Mr. Cameron, the 14th December, respecting the furnishing Senators with certain books; and having been amended, it was agreed to, as follows: Resolved, That the Secretary be directed to furnish each member of the present Senate, who has not already received them, one copy of the constitution and other books ordered to be furnished to the Senators by the resolutions of February 18, 1847, and to the Senators from Iowa, and Wisconsin, the same number of the constitution as have been already given to other members of the Senate. The Senate proceeded to consider, as in Committee of the Whole, the bill (H. R. 547) for the relief of Mary G. Leverett; and no amendment being made, it was reported to the Senate. Ordered, That it pass to a third reading. The said bill was read a third time. Resolved, That this bill pass. Ordered, That the Secretary notify the House of Representatives thereof. Mr. Dix, from the Committee on Commerce, to whom the following bills were referred: H. R. 344. To transfer the towns of Vinal Haven, North Haven, Islesboro, from the collection district of Penobscot to that of Belfast, in the State of Maine; H. R. 791. Declaring Fort Covington, in the State of New York, to be a port of delivery, and for other purposes; reported the same.. without amendment. The Senate proceeded to consider the said bills, as in Committee of the Whole; and no amendment being made, they were reported to the Senate. Ordered, That they pass to a third reading. The said bills were read a third time. Resolved, That they pass. Ordered, That the Secretary notify the House of Representatives accordingly. Mr. Dix, from the Committee on Commerce, to whom was referred a resolution (H. R. 57) in relation to foreign officers or seamen, who shall render relief to American vessels in distress, 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 bill (S. 313) to carry into effect certain stipulations of the treaty between the United States of America and the republic of Mexico, of the 2d of February, 1848, with amendments; in which they request the concurrence of the Senate. SIX O'CLOCK IN THE EVENING. The Senate proceeded to consider, as in Committee of the Whole, the following bills: H. R. 464. An act for the relief of William Gott; H. R. 181. An act for the relief of John P. Skinner, and the legal representatives of Isaac Green; H. R. 354. An act for the relief of Doctor Adolphus Wislizenus; and no amendment being made, they were reported to the Senate. Ordered, That they pass to a third reading. The said bills were read a third time. Resolved, That they pass. Ordered, That the Secretary notify the House of Representatives accordingly. The bill (S. 477) for the relief of Robert M. Martin, 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. The said bill was read a third time. Resolved, That it pass. Ordered, That the Secretary request the concurrence of the House of Representatives therein. The Senate proceeded to consider, as in Committee of the Whole, the bill (H. R. 699) making appropriations for the naval service, for the year ending the 30th of June, 1850. On motion by Mr. Davis, of Mississippi, to amend the bill by inserting the following, after the third section: "SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Navy may be, and is hereby, authorized and directed, as far as the public transport service will permit, to employ the steamers so transferred to the Navy Department in establishing a semi-monthly line from New Orleans to Vera Cruz, or some other port on the Gulf of Mexico, and, connecting with some port on the Pacific, thence to California, as the Secretary of the Navy may direct. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted. That said steamers shall convey the United States mail; and that American citizens, who may be received as passengers on the same, shall not be charged a higher rate of fare than shall be necessary to reimburse the government for the expenses incurred on account of such passengers." It was determined in the negative, Yeas.... On motion by Mr. Allen, 14 36 The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present, Messrs. Breese, Corwin, Davis, of Mississippi, Dodge, of Iowa, Downs, Fitzpatrick, Foote, Houston, Johnson, of Louisiana, Jones, Rusk, Sebastian, Westcott, Yulee. Those who voted in the negative are, Messrs. Allen, Atherton, Badger, Baldwin, Bell, Benton, Berrien, Borland, Bradbury, Bright, Butler, Cameron, Clarke, Davis, of Massachusetts, Dayton, Felch, Fitzgerald, Greene, Hale, Hamlin, Hunter, Johnson, of Maryland, Johnson, of Georgia, King, Mangum, Mason, Miller, Niles, Phelps, Spruance, Turney, Underwood, Upham, Wales, Walker, Webster. On motion by Mr. Miller to amend the bill by inserting the following: "SEC. And be it further enacted, That the sum of one thousand three hundred and thirty-six dollars and thirty-seven cents be, and the same is hereby, appropriated, to reimburse Commodore Charles Wilkes, for law expenses incurred by him in the several courts in defending suits brought against him, for acts committed in discharge of his official duties." Yeas... It was determined in the negative, Nays.. On motion by Mr. Allen, ... 15 30 The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present, Those who voted in the affirmative are, Messrs. Badger, Berrien, Butler, Clarke, Dayton, Foote, Greene, Johnson, of Maryland, Johnson, of Louisiana, Mangum, Mason, Miller, Pearce, Wales, Yulee. Those who voted in the negative are, Messrs. Allen, Atchison, Atherton, Benton, Bradbury, Bright, Cameron, Corwin, Dickinson, Dix, Dodge, of Iowa, Douglas, Downs, Felch, Fitzgerald, Fitzpatrick, Hale, Hamlin, Johnson, of Georgia, Jones, King, Niles, Phelps, Rusk, Sebastian, Spruance, Sturgeon, Turney, Underwood, Upham. On motion by Mr. Cameron to amend the bill, by inserting the following: "And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Navy be, and he hereby is, authorized to enter into a contract on behalf of the government of the United States with such person or persons as shall have obtained the right to construct a plank road across the isthmus of Panama, their associates and assigns, for the transportation of the mails of the United States and of all army and naval forces, including soldiers, marines, and sailors, belonging to the army and navy of the United States over said road, from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean, and for the free use of said road for the transportation over it of munitions of war, army and naval stores, for a sum which shall not exceed seventy-five thousand dollars: Provided, That no payment shall be made under such contract until said road shall be so far completed as to afford a conveyance across the isthmus within the space of twelve hours: And, provided, also, That the contract shall be made upon the condition that the said road be commenced within three months from the date of the contract, and be completed one year thereafter: And, provided also, That Congress may at any time after the said road shall have been completed and in operation five years rescind the same by joint resolution." The said amendment was amended on the motion of Mr. Foote, by adding thereto the following: "Provided, also, That if the Secretary of the Navy shall ascertain that there is any company in existence duly authorized to contract for the transportion of the mails, the army, naval forces, &c., across the isthmus of Tehuantepec, and that a contract with such latter company will be upon the whole more advantageous to the government than the contract authorized by this section to be made with such person or persons as have obtained the right to construct the plank road herein mentioned across the isthmus of Panama, he shall be, and he is hereby, authorized to enter into a contract with such company in preference to the one mentioned in this section and upon similar terms." And on the question to agree to the amendment proposed by Mr. Cameron as amended; It was determined in the negative, S Yeas On motion by Mr. Mangum, 11 30 F The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present, Those who voted in the affirmative are, Messrs. Baldwin, Cameron, Clarke, Dodge, of Iowa, Douglas, Fitzgerald, Greene, Hale, King, Wales, Westcott. Those who voted in the negative are, Messrs. Allen, Atchison, Atherton, Badger, Berrien, Borland, Bradbury, Breese, Bright, Butler, Davis, of Mississippi, Dix, Downs, Felch, Fitzpatrick, Hamlin, Houston, Hunter, Johnson, of Maryland, Johnson, of Louisiana, Johnson of Georgia, Mangum, Mason, Niles, Pearce, Phelps, Rusk, Spruance, Turney, Underwood. The bill having been amended, was reported to the Senate; and the amendments were concurred in. Ordered, That the amendments be engrossed and the bill read a third time. The said bill was read a third time. Resolved, That this bill pass with amendments. Ordered, That the Secretary request the concurrence of the House of Representatives in the amendments. The Senate proceeded to consider, as in Committee of the Whole, the bill (H. R. 754) making appropriations for the service of the Post Office Department for the year ending the 30th of June, 1850. On motion by Niles to amend the bill by adding thereto the following: "SEC.. And be it further enacted, That from and after the first day of July next the postage on letters shall be as follows: Letters conveyed by mail any distance in the United States shall be charged with postage by weight, and according to their rates; letters weighing not exceeding half an ounce shall pay one rate of three cents, to be prepaid, and five cents if not so prepaid; letters weighing more than half an ounce, and not exceeding one ounce, shall pay two rates, or six cents, to be prepaid, and ten cents if not prepaid; letters weighing more than one ounce and not exceeding two ounces, shall pay four rates, or twelve cents, to be prepaid, and twenty cents if not prepaid; and letters exceeding two ounces in weight, shall pay an additional postage of four rates, or twelve cents, for every additional ounce, or fractional part thereof, if prepaid, and twenty cents if not prepaid; and all drop letters, or letters to be delivered at the office where deposited, shall be charged with one cent postage, to be prepaid, and two cents if not so prepaid. "SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the Postmaster General, at all post offices where the gross postage amounts to fifty thousand dollars annually, to provide for conveying letters to the post office by establishing suitable and convenient places of deposit, and by employing carriers to receive and deposit them in the post office free of charge; and at all such offices it shall also be his duty to cause letters to be delivered by suitable carriers, to be appointed by him for that purpose, for which not exceeding one cent for each letter shall be charged; and on advertised letters, there shall be an additional charge not exceeding one cent. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That from and after the period aforesaid, the postage on newspapers, and other printed matter, shall be as follows: all newspapers, not exceeding in weight, (when dry,) two ounces, shall pay one cent postage, and a like sum for every additional ounce or fractional part thereof: Provided, That newspapers, not weighing over one ounce and a half, and sent from the office where printed, not more than fifty · miles, shall be charged with one half cent postage only. Pamphlets, magazines, and books, whether periodical or not, shall be charged with postage at the rate of one cent the ounce, but any fractional part of an ounce shall be charged one cent. The postage on newspapers, and other periodicals, not sent from the office of publication, must be prepaid; and all hand bills, circulars, and printed letters, not sealed, shall be charged with one-half the rate of letter postage. That publishers of newspapers and periodicals shall be entitled to receive, free of postage, one copy of any other newspaper, or periodical, in exchange for their own publication, and have the privilege of sending bills against their subscribers in their papers or periodicals free of charge. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That all letters conveyed in. the United States mail by sea, from any place in the United States to any foreign country, or to the possessions of the United States on the Pacific, shall be charged with a uniform postage of twentyone cents, when not weighing over half an ounce, and the like sum for any additional half ounce, or fractional part thereof; the same. rates of postage shall be charged on all letters conveyed in like manner, from any foreign country, or the possessions of the United States on the Pacific, to any place in the United States: this rate is exclusive of the foreign postage chargeable on such letters. And all letters conveyed from any place in the United States to any foreign country, in a packet, or mail ship, belonging to any foreign power, or the citizens thereof, and employed by such power to transport its mail, shall be charged with postage at the rate of five cents the half ounce, in manner aforesaid, in addition to the postage charged by such countries; and all letters conveyed in such foreign packet, or mail ship, from any foreign country to any port or place in the United States, shall be charged with five cents postage for each half ounce, or fractional part thereof, in addition to the foreign postage; and all letters posted or mailed at any place in the United States for any foreign country, or the Pacific coast |