the State of Massachusetts, praying to be allowed compensation for services rendered as superintending agent in the erection of the Sandy bay breakwater. By Mr. Wentworth: The petition of sundry citizens of Kendall county, in the State of Illinois-heretofore presented December 17, 1844. Ordered, That said petitions and memorial be referred to the Committee of Claims. By Mr. Giddings: Two affidavits in support of the case of Jabez Smith, for an invalid pension: which were referred to the Committee of Claims. By Mr. Hungerford: The petition of John B. Goodenough, of Jefferson county, in the State of New York-heretofore presented March 5, 1844: which was referred to the Committee on Private Land Claims. By Mr. Hoge: The memorial of the mayor and aldermen of the city of Galena, in the State of Illinois-heretofore presented January 15, 1845: which was referred to the Committee on Public Lands. By Mr. Robert Smith: The petition of Captain Henry M. Shreve-heretofore presented January 18, 1844. By Mr. Charles J. Ingersoll: A memorial of John Pettibone, of the city of Washington, and others, praying for the extension of a patent. Ordered, That said petition and memorial be referred to the Committee on Patents. By Mr. Maclay: The petition of Theodore Middleton, on behalf of himself and his brother Charles Middleton-heretofore presented January 6, 1845. By Mr. Delano: The petition of the heirs of John Champe-heretofore presented December 31, 1844. By Mr. Charles J. Ingersoll: The petition of the legal representatives of Tarleton Woodson, deceased-heretofore presented December 13, 1844. Ordered, That said petitions be referred to the Committee on Revolutionary Claims. By Mr. Giles: The petition of William B. Stokes, surviving partner of J. N. C. Stockton & Co., late mail contractors-heretofore presented December 9, 1844. By Mr. Runk: The petition of Alexander M. Cumming, of Princeton, in the State of New Jersey-heretofore presented December 18, 1844. Ordered, That said petitions be referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads. By Mr. Winthrop: The petition of Matthew Tasker-heretofore presented February 11, 1843. By Mr. Giles: A petition of Samuel S. Smith, of Carlisle, in the State of Pennsylvania, administrator of John Smith, deceased, a captain in the army of the Revolution, praying Congress to pass a bill allowing him the commutation pay due to the intestate. Ordered, That said petitions be referred to the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions. By Mr. Charles J. Ingersoll: A petition of H. Gold Rogers, late chargé d'affaires to Sardinia, praying to be allowed an outfit, travelling expenses, &c. By Mr. Winthrop: The petition of Alexander H. Everett, late American minister at the court of Madrid-heretofore presented December 16, 1844. Ordered, That said petitions be referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. By Mr. Giddings: Two memorials of similar import from citizens of Chester county, State of Pennsylvania, remonstrating against the practice of appointing chaplains to Congress. Ordered, That said memorials be laid upon the table. By Mr. Cabell: The memorial of George Center-heretofore presented December 30, 1844. By Mr. Giles: A memorial of the mayor and city council of Baltimore, praying for the speedy construction of fortifications on Soller's point flats for the defence of the city of Baltimore. By Mr. Benjamin Thompson: The petition of Pierre Gideon-heretofore presented February 6, 1845. Ordered, That the said memorials and petition be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. By Mr. Moseley: A memorial of citizens of Erie county, State of New York, remonstrating against the admission of Texas as a State into this Union; Also, a memorial of similar import from citizens of Buffalo, New York; Also, a memorial of similar import from citizens of Hamburg, Erie county, State of New York. By Mr. Severance: A memorial of similar import from citizens of Saco, in the State of Maine. By Mr. Grinnell: A memorial of similar import from citizens of Massachusetts. By Mr. McIlvaine: Three memorials of similar import from citizens of Pennsylvania. By Mr. Lawrence: A memorial of similar import from citizens of Flushng, Queen's county, State of New York. Ordered, That the said memorials be referred to the Committee on the Territories. By Mr. McIlvaine: Three memorials of citizens of Chester county, State of Pennsylvania, remonstrating against the employment of a chaplain to Congress. By Mr. Collamer: The petition of Joseph Edson-heretofore presented December 17, 1844. Ordered, That the said memorials and petition be referred to the Coinmittee on the Judiciary. By Mr. Grinnell: A petition of citizens of Falmouth, in the State of Massachusetts, praying for an appropriation to preserve Great Woods Hole harbor; Also, a petition of citizens of New Bedford and its vicinity, in the State of Massachusetts, praying that spar buoys be placed in Buzzard's bay. By Mr. Tibbatts: A memorial of citizens of the States of Ohio and Kentucky, praying for an appropriation for the improvement of the western rivers. By Mr. Lawrence: A petition of Walter Titus, of New York, for the return of duties paid in consequence of the increased rate between the time of ordering the goods and their arrival; Also, a petition of similar import of Thomas H. Leggett, of New York; Also, a petition of Lewis H. Bates and William Lacon, praying to be indemnified for losses sustained in consequence of the illegal seizure of a quantity of iron imported by them. Ordered, That the said petitions and memorial be referred to the Com mittee on Commerce. By Mr. Hungerford: A petition of Amos Bull, of Sackett's Harbor, Jef ferson county, State of New York, praying for a pension for services rendered, and for disabilities incurred, as a soldier of the United States in the war of 1812 with Great Britain. By Mr. McClelland: The petition of John Martin, of Wayne county, in the State of Michigan, for arrears of pension-heretofore presented December 16, 1844. By Mr. Maclay: The petition of the heirs of Wilfred Knott-heretofore presented January 23, 1845; Also, the petition of Susannah Langreen, of the city of Brooklyn, New York, widow of Peter Langreen-heretofore presented January 13, 1844. By Mr. Marsh: The petition of Daniel Morse, jr.-heretofore presented January 20, 1845; Also, the petition of Harvey Reynolds-heretofore presented January 20, 1845; Also, the petition of Benjamin Hunt-heretofore presented January 21, 1845; Also, the petition of Joseph Johnson, of the State of Vermont-heretofore presented January 18, 1845. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. Maclay: The petition and other papers of John W. Simonton and others, of the island of Key West, Florida--heretofore presented December 9, 1844; Also, the petition of Ebenezer A. Lester, of Boston, in the State of Massachusetts-heretofore presented December 9, 1844; Also, the memorial of George F. de la Roche, praying to be allowed a credit for certain moneys, &c.-heretofore presented January 25, 1845; Also, the petition of Eliza M. Fortin, of Brooklyn, in the State of New York-heretofore presented December 12, 1844; Also, the petition of John Ericsson-heretofore presented January 28, 1645; Also, a petition of Francis Martin, a lieutenant in the United States revenue service, praying for pay for services rendered as a lieutenant in the naval service of the United States during a certain period. By Mr. Benjamin Thompson: A petition of citizens of the town of Charlestown, in the State of Massachusetts, praying that the liquor ration in the navy may be abolished, and the introduction of intoxicating drinks on board of our national vessels prohibited; ́Also, a petition of Daniel Sampson, of Charlestown, in the State of Massachusetts, praying for compensation for the loss of sight while employed at the navy-yard at Boston, Massachusetts; Also, a petition of H. D. Johnson, of Charlestown, Massachusetts, praying for compensation for services as judge advocate on the Mediterranean in the years 1844 and 1845; Also, the petition of Philip B. Holmes and William Pedrick, of Middlesex county, State of Massachusetts-heretofore presented March 5, 1844. By Mr. Morse: A memorial of Wilmer Shields, in behalf of the heirs of the late Purser Thomas Shields, praying payment of a pension due the said heirs under the act of Congress of March 3, 1837. Ordered, That said petitions and memorials be referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs. A message was received from the President of the United States by Mr. J. Knox Walker, his private secretary; which was read, and is as follows: To the Senate and House of Representatives: I communicate, herewith, a letter received from the President of the existing government of the State of Texas, transmitting duplicate copies of the constitution formed by the deputies of the people of Texas in convention assembled, accompanied with official information that the said constitution has been ratified, confirmed, and adopted by the people of Texas themselves, in accordance with the joint resolution for annexing Texas to the United States, and in order that Texas might be admitted as one of the States of that Union. JAMES K. POLK. WASHINGTON, December 9, 1845. Ordered, That the said message be referred to the Committee on the Territories. The Speaker laid before the House sundry communications: I. A letter from the Commissioner of Public Buildings, transmitting copies of all contracts made by him from the 12th of December, 1844, to this date, with the names of the applicants for said contracts, and the amount of their respective bids: which letter and copies were referred to the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds. II. A letter from the Secretary of War, transmitting, in obedience to the joint resolution of May 29, 1830, the annual report of the Commissioner of Pensions, containing a list of applicants for pensions or increase of pensions whose claims have been rejected during the past year: which letter and report were laid upon the table. III. A letter from the Secretary of War, transmitting, in obedience to the provisions of an act of the 3d of March, 1809, and subsequent acts relating thereto, a statement of certain transfers of appropriations made during the past year in his department: which letter and statement were laid upon the table. Mr. Hopkins offered the following resolution: Resolved, (the Senate concurring,) That two chaplains to Congress of different denominations be elected, one by each house, to officiate during the present session, and that they shall interchange weekly. Pending the question on which, on motion of Mr. Hungerford, the House, at eighteen minutes past 3 o'clock, p. m., adjourned until to-morrow, at 12 o'clock meridian. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1845. 1 The rules being suspended for the purpose, 1 Mr. Douglass, from the Committee on the Territories, to which was referred the message from the President of the United States, received yesterday, relative to the admission of the State of Texas into the Union, reported a joint resolution (No. 2) for the admission of the State of Texas into the Union: which resolution was read a first and second time, and made the special order of the day for Tuesday next, then to take precedence of all other business, two-thirds voting therefor. A motion was made by Mr. Thomas Smith to reconsider the vote by which the said resolution was made the order of the day for Tuesday next: which motion was disagreed to by the House. Mr. Gentry gave notice of a motion for leave to introduce a bill to amend an act for the relief of George Mayfield. The House proceeded to the consideration of the following resolution moved yesterday by Mr. Hopkins, and pending when the House adjourned, viz: Resolved, (the Senate concurring,) That two chaplains to Congress, of different denominations, be elected, one by each house, to officiate during the present session, and that they interchange weekly. A motion was made by Mr. Pettit to amend the said resolution by striking out the words "of different denominations." And, after debate, The previous question was moved by Mr. Hopkins, and seconded; and the main question was ordered, and put, viz: Will the House agree to the amendment moved by Mr. Pettit? And decided in the negative. The question was then stated, Will the House agree to the said resolution as moved by Mr. Hopkins? when Mr. Pettit asked to be excused from voting thereon, and gave his reasons therefor. And the question being put, Shall Mr. Pettit be excused from voting? It was decided in the affirmative. So Mr. Pettit was excused from voting. Mr. Chipman asked to be excused from voting on the said question, and gave his reasons therefor. And the question being put, Shall Mr. Chipman be excused from voting? It was decided in the affirmative. So Mr. Chipman was excused from voting. The question was then put, Will the House agree to the said resolution? And decided in the affirmative. Ordered, That the Clerk request the concurrence of the Senate therein. The Speaker resumed the call of States for petitions, &c.: when Mr. John Quincy Adams presented a memorial of citizens of the State of Massachusetts, remonstrating against the admission of Texas as a State of this Union. Mr. Adams moved that the said memorial be committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. A motion was made by Mr. Boyd that the said memorial be laid upon the table. And the question being put, It was decided in the affirmative, S Yeas, 114 72 The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are Mr. Stephen Adams Archibald Atkinson Mr. Linn Boyd Richard Brodhead Mr. John S. Chipman |