objects made for the service of the fiscal year ending the thirtieth of June, eighteen hundred and forty-six;" but no document or matter is requested by this resolution to be furnished, which, in the opinion of the President, would improperly involve the citizen or subject of any foreign power. Mr. Pennybacker, from the Committee of Claims, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 17) for the relief of Charles Benns, reported it without amendment. Mr. Pennybacker also submitted a report on the subject: which was ordered to be printed. Mr. Ashley, from the Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the resolution on the subject, of the 9th March, reported a bill (S. 151) to confer upon the commissioners appointed under the "act for the more convenient taking of affidavits and bail in civil cases depending in the courts of the United States," approved February 20, 1812, the power of inquiring into and binding over for certain offences against the United States: which was read, and passed to a second reading. The Senate proceeded to consider the resolution submitted by Mr. Atchison the 9th instant, relative to a map of the route from Missouri to Oregon; and agreed thereto. The Senate proceeded to consider, as in Committee of the Whole, the bill (S. 86) for the relief of Joseph Chaires, executor of Benjamin Chaires, deceased, Gad Humphreys, and Pedro Miranda, claiming to be the assignees of Jose de la Maya Arredondo, of the State of Florida: and, On motion by Mr. Breese, Ordered, That it be recommitted to the Committee on the Judiciary. Agreeably to notice, Mr. Berrien asked and obtained leave to bring in a bill (S. 152) for the relief of Abraham B. Fanning: which was read the first and second times, by unanimous consent, and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. On motion by Mr. Westcott, that when the Senate adjourn, it be to Monday next: Yeas, It was determined in the negative, Nays,. On motion by Mr. Allen, The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present, Those who voted in the affirmative are, 16 26 Messrs. Berrien, Thomas Clayton, Corwin, Crittenden, Davis, Dayton, Evans, Greene, Huntington, Jarnagin, Mangum, Morehead, Simmons, Upham, Westcott, Woodbridge. Those who voted in the negative are, Messrs. Allen, Ashley, Atchison, Bagby, Benton, Breese, Bright, Calhoun, Cass, Chalmers, John M. Clayton, Dickinson, Dix, Fairfield, Haywood, Jenness, Johnson, of Louisiana, Lewis, McDuffie, Niles, Phelps, Rusk, Sevier, Sturgeon, Turney, Webster. The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the consideration of the resolution (S. R. 1) advising the President of the United States to give notice to the government of Great Britain that the government of the United States will, in virtue of the second article of the convention of the 6th of August, A. D. 1827, between the two governments, relative to the Oregon Territory, annul and abrogate that convention: and, After debate, On motion by Mr. Upham, The Senate adjourned. inson presented a remonstrance of citizens of Oneida county, against the renewal of the patent heretofore granted to Jethro improvement in the plough. That it lie on the table. motion by Mr. Dayton, That the memorial of the heirs of James Bell, deceased, on the Senate, be referred to the Committee on Revolutionary on presented a petition of citizens of Missouri, praying the nt of a mail route from Independence, in that State, to the ritory: which was referred to the Committee on the Post Office pads. presented a petition of citizens of Bennington, New York, t Zebulon Meade, a soldier in the last war with Great Britain, ced upon the pension roll: which was referred to the Committee 3. submitted the following resolution; which was considered, by consent, and agreed to: Ordered, That the The Senate resumed The Senate resumed I determined in On motion by M The reas and nays be That the President of the United States be requested to comthe Senate, in addition to the correspondence requested by thendge. adopted yesterday, copies of all the correspondence with the f State, (if not incompatible with the public interest,) in the 1841, 1842, and 1843, touching the right or practice of visiting g merchant vessels in time of peace. submitted the following resolution; which was considered, by consent, and agreed to; That the Committee on Finance be instructed to inquire ther legislation is necessary to apply the present surplus revehat may hereafter accrue, to the redemption of the public debt period than can be done by existing laws. motion by Mr. Johnson, of Louisiana, That the message of the President of the United States, comto the Senate the 21st of March, 1842, in relation to the prothe commissioner for running the boundary between the United Texas, be referred to the Committee on Commerce. Those who voted in t sts. Allen, Ashl on, Dix, Fairfie Sturgeon, Turney. the resolution was message from the . President: The to provide for shing military sta ich they request t The Senate proceede dered, That it be The Senate proceede H. R. 38) to autho ps, from the Committee on Revolutionary Claims, to whom ited States: and the memorial of the representative of Francis Vigo, deceased, red, That it be verse report thereon: which was ordered to be printed. ps, from the Committee on Revolutionary Claims, to whom ed the petitions of the representatives of Samuel Beach, Chrisazenne, Benjamin Durkee, and Benjamin Van Valkenburg, an adverse report thereon: which was ordered to be printed. s, from the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, to referred the petition of Jones and Boker and others, submitted companied by a bill (S. 153) for the relief of Jones and Boker. was read, and passed to a second reading. That the report be printed. ate proceeded to consider the resolution reported by the Comadit and control the contingent expenses of the Senate, relative hanges in the Senate chamber: and, the consideratio On motion, The Senate adjourne Atchison presen Havannah, in And nus of the mail ro dered, That it lie . Dix presented t ertension of a pate Ordered, That they Ordered, That the further consideration thereof be postponed until Monday next. The Senate resumed the consideration of the motion for printing an additional number of the report of the Commissioner of Patents: and, After debate, Ordered, That the further consideration thereof be postponed until Tuesday, the 14th instant. The Senate resumed the consideration of the resolution submitted by Mr. John M. Clayton the 3d of March, calling for any recent correspondence on the subject of the Oregon Territory: and, On the question to agree thereto: Yeas, It was determined in the affirmative, Nays, On motion by Mr. John M. Clayton, The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present, Those who voted in the affirmative are, 27 17 Messrs. Atchison, Barrow, Benton, Berrien, Bright, Calhoun, Thomas Clayton, John M. Clayton, Corwin, Crittenden, Davis, Dayton, Evans, Greene, Houston, Huntington, Jarnagin, Johnson, of Louisiana, Mangum, Miller, Morehead, Phelps, Rusk, Simmons, Webster, Westcott, Woodbridge. Those who voted in the negative are, Messrs. Allen, Ashley, Atherton, Bagby, Breese, Cass, Chalmers, Dickinson, Dix, Fairfield, Haywood, Jenness, Niles, Pennybacker, Sevier, Sturgeon, Turney. So the resolution was agreed to. A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. French, their Clerk: Mr. President: The House of Representatives have passed the bill (S. 29) to provide for raising a regiment of mounted riflemen, and for establishing military stations on the route to Oregon, with an amendment: in which they request the concurrence of the Senate. The Senate proceeded to consider the said amendment: and Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. The Senate proceeded to consider, as in Committee of the Whole, the bill (H. R. 38). to authorize an increase of the rank and file of the army of the United States: and Ordered, That it be recommitted to the Committee on Military Affairs. After the consideration of Executive business, On motion, The Senate adjourned. MONDAY, APRIL 13, 1846. Mr. Atchison presented the petition of 620 citizens of Missouri, praying that Havannah, in Andrew county, in that State, may be made the eastern terminus of the mail route to Oregon. Ordered, That it lie on the table. Mr. Dix presented two remonstrances of citizens of New York, against the extension of a patent to Jethro Wood for an improvement in ploughs. Ordered, That they lie on the table. a patent to Jethro Wood for an improvement in ploughs. on, of Louisiana, presented five memorials of citizens of Lou- otion by Mr. Breese, That the memorial of the legislature of Mississippi, in favor of it of a law for quieting titles to land in that State, be printed. otion by Mr. Breese, That the Committee on Public Lands be discharged from the deration of the petition of Isaac Barnes. otion by Mr. Breese, That the Committee on Public Lands be discharged from the deration of the memorial of the delegates from the northern llinois. ubmitted the following resolution; which was considered, by consent, and agreed to: That the Committee on the Library be instructed to inquire ediency of purchasing a portrait of the Baron Steuben. M. Clayton submitted the following resolution; which was by unanimous consent, and agreed to: That the Secretary of State be directed to communicate to the Sues, by Mr. Walke answer to the res pes of any corres of the United States a The message was re e Senate and Ho ato which the Cl proceeding or decision of the commissioners, sitting under the efforts of the go and v legislation by Co is, of 1831, by which any claims for spoliations on American stressful, and That the petition of William W. Hall, on the files of the Immunicate here Secretary of War, t s with accompa been received fro madres. It will be prompt interven e the meeting of ted by the stron remain unpun hend that simi e, from the Committee on Public Lands, to whom was referred l of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad Company, subort, accompanied by a bill (S. 154) to grant to the Galena and ion Railroad Company a right of way through the public lands States, and for other purposes. vas read, and passed to a second reading. That the report be printed. te proceeded to consider the report of the Committee on Pen- te proceeded to consider the report of the Committee on Pen- That the prayer of the petition be not granted. te proceeded to consider the report of the Committee on Penpetition of Abigail Reeves: and, in concurrence therewith, That the prayer of the petition be not granted. ed by the autho of the weaker its of the India tite of the me United States st exertions to sup by which it is s Cherokee nation fr stine wars between These exertions of the reasons stated tions from the offi 16 The following message was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Walker, his secretary: To the Senate of the United States: In answer to the resolution of the Senate of the 11th instant, calling for "copies of any correspondence that may have taken place between the authorities of the United States and those of Great Britain, since the last documents transmitted to Congress, in relation to the subject of the Oregon Territory, or so much thereof as may be communicated without detriment to the public interest," I have to state that no correspondence in relation to the Oregon Territory has taken place between the authorities of the United States and those of Great Britain since the date of the last documents on the subject transmitted by me to Congress. WASHINGTON, April 13, 1846. The message was read. On motion by Mr. Allen, Ordered, That it lie on the table, and be printed. JAMES K. POLK. The following message was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Walker, his secretary: To the Senate and House of Representatives: In my annual message of the 2d of December last, it was stated that serious difficulties of long standing continued to distract the several parties into which the Cherokee tribe of Indians is unhappily divided; that all the efforts of the government to adjust these difficulties had proved to be unsuccessful, and would probably remain so, without the aid of further legislation by Congress. Subsequent events have confirmed this opinion. I communicate herewith, for the information of Congress, a report of the Secretary of War, transmitting a report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, with accompanying documents; together with memorials which have been received from the several bands, or parties, of the Cherokees themselves. It will be perceived that internal feuds still exist, which call for the prompt intervention of the government of the United States. Since the meeting of Congress, several unprovoked murders, have been committed by the stronger upon the weaker party of the tribe, which will probably remain unpunished by the Indian authorities, and there is reason to apprehend that similar outrages will continue to be perpetrated, unless restrained by the authorities of the United States. Many of the weaker party have been compelled to seek refuge beyond the limits of the Indian country and within the State of Arkansas, and are destitute of the means for their daily subsistence. The military forces of the United States stationed on the western frontier have been active in their exertions to suppress these outrages, and to execute the treaty of 1835, by which it is stipulated that "the United States agree to protect the Cherokee nation from domestic strife and foreign enemies, and against intestine wars between the several tribes." These exertions of the army have proved to a great extent unavailing, for the reasons stated in the accompanying documents, including communications from the officer commanding at Fort Gibson. |