Government, at whose instance the dimensions of the canal, and its expenses, were greatly increased, to render it suitable for national purposes. Should the canal not be completed to this, its destined point, the object and purpose of its original prompters and advisers will be entirely defeated; the General Government will forever lose all benefit from its original stock of $1,000,000, subscribed and paid; the State of Maryland will be forever debarred from any essential advantage from the millions of dollars she has already expended; and the people of the District cities, the State of Maryland, and the nation at large, will be deprived of the use and benefit of this great improvement. Now, the prayer of this memorial is, that Congress will immediately pass an act to transfer to the State of Maryland the original stock of $2,500,000, held by the General Government. That it is her interest to do so, and that the Government will derive great and immediate benefit from it, these facts will show: It will afford great facilities for the transportation of provisions, troops, and munitions in time of war; and it will secure an abundant and ready supply of bituminous coal and iron, of the best quality, for the Government armories and foundries Coal for steam navigation has become an indispensable article to all nations in conducting their maritime warfare; and it is perfectly ascertained and demonstrated, that no mineral region in the world can furnish such abundant and cheap supplies of coal, so well adapted to propel steamboats or war steamers, as the region in which the Chesapeake and Ohio canal terminates. At this juncture, these considerations ought to have great weight. The canal is now navigable, from the District of Columbia to dam No. 6, one hundred and forty miles; from that point to Cumberland, or the coal region, is fifty miles of this last distance, three-fifths of the work is done. It requires $3,000,000 more to pay the existing debts incurred on this part of the work, and to complete the canal to Cumberland. There is no hope of obtaining the means for that purpose, except from the State of Maryland. As some compensation to this State for the sacrifice she has already made, and to enable her to procure the means to proceed with the completion of the work, the surrender of the Government stock is now most respectfully and most earnestly asked. A bill for that purpose has twice passed the Senate; and, as the unfinished portion of this great work is daily deteriorating by delay, and the interests of all parties injured and sacrified, an early decision by Congress on the prayer of this memorial is urgently solicited. And your memorialists will ever pray, &c. 2d Session. APPROPRIATION-NAVY PENSIONS. APRIL 27, 1842. Laid before the House by the chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means, and ordered to be printed. NAVY DEPARTMENT, April 20, 1842. SIR: I have the honor to enclose a copy of a letter from the Commissioner of Pensions to this Department, dated 15th instant, with the request that you will bring to the attention of the House of Representatives the importance of an early provision for the payment of the navy pensions due on the 1st of July next. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. M. FILLMORE, A. P. UPSHUR. Chairman Com. Ways and Means, Ho. of Reps. PENSION OFFICE, April 15, 1842. SIR: I beg leave to call your attention to my communication of the 20th of November last, in which I stated that an appropriation of $84,951 would be necessary in order to pay the navy pensions due on the 1st of July, 1842. The time now draws near, and it will be necessary to make remittances to the agents, to meet the payments which will fall due at the ensuing semi-annual pay day on the 1st of July next. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. A. P. UPSHUR, Secretary of the Navy. PENSION OFFICE, April 23, 1842. SIR: I have had the honor of receiving your letter inquiring whether the amount of claims payable out of the navy pension fund has been diminished by deaths, or increased by new claims, since the 20th of November last, when I made a communication to the Secretary of the Navy on, the subject. In reply to your inquiry, I have the honor to state to you hat the new claims, and the deaths since that period, do not in the least See Secretary's annual report, Ho. Doc. No. 2, p. 407. vary from what I anticipated when I made out my estimate at the time alluded to. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. M. FILLMORE, Chairman Com. Ways and Means, Ho. of Reps. PENSION OFFICE, April 25, 1842. SIR: In reply to your letter of this date, I have the honor to inform you that the claims upon the navy pension fund, allowed since the 20th of November last, amount to $8,304. Complete returns from the navy pension agents, showing the number of deaths, have not yet reached this office; but, so far as they have been received, the amount would be reduced by deaths $243 only. When the returns shall have all been received, it is presumed that the reduction will not much exceed double that sum. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. L. EDWARDS. Chairman Com. Ways and Means, Ho. of Reps. Hon. M. FILLMORE, PENSION OFFICE, April 26, 1842. SIR: In my report to the Secretary of the Navy of the 20th of November last, I mentioned certain claims then pending in the office, amounting to about $14,000. These claims will be admitted and paid, so soon as an appropriation shall have been made; and they form no part of the claims mentioned in my letter of yesterday, amounting to $8,304. I have deemed this explanation proper, in order to prevent mistakes. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. M. FILLMORE, Chairman Com. of Ways and Means, Ho.Reps. COMMITTEE ROOM OF WAYS And Means, April 27, 1842. SIR: Your letter of the 26th instant has been received. Will you be good enough to state the character of the claims "pending in your office in November last, amounting to $14,000;" and, if not numerous, a detailed statement of them? Very respectfully, yours, &c. JAS. L. EDWARDS, Esq., MILLARD FILLMORE, Chairman. Commissioner of Pensions. PENSION OFFICE, April 27, 1842. SIR: In reply to your letter of this date, I have the houor to inform you that we are preparing a detailed statement of the navy pension claims pending in this office, alluded to in my letter of November last, amounting to about $14,000. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. M. FILLMORE, Chairman Com. Ways and Means, Ho. of Reps. PENSION OFFICE, April 28, 1842. SIR: I have the honor to enclose, herewith, a statement containing the the names of persons whose claims on account of naval service are pending before this office. The claims of the widows and children are presented under the act of March 3, 1837, and those of the men under the acts providing for invalids of the navy. It is probable that all these claims will be allowed. In the cases of Grace H. Goddard and Eunice Corbitt the evidence is complete, and the pension certificates to which they are entitled would be issued, if we had funds to pay their pensions. In the other cases the proof is not yet complete. In some cases it will be discovered that blanks are left as to the amount claimed and the time claimed from. The reason for this omission is, that the papers containing the evidence are defective on those points. We have a number of other navy claims before this office; but I did not deem it necessary to make a statement of those cases, because it is somewhat doubtful whether pensions will be granted. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. M. FILLmore, Chairman Com. Ways and Means, Ho. of Reps. |