within the territory of California and New Mexico, to grant donation rights, and to provide for the survey of the lands therein. On motion by Mr. Benton, "that the bill be recommitted to the Committee on Public Lands, with instructions to inquire into the expediency of reporting a bill for ascertaining the public and unappropriated lands in the territory of California, and for surveying and selling the same, and for granting donation rights to actual settlers, and permits to work the gold mines; and for that purpose to provide First. For the appointment of a recorder of land titles, who shall have the custody of all the public archives in relation to the disposition of the public lands, and shall record all the grants and all claims that shall be discovered or made known to him, and shall make two abstracts of the same, one to be transmitted to the General Land Office in Washington city, the other to be delivered to the surveyor general of California, that he may lay down the grants and claims on a map to be retained in his office, and of which map a copy to be transmitted to the General Land Office, and another to be filed with the recorder of land titles in California. Second. To provide for the ascertainment of invalid grants, or possessions, by authorizing a scire facias to be issued from the United States district court against the party in possession, to come in and hear the objections to his claim, and to show cause why the grant should not be annulled, or the possession vacated; in every case in which the recorder of land titles, upon consultation with the district attorney, or by orders from the General Land Office, shall be so instructed, shall be of opinion that the same is not valid under the treaty with Mexico, the law of nations, and the decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States-the decision of the district court to be final, if against the United States, in all cases where the land in question shall be worth less than five thousand dollars. But no pueblo or rancheria Indians to be disturbed in their possessions without special orders from the general government. Third. To provide for the appointment of a surveyor general, and for the establishment of three land offices. Fourth. To provide for donations of land to actual settlers, heads of families, widows, and single men over eighteen years of age, and an allowance of land for children under eighteen years of age, and for the wife in her own right, according to the provisions of the bill proposing donations to settlers in Oregon, which passed the Senate January 3, 1843. Fifth. To provide for preserving order in working gold mines, by appointing an agent to grant permits for working small lots, and settling summarily, and on the spot, all questions of boundary or interference among the diggers; the said permits to continue in force while the lot is worked by the person receiving it, and to be limited to feet square." It was determined in the affirmative. A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Campbell, their Clerk: Mr. President: The President of the United States approved and signed, the 10th instant, the following acts: H. R. 119. An act for the relief of Anthony Bessie. H. R. 187. An act for the relief of James B. Davenport. H.R. 191. An act to confirm Elizabeth Burriss, her heirs or assigns, in their title to a tract of land. H. R. 328. An act for the relief of John B. Smith and Simeon Darden. H. R. 405. An act to extend certain privileges to the town of Whitehall, in the State of New York. The Senate proceeded to consider, as in Committee of the Whole, the bill (S. 44) for the relief of Cadwalader Wallace, and having been amended, it was reported to the Senate; and the amendment was concurred in. Ordered, That this bill be engrossed, and read a third time. Resolved, That this bill pass. Ordered, That the Secretary request the concurrence of the House of Representatives therein. Mr. Rusk reported from the committee, that they had examined and found duly enrolled the following bills: H. R. 59. An act for the relief of Anne W. Angus. H. R. 195. An act for the relief of Marcus Fulton Johnson. H. R. 196. An act supplemental to the act approved the 6th day of July, 1842, entitled "An act confirming certain land claims in Louisiana." The bill (S. 168) to provide for the unpaid claims of the officers and soldiers of the Virginia State and continental lines of the revolution was read the second time, and considered as in Committee of the Whole; and, On motion by Mr. Miller, The Senate adjourned. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1849. The Vice President laid before the Senate a report of the Second Comptroller and Second Auditor of the Treasury, made in compliance with a resolution of the Senate of the 10th instant, showing the amount due to the Cherokee nation of Indians under the treaty. of 1846, between the United States and those Indians; which was read, and Ordered, That it be printed. Mr. Yulee presented a resolution passed by the Legislature of the State of Florida in favor of the establishment of a port entry and delivery at Cedar Keys, in that State; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, and ordered to be printed. Mr. Yulee presented resolutions passed by the Legislature of the State of Florida, in favor of a grant of public land for a county site in Benton county, a grant of land for the erection of a courthouse in Holmes county, a grant of land for a county site in Washington county, and a grant of land for a county site in Calhoun county, in that State; which were referred to the Committee on Public Lands, and ordered to be printed. Mr. Yulee presented a resolution passed by the Legislature of the State of Florida, in favor of an appropriation for the payment of Captain Thomas Langford's company of volunteers for services in the Seminole war; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, and ordered to be printed. Mr. Yulee presented a resolution passed by the Legislature of the State of Florida, in favor of the establishment of a mail route from New Smyrna to Cape Florida, in that State; which was referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, and ordered to be printed. Mr. Upham presented the petition of John H. Kimball, administrator of Elizabeth Bingham, deceased, widow of a revolutionary soldier, praying to be allowed a pension; which was referred to the Committee on Pensions. Mr. Felch presented the petition of Jonathan Kearsley, praying compensation for his services, and reimbursement of expenses incurred as a depositary of public money; which was referred to the Committee on Finance. A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Campbell, their Clerk: Mr. President: The House of Representatives have passed a joint resolution (H. R. 47) for the purchase of copies of the general Navy Register and laws, in which they request the concurrence of the Senate. The House of Representatives have passed the bill from the Senate (S. 373) to continue the office of the Commissioner of Pensions; also the bill from the Senate (S. 377) for the relief of James M. Scantland. I am directed by the House of Representatives to return to the. Senate, in compliance with their request, the bill (H. R. 7) directing the mode of settling the claims of Charles G. Ridgely. The Speaker of the House of Representatives having signed three enrolled bills, I am directed to bring them to the Senate for the signature of their President. Mr. Niles, from the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, reported a bill (S. 394) in relation to the line of mail steamers to Southampton, Bremen, and Havre; which was read, and passed to the second reading. Mr. Westcott, from the Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the petition of Caleb Green, reported "that the prayer of the petition ought not to be granted." Agreeably to notice, Mr. Johnson, of Georgia, asked and obtained leave to bring in a bill (S. 395) to authorize the payment to the State of Georgia of certain sums of money therein specified; which was read the first and second times by unanimous consent, and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. The joint resolution (H. R. 47) for the purchase of copies of the general Navy Register and laws, was read the first and second times by unanimous consent, and referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs. The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the consideration of the bill (S. 289) to reduce the rates of postage, and for other purposes; and the reported amendments having been amended and agreed to, Ordered, That the further consideration of the bill be postponed until to-morrow, and that the bill, as amended, be printed. The Vice President signed the three enrolled bills last reported to have been examined, and they were delivered to the committee to be presented to the President of the United States. On motion, the Senate adjourned. THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 1849. Mr. Rusk reported from the committee that they had examined and found duly enrolled the following acts: S. 373. An act to continue the office of the Commissioner of Pensions. S. 377. An act for the relief of James M. Scantland. Mr. Johnson, of Georgia, presented the memorial of Martha Cox, widow of a revolutionary soldier, praying to be allowed a pension; which was referred to the Committee on Pensions. Mr. Mason presented the petition of Francis G. Beatty and Samuel Walker, praying compensation for injuries received by the falling of a scaffold while at work on the treasury building in the year 1842; which was referred to the Committee of Claims. Mr. Yulee presented a resolution passed by the Legislature of the State of Florida, in favor of the establishment of a mail route. from Tampa to the settlements of Hitchapochsassee, old Tampa, and Mannatee, in Hillsborough county, in that State; also, a resolution passed by the Legislature aforesaid, in favor of the establishment of a mail route from Oulusta, in Columbia county, to Gray's Ferry, in Duval county, Florida; which were referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post roads, and ordered to be printed. Mr. Yulee presented a resolution passed by the Legislature of the State of Florida, in favor of the enactment of a law making compensation to John Tucker for services as chaplain to a battalion of Florida militia in the Seminole war; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, and ordered to be printed. Mr. Davis, of Massachusetts, presented the petition of Enoch Baldwin, praying the return of the discriminating duties paid by him on a cargo of rum; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce. On motion by Mr. Clayton, Ordered, That William Morrow have leave to withdraw his petition and papers. Mr. Allen submitted the following resolution; which was considered by unanimous consent, and agreed to: Resolved, That the Postmaster General and Secretary of the Navy report to the Senate, as soon as practicable, what contracts exist between the government and individuals or companies for the transmission of the mail in steamers between ports of the United States and ports of foreign countries; when such contracts were entered into; with whom; at what cost per annum in each case, and the profits per annum in each case arising to the government on the mail matter thus transmitted. Mr. Johnson, of Louisiana, submitted the following resolution; which was considered by unanimous consent, and agreed to: Resolved, That the Committee on Private Land Claims be instructed to inquire into the expediency of confirming the claim of James A. Scudday, of the State of Louisiana, to two certain tracts of land in the said State of six hundred and forty acres each, described in the documents accompanying this resolution. A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Campbell, their Clerk: Mr. President: The House of Representatives have passed bills of the following titles: H. R. 701. An act to amend an act regulating the district courts of the United States for the State of Alabama; H. R. 723. An act for the relief of Salsy Darby, of Randolph county, and State of Georgia; H. R. 724. An act for the relief of Charles Wilson; in which they request the concurrence of the Senate. The Speaker of the House of Representatives having signed two enrolled bills, I am directed to bring them to the Senate for the signature of their President. I am directed to ask of the Senate the return of the joint resolution (H. R. 47) for the purchase of copies of the general navy register and laws, sent to the Senate through mistake. On motion by Mr. King, Ordered, That the Secretary return to the House of Representatives, agreeably to their request, the resolution (H. R. 47) for the purchase of copies of the general Navy Register and laws. The three bills this day received from the House of Representatives for concurrence, were severally read the first and second times by unanimous consent. Ordered, That the bill numbered 701 be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and that the bills numbered 723, 724, be referred to the Committee on Pensions. The Vice President signed the two enrolled bills this day reported to have been examined, (S. 373, 377,) and they were delivered to the committee to be presented to the President of the United States. On motion by Mr. Phelps, Ordered, That the report of the Second Comptroller and Second Auditor on the claim of the Cherokee nation of Indians, be referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. Mr. Atherton, from the Committee on Finance, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 691) making appropriations for the current and contingent expenses of the Indian department, and for fulfilling treaty stipulations with the various Indian tribes for the year ending June 30, 1850, reported the same without amendment. Mr. Breese, from the Committee on Public Lands, to whom was referred the petitions of certain registers and receivers, reported a bill (S. 396) to compensate thè registers and receivers of the several land officers in the United States; which was read, and passed to the second reading. The Senate proceeded to consider the adverse report of the committee of Claims on the memorial of E. P. Calkins and Company; and in concurrence therewith, |