liabilities of Texas, which, together with the amount already specified shall not exceed 10,000,000 of dollars, the public lands herein ceded, and the net revenue from the same, are hereby pledged. VI. In order to ascertain the full amount of the debts and liabilities herein assumed, and the legality and validity thereof, 4 Commissioners shall be appointed by the President of The United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, who shall meet at Washington, Texas, within the period of 6 months after the exchange of the Ratifications of this Treaty, and may continue in session not exceeding 12 months, unless the Congress of The United States should prolong the time. They shall take an oath for the faithful discharge of their duties, and that they are directly or indirectly interested in said claims at the time, and will not be during their continuance in office; and the said oath shall be recorded with their proceedings. In case of the death, sickness, or resignation of any of the Commissioners, his or their place or places may be supplied by the appointment as aforesaid, or by the President of The United States during the recess of the Senate. They, or a majority of them, shall be authorized, under such regulations as the Congress of The United States may prescribe, to hear, examine, and decide on all questions touching the legality and validity of said claims, and shall, when a claim is allowed, issue a certificate to the claimant, stating the amount, distinguishing principal from interest. The certificates so issued shall be numbered, and entry made of the number, the name of the person to whom issued, and the amount, in a book to be kept for that purpose. They shall transmit the records of their proceedings, and the book in which the certificates are entered, with the vouchers and documents produced before them, relative to the claims allowed or rejected, to the Treasury Department of The United States, to be deposited therein; and the Secretary of the Treasury shall as soon as practicable after the receipt of the same, ascertain the aggregate amount of the debts and liabilities allowed; and if the same, when added to the amount to be paid to Frederick Dawson, and the sum which may be paid in the redemption of the Exchequer bills, shall not exceed the estimated sum of 10,000,000 of dollars, he shall on the presentation of a certificate of the Commissioners, issue, at the option of the holder, a new certificate for the amount, distinguishing principal from interest, and payable to him or order, out of the net proceeds of the public lands hereby ceded, or stock of The United States, for the amount allowed, including principal and interest, and bearing an interest of 3 per cent. per annum from the date thereof; which stock in addition to being made payable out of the net proceeds of the public lands hereby ceded, shall also be receivable in payment for the same. In case the amount of the debts and liabilities allowed, with the sums aforesaid to be paid to Frederick Dawson, and which may be paid in the redemption of the Exchequer bills, shall exceed the said sum of 10,000,000 dollars, the said Secretary, before issuing a new certificate or stock as the case may be, shall make in each case such proportionable and rateable reduction on its amount as to reduce the aggregate to the said sum of 10,000,000 of dollars; and he shall have power to make all needful rules and regulations necessary to carry into effect the powers hereby vested in him. VII. Until further provision shall be made, the laws of Texas, as now existing, shall remain in force; and all executive and judicial officers of Texas, except the President, Vice-President, and heads of departments, shall retain their offices, with all power and authority appertaining thereto; and the Courts of Justice shall remain, in all respects, as now established and organized. VIII. Immediately after the exchange of the Ratifications of this Treaty, the President of The United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint a Commissioner, who shall proceed to Texas and receive the transfer of the territory thereof, and all the archives and public property, and other things herein conveyed, in the name of The United States. He shall exercise all executive authority in said territory, necessary to the proper execution of the laws, until otherwise provided. IX. The present Treaty shall be ratified by the Contracting Parties, and the Ratifications exchanged at the city of Washington, in 6 months from the date hereof, or sooner if possible. In witness whereof, we, the Undersigned, Plenipotentiaries of the United States of America and of the Republic of Texas, have signed, by virtue of our powers, the present Treaty of Annexation, and have hereunto affixed our seals, respectively. Done at Washington, the 12th day of April, 1844. (L.S.) ISAAC VAN ZANDT. (L.S.) J. PINCKNEY HENDERSON. (L.S.) J. C. CALHOUN. JOINT RESOLUTION of the Congress of The United States, for the erection of the Republic of Texas into a New State, and for its admission into the Union as the State of Texas. -Washington, March 1, 1845. Begun and held at the city of Washington, in the district of Columbia, on the 2nd day of December, 1844. RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that Congress doth consent that the territory properly included within, and rightfully belonging to, the Republic of Texas, may be erected into a new State, to be called the State of Texas, with a republican form of government, to be adopted by the people of said Republic, by deputies in Convention assembled, with the consent of the existing Government in order that the same may be admitted as one of the States of this Union. 2. And be it further resolved, that the foregoing consent of Congress is given upon the following conditions, and with the following guarantees, to wit: 1st. Said State to be formed, subject to the adjustment by this Government of all questions of boundary that may arise with other Governments; and the Constitution thereof, with the proper evidence of its adoption by the people of said Republic of Texas, shall be transmitted to the President of The United States, to be laid before Congress for its final action on or before the 1st day of January, 1846. 2nd. Said State, when admitted into the Union, after ceding to The United States all public edifices, fortifications, barracks, ports and harbours, navy and navyyards, docks, magazines, arms, armaments, and all other property and means pertaining to the public defence belonging to said Republic of Texas, shall retain all the public funds, debts, taxes, and dues of every kind, which may belong to or be due and owing said Republic; and shall also retain all the vacant and unappropriated lands lying within its limits, to be applied to the payment of the debts and liabilities of said Republic of Texas, and the residue of said lands, after discharging said debts and liabilities, to be disposed of as said State may direct; but in no event are said debts and liabilities to become a charge upon the Government of The United States. 3rd. New States of convenient size, not exceeding 4 in number, in addition to said State of Texas, and having sufficient population, may hereafter, by the consent of said State, be formed out of the territory thereof, which shall be entitled to admission under the provisions of the Federal Constitution. And such States as may be formed out of that portion of said territory lying south of 36° 30′ north latitude, commonly known as the Missouri compromise line, shall be admitted into the Union, with or without slavery, as the people of each State asking admission may desire. And in such State or States as shall be formed out of said territory, north of said Missouri compromise line, slavery or involuntary servitude, (except for crime,) shall be prohibited. 3. And be it further resolved, that if the President of The United States shall, in his judgment and discretion, deem it most. advisable, instead of proceeding to submit the foregoing Resolution to the Republic of Texas, as an overture on the part of The United States for admission, to negotiate with that Republic then, be it resolved, that a State, to be formed out of the present Republic of Texas, with suitable extent and boundaries, and with 2 representatives in Congress, until the next apportionment of representation, shall be admitted into the Union, by virtue of this Act, on an equal footing with the existing States, as soon as the terms and conditions of such admission, and the cession of the remaining Texan territory to The United States, shall be agreed upon by the Governments of Texas and The United States; and that the sum of 100,000 dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated to defray the expenses of missions and negotiations, to agree upon the terms of said admission and cession, either by Treaty to be submitted to the Senate, or by Articles to be submitted to the 2 Houses of Congress, as the President may direct. J. W. JONES, Speaker of the House of Representatives. Approved, March 1, 1845. JOHN TYLER. PROCLAMATION of the President of Texas, summoning a Special Meeting of Congress, to take into consideration the Joint Resolution of the Congress of The United States, for the admission of Texas as one of the States of the Union.Washington, April 15, 1845. By the President of the Republic of Texas. A PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS, since the close of the last session of Congress, a joint Resolution respecting the annexation of Texas to The United States has by their Congress been adopted, authorizing the President of The United States to select the alternative of two certain propositions contained in the said joint Resolution, as the basis for consummating the proposed annexation: And whereas the President of The United States has selected the first and second sections of the Resolution as such basis, and notified this Government thereof, which sections are as follows, viz.: [See Page 265.] And whereas, the premises requiring the solemn deliberation and action of the representatives of the people form an extraordinary occasion for convening the Congress of the Republic: therefore, be it known, that I, Anson Jones, President of the Republic of Texas, by virtue of the power vested in me by the Constitution, do, by these presents, require that the senators and representatives to Congress of this Republic shall assemble in special session at the town of Washington, in the county of Washington, on Monday the 16th day of June next ensuing, then and there to receive such communications as may be made to them, and to consult and determine on such measures as in their wisdom may be deemed meet for the welfare of Texas. In testimony whereof, I have caused the great seal of the Republic to be hereunto affixed. Done at the town of Washington, this 15th day of April, in the year of our Lord 1845, and of the Independence of the Republic the 10th. By the President: EBENEZER ALLEN, Acting Secretary of State. ANSON JONES. PROCLAMATION of the President of Texas, recommending an Election for Deputies to assemble in Convention, for the purpose of considering the proposal for the annexation of Texas to The United States.-Washington, May 5, 1815. By the President of the Republic of Texas. WHEREAS the people of Texas have evinced a decided wish that prompt and definite action should be had upon the proposition for annexation recently submitted by the Government of The United States to this Government, and that a Convention should be assembled for this purpose; and Whereas it is competent for the people alone to decide finally upon the proposition for annexation, and, "by deputies in Convention assembled," to adopt a Constitution with a view to the admission of Texas as one of the States of the American Union; and Whereas no authority is given by the Constitution of this Republic to any branch of the Government to call a Convention and to change the organic law, this being a right reserved to the people themselves, and which they alone can properly exercise : Therefore, be it known that I, Anson Jones, President of the Republic of Texas, desirous of giving direction and effect to the public will, already so fully expressed, do recommend to the citizens of Texas that an election for "deputies" to a Convention be held in the dif |