The Congressional Globe, Volume 13, Part 1: Twenty-Eighth Congress, First Session Page: 622
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622
CONGRESSIONAL GLOBE.
Mr. RELFE, from the Committee on the Post
Office and Post Roads, reported a bill to adapt the
rates of postage to the national coin, and to abridge
the franking privilege; which bill was read a first
and second time, and committed to the Committee
of the Whole on the state of the Union.
Mr. DANA, from the same committee, made a
minority report on the same subject.
Mr. STONG moved that 1000 additional copies
of the bill and report be printed.
Mr. DANA moved to amend the motion so as to
print 5000 extra copies of the bill, and also of the
majority and minority reports.
The SPEAKER said the motion to print extra
copies was not then in order, one day's previous
notice being necessary.
Mr. DANA moved to suspend the rules; and the
motion being agreed to, renewed his motion to print
5000 extra copies of the bill and of the two reports.
Mr. MILTON BROWN called for the yeas and
nays, but there not being one-fifth of the members
present to sustain the call, the yeas and nays were
nqt ordered.
Mr. HOUSTON moved to amend the motion to
print, so as to provide for the printing of the reports
without the bills. Rejected.
The question was then put on Mr. DANA'S mo-
tion, ana decided in the affirmative without a divis-
ion.
■PBTV ATP fT ATMQ
Mr. JOSEPH R. INGERSOLL, from the Com-
mittee of Ways and Means, made an adverse report
on the memorial of John Forbes & Co.; which was
laid on the table.
PENSIONS OP WIDOWS.
Mr. JOSEPH R. INGERSOLL moved a sus-
pension of the rules to enable him to bring in a bill
to alter and amend the pension laws of the United
States so as to dispense with certain proof of the
marriage of the widow of a revolutionary officer or
soldier.
The question being put, was decided in the affirm-
ative; and Mr. J. R. Ingersoll having introduced
the bill,
Mr. CAVE JOHNSON moved to refer it to the
Committee on Pensions.
Mr. DAVID L. SEYMOUR moved to refer it to
the Committee of the Whole on the state of the
Union, in order to have it considered in conjunction
with another bill (No. 7) on the same subject.
This motion having been agreed to—
On motion of Mr. DAVID L. SEYMOUR, the
House resolved itself into a Committee of the
Whole, (Mr. White in the chair.)
Mr. SEYMOUR moved that the committee take
up the bill (No. 7) to amend the act granting half
pay to certain widows, and the several acts and res-
olutions amendatory thereof, and extending the pro-
visions of the same.
The CHAIR said that the business first in order
before the committee was the bill in relation to the
Louisiana land claims, and it would be necessary to
postpone that bill before another could be taken up.
Mr. SLIDELL assented to the laying aside the
land bill, provided it would not be prevented from
coming up the next in order.
Mr. SEYMOUR then moved to postpone the
busiress in order before the committee; which mo-
tion having been carried, the committee took up the
bill (No. 7) to amend the act granting half pay to
certain widows, and the several acts and resolutions
amendatory of the same.
The bill having been read,
Mr. PARMENTER moved to amend, so as to
give the bill a wider range, by extending its pro-
visions to all widows married subsecfuent to 1794,
instead of 1807.
And Mr. ADAMS moved, in addition to that
amendment, to strike out the limit of five years, and
confer the pension for life.
The amendment was debated by Messrs. PAR-
MENTER, ADAMS, DAVID L. SEYMOUR,
ELMER, RATHBUN, HAMLIN, VANCE,
CALDWELL, and RODNEY.
The question was taken on Mr. Adams's amend-
ment, and it was adopted.
Mr. FISH offered an amendment providing that
if any person who served in the revolutionary war,
in the manner specified in the acts of 30th June,
1832, and July 7th, 1838, have died or shall here-
after die, leaving a widow, such widow shall re-
ceive during her natural life, the pension to which
her husband was entitled to when living.
Mr. HALE offered to amend the amendment, by
inserting after the word "widow," the werds "of a
revolutionary officer and soldier," and striking out
the words "who shall have been married previous to
the 1st of January, 1800."
Mr. FISH withdrew his amendment.
Mr. D. L. SEYMOUR thought the amendment
of the gentleman from New Hampshire would be
carrying the pension system farther than it had ever
been carried before. All the pension laws have
hitherto been limited to those officers and soldiers
who have served as much as six months, and none
of such laws ever gave pensions to those who had
served for a shorter period.
As he understood the amendment, it would pro-
vide pensions for the widows of all revolutionary
soldiers, no matter how short the period their hus-
bands may have served.
Mr. SAMPLE was opposed to the amendment.
It proposed to give pensions to widows who have
married at any time previous to 1844; and would
therefore take in young girls who married old, de-
crepid men. He held it wrong in principle for
young women to marry old, decrepid men, and
worse for Congress to reward them for doing so.
Mr. SEYMOUR of New York said that, on read-
ing the amendment of the gentleman from New
Hampshire, he found it was not liable to the objec-
tions he had stated; and he therefore hoped it would
On putting the question, the amendment was
agreed to—ayes 58, noes 56.
Mr. THOMPSON moved to amend the bill, by
striking out the words "4th of March, 1844," and
inserting "shall commence from the filing of the ap-
plication for the pension."
After a few words from Mr. HUDSON, the
amendment of the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr.
Thompson) was rejected.
Mr. SAMPLE submitted a substitute for the 3d
section, which was negatived.
Mr. HAMLIN proposed an additional section,
which was agreed to. And other sections were
added on the motions of Mr. HUNGERFORD,
Mr. COLLAMER, and Mr. FISH, the precise pur-
port of which was not understood.
Mr. G. DAVIS proposed an additional section to
extend the provisions of the bill to the soldiers of
our Indian wars.
Mr. D. L. SEYMOUR opposed the amendment.
Mr. WELLER advocated the amendment.
The amendment was further debated by Messrs.
CALDWELL, HAMLIN, SIMONS, and DAR-
RAGH.
On motion of Mr. DICKINSON, the committee
rose, and reported that they had passed certain
amendments, but had come to no conclusion there-
on.
The House then adjourned.
The J 'J U U W 11J g JJCLILIUIIO,
handed to the reporters by
them:
By Mr. SCHENCK: The petition of Major BedU and oth-
er officers of the United States army and of foity-five citi-
zens, for the establishment of apostioute from Fort Tow-
son to Fort Washita, Choctaw nation
By Mr JEREMIAH K. GAR\: The petition of Truman
Kdes and others, praying that a pension be granted to Seth
Morton of Oneida county, New it oik: referred to the Com-
mittee on Invalid Pensions.
By Mr. FARLEF: The petition of Michael ShurU and
other citizens, of the county of Hunterdon, in the State of
Now Jersey, for a post road from Flemington, via ltolanu's
■ Mills, and Allerton, to Clinton, all in said county: referred
to tiie Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads.
following petitions, presented to-day, were
to the reporters by the members presenting
IN SENATE.
Saturday, May 25, 1844.
Mr. BAYARD presented a memorial from some
20 or 30 inhabitants of Delaware, praying that the
treaty for the annexation of Texas may be ratified:
ordered to lie on the table.
The following resolution, submitted by Mr.
Woodbridul yesterday, was taken up and adopted,
viz:
Revolted, That the Secretary of War be directed to re-
poit to the Senate what progiess has t een made in the sur-
vey of the straits connecting: Lakes Huron and Erie; that
he cause the survey thereof, so far as made, to be reported,
on a reduced scale, to the Senate, for its use ; that he re-
port to the Senate the opinion of the depaitment as to the
practicability of so straightening and deepening the channel
on the west shore of the straits of Detroit, opposite Fort
Maiden, as to render it practicable for steamers and sail ves-
sels; with an estimate of the expense thereof, and of the ex-
pense of removing all other obstructions and impediments
to the convenient and safe navigation from Lake Erie to
Lake Huron.
The Senate then took up for consideration the
resolution submitted by Mr. Breese yesterday, as
follows:
Resolved, That the President be requested, if not detri-
mental to the public service, to order the United States
steamship Michigan, now at Erie, Pennsylvania, when rea-
dy for service, to visit, during the ensuing summer, the
principal ports of the northern lakes, including the port of
Chicago, in the State of Illinois.
Messrs. HJJNTINGTON and BAYARD made
some remarks against the propriety of the adoption
of the resolution; maintaining that it would be an
unusual interference with the prerogatives of the
President to direct him tn this particular; that it
would form an improper precedent. They had no
doubt that, if the senator who proposed the resolu-
tion would personally indicate his wish to the prop-
er department, the object of his resolution would be
carried into effect. Cut it was certainly, in effect, a
resolution to instruct the President in his duty.
Messrs. BREESE, WOODBRIDGE, WOOD-
BURY, and PORTER advocated the passage of
the resolution, which they maintained was one mere-
ly to advise the executive of the wishes of the Sen-
ate, but not to direct him in his duties; that it left
the matter to his discretion entirely; and that no
bad precedent could grow out of it. It was very
desirable that the inhabitants residing in the cities
on the lakes, where a public armed vessel had never
been, should have an opportunity of seeing one.
On motion by Mr. HUNTINGTON, the resolu-
tion was laid upon the table.
TAX ON THE PUBLIC LANDS.
The Senate resumed the consideration of the bill
declaring the assent of Congress to the State of Illi-
nois, to impose a tax upon all lands hereafter sold by
the United States in that State, from and after the
time of such sale.
The bill was read a third time, when
Mr. WHITE made some remarks against its pas-
sage. He considered that it would not only be in-
jurious to the interests of the State of Illinois, but
that it would tend to check emigration to the West.
He was satisfied that the exemption of the lands
sold by the government from taxation, for five
years from the day of sale, was a great inducement
for settlement in the West.
Mr. BREESE remarked that it was the State of
Illinois which asked the exemption. If the bill was
passed, the State could exempt the lands from taxa-
tion, or not, as it might effect her interest. If she
believed that taxing the lands from and after the
sale, would check emigration, she need not carry the
law into effect. He was satisfied that it would not
check emigration. If he thought it would do so, he
should be the last one to press such a measure.
The memorial of the State of Illinois called for the
passage of such a law; and he hoped her prayer
would be regarded.
The question was then taken on the bill, and it
was passed.
Mr. FULTON presented a petition from Jane
Moore, the widow of Captain Stephen Moore, who
served his country in the late war: referred to the
Committee on Pensions.
The bill for the relief of James Pemberton Hutch-
inson, late consul of the United States at Lisbon;
and
The bill for the relief of James Ritchie; were read
the third time, and passed.
Several bills from the House were lead twice,
and appropriately referred.
Mr. BUCHANAN presented two memorials,
numerously signed—one from Lancaster, Pa., and
the other from Columbia county-—strongly urging
the reannexation of Texas to the United States; and
a memorial from that State, asking Congress to re-
duce the rates of postage, and to abolish the frank-
ing privilege; which were ordered to lie on the
table.
The bill entitled "An act for the relief of William
Wynn," approved August 11, 1842, was taken up,
and, being amended in several particulars, on the
motion of Mr. SEVIER, was ordered to be en-
grossed for a third reading.
ADJOURNMENT OF CONGRESS.
On motion by Mr. EVANS, the Senate took up
for consideration the resolution passed by the Sen-
ate, fixing the 27th day of May for the adjournment
of Congress sine die, which had been returned from
the House with an amendment, substituting the
17th day of June.
The question immediately pending was the mo-
tion of Mr. Evans, fixing the 3d day of June.
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United States. Congress. The Congressional Globe, Volume 13, Part 1: Twenty-Eighth Congress, First Session, book, 1844; Washington D.C.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth2367/m1/646/: accessed May 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.