cated to this House the number of Indian claimants who applied for the allowance of land to the board of commissioners organized in the State of Mississippi by virtue of the act entitled "An act for the appointment of commissioners to adjust the claims to reservations of land under the fourteenth article of the treaty of 1830, with the Choctaw Indians," approved March 3, 1837, which act was continued in force until the 1st day of August, 1838, by an act approved February 22, 1828; and also to the board or ganized in said State, in pursuance of an act approved August 23, 1842, in relation to the same subject. The number of claimants approved, and the number rejected; the quantity of land required to satisfy all the claims allowed; the amount of land actually assigned the Indians by virtue of their continued residence according to the requirements of the treaty; the amount of scrip issued for those Indians who had been deprived of their lands. In those cases where lands have been assigned the Indians, what protection against fraud and deception is afforded the Indians by the government in their alienation of the same; what proof is required that a fair consideration has been paid by the purchaser to the Indian; and what is, in a majority of cases, deemed a fair consideration to render a deed satisfactory to the department. In those cases where scrip is issued, what guards against imposition are thrown around the transfer of the same; and what sum is generally estimated by the department a satisfactory consideration for the same; and what are the regulations for the receipt of said scrip in payment of lands; how much of said scrip has been yet received; and for what description of lands will the said scrip be received in payment, whether for "lands subject to private entry," for payment of pre-emption entries, or for any lands which have. not been offered at public sale. On motion of Mr. St. John, Ordered, That the Committee on Revolutionary Claims be discharged from the consideration of the petition of Francis Strother, and that it be laid on the table. On motion of Mr. Daniel P. King, Ordered, That the same committee be discharged from the consideration of the petition of the heirs of Captain William Piatt, and that they have leave to withdraw their petition. On motion of Mr. Haralson, Ordered, That the Committee on Military Affairs be discharged from the consideration of the memorial of the legislature of Wisconsin, for a road from Fort Howard to Fort Wilkins; and that it be referred to the Committee on Roads and Canals. Mr. Brinkerhoff, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to which was referred so much of the President's message as relates to the erection of stockades and forts along the usual route from Missouri to the Rocky mountains, made a report thereon, accompanied by a bill (No. 27) to establish a line of stockade and block-house forts on the route from the frontier settlements on the Missouri river to the Territory of Oregon: which bill was read a first and second time, and committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. Brinkerhoff, from the same committee, made an adverse report upon the petition of Lucien B. Webster: which was laid on the table. On motion of Mr. Bedinger, Ordered, That the same committee be discharged from the consideration of the petition of the widow of David Lyman, and that it be referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Mr. Niven, from the same committee, made an adverse report upon the petition of Pierre Gideon: which was laid upon the table. Mr. Brodhead, from the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions, made a report upon the petition of Elizabeth Jones, and the heirs of John Carr, accompanied by a bill (No. 28) for their relief: which bill was read a first and second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House to morrow. Mr. Brodhead, from the same committee, made a report upon the petition of the heirs of Thompson Hutchinson, accompanied by a bill (No. 29) for their relief: which bill was read a first and second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow. Mr. Brodhead, from the same committee, made adverse reports upon the petitions of William Randall, and of the heirs of Ebenezer Spalding: which were laid upon the table Mr. Brodhead, from the same committee, reported the following resolution; which was read, considered, and agreed to: Resolved, That the Secretary of War be directed to cause to be compiled an abstract of the several pension laws now in force for invalid, revolutionary, and other pensions; together with the constructions which have been placed upon such laws by the War Department or Attorney General, and the forms necessary to be followed by the applicants for pensions under the several laws; and report the same to this House at the earliest practicable period. Mr. Cocke, from the Committee on Invalid Pensions, made an adverse report upon the petition of John Nappertandy: which was laid on the table.. Mr. Cocke, from the same committee, made a report upon the petition of James Davidson, accompanied by a bill (No. 30) for his relief: which bill was read a first and second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow. Mr. Cocke, from the same committee, made an adverse report upon the petition of James Bumbough: which was laid upon the table. On motion of Mr. Henley, Ordered, That the Committee on Patents be discharged from the consideration of the petition of Sherburn C. Blodget, and that it be laid on the table. Mr. John A. Rockwell, from the Committee of Claims, made a report upon the case of Captain Francis Allyn, accompanied by a bill (No. 31) to provide for the payment of the passage of General Lafayette from France to the United States in the year 1824: which bill was read a first and second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House to morrow. Mr. Ligon, from the Committee of Claims, made a report upon the petition of George D. Spencer, accompanied by a bill (No. 32) for his relief: which bill was read a first and second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow. Bills from the Senate, of the following titles, viz: No. 21. An act for the organization of a company of sappers and miners and pontoniers; No. 22. An act to repeal the act which abolishes the office of one of the inspectors general of the army, and to revive and establish said office; No 26. An act to continue the office of the Commissioner of Pensions; were severally read a first and second time, and referred-、 No. 21. To the Committee on Military Affairs. No. 22. To the Committee on Military Affairs. No. 26. To the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting a statement of the compensation and emoluments received, and the amount of fines, penalties, and forfeitures retained by collectors at Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston, Savannah, and New Orleans, during four years ending June 30, 1845: which letter and statement were referred to the Committee on Commerce. The House proceeded to the consideration of the resolution offered by Mr. Dillingham on the 19th instant, relative to changing the place of holding district and circuit courts of the United States in the State of Vermont, from Rutland and Windsor to Burlington and Chelsea; when the said resolution was read, and agreed to. The House proceeded to the consideration of the following resolution, offered by Mr. Seaman on the 19th instant, viz: Resolved, That five thousand copies of Frémont's report be printed for the new members of this House. And, after debate, A motion was made by Mr. Winthrop, to amend the same by striking out the word "new;" which motion was agreed to. Mr. McKay moved that the said resolution be laid on the table. Yeas, It was decided in the negative, Nays, 66 77 The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are Mr. James Dixon Stephen A. Douglass Mr. Charles J. Ingersoll Timothy Jenkins Joseph M. Root Mr. Joseph Russell Caleb B. Smith Frederick P. Stanton A motion was made by Mr. Jacob Thompson, to amend the said resolution by inserting, after the word "report," the following: "without the plates and tables." And pending the question on this amendment, On motion of Mr. Hamlin, the House, at seven minutes after 3 o'clock, p. m., adjourned until Friday next, at 12 o'clock meridian. FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 1846. Edwin H. Ewing, a member from the State of Tennessee, elected to supply, the vacancy occasioned by the death of Joseph H. Peyton, appeared, was sworn to support the constitution of the United States, and took a seat in the House. The Speaker laid before the House sundry communications, viz: I. A letter from the Secretary of War, transmitting, in compliance with the act of May 1, 1820, a statement of balances of appropriations on the 1st of July, 1844; the appropriations made for the fiscal year 1844-'5; repayments and transfers in the same period; the amounts drawn by requisition from the treasury within the same time; and the balances on the 1st of July, 1845, &c.: which letter and statement were laid upon the table. 1 II. A letter from the Clerk of the House, submitting, in compliance with the 11th section of the act legalizing and making appropriations for such necessary objects as have been usually included in the general appropriation bills without authority of law, and to fix and provide for certain incidental expenses of the departments and offices of the government, and for other purposes, a report of the names of the clerks and other persons employed in his office: which letter and report were laid upon the table. Mr. Cunningham offered to present the following resolution: Whereas the rejection by the British government of the liberal proposition lately made by the President of the United States to compromise and settle the respective claims of the two countries to the Oregon Territory, has terminated all negotiation on that subject: And whereas, by the extraordinary and inadmissible demands of the British government, it is made manifest that no compromise which the United States ought to accept can be effected: And whereas the title of the United States to the whole of the Oregon country included within the parallels of forty-two degrees and fifty-four degrees forty minutes north latitude, and extending from the Rocky mountains to the Pacific ocean, "is clear and unquestionable;" and that any further attempt on the part of the United States to settle such title by a surrender of any portion of said country would be a surrender of the honor, the dignity, and the true interests of the American people: Therefore be it resolved, That it is the imperative duty of Congress immediately to adopt such measures as will fully protect our citizens' who now do, or may hereafter, inhabit that country, and effectually maintain our just title to the whole of the country of the Oregon. The said resolution was read; and being objected to, A motion was made by Mr. Henley, that the rules be suspended, to enable Mr. Cunningham to offer said resolution; and, The question being put, Shall the rules be suspended? not voting in favor thereof,) Nays, 76 88 The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are Mr. John Quincy Adams Edward D. Baker Charles S. Benton James Black John Blanchard Jacob Brinkerhoff Orlando B. Ficklin George Fries Joshua R. Giddings Samuel Gordon Martin Grover Mr. Hannibal Hamlin Mr. James Pollock Sterling Price Robert Smith David A. Starkweather Mr. Meredith P. Gentry |