FEBRUARY 6, 1850.
Ordered, That 10,000 copies extra be printed.
To the House of Representatives of the United States :
I transmit to the House of Representatives, in answer to a resolution of
that body passed on the 31st of December last, the accompanying reports
of heads of departments, which contain all the official information in the
possession of the Executive asked for by the resolution.
On coming into office, I found the military commandant of the depart-
ment of California exercising the functions of civil governor in that Terri--
tory; and left, as I was, to act under the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo,
without the aid of any legislative provision establishing a government in
that Territory, I thought it best not to disturb that arrangement, made
under my predecessor, until Congress should take some action on that sub-
ject. I therefore did not interfere with the powers of the military com-
mandant, who continued to exercise the functions of civil governor as be--
fore; but I made no such appointment, conferred no such authority, and
have allowed no increased compensation to the commandant for his ser-
With a view to the faithful execution of the treaty, so far as lay in the
power of the Executive, and to enable Congress to act, at the present ses--
sion, with as full knowledge and as little difficulty as possible, on all matters
of interest in these Territories, I sent the honorable Thomas Butler King
as bearer of despatches to California, and certain officers to California and
New Mexico, whose duties are particularly defined in the accompanying
letters of instruction addressed to them severally by the proper departments.
I did not hesitate to express to the people of those Territories my desire
that each Territory should, if prepared to comply with the requisitions of the
constitution of the United States, form a plan of a State constitution and sub
mit the same to Congress, with a prayer for admission into the Union as a