accompanied by a bill (No. 357) for their benefit: which bill was read a first and second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House

to-morrow.

Mr. George S. Houston, from the Committee of Ways and Means, reported the following resolution; which was read and agreed to, viz:

Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means be discharged from so much of the message of the President of the United States as relates to the penitentiary in the District of Columbia; also, from the report of the inspectors of said institution; also, the estimates for a deficiency of appropriation for the year ending 30th June, 1846; and that the same be referred to the Committee for the District of Columbia, with instructions to inquire into the reform necessary to be made in said institution.

Mr. John A. Rockwell, from the Committee of Claims, made adverse reports upon the cases of Maria B. Stall and Charles M. Hudspeth: which reports were laid upon the table.

Mr. John A. Rockwell, from the same committee, reported bills of the following titles, viz:"

No. 358. A bill for the relief of Joseph C. Doxey;

No. 359. A bill for the relief of John Speakman;

No. 360. A bill for the relief of Phineas Capen, of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, legal administrator of John Cox, deceased, late of Boston; accompanied by a report in each case: which bills were severally read a first and second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House

to-morrow.

Mr. Gordon, from the same committee, made an adverse report upon the petition of Zenas King: which report was laid upon the table.

On motion of Mr. Tibbatts,

Ordered, That the Committee on Commerce be discharged from the consideration of the petitions for the improvement of the Maumee river, and that the petitioners have leave to withdraw their petitions.

Mr. Tibbatts, from the same committee, reported a bill (No. 361) making an appropriation for a survey of the bay of Mobile, accompanied by a report in writing: 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. Grinnell, from the same committee, reported bills of the following titles, viz:

No. 362. A bill for the relief of Moses Noble, owner of fishing schooner Ruth;

No. 363. A bill for the relief of William Ellery, owner of fishing schooners Sevo and Ida;

No. 364. A bill for the relief of the owner and crew of the schooner Girls;

No. 365. A bill for the relief of the owner and crew of the schooner Good Exchange;

No. 366. A bill for the relief of the owner and crew of the schooner Garland;

No. 367. A bill for the relief of the owner and crew of the schooner Blooming Youth;

No. 368. A bill for the relief of the owner and crew of the schooner Fortune;

accompanied by a report in each case: which bills were severally read a first and second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House

to-morrow,

Mr. McClelland, from the Committee on Commerce, made an adverse report upon the petition of citizens of Iowa, praying that Shikagua river be made a public highway: which report was laid upon the table.

Mr. McClelland, from the same committee, reported a bill (No. 369) creating a collection district in Maine, and constituting Bangor, in said district, a port of entry and delivery: which bill was read a first and second time, and left upon the Speaker's table.

Mr. McClelland, from the same committee, made adverse reports upon the petition of citizens of Long island, New York, praying that Coney island be made a port of entry, and for the erection of buoys and lighthouses on Jones channel, at Coney island inlet; and on the resolution of the House of January 13, instructing them to inquire into the expediency of declaring Michigan city, in the State of Indiana, a port of entry: which reports were laid upon the table.

On motion of Mr. McClelland,

Ordered, That the Committee on Commerce be discharged from the consideration of the bill (No. 81) to create the city of Alton a port of entry; also, from the consideration of the bill (No. 74) to establish a port of entry at Memphis, in Tennessee; also, from the consideration of the petition of citizens of Delaware, praying that New Castle and Wilmington may be united as a joint port of entry, and for other purposes; and that they be laid upon the table.

Mr. McClelland, from the same committee, made an adverse report upon the petition of ship-owners of Warren and Barrington, in the State of Rhode Island, praying that these towns may be formed into and constitute a separate collection district, by the name of the Warren district: which report was laid upon the table.

Mr. McClernand, from the Committee on Public Lands, reported a bill (No. 370) for the relief of the heirs and legal representatives of Richard C. Allen, deceased, late of Florida Territory; also,

A bill (No. 371) for the relief of John Milsted, of Escambia county, Florida;

accompanied by a written report in each case: which bills were read a first and second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House to

morrow.

Mr. McClernand, from the same committee, reported bills of the following titles, viz:

No. 372. A bill for the relief of the citizens of the town of Jefferson, in the State of Alabama, accompanied by a report in writing;

No. 373. A bill to equalize the compensation of the surveyors general of the public lands of the United States, and for other purposes:

which bills were read a first and second time, and committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.

On motion of Mr. McClernand,

Ordered, That the Committee on Public Lands be discharged from the consideration of the petitions of citizens of Greene county, Wisconsin, for a graduation of the price of the public lands; of Francis D. Murphy, for compensation for discoveries in the art of surveying; of citizens of Colum biana county, Ohio, for a division of the public lands among actual settlers; and also, of citizens of Niagara county, in the State of New York, in favor of giving the public domain in convenient lots to actual settlers: which petitions were laid upon the table.

Mr. James B. Hunt, from the Committee on Public Lands, reported a bill (No. 374) to grant a certain quantity of land to aid in the improvement of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers, and to connect the same by a canal in the Territory of Wisconsin: 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. Ashmun, from the same committee, made an adverse report upon the petition of Allen G. Johnson, of Hamilton county, Florida: which report was laid upon the table.

On motion of Mr. Ashmun,

Ordered, That the Committee on Public Lands be discharged from the consideration of the memorial of the legislature of Mississippi, asking for the graduation of the price of the public lands in that State, and that it be committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. On motion of Mr. Ashmun,

Ordered, That the same committee be discharged from the consideration of the petitions of citizens of Des Moines, for the improvement of a road from Burlington to Fort Madison; from the memorial of the legisla-. ture of Alabama, respecting the Tennessee and Coosa Railroad Company; and from the memorial of the legislature of the State of Mississippi, for a grant of land to aid in the construction of a railroad between the Atlantie and the Mississippi river; and that they be referred to the Committee on Roads and Canals.

Mr. Rathbun, from the Committee on the Judiciary, reported a bill (No. 375) relating to and increasing the duties of the Attorney General: 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. Rathbun, from the same committee, reported a bill (No. 376) creating the office of assistant Secretary of State, and for other purposes, accompanied by a report in writing: which bill was read a first and second time, and committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.

On motion of Mr. Lumpkin,

Ordered, That the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from the consideration of the petition of John Robinson, and that it be referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

On motion of Mr. Clarke,

Ordered, That the Committee on Revolutionary Claims be discharged from the consideration of the petitions of Alanson Grant and the heirs of Captain Samuel Gill, and that they be laid upon the table.

Mr. Yancey, from the Committee on Private Land Claims, reported bills of the following titles, viz:

No. 377. A bill for the relief of the legal representatives of John Rundle; No. 378. A bill to amend an act entitled An act for the relief of the legal representatives of Therese Mallette, widow of Gaspard Phiole;" accompanied by a report in each case: which bills were severally read a first and second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House

to-morrow.

On motion of Mr. Barringer,

Ordered, That the Committee on Indian Affairs be discharged from the consideration of the petition of William Whitfield, and that it be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means.

Mr. Sawyer, from the Committee on Indian Affairs, to which was recommitted the bill (No. 196) for the relief of the heirs and legal representatives of Cyrus Turner, reported the same without amendment, accompanied by a report in writing: which bill was read a first and second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow, with directions that it should be restored to its former place on the calendar.

On motion of Mr. Reuben Chapman,

Ordered, That the Committee on Indian Affairs be discharged from the consideration of the petition of Peter Crouse and others, for a grant of Indian reservation land, and that it be laid upon the table.

On motion of Mr. Bayly,

Ordered, That the Committee on Naval Affairs be discharged from the consideration of the petition of N. C. Whitehead and others, and that it be laid upon the table.

Mr. Jacob Thompson, from the Committee on Indian Affairs, reported the following resolution; which was read, considered, and agreed to, viz: Resolved, That the Solicitor of the Treasury be authorized to withdraw - from the documentary files of this House the original depositions taken in the year 1840 at Shreveport and Natchitoches, in Louisiana, in relation to Rush island, under and by virtue of commissions issued from the chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs of the House of Representatives of that year, accompanied by the usual attestations of their genuineness and authenticity, to be used as evidence in the case now pending in the circuit court of the United States for the district of Louisiana, wherein the United States and Jehiel Brooks are parties: Provided, That the said Solicitor shall be required to return said depositions after the determination of the aforesaid suit.

In pursuance of previous notice, Mr. Reuben Chapman asked, obtained leave, and introduced a bill (No. 379) to relinquish to the State of Alabama the interest of the United States in the canal and works at the Muscle and Colbert's shoals, in the Tennessee river, and to grant to said State certain unappropriated lands to complete the said improvement: 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 Committee on Military Affairs, to which was recommitted on the 27th of March last the bill (No. 146) for the relief of John Stockton, late a lieutenant in the army of the United States, reported the same with an amendment, accompanied by a report in writing: which bill was read a first and second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow.

Mr. Niven, from the Committee on Military Affairs, made a report upon the petition of James Edwards, administrator of Edward M. Wanton, deceased, accompanied by a bill (No. 380) for his relief: which bill was read a first and second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow.

Mr. Thomas Butler King offered a resolution; which was read, as follows:

Resolved, That the Committee on Commerce be directed to take into their immediate consideration the annexed statement of Doctor Richard Fraser respecting the frequent occurrence of smallpox and other contagious diseases on board emigrant packet ships, and his suggestions in regard to the measures proper to be adopted for the safety of emigrants and

passengers on board such ships, and the inhabitants of the cities where they arrive; and that the committee report by bill or otherwise.

Ordered, That the said resolution and statement be referred to the Committee on Commerce.

Mr. Charles J. Ingersoll, from the Committee on Foreign Affairs, reported a bill (No. 381) for settling the claim of the legal representatives of Richard W. Meade, deceased: which bill was read a first and second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow.

On motion of Mr. Charles J. Ingersoll,

Ordered, That the Committee on Foreign Affairs be discharged from the consideration of the memorial of citizens of the United States for a reduction of the appropriations for the navy and army, and for the dissemination of the Bible, and that it be laid upon the table.

Mr. Stephen Adams presented a memorial of the legislature of Mississippi, in relation to certain inundated portions of the public lands situate in that State: which was referred to the Committee on Public Lands.

On motion of Mr. Charles J. Ingersoll,

Ordered, That the Committee on Foreign Affairs be discharged from the consideration of the petition of citizens of the State of Pennsylvania for the reannexation of China to the United States, and that it be laid upon the table.

Mr. Brodhead, from the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions, to which was referred the bill from the Senate (No. 117) entitled "An act for the relief of George Wentling," reported the same without amendment.

Ordered, That the said bill be committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow.

Mr. Brodhead, from the same committee, made an adverse report upon the petition of Medad Shelly, and that it be laid upon the table.

On motion of Mr. Goodyear,

Ordered, That the Committee on Invalid Pensions be discharged from the consideration of the petitions of Sarah Hildreth, widow of John Hildreth, of John J. Smith, of Nathan Ashby, of Jeremiah Carter, and of Margaret C. Hanson; and that they be laid upon the table.

On motion of Mr. Preston King,

Ordered, That the Committee on Invalid Pensions be discharged from the consideration of the petition of Richard Palmer, and that it be laid upon the table.

On motion of Mr. Preston King,

Ordered, That the Committee on Invalid Pensions be discharged from the consideration of the petition of John S. Jennings, and that it be referred to the Committee of Claims.

Mr. Moulton, from the Committee on Invalid Pensions, made an adverse report upon the petition of Samuel T. Winslow: which report was laid upon the table.

Mr. Jefferson Davis presented a memorial of the legislature of the State of Mississippi, relative to the pre-emption law of 1841, and for a confirmation of certain purchases, permitted as pre-emptions under the law aforesaid, and suspended on account of informality: which memorial was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. Joseph R. Ingersoll presented resolutions of the legislature of the State of Pennsylvania, relating to a naval depot at Erie, in said State: which resolutions were referred to the Committee on Commerce.