THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1852. The following message was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. M. P. Fillmore, his secretary: To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States: I invite the attention of Congress to the state of affairs in the Territory of Oregon, growing out of a conflict of opinion among the authorities of that Territory, in regard to a proper construction of the acts of Congress, approved the 14th August, 1848, and 11th June, 1850, the former entitled "An act to establish a territorial government of Oregon," and the latter entitled "An act to make further appropriations for public buildings in the territories of Minnesota and Oregon.' In order to enable Congress to understand the controversy, and apply such remedy with a view to adjust it, as may be deemed expedient, I transmit, 1. An act of the Legislative Assembly of that Territory, passed February 1, 1851, entitled "An act to provide for the selection of places for the location and erection of public buildings of the Territory of Oregon;" 2. Governor Gaines's message to the Legislative Assembly of the 3d February, 1851; 3. The opinion of the Attorney General of the United States, of 23d April, in regard to the act of the Legislative Assembly of the 1st February, 1851; 4. The opinion of the supreme court of Oregon, pronounced on the 9th December, 1851; 5. A letter of Judge Pratt, of the 15th December, 1851, dissenting from that opinion; 6. Governor Gaines's letter to the President of the 1st January, 1852; 7. Report of the Attorney General of the United States on that letter, dated 22d March, 1852. If it should be the sense of Congress that the seat of government of Oregon has not already been established by the local authorities pursuant to the law of the United States, for the organization of that Territory, or if so established, should be deemed objectionable, in order to appease the strife upon the subject which seems to have arisen in that Territory, I recommend that the seat of government be either permanently or temporarily ordained by act of Congress; and that that body should, in the same manner, express its approval or disapproval of such laws as may have been enacted in the Territory at the place alleged to be its seat of government, and which may be so enacted, until intelligence of the decision of Congress shall reach there. WASHINGTON, April 19, 1852. The messsage was read. MILLARD FILLMORE. Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on Territories and printed. The President pro tempore laid before the Senate a report of the Secretary of State, communicating statements showing the number of passengers who arrived in the United States from 30th September, 1850, to 1st January, 1852; which was read. Ordered, That it lie on the table. The President pro tempore laid before the Senate a report of the Secretary of War, communicating, in compliance with a resolution of the Senate, a report and survey of Lieutenant Williamson, in reference to the Umpqua and Rogue rivers; which was read. Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. Mr. Clemens presented a petition of citizens of Benton county, Alabama, praying a grant of land to aid in the construction of the Alabama and Georgia railroad; which was referred to the Committee on Public Lands. Mr. Adams presented the petition of the administrator of John F. Wray, deceased, praying that the money paid for certain lands purchased of the United States, the title to which has been declared null and void by the courts of the State of Mississippi, may be refunded; which was referred to the Committee on Private Land Claims. Mr. Brodhead presented the petition of William T. Zollickoffer, praying arrears of pension, and his travelling expenses from the place of his discharge from the army to his home; which was referred to the Committee of Claims. Mr. Brodhead presented a memorial of members of the Presbyterian churches in the District of Columbia, praying the donation of a portion of the public land in the District, as a cemetery or place of burial; which was referred to the Committee on the District of Columbia. On motion by Mr. Geyer, Ordered, That the petition of John Moore, on the files of the Senate, be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. Mr. Brodhead submitted the following resolution; which was considered by unanimous consent, and agreed to: Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire into the expediency of increasing the salary of the judge of the western district of Pennsylvania. Mr. Hamlin, from the Committee on Printing, to whom was referred a resolution passed the 16th March, for the printing of five thousand copies of a journal of a military reconnoissance from Santa Fé to New Mexico, to the Novajo country, by Lieutenant James H. Simpson, reported that the same be not printed; and the report was agreed to. Mr. Hamlin, from the Committee on Printing, to whom was referred s motion to print the memorial of Henry M. Rice, reported that the same be not printed; and the report was concurred in. Mr. Brodhead, from the Committee of Claims, to whom was referred a memorial of Hezekiah Miller, submitted an adverse report (No. 202;) which was ordered to be printed. Mr. Borland, from the Committee on Public Lands, to whom was referred a bill (S. 148) to revive, for a limited time, "An act in relation to donations of land to certain persons in the State of Arkansas," reported it without amendment. Mr. Felch, from the Committee on Public Lands, to whom was referred the petition of Jane Kearney, submitted an adverse report (No. 203;) which was ordered to be printed. Mr. Bradbury, from the Committee on the District of Columbia, to whom was referred the bill (S. 393) to incorporate the proprietors of the Washington cemetery, reported it with an amendment. Mr. Hale, from the Committee on Private Land Claims, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 160) for the relief of the heirs of Jeremiah Wingate, reported it without amendment. Mr. Brodhead, from the Committee of Claims, to whom was referred the petition of Jacob Gideon, submitted a report, (No. 200) accompanied by a bill (S. 394) for his relief. The bill was read, and passed to the second reading. Ordered, That the report be printed. Mr. Jones, of Iowa, from the Committee on Pensions, to whom were referred documents relating to the claim of Emilie Hooe, submitted a report, (No. 201) accompanied by a bill (S. 395) for her relief. The bill was read, and passed to the second reading. Ordered, That the report be printed. Mr. Douglas, from the Committee on Territories, reported a bill (S. 396) for the protection of the emigrant route, and a telegraphic line, and for an overland mail between the Missouri river and the settlements in California and Oregon; which was read and passed to the second reading. The Senate resumed the consideration of the bill (S. 281) supplementary to an act providing for the taking of the seventh and subsequent censuses of the United States, and to fix the number of the members of the House of Representatives, and to provide for their future apportionment among the several States, approved 23d of May. The amendment made as in Committee of the Whole, having been disagreed to; and the bill being amended, on the motion of Mr. Bradbury, Ordered, That this bill be engrossed, and read a third time. A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Forney, their Clerk: Mr. President: The House of Representatives have passed bills of the following titles, in which they request the concurrence of the Senate: H. R. 219. An act to authorize the legislature of the State of Mississippi to sell the lands heretofore appropriated for the use of schools in that State, and to ratify and approve the sales already made; H. R. 238. An act to release from reservation, and restore to the mass of public lands, certain lands in the State of Arkansas. Mr. Davis presented two petitions of merchants and others, citizens of Massachusetts, praying that further aid may be extended to Collins's line of mail steamers. Ordered, That they lie on the table. The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the consideration. of the bill (H. R. 207) to supply deficiencies in the appropriations for the service of the fiscal year, ending the 30th of June, 1852; and the reported amendments being, in part, agreed to, and a further amendment proposed: On motion by Mr. Badger, The Senate adjourned. FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1852. The President pro tempore laid before the Senate a letter of the Commissioner of Patents, communicating the agricultural portion of his annual report for the year 1851; which was read. On motion by Mr. Hamlin, That the report be printed, and that thirty thousand additional copies thereof be printed for the use of the Senate. Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on Printing. On motion by Mr. Hunter, To suspend the execution of the order of the Senate assigning Friday of each week to the consideration of private claims, for the purpose of considering the bill (H. R. 207) to supply deficiencies in the appropriations for the service of the fiscal year ending the 30th June, 1852. It was determined in the negative. The Senate resumed the consideration of the motion, made on the 29th of March last, to reconsider the vote on passing to the third reading the bill (H. R. 141) for the benefit of the Carmelite Nunnery of Baltimore; and, On motion by Mr. Hale, Ordered, That the further consideration thereof be postponed until to morrow. On motion by Mr. Hale, Ordered, That the execution of the order of the Senate assigning Friday of each week to the consideration of private claims, be suspended for the purpose of considering the resolution submitted by Mr. Norris, the 5th instant, in relation to the mode of proceeding on private bills; and The Senate proceeded to consider the said resolution; and, having been modified by Mr. Norris, it was agreed to, as follows: Resolved, That to-day, and every fourth Friday hereafter, shall be devoted to the consideration of such private bills upon the calendar, as shall not give rise to debate; and whenever debate shall arise upon a bill, or any senator shall express a desire to debate the same, it shall go over to the following Friday. The Senate proceeded to consider, as in Committee of the Whole, the bill (S. 176) for the relief of William Bedient, late a sergeant in the fourth artillery; and On motion by Mr. Atchison, Ordered, That the bill be postponed indefinitely. The bill (S. 214) for the relief of Mark Bean and Richard H. Bean, of Arkansas, was read the second time, and considered as in Committee of the Whole; and no amendment being made, it was reported to the Senate. Ordered, That it be engrossed and read a third time. On motion by Mr. Atchison to reconsider the vote last mentioned, Ordered, That this motion lie on the table. The Senate proceeded to consider, as in Committee of the Whole, the following bills: H. R. 56. An act for the relief of Albra Tripp. H. R. 57. An act for the relief of Joseph Johnston. H. R. 61. An act for the payment of arrears of pension to the guardian of Artemas Conant; and no amendment being made, they were reported to the Senate. Ordered, That they pass to a third reading. The said bills were severally read the third time. Ordered, That the Secretary notify the House of Representatives thereof. The following bills and joint resolutions were read the second time, and considered as in Committee of the Whole: S. 187. Bill for the relief of George G. Bishop, and the legal representatives of John Arnold, deceased; S. 194. Bill for the relief of Jacob Young; S. 195. Bill for the relief of Margaret Farrar ; S. 196. Bill authorizing the legal representatives of Antoine Vasquez, Hypolite Vasquez, Joseph Vasquez and John Colligan to enter certain lands in Missouri; S. 197. Bill for the relief of the legal representatives of Martin Fenwick; S. 203. Bill for the relief of David P. Weeks; S. 231. Bill for the relief of Ursula E. Cobb; S. 234. Bill for the relief of James Glynn; S. 238. Bill for the relief of Thompson Hutchinson; S. 239. Bill for the relief of Elizabeth Jones and the other children (if any) of John Carr; S. 244. Bill for the relief of the heirs of the late Major Thomas Noel, United States army; S. 245. Bill for the relief of Don B. Juan Domercq, a Spanish subject; S. 294. Bill for the relief of Charles G. Hunter; S. 16. Joint resolution for the relief of Alexander Y. P. Garnett; S. 19. Joint resolution for the relief of the heirs of David Corderey; and no amendment being made, they were reported to the Senate Ordered, That they be engrossed and read a third time. A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Forney, their Clerk: Mr. President: The House of Representatives have passed a bill (H. Ordered, That when the Senate adjourn, it be to Monday next. The Senate adjourned. MONDAY, APRIL 26, 1852. Mr. Underwood presented the memorial of George Stealey, praying compensation for services, and reimbursement of expenses, while on a mission to the Indian tribes in the northern portion of the State of California, under the authority of the Indian commissioner of that State; which was referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. Mr. Seward presented a resolution of the legislature of New York in favor of an appropriation for the construction of a ship canal around the falls of the St. Marie; Ordered, That it lie on the table and be printed. Mr. Seward presented a petition of E. S. Church and others, praying that a contract may be entered into with the Irish and American Steamship |
