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in a bill (S. 470) to extend the provisions of an act approved the 3d of March, 1847, for carrying into effect the existing compacts with the States of Alabama and Mississippi with regard to the five per cent. fund and school reservations; which was read the first and second times by unanimous consent, and referred to the Committee on Public Lands.

Agreeably to notice, Mr. Borland asked and obtained leave to bring in a bill (S. 471) for the further relief of the widows and orphans of officers and soldiers in the late war with Mexico; which was read the first and second times by unanimous consent, and referred to the Committee on Pensions.

Agreeably to notice, Mr. Houston asked and obtained leave to bring in a bill (S. 472) authorizing the Galveston and Red River Railway Company to construct and extend a railway to the coast of the Pacific ocean, in California; which was read the first and second times by unanimous consent, and referred to the Committee on Territories.

On motion by Mr. Hale, the Senate proceeded to consider the resolution, submitted the 16th instant, in relation to the consideration of private bills to the passage of which no objection shall be made; and,

On motion by Mr. Atherton,

Ordered, That it lie on the table.

Mr. Rusk, from the Committee on Enrolled Bills, reported that they had examined and found duly enrolled the following acts: S. 20. An act for authenticating certain records.

S. 259. An act for the relief of Nehemiah Brush.

S. 386. An act continuing the pension granted to Patrick Walker. A message from the House of Representatives by Mr. Campbell, their Clerk:

Mr. President: The House of Representatives have passed.the joint resolution (H. R. 54) directing that the government of Russia be supplied with certain volumes of the Narrative of the Exploring Expedition in lieu of those which were lost at sea; in which they request the concurrence of the Senate.

The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the bill (H. R. 692) making appropriations for the civil and diplomatic expenses of the government for the year ending the 30th of June, 1850, and for other purposes.

And after debate,

On motion by Mr. Butler,

The Senate adjourned.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1849.

Mr. Dix presented a memorial of citizens of New York, praying such amendments to the patent laws as will secure to patentees the benefits of their inventions; which was referred to the Committee on Patents and the Patent Office.

Mr. Dix presented a petition of citizens of New York, praying

that the rates of postage may be reduced and the franking privilege abolished.

Ordered, That it lie on the table.

Mr. Dix presented the petition of Duncan Bradford and J. Sidney Henshaw, late professors of mathematics in the navy, praying to be allowed arrears of pay and the benefit of the act of March 3, 1801, granting four months extra pay to discharged officers; which was referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs.

Mr. Dix presented a petition of Hurl Gate pilots, steamboat captains, port wardens, and others, of the city of New York, praying that the light on Sands point may not be discontinued; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce.

Mr. Atchision presented a memorial of A. B. Ralph and others, citizens of the United States, praying that military escorts may be placed on the route between the valley of the Missiseippi and California, and a permanent military post established at some point convenient to the gold region in that territory; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.

Mr. Davis, of Massachusetts, presented a petition of citizens of that State, paying that the rates of postage may be reduced and the franking privilege adolished.

Ordered, That it lie on the table.

Mr. Davis, of Massachusetts, presented the petition of the president of Amherst college, in that State, praying that a new and enlarged edition of the works of the exploring expedition may be published and copies deposited in the libraries of colleges and other public institutions; which was referred to the Committee on the Library, and ordered to be printed.

Mr. Bright presented a petition of citizens of Blackford county, Indiana, praying the establishment of a post office at Ransom's store, in that county, and a petition of citizens of Indiana, praying the establishment of a mail route from Smithfield to Montpelier, in that State; which was referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads.

Mr. Westcott presented the petition of the legal representatives of Henry Pawling, deceased, an officer in the revolutionary army, praying to be allowed commutation pay; which was referred to the Committee on Revolutionary Claims.

Mr. King presented the memorial of John C. Riddle, D. H. Carter, and E. Simonds, proposing to construct a turnpike road across the Isthmus of Panama, and praying that a contract may be entered into with them for transporting the mails and other property of the United States over said road; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.

On motion by Mr. Johnson, of Louisiana,

Ordered, That the petition of Thomas P. Harrison and A. T. H. Duvall, on the files of the Senate, be referred to the Committee on Private Land Claims.

On motion by Mr. Atchison,

Ordered, That the Committee on Indian Afiairs be discharged

from the further consideration of the petition of Thomas Snodgrass, and that it be referred to the Committee of Claims. Mr. King submitted an additional document relating to the petition of Thomas Snodgrass; which was referred to the Committee of Claims.

On motion by Mr. Yulee,

Ordered, That the Committee on Naval Affairs be discharged from the further consideration of the petition of John Collins.

On motion by Mr. Yulee,

Ordered, That the Committee on Naval Affairs be discharged from the further consideration of the petition of Julia Martin, and that she have leave to withdraw her petition and papers.

Mr. Hale submitted the following resolution, which was considered, by unanimous consent, and agreed to:

Resolved, That the Committee on Commerce be instructed to inquire whether the laws regulating the coasting trade do not require some amendment or alteration to meet the case of vessels sailing to our Pacific coast.

Mr. Yulee presented resolutions passed by the Legislature of the State of Florida, declaring that Congress possesses no constitutional power to prohibit slavery in any territory belonging to the United States; and that any attempt on the part of Congress to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia, should be resisted by the south as an exercise of power not conferred by the constitution and a violation of the rights of that portion of the Union. The resolutions were read, and

Ordered, That they be printed.

The joint resolution (H. R. 54) directing that the government of Russia be supplied with certain volumes of the Narrative of the Exploring Expedition, in lieu of those which were lost at sea, was read the first and second times by unanimous consent.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on the Library. Mr. Niles, from the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, to whom was recommitted the bill (S. 346) for the relief of Samuel F. Butterworth, reported it without amendment.

Mr. Felch, from the Committee on Pensions, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 547) for the relief of Mary G. Leverett, reported it without amendment.

Mr. Downs, from the Committee on Private Land Claims, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 759) for the relief of Charles McLane, of Missouri, reported it without amendment.

A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Campbell, their Clerk:

Mr. President: The House of Representatives have passed the resolution of the Senate (60) to defray the expenses of certain Chippewa Indians and their interpreters.

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.

The Vice President signed the three enrolled bills (S. 20, 259, 386) 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 by Mr. Douglas, that the previous orders be postponed for the purpose of considering the bill (S. 350) for the admission of California into the Union as a State,

Yeas

It was determined in the negative, {Nays..

On motion by Mr. Douglas,

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The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present, Those who voted in the affirmative are,

Messrs. Bell, Breese, Bright, Dodge, of Iowa, Douglas, Downs, Fitzgerald, Fitzpatrick, Foote, Hale, Houston, Johnson, of Louisiana, Jones, King, Sebastian, Walker.

Those who voted in the negative are,

Messrs. Atherton, Badger, Baldwin, Benton, Berrien, Borland, Bradbury, Butler, Calhoun, Cameron, Clarke, Corwin, Davis, of Massachusetts, Davis, of Mississippi, Dayton, Dickinson, Dix, Felch, Greene, Hamlin, Hunter, Johnson, of Georgia, Mason, Miller, Niles, Pearce, Phelps, Spruance, Sturgeon, Turney, Underwood, Upham, Webster, Westcott, Yulee.

On motion by Mr. Niles, to reconsider the vote of the 21st of December last, rejecting the bill (S. 199) for the relief of Henry Vincent, administrator of the estate of James Lecaze; and

Ordered, That the further consideration thereof be postponed until to-morrow.

Mr. Rusk, from the committee, reported that they had presented to the President of the United States, the 17th instant, the following acts:

S. 155. An act granting a pension to Bethiah Healy, widow of George Healy, deceased.

S. 360. An act to authorize the Secretary of War to make reparation for the killing of a Caddo boy by volunteer troops in Texas.

S. 163. An act to relinquish the reversionary interest of the United States in a certain Indian reservation in the State of Alabama. H. R. 85. An act for the relief of William De Buys, late postmaster at New Orleans.

H. R. 190. An act for the relief of James P. Sexton and Joshua Holden.

H. R. 310. An act for the relief of Sarah D. Caldwell, wife of James H. Brigham.

H. R. 493. An act for the relief of Levi H. Corson, and for other purposes.

H. R. 696. An act making appropriations for the support of the military academy for the year ending the 30th of June, 1850.

H. R. 697. An act making appropriations for the payment of revolutionary and other pensions of the United States for the year ending the 30th of June, 1850.

A message from the President of the United States, by Mr. Walker, his secretary:

Mr. President: The President of the United States this day approved and signed the following acts:

S. 155. An act granting a pension to Bethiah Healy, widow of George Healy, deceased.

S. 163. An act to relinquish the reversionary interest of the United States in a certain Indian reservation in the State of Alabama. S. 360. An act to authorize the Secretary of War to make reparation for the killing of a Caddo boy by volunteer troops in Texas. Ordered, That the Secretary notify the House of Representatives accordingly.

The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the bill (H. R. 692) making appropriations for the civil and diplomatic expenses of the government for the year ending the 30th of June, 1850, and for other purposes; and,

After debate,

On motion by Mr. Badger, that the Senate adjourn,

It was determined in the affirmative,

On motion by, Mr. Atherton,

Yeas ...

Nays..

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The yeas and nays being desired by one fifth of the Senators present, Those who voted in the affirmative are

Messrs. Atchison, Badger, Berrien, Bright, Butler, Clarke, Corwin, Davis, of Massachusetts, Davis, of Mississippi, Dayton, Fitzpatrick, Greene, Hamlin, Hunter, Johnson, of Georgia, King, Mason, Miller, Niles, Pearce, Rusk, Sebastian, Spruance, Turney, Upham, Walker, Westcott, Yulee.

Those who voted in the negative are,

Messrs. Atherton, Baldwin, Borland, Bradbury, Breese, Cameron, Dickinson, Dix, Dodge, of Iowa, Douglas, Downs, Felch, Foote, Houston, Johnson, of Louisiana, Jones, Underwood. So the Senate adjourned.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1849.

Mr. Benton presented the memorial of Charles G. Page, representing that he has discovered a mode of applying electro magnetic power to the purposes of navigation and locomotion, as a substitute for steam, and praying that an examination may be made into the merits of his discovery by a special committee of the Senate.

On motion by Mr. Benton,

Ordered, That a select committee of seven be appointed to examine the invention of Professor Page, of Washington city, in relation to a mode of applying electro magnectic power to the purposes of navigation and locomotion.

Ordered, That the committee be appointed by the Vice President; and

Mr. Benton, Mr. Phelps, Mr. Westcott, Mr. Berrien, Mr. Dix, Mr. Underwood, and Mr. King were appointed the committee.

Mr. Hale presented two petitions of the Pennsylvania Society for promoting the abolition of slavery, praying the abolition of slavery and the slave trade in the District of Columbia, and that slavery may be excluded from the territories of the United States; A memorial of the Kennet monthly meeting of the religious

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