Resolution instructing the committee to inquire into the expediency of organizing, arming, and equipping the militia of the Oregon territory. Resolutions of the legislature of New York, presented May 13, on the subject of the militia.

Memorial of militia officers of Baltimore, on the subject of the militia laws.

Memorial of Ross Snowden and others.

Report of the Secretary of War, of the 3d of February, exhibiting the militia of the States and Territories.

Mr. Davis, from the Committee on Commerce, to whom were referred the following bills:

H. R. 113. An act for the relief of the owner and crew of the schooner Tancred;

H. R. 130. An act for the relief of Nathan Smith and others;

reported them severally without amendment.

Mr. Pearce, from the Committee on Pensions, to whom the following bills were referred:

H. R. 209. An act for the relief of George Roush;

H. R. 332. An act for the relief of Jonathan Brown;

H. R. 338. An act for the relief of Catharine Fulton, of Washington county, Pennsylvania;

H. R. 340. An act for the relief of Polly Damron;

reported them severally without amendment, and that they ought not to pass.

The Senate proceeded to consider the said bills as in Committee of the Whole: and

Resolved, That they be postponed indefinitely.

Mr. Pearce also submitted a special report in relation to bill (H. R. 338) for the relief of Catharine Fulton, of Washington county, Pennsylvania: which was ordered to be printed.

On motion by Mr. Pearce,

Ordered, That the Committee on Pensions be discharged from the further consideration of the following subjects:

Petition of Hector St. John Beetley.

Petition of Robert Armstrong.

Petition of Elijah Buchanan.

Memorial of N. Nye Hall.

Petition of William Miller.

Petition of the legal representatives of Lemuel P. Montgomery.
Memorial of William De Courcy.

Agreeably to notice, Mr. Davis asked and obtained leave to bring in a resolution (S. R. 36) authorizing the Secretary of War to adjust by arbitration a controversy between the United States and David Ames; which, by unanimous consent, was read the first and second times, and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. Chalmers reported from the committee that they had examined and found duly enrolled the following acts:

S. 147. An act for the relief of Harriet Ward.

S. 84. An act for the relief of Ebenezer Ballard.

Mr. Dix, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 92) making appropriations for certain defensive works of the United States, for the fiscal year ending the 30th day of June, 1847, reported it without amendment.

Mr. Hannegan submitted the following resolution, which was considered by unanimous consent, and agreed to:

Resolved, That there be paid out of the contingent fund of the Senate, under the direction of the committee to audit and control the same, to each of the messengers, assistant messengers, the acting postmaster, pages, and laborers of the Senate, the same amounts, respectively, as were paid them under a resolution of the Senate at the last session.

The bill (S. 184) to remit the duties which have accrued or been paid upon the importation of railroad iron in certain cases was read the second time, and considered as in Committee of the Whole.

On motion by Mr. Bagby, that it lie

It was determined in the negative,

On motion by Mr. Hannegan,

on the table,
Yeas,
Nays,

The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present,
Those who voted in the affirmative are,

Messrs. Allen, Ashley, Atherton, Bagby, Benton, Breese, Bright, Cameron, Cass, Dayton, Dix, Fairfield, Hannegan, Houston, Miller, Niles, Semple, Sevier, Sturgeon, Turney.

Those who voted in the negative are,

Messrs. Archer, Barrow, Berrien, Calhoun, Cilley, Thomas Clayton, John M. Clayton, Colquitt, Corwin, Davis, Dickison, Evans, Greene, Jarnagin, Johnson, of Maryland, Johnson, of Louisiana, Lewis, McDuffie, Mangum, Phelps, Simmons, Speight, Upham, Webster, Woodbridge, Yulee.

The bill having been amended, was reported to the Senate, and the amendment was concurred in.

On the question, "Shall this bill be engrossed, and read a third time?" It was determined in the affirmative, Yeas,

Nays,

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On motion, The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present, Those who voted in the affirmative are,

Messrs. Archer, Barrow, Berrien, Calhoun, Chalmers, Thomas Clayton, John M. Clayton, Colquitt, Corwin, Evans, Greene, Jarnagin, Johnson, of Maryland, Johnson, of Louisiana, Lewis, McDuffie, Mangum, Phelps, Simmons, Speight, Upham, Webster, Woodbridge, Yulee. Those who voted in the negative are,

Messrs. Allen, Ashley, Atherton, Bagby, Benton, Bright, Cameron, Cass, Cilley, Dayton, Dickinson, Dix, Fairfield, Hannegan, Houston, Miller, Niles, Semple, Sevier, Sturgeon, Turney.

So it was

Ordered, That this bill be engrossed, and read a third time.

Mr. Chalmers reported from the committee that they had examined and found duly enrolled the following bills:

H. R. 321. An act to repeal an act entitled "An act for the relief of the Stockbridge tribe of Indians, in the Territory of Wisconsin," approved March, 3, 1843.

S. 67. An act to provide for the final settlement of the accounts of John Crowell, late agent for the Creek Indians.

Mr. Bright reported from the committee that they had this day presented to the President of the United States the following acts:

H. R. 14. An act to define the boundaries of the State of Iowa, and to 1 repeal so much of the act of the 3d of March, 1845, as relates to the boundaries of said State.

1

S. 85. An act for the relief of James Low.

S. 14. A resolution for the relief of Putney and Riddle.

The Senate proceeded to consider the amendment of the House of Representatives to the bill (S. 67) to provide for the settlement of the accounts of John Crowell, late agent for the Creek Indians: and

Resolved, That they concur therein.

Ordered, That the Secretary notify the House of Representatives accordingly.

A message from the President of the United States, by Mr. Walker, his . Secretary:

i Mr. President: The President of the United States this day approved and signed the following acts:

S. 85. An act for the relief of James Low.

S. 14. An act for the relief of Putney and Riddle.

A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. French, their Clerk:

Mr. President: The President of the United States approved and signed, the 3d instant, the following bills and joint resolutions:

H. R. 42. Á resolution directing the manner of procuring the printing of the two houses of Congress.

H. R. 233. An act for the relief of John Chasseaud, the consul of the United States for Syria and Palestine.

H. R. 235. An act to grant the right of pre-emption to actual settlers on the lands acquired by treaty from the Miami Indians, in Indiana.

H. R. 121. An act to exempt coffee imported from the Netherlands from duty in certain cases, and for other purposes.

H. R. 46. A resolution to authorize the Secretary of War to adjudicate the claims of the Su-quah-natch-ah and other clans of Choctaw Indians, whose cases were left undetermined by the commissioners for the want of the township maps.

And the 4th instant the following:

H. R. 14. An act to define the boundaries of the State of Iowa, and to repeal so much of the act of the 3d of March, 1845, as relates to the boundaries of Iowa.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives having signed five enrolled bills, (S. 57, 67, 84, 147, H. R. 321,) I am directed to bring them to the Senate for the signature of their President.

The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the consideration of the bill (H. R. 50) making appropriations for the civil and diplomatic expenses of government for the year ending the 30th day of June, 1847, and for other purposes: and having been further amended, and additional amendments being proposed,

The Senate, after the consideration of Executive business, adjourned.

WEDNESDAY, August 5, 1846.

The Vice President signed the five enrolled bills (H. R. 321, S. 57, 67, 34, 147,) last reported to have been examined; and they were delivered to the committee to be presented to the President of the United States.

Mr. Benton submitted papers relating to the harbor at the mouth of the Columbia river; which were ordered to be printed.

Mr. Atherton, from the Committee on Printing, reported in favor of printing the communications of William Reynolds, Samuel R. Knox, and Charles Wilkes, relating to the survey of the harbor of Columbia river: whereupon,

Ordered, That they be printed, with the exception of the paragraphs indicated by the committee.

A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. French, their Clerk:

Mr. President: The House of Representatives have passed the following bills from the Senate:

S. 68. An act to provide for the ascertainment and satisfaction of claims of American citizens for spoliations committed by the French prior to the 31st day of July, 1801.

S. 79. An act for the confirmation of certain settlement claims in the Greensburg land district.

I am directed to inform the Senate that the President of the United States having returned the bill entitled "An act making appropriations for the improvement of certain harbors and rivers" to the House of Representatives, in which it originated, with his objections thereto, the House proceeded to reconsider the said bill; and the question being determined in the mode prescribed by the Constitution of the United States, two-thirds of the House did not, "on reconsideration," agree to pass the same.

Mr. Cameron, from the Committee on Patents and the Patent Office, to whom was recommitted the bill (H. R. 217) declaratory of the powers and legalizing certain acts of the chief clerk of the Patent Office, with certain instructions, reported the same with amendments; which were ordered to be printed.

On motion by Mr. Johnson, of Louisiana,

Ordered, That the Committee on Pensions be discharged from the further consideration of the petition of citizens of New Hampshire, presented the 22d December, 1845.

Mr. Evans, from the Committee on Finance, to whom was referred the memorial of Edwin Bartlett, submitted an adverse report; which was ordered to be printed.

Mr. Johnson, of Louisiana, from the Committee on Pensions, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 156) for the relief of Silas Waterman, of the county of Washington, and State of Vermont, reported the same without amendment, and that it ought not to pass.

The Senate proceeded to consider the said bill, as in Committee of the Whole: and,

On motion by Mr. Johnson, of Louisiana, Resolved, That it be postponed indefinitely.

Ordered, That the Secretary notify the House of Representatives accordingly.

Mr. Johnson, of Louisiana, submitted the following resolution; which was considered, by unanimous consent, and agreed to:

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Navy cause to be completed an exact survey of the southwest pass of the Mississippi river and the adjacent waters of the great bay of Barrataria, with an examination of the character of the marsh land separating those waters, between the pilot station

near the bar and Bayou Bull, as marked on the topographical chart in Senate document of 1st session 26th Congress, No. 463, in order to ascertain the practicability of excavating a ship canal of not less than thirty feet water from the said southwest pass to seven fathoms water (42 feet) in the said bay; the necessary extent of a mole or breakwater to reach seven fathoms, and an estimate of said canal and breakwater; also, that he report upon the effect which the location of a navy yard and ship canal there would have in strengthening, or otherwise, the defences of the Mississippi river; and that the result of said survey and examination be laid before Congress at the commencement of its next session.

Mr. Breese submitted the following resolution; which was considered, by unanimous consent, and agreed to:

Resolved, That there be allowed and paid out of the contingent fund of the Senate, and under the direction of the committee to audit and control the same, to each of the officers and clerks of the Senate, the same amounts, respectively, that were paid them under a resolution of the Senate at the last long session of Congress.

Mr. Hannegan submitted the following resolution; which was considered, by unanimous consent, and agreed to:

Resolved, That there be paid out of the contingent fund of the Senate, to Y. P. Page, the same per diem and compensation as is allowed to the messengers of the Senate, commencing with the present session.

The Senate proceeded to consider the motion submitted by Mr. Lewis the 31st July, for the printing of five thousand additional copies of the report of the Secretary of the Treasury on the amount paid on the protected articles; and

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on Printing.

The bill (S. 184) to remit the duties which have accrued or been paid upon the importation of railroad iron, in certain cases, having been reported by the committee correctly engrossed, the bill was read a third time. On the question, "Shall this bill pass?"

It was determined in the affirmative,

On motion by Mr. Atherton,

SYeas,
Nays,

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The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present, Those who voted in the affirmative are,

Messrs. Archer, Barrow, Berrien, Calhoun, Chalmers, Thomas Clayton, John M. Clayton, Colquitt, Corwin, Crittenden, Davis, Evans, Greene, Jarnagin, Johnson, of Maryland, Johnson, of Louisiana, McDuf fie, Mangum, Phelps, Rusk, Simmons, Speight, Upham, Webster, Woodbridge, Yulee.

Those who voted in the negative are,

Messrs. Allen, Ashley, Atherton, Bagby, Benton, Breese, Bright, Cameron, Cass, Dickinson, Dix, Fairfield, Hannegan, Houston, Lewis, Miller, Semple, Sturgeon, Turney, Westcott.

So it was

Resolved, That this bill pass, and that the title thereof be as aforesaid. Ordered, That the Secretary request the concurrence of the House of Representatives in this bill.

The Senate proceeded to consider the resolution (H. R. 10) for the relief of Seth M. Leavenworth; and, no amendment being made, it was reported to the Senate.