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

Messrs. Badger, Baldwin, Bell, Benton, Berrien, Butler, Clarke, Corwin, Davis, of Massachusetts, Dayton, Dix, Downs, Fitzgerald, Foote, Greene, Hale, Hannegan, Houston, Hunter, Johnson, of Louisiana, Johnson, of Georgia, Jones, King, Mangum, Mason, Metcalfe, Miller, Pearce, Rusk, Spruance, Underwood, Upham, Webster, Westcott, Yulee.

Those who voted in the negative are,

Messrs. Allen, Atchison, Atherton, Borland, Bradbury, Breese, Bright, Cameron, Davis, of Mississippi, Dickinson, Dodge of Iowa, Fitzpatrick,, Hamlin, Niles, Sebastian, Turney, Walker. The bill having been further amended,

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1849.

On motion by Mr. Badger,

Ordered, That a message be sent to the House of Representatives to request a return of the bill (S. 415) to grant the right of way across the public lands, and to dispose of said land in aid of the several States in the construction of railroads and canals.

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

Mr. President: The House of Representatives is now ready to receive the Senate, in pursuance of the resolution of the two Houses, to the end that the President of the Senate, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, may open the certificates of the votes of the electors of the several States in the choice of a President and Vice President of the United States, and that the same may be counted.

The two Houses of Congress, agreeably to the resolution passed by the two Houses, assembled in the chamber of the House of Representatives, and the certificates of the electors of the several States were by the President of the Senate opened and delivered to the tellers appointed for the purpose; who, having examined and ascertained the number of votes, presented a list thereof to the President of the Senate, which was read, as follows:

List of the votes for President and Vice President of the United States for four years, to commence on the fourth day of March,

1849.

The whole number of the electors appointed to vote for President and Vice President of the United States is 290, of which 146 make

a majority.

The state of the vote, as delivered by the tellers, is:

For Zachary Taylor, of Louisiana, 163.

For Lewis Cass, of Michigan, 127.

And the state of the vote for Vice President of the United States,

as delivered by the tellers, is:

For Millard Fillmore, of New York, 163.

For William O. Butler, of Kentucky, 127.

Whereupon,

The President of the Senate declared that Zachary Taylor, of the State of Louisiana, having the greatest number of votes for President, and that number being a majority of the whole number of electors, was duly elected President of the United States for four years, commencing on the fourth day of March, 1849; and that Millard Fillmore, of the State of New York, having the greatest number of votes for Vice President, and that number being a majority of the whole number of electors, was duly elected Vice President of the United States for four years, commencing on the fourth day of March, 1849.

The votes of the electors were then delivered to the Secretary of the Senate, and the Senate then returned to their chamber.

Mr. Davis, of Mississippi, from the committee appointed on the part of the Senate, jointly with the committee appointed on the part of the House of Representatives, to ascertain and report a mode of examining the votes for President and Vice President of the United States, and of notifying the persons elected of their election, reported:

"That the joint committee, in further execution of the duties with which they were charged by the two Houses, have agreed to the following resolution; in which their committee recommend to the Senate to concur:

"Resolved, That a committee of one member be appointed on the part of the Senate, to join a committee of two members on the part of the House of Representatives, to wait upon Zachary Taylor, of Louisiana, and inform him that he has been duly elected President of the United States for four years, to commence on the fourth day of March, 1849; and, also, to wait on Millard Fillmore, of New York, and inform him that he has been duly elected Vice President of the United States for four years, to commence on the fourth day of March, 1849."

The Senate, by unanimous consent, proceeded to consider the resolution; and the resolution was agreed to.

Ordered, That the Secretary request the concurrence of the House of Representatives therein.

Mr. Johnson, of Louisiana, from the Committee on Pensions, to whom were referred the following bills:

H. R. 285. Act for the relief of John Campbell;

H. R. 445. Act for the relief of Elizabeth Williamson;

H. R. 449.

H. R. 454.

H. R. 453.

H. R. 501.

Act for the relief of John Wilson;

Act for the relief of Edward Taylor;
Act for the relief of Amos Armstrong;
Act for the relief of Henry Miller;

H. R. 545. Act for the relief of Polly Dameron, widow of Charles Dameron, deceased;

H. R. 546. Act for the relief of Elizabeth Kinney;

H. R. 551. Act for the relief of Edward Cole;

H. R. 552. Act for the relief of George S. Chaflin;

H. R. 554. Act for the relief of David Towle, reported the same without amendment.

Mr. Johnson, of Louisiana, from the Committee on Pensions, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 558) for the relief of Joseph D. Ward, reported it with an amendment.

On motion by Mr. Johnson, of Louisiana,

Ordered, That the Committee on Pensions, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 613) for the relief of Martha Dameron, be discharged from the further consideration thereof, and that it be referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs.

The following message was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Walker, his secretary:

To the Senate of the United States:

I transmit, herewith, a report from the Secretary of War, together with the accompanying papers, in compliance with a resolution of the Senate of the 12th instant, requesting the President to communicate to that body the proceedings under the act of Congress of the last session, to compensate R. M. Johnson for the erection of certain buildings for the use of the Choctaw academy; also, the evidence of the cost of said buildings.

WASHINGTON, February 14, 1849.

The message was read.

JAMES K. POLK.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on Finance.
On motion,

The Senate adjourned.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1849.

The Vice President laid before the Senate a report of the Commissioner of Patents, showing the proceedings of the Patent Office during the past year; which was read and referred to the Commit

tee on Patents.

The Vice President laid before the Senate a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, in relation to the amount expended for pay and rations of officers and men of the naval establishment, detailed under the law for coast survey services; which was read, and ordered to be printed.

Mr. Dix presented a petition of citizens of Ontario county, 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 a petition of citizens of New York, praying such amendments of 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. Felch presented the petition of Martin Dubois, a revolutionary pensioner, praying an increase of pension; which was referred to the Committee on Pensions.

Mr. Sturgeon presented a memorial of citizens of Pennsylvania, praying such amendments of the patent laws as will secure to pat

entees the benefits of their inventions; which was referred to the Committee on Patents and the Patent Office.

Mr. Walker presented two petitions of citizens of the United States, praying that the public domain may be granted in suitable farms and lots to actual settlers not possessed of other lands; which were referred to the Committee on Public Lands.

On motion by Mr. Felch,

Ordered, That the memorial of the American board of commissioners for foreign missions, on the files of the Senate, be referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

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

Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of authorizing a grant of land to the surviving officers of the army, who served to the termination of the war with Great Britain, commenced in 1812, and were then discharged from the service, under the provisions of an act of Congress for reducing the army; and also to the widows and children of those who have died since the close of the war.

On motion by Mr. Felch,

Ordered, That the Committee on Public Lands be discharged from the further consideration of documents of John Millikin and others.

Mr. Underwood, from the Committee on Public Lands, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 650) for the relief of William Kingsbury, reported it without amendment, and submitted an adverse report; which was ordered to be printed.

Mr. Hamlin, from the Committee on Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 571) for the relief of William Milford, reported it without amendment.

Mr. Baldwin, from the Committee of Claims, to whom was referred the petition of John S. Devlin, administrator of Elijah J. Weed, submitted a report, accompanied by a bill (S. 462) for the relief of the securities of Elijah J. Weed, late quartermaster of marines. The bill was read, and passed to the second reading. Ordered, That the report be printed.

Mr. Baldwin, from the Committee of Claims, to whom was referred the petition of William Caton, submitted an adverse report; which was ordered to be printed.

On motion by Mr. Felch,

Ordered, That the Committee on Public Lands be discharged from the further consideration of the petition of Samuel Simonton, and that it be referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Mr. Atchison, from the Committee on Indian Affairs, to whom was referred the petition of certain head chiefs of the Chippewa tribe of Indians, reported a resolution (S. R. 60) to defray the expenses of certain Chippewa Indians and their services; which was read the first and second times by unanimous consent, and considered as in Committee of the Whole; and having been amended, it was reported to the Senate, and the amendment was concurred in.