ico which has or might be taken possession of by the army or navy of the United States."

These orders and instructions were given to regulate the exercise of the rights of a belligerent, engaged in actual war, over such portions of the territory of our enemy as, by military conquest, might be "taken possession of" and be occupied by our armed forces-rights necessarily resulting from a state of war and clearly reognised by the laws of nations. This was all the authority which could be delegated to our military and naval commanders, and its exercise was indispensable to the secure occupation and possession of territory of the enemy which might be conquered. The regulations authorized were temporary, and dependent on the rights acquired by conquest. They were authorized as belligerent rights, and were to be carried into effect by military or naval officers. They were but the amelioration of martial law,which modern civilization requires, and were due as well to the security of the conquest, as to the inhabitants of the conquered territory.

The documents communicated also contain the reports of several highly meritorious officers of our army and navy, who have conquered and taken possession of portions of the enemy's territory.

Among the documents accompanying the report of the secretary of war will be found a form of government" " established and organized" by the military commander who conquered and occupied with his forces the territory of New Mexico. This document was received at the war department in the latter part of the last month, and, as will be perceived by the report of the secretary of war, was not, for the reasons stated by that officer, brought to my notice until after my annual message of the 8th instant was communicated to Congress.

It is declared on its face to be a 66 temporary government of the said territory;" but there are portions of it which purport to "establish and organize" a permanent territorial government of the United States over the territory, and to impart to its inhabitants political rights which, under the constitution of the United States, can be enjoyed permanently only by citizens of the United States. These have not been" approved and recognised" by me. Such organized regulations as have been established in any of the conquered territories for the security of our conquest, for the preservation of order, for the protection of the rights of the inhabitants, and for depriving the enemy of the advantages of these territories while the military possession of them by the forces of the United States continues, will be recognised and approved.

It will be apparent, from the reports of the officers who have been required by the success which has crowned their arms to exercise the powers of temporary government over the conquered territories, that if any excess of power has been exercised, the departure has been the offspring of a patriotic desire to give to the inhabitants the privileges and immunities so cherished by the people of our own country, and which they believed calculated to improve their condition and promote their prosperity. Any such excess has resulted in no practical injury, but can and will be early corrected, in a manner to alienate as little as possible the good feelings of the inhabitants of the conquered territory.

SPECIAL MESSAGE.

DECEMBER 29, 1846.

To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States:In order to prosecute the war against Mexico with vigor and success, it is necessary that authority should be promptly given by Congress, to increase the regular army, and to remedy existing defects in its organization. With this view, your favorable attention is invited to the annual report of the secretary of war, which accompanied my message of the eighth instant, in which he recommends that ten additional regiments of regular troops shall be raised, to serve during the war.

Of the additional regiments of volunteers which have been called for from several of the states, some have been promptly raised; but this has not been the case in regard to all. The existing law, requiring that they should be organized by the independent action of the state governments, has, in some instances, occasioned considerable delay, and it is yet uncertain when the troops required can be ready for service in the field.

It is our settled policy to maintain in time of peace as small a regular army as the exigencies of the public service will permit. In a state of war, notwithstanding the great advantage with which our volunteer citizensoldiers can be brought into the field, this small regular army must be increased in its numbers, in order to render the whole force more efficient. Additional officers, as well as men, then become indispensable. Under the circumstances of our service, a peculiar propriety exists for increasing the officers, especially in the higher grades. The number of such officers who, from age and other causes, are rendered incapable of active service in the field, has seriously impaired the efficiency of the army.

From the report of the secretary of war, it appears that about two thirds of the whole number of regimental field officers are either permanently disabled, or are necessarily detached from their commands on other duties. The long enjoyment of peace has prevented us from experiencing much embarrassment from this cause; but now, in a state of war, conducted in a foreign country, it has produced serious injury to the public service.

An efficient organization of the army, composed of regulars and volunteers, while prosecuting the war in Mexico, it is believed, would require the appointment of a general officer to take command of all our military forces in the field. Upon the conclusion of the war, the services of such an officer would no longer be necessary, and should be dispensed with upon the reduction of the army to a peace establishment.

I recommend that provision be made by law, for the appointment of such a general officer, to serve during the war.

It is respectfully recommended that early action should be had by Congress upon the suggestions submitted for their consideration, as necessary to insure active and efficient service in prosecuting the war, before the present favorable season for military operations in the enemy's country shall have passed away.

SPECIAL MESSAGE.

JANUARY 4, 1847.

To the Senate of the United States:

I COMMUNICATE here with a report of the postmaster-general, which conlains the information called for by the resolution of the senate of the 16th instant, in relation to the means which have been taken for the transmission of letters and papers to and from the officers and soldiers now in the service of the United States, in Mexico. In answer to the inquiry whether any legislation is necessary to secure the speedy transmission and delivery of such letters and papers, I refer you to the suggestions of the postmaster-general, which are recommended to your favorable consideration.

SPECIAL MESSAGE.

JANUARY 19, 1847.

To the House of Representatives of the United States:

I TRANSMIT herewith a report of the secretary of war, with the accompanying report from the adjutant-general of the army, made in compliance with the resolution of the house of representatives of the 5th instant, requesting the president to communicate to the house "the whole number of volunteers which have been mustered into the service of the United States, since the first day of May last, designating the number mustered for three months, six months, and twelve months; the number of those who have been discharged before they served two months, number discharged after two months' service, and the number of volunteer officers who have resigned, and the dates of their resignations."

SPECIAL MESSAGE.

JANUARY 20, 1847.

To the House of Representatives of the United States:

I COMMUNICATE herewith a letter received from the president of the convention of delegates of the people of Wisconsin, transmitting a certified copy of the constitution adopted by the delegates of the people of Wisconsin in convention assembled; also, a copy of the act of the legislature of the territory of Wisconsin, providing for the calling of said convention; and also, a copy of the last census, showing the number of inhabitants in said territory, requesting the president to "lay the same before the Congress of the United States, with the request that Congress act upon the same at its present session."

SPECIAL MESSAGE.

JANUARY 25, 1847.

To the House of Representatives of the United States :—

I COMMUNICATE herewith a report of the secretary of the treasury, accompanied by a statement of the register of the treasury, prepared in compliance with a resolution of the house of representatives of the 7th instant, requesting the president" to furnish the house with a statement showing the whole amount allowed and paid at the treasury during the year ending 30th June, 1846, for postages of the executive departments of the government, and for the several officers and persons authorized by the act approved 3d March, 1846, to send or receive matter through the mails free, including the amount allowed, or allowable, if charged in the postages of any officers or agents, military, naval, or civil, employed in or by any of said departments." It will be perceived that said statement is as full and accurate as can be made during the present session of Congress.

SPECIAL MESSAGE.

JANUARY 29, 1847.

To the House of Representatives of the United States:

I COMMUNICATE herewith a report of the secretary of war, together with reports of the adjutant-general and paymaster-general of the army, in answer to a resolution of the house of representatives of the 20th instant, requesting the president to communicate to the house "whether any, and if any, which of the representatives named in the list annexed have held any office or offices under the United States since the commencement of the 29th Congress; designating the office or offices held by each, and whether the same are now so held; and including in said information the names of all who are now serving in the army of the United States as officers, and receiving pay as such, and when and by whom they were commissioned."

I COMMUNICATE herewith reports of the secretary of war and the secretary of the treasury, with accompanying documents, in answer to a resolution of the senate "requesting the president to inform the senate whether any funds of the government, and, if any, what amount, have been remitted from the Atlantic states to New Orleans, or to the disbursing officers of the American army in Mexico since the first of September last;

and, if any remitted, in what funds remitted, whether in gold or silver coin, treasury-notes, bank-notes, or bank-checks; and, if in whole or in part remitted in gold and silver, what has been the expense to the government of each of said remittances."

SPECIAL MESSAGE.

FEBRUARY 13, 1847.

To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States :— CONGRESS, by the act of the thirteenth of May last, declared that, “by the act of the republic of Mexico, a state of war exists between that government and the United States ;" and "for the purpose of enabling the government of the United States to prosecute said war to a speedy and successful termination," authority was vested in the president to employ the "naval and military forces of the United States."

It has been my unalterable purpose, since the commencement of hostilities by Mexico, and the declaration of the existence of war by Congress, to prosecute the war in which the country was unavoidably involved with the utmost energy, with a view to its "speedy and successful termination" by an honorable peace.

Accordingly, all the operations of our naval and military forces have been directed with this view. While the sword has been held in one hand, and our military movements pressed forward into the enemy's country, and its coasts invested by our navy, the tender of an honorable peace has been constantly presented to Mexico in the other.

Hitherto, the overtures of peace which have been made by this government, have not been accepted by Mexico. With a view to avoid a protracted war, which hesitancy and delay on our part would be so well calculated to produce, I informed you, in my annual message of the eighth of December last, that the war would "continue to be prosecuted with vigor as the best means of securing peace," and recommended to your early and favorable consideration the measures proposed by the secretary of war, in his report accompanying that message.

In my message of the twenty-ninth of December last, these and other measures, deemed to be essential to the "speedy and successful termination" of the war, and the attainment of a just and honorable peace, were recommended to your early and favorable consideration.

The worst state of things which could exist in a war with such a power as Mexico would be a course of indecision and inactivity on our part Being charged by the constitution and the laws with the conduct of the war, I have availed myself of all the means at my command to prosecute it with energy and vigor.

The act "to raise for a limited time an additional military force, and for other purposes," and which authorizes the raising of ten additional regiments to the regular army, to serve during the war, and to be disbanded at its termination, which was presented to me on the eleventh instant, and approved on that day, will constitute an important part of our military force. Those regiments will be raised and moved to the seat of war with the least practicable delay.