IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES. APRIL 19, 1858.-Ordered to be printed. Mr. SIMMONS made the following The Committee on Pate the memorial REPORT. [To accompany Bill S. 274.] nts and the Patent Office, to whom was referred Randall Pegg, report as follows: The petitioner was employed by the late Robert Mills, superintendent and architect of the public buildings, as a watchman at the Patent Office extension, for which service he received less compensation per day than that paid by the government to other watchmen, and he now asks Congress to allow him the difference between the pay actually received and the compensation allowed to others for similar service. The petitioner was employed on the 23d day of March, 1849, and from that time until the 1st of October, 1850, was paid at the rate of $1 per day; from this date until the 31st of May, 1851, at the rate of $125 per day; and subsequently at $1 40 per day. Mr. Mills certifies that the petitioner's "pay per diem was to be what was the customary allowance, by the government for such service," but as the commissioner paid the rolls, he did not notice the difference in the pay. The Acting Commissioner of the Patent Office states that the pay of watchmen during the years 1849 and 1850 was $1 50 per day. It appears, also, that on the 30th day of September, 1850, a law was passed fixing the pay of all watchmen in the executive departments at $500 per annum. The committee are of the opinion that, under the terms of his engagement, the petitioner should have received the pay allowed to other watchmen, and recommend the passage of an act to pay him the difference between the amount received and $1 50 per day from the date of his employment to the passage of the act fixing the compensation of watchmen; after the 30th of September, 1850, to be allowed the compensation authorized by the act of that date, and report a bill accordingly. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES. APRIL 19, 1858.-Ordered to be printed. Mr. SIMMONS made the following REPORT. [To accompany Bill S. 275.] The Committee on Patents and the Patent Office, to whom was referred the memorial of Jeremiah Pendergast, present the following report thereon: The petitioner was employed by the late Robert Mills, engineer and architect in charge of the construction of the extension of the Patent Office building, as a night watchman, to receive the same compensation, it is alleged, as that paid to other watchmen. He furnishes evidence that he received but one dollar and twenty-five cents per day for his services, extending from the 3d day of July, 1849, to the 30th day of April, 1851, while other watchmen were receiving one dollar and fifty cents per day until the approval of the act of Congress fixing the compensation at $500 per annum, when they were paid at the latter rate. The petitioner asks Congress to give him the difference of pay between that received by others and that paid to himself. The service performed by him being the same as that performed by others, the committee think the petitioner is entitled to the same pay, and report a bill for that purpose. . COM 197 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES. APRIL 20, 1858.-Ordered to be printed. Mr. BENJAMIN made the following REPORT. [To accompany Bill S. 40.] The Committee on Private Land Claims, to whom was referred Senate bill No. 40, entitled "An act to settle doubts in relation to the title of certain common field lots in the State of Missouri, heretofore granted to the inhabitants of the city of St. Louis, for the support of schools," beg leave to report: That on the 30th June, 1812, Congress passed an act directing a survey to be made of said city of St. Louis, and instructing the surveyor "to survey and mark the out boundary line of the said town, so as to include the out lots, common field lots and commons thereto belonging." And by the second section of the same act it was provided "that all town or village lots, out lots or common field lots included in such survey which are not rightfully owned or claimed by any private individuals, or held as commons, shall be reserved for the support of schools" in said city. * * * By act of 27th January, 1831, Congress ceded the title in the lands so reserved for the use of schools, directing said lands "to be sold, disposed of, or regulated for the said purpose in such manner as may be directed by the legislature of said State," (Missouri.) The surveys above ordered were made more than twenty years ago, and title to the lots donated for the use of the schools, as "included in said survey," has been relinquished for that purpose by the gov ernment. It is now stated that the surveys were wrong; that the lines were too restricted; that the surveyor omitted to include many out lots and common field lots which it was the intention of Congress to grant; and the bill under consideration proposes to relinquish the title of the government to the city of St. Louis, for the support of its schools, of a number of lots not included in the survey. The committee have not deemed it necessary to make examination of the facts alleged in relation to the survey, because it has ascer |