That these papers, if printed, will prove to be of the greatest value to the people of the State of California, and to the interests of the gov ernment of the United States, by enabling them to ascertain with greater clearness the foundation of the settlement and claims for eight millions of acres of land, now in course of examination in the State of California, and in which the interests of the whole people of this State, and the United States, are deeply compromised;

That these manuscripts are of extent to fill a volume of 2,000 pages of the size of ordinary congressional documents, and that your memoralist is desirous of extending and completing the same by the use of the old Spanish archives or California, now in possession of the United States surveyor general of California and the United States board of commissioners for ascertaining and settling the land claims of California, and now in their respective offices in San Francisco;

That your memorialist respectfully showeth, that he is desirous of having this labor performed under his supervision and inspection, under such directions and limitations of expense as may be just and expedient, and with a proper view to the benefit of the rights of the government of the United States and the State of California, and that it is not his desire to make it a source of pecuniary profit, but that the legislation, laws, and history of California, may be elucidated on the basis of original manuscript documentary proof and evidence, which for all time cannot be gainsayed;

That his circumstances are not sufficiently ample to undertake the expense of its printing and publication, and as its objects are of public importance, he respectfully petitions your honorable body to take the matter into consideration, and appropriate a sum of money from the treasury, to insure its early publication as part of the government archives-the most of which has never appeared in print in any language;

That your memorialist is desirous that this publication may be commenced as early as possible, that the aforesaid papers may be used by the United States and State courts in deciding, on intelligent principles, the immense interests in land pertaining thereto;

That there exists no authentic documentary history or any other authentic history of California, as a guide to judicial courts, statesmen, and public officers; and that from the situation of things in California at present, the before mentioned documents belonging to himself and the United States in California, and the great danger from fire and accidents to single copies of public papers, the publication thereof in print would be of immense utility to the general welfare and the increase of knowledge among men;

And furthermore, that the history of the said documents extends from the year 1770 to the year 1846, as indicated in the annexed catalogue; And such your memorialist will ever humbly pray.

ALEX'R S. TAYLOR,

MONTEREY, March 30, 1854.

Of Monterey.

CATALOGUE.

Abstract of papers and documents, containing orders, proclamations, letters, statistics, expeditions, &c., &c., referred to in the foregoing memorial.

800.....do..

.do.....1841 to the 1st day of June, 1846.

2,000 pages of foolscap manuscript, collected by the memorialist since 1848, from scarce Spanish, English, French, and American books, and especially information from old English and American pioneers, living in California from 1822 to 1854, and from natives of the State. ALEX'R S. TAYLOR,

Of Monterey.

The claim of the State upon the United States for lands taken and required to be taken to satisfy claimants under the treaty of Washington.

MAY 22, 1854.-Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and ordered to be printed.

STATE OF MAINE.

Resolve in relation to the claims of the State upon the United States for lands taken and required to be taken to satisfy claimants under the treaty of Washington.

Resolved, That our senators and representatives in Congress be requested to take such measures as to them shall seem best to bring before the President and Congress the subject of the claims of the State of Maine to indemnity for lands taken and required to be taken to satisfy and fulfill the stipulations on the part of the United States of the treaty of Washington, and to have the same put into a train for a speedy settlement.

In the House of Representatives, April 11, 1854. Read and passed: NOAH SMITH, JR., Speaker.

In Senate, April 12, 1854.

April 12, 1854, Approved:

Read and passed:

LUTHER S. MOORE, President.

WILLIAM G. CROSBY.

ALDEN JACKSON,

Secretary of State.