this session.
Mr. BERRIEN also argued in favor of the ref-
erence of the claim to the Judiciary Committee.
Mr. NILES differed with the senator from
Georgia, and maintained that the claim, though it
had been passed upon by a judicial tribunal, had
not been changed in its nature. It was one founded
upon details and facts which it was as much the
duty of Congress to pass upon now as before the
judgment was rendered. He argued that the sub-
ject should be either sent to the Committee on the
Post Office and Post Roads or to the Committee on
Claims, which latter he preferred.
The question was then taken on referring the
memorial to the Judiciary Committee, and decided
in the affirmative, by ayes 18 to noes 13.
Mr. ATCHISON presented the credentials of
Hon. Thomas H. Benton, elected a senator from
Missouri, to serve for six years from the 4th day of
March next; which were read, and ordered to be
placed on the files of the Senate.
Mr. TAPPAN gave notice that he would to-mor-
row ask leave to introduce a bill to establish the
Smithsonian institution for the increase and diffu-
sion of knowledge among men.
Mr. HUNTINGTON submitted the following
resolution; which, under the rule, lies one day on
the table, viz:
Rezolce d, That the President of the United States here-
quested to communicate to the Senate (if not incompatible
with the public interest) copies of all the correspondence
not heretofore transmitted to the Senate, v. hich may have
taken place between the Department of State and the pres-
ent minister of the United States to France; and between
that minister and the government of France, relating to the
proposed annexation of Texas to the United States.
On motion by Mr. MILLER, leave was granted
to, withdraw from the files of the Senate the memo-
rial of Alexander M. Cummings.
Mr. BAYAND, on leave, introduced a bill to af-
ford relief to certain contractors with the govern- ■
ment; which was read twice, and referred to the
Committee on Naval Affairs.
Mr. BREESE, on leave, introduced a bill for the
relief of the legal representatives of Pierre Menard,
deceased, Josia T. Betts, Jacob Feaman, and Ed-
ward Roberts of the State of Illinois, sureties of Fe-
lix St. Vrain, late Indian agent, deceased; which
was read twice, and referred to the Committee on
Claims.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana submitted the fol-
lowing resolution; which lies one day on the table:
Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be in-
structed to inquire into the expediency of modifying the
naturalization of laws of the United States, so as to extend
the time allowed to enable foreigners to become citizens;
to require gieater guards against fraudinthe steps to be
taken in procuring naturalization papers; and to prevent, as
far as practicable, fraud and violence at elections.
On motion by Mr. BERRIEN, leave was granted
to withdraw from the files the papers of John H.
Mcintosh.
Mr. WHITE, from the Committee on Indian Af-
fairs, reported back, without amendment, the bill for
the relief of the legal representatives of Joshua Ken-
nedy, of Alabama.
THE ANNEXATION bF TEXAS.
Mr. BENTON, agreeably to notice, introduced,
on leave—
A bill to provide for the annexation of Texas to the
"United States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of RtpyesentaliL.es of
the United States of Jimerxca in Congress assembled, That
the President of the United States be, and he hereby is, au-
thorized and advised to open negotiations with 'Mexico and
Texas, for the adjustment of boundaries, and the annexation
oi the latter to the "United States, on the following bases, to
wit:
I. The boundary of the annexed territory to he in the
desert prairie west of the Nueces, and alongthe highlands
and mountain heights which divide the waters of tlie Mis-
sissippi from the water* of the Rio del Norte, and to latitude
forty-two degrees north.
II. The people of Texas, by a legislative .act, or by any
authentic act which shows the will of the majority, to ex-
press their assent to said annexation.
III. A State, to be called "the Stale of Texas" with boun-
daries fixed by herself, and an extent not exceeding that of
the largest State in the Union, be-admitted into the Ukiow,
by virtue of this act, on an equal footing with the original
States.
IV. The remainder of the annexed territory to be held
and disposed of by the United States as one of their territo-
ries, and to be called "the Southwest Territory."
V. The existence of slavery to be forever prohibited in
the northern and northwestern part of said territory, west
ofthe 100th degree of longitude west from Greenwich, so
as to divide, as equally as may be, the whole of the
annexed country between slaveholding and non^slavehold-
ing State?.
VI. The assent of Mexico to be obtained by treaty to
such annexation and boundary, or to be dispensed with
when the Congr ess of the United States may deem such as-
sent to be unnecessary.
VII. Other details of the annexation to be adjusted by
treaty, so far as the same may come witlim the scope of the
treaty-making power.
Which, having been read twice, was, on the mo-
tion of Mr. ARCHER, referred to the Committee on
Foreign Relations.
Mr. BAYARD gave notice that he would to-
morrow ask leave to introduce a bill to increase the
pay of certain officers of the revenue cutters while
serving in the navy of the United States.
Also introduced, on leave, a hill concerning fur-
loughs in the naval service; which was read twice,
and referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs.
Mr. NILES submitted the following resolution;
which, under the rule, lies one day on the table,
viz:
Resolved. That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed
to report to the Senate the amount of money s in the treas-
ury on tlie lbl day of each month since January, lb44, in-
clusive; the public officers, individuals, or corporations
with whom the same were deposited at each of the afore-
said periods- tlie secuuty, if any. which has been required
for their safekeeping, disbursement, 01 lepayment; whether
the public revenues have been loaned or used by the de-
positories, and, if so, whether this has been done m pur-
suance of any order or authonty of thejgovernment, snd
whether any per centoge or allowance, directly or indirect-
ly, has been received by the treasury for the possession
and use of the public revenue on depositee and that he also
state whether the public revenues have been transferred
during the period aforesaid from one depository to^another,
otherwise than for regular disbursement; and, if so, the
rsasons for such transfers, whether for the greater security
of the funds, their more equal distribution m different sec-
tions of the Union, or the greater per centage or allowance
for the use of them, or any other reasons which may have
induced their transfers otherwise than for their regular
disbursement; and that he also state, whether there has
been any failure on the part of any of the depositories of
the public revenues to pay over the same on demand in the
lawful currency of the United States; and whether any
losses have been sustained by any such depositories, or
whether there are any reasons to apprehend a loss from any
of thpse now having the public funds on deposite,