Resolved, That the Committee on the Public Lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of granting unto Zachariah Dixon, of the county of Amite, of Mississippi, a pre-emption right to purchase, at the minimum price, fractional section number forty, in township two, range two east, or any part thereof, according to the legal division and subdivision lines. Resolved, "That the Committee on the Public Lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of extending to the heirs and legal representatives of Edward Jones, late of the county of Amite, in the State of Mississippi, declared under the act of Congress, passed March 21st, 1828, entitled an act to revive and continue in force the several acts making provision for the extinguishment of the debt due to the United States by the purchasers of public lands, and of making the relinquishment of the west half of the northwest quarter of section number 13, in township three of range three east, in the land district west of the Red river, made by Samuel B. Marsh, administrator of said Jones, of the same effect and validity as if the said relinquishment had been executed prior to the 4th of July, 1829. Resolved, That the Committee on the Public Lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of authorizing the proper department to refund to Thomas C. Vaughn, of Mississippi, the amount of money, and interest thereon paid, for so much of fractional sections number 30 and 37, of township ten, range one east, as was paid, the quantity of land over and above the true contents of said fractional sections; and that the said committee be instructed to inquire into the expediency of authorizing Thomas C. Vaughn, or the legal holder of confirmed claim No. 29, of township 10, of range one east, in the district west of Pearl river, to locate so much of said claim on any of the unappropriated lands of the United States within the State of Mississippi, as has been sold and conveyed by the General Government to other persons. Resolved, That the Committee on the Public Lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of providing by law for the ratification and confirmation of all bona fide contracts, made for a fair and valuable consideration, for the sale and transfer of any of the reservations of land granted to individuals of the Choctaw tribe of Indians, under and by virtue of the provisions of the treaty of Dancing Rabbit creek, made and entered into between the said tribe of Indians and the United States in 1830. Resolved. That the Committee on the Public Lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of authorizing the two-fifths of the five per cent of the nett proceeds of the sales of all the public lands within the State of Mississippi, (which has been reserved for the purpose of making roads leading to the State under the direction of Congress,") to be paid over to the State of Mississippi, and expended within the limits of said State under the direc tion of the Legislature thereof. Resolved, That the Committee on the Public Lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of removing the office of Surveyor General in the dis trict south of the State of Tennessee, from Washington to Jackson, the seat of Government of the State of Mississippi. Resolved, That the Committee on the Public Lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of reorganizing the land districts in the State of Mississippi, and of establishing new ones within that part of the Territory to which the Indian title has recently been extinguished. Resolved, That the Committee on the Public Lands be instructed to inquire whether any of the States have received donations of land from the General Government for the purpose of making roads, bridges, canals, and improving water courses; the quantity of land received by each State; and into the expediency of granting to such of the new States as have received no porportion of the public domain for such purposes, a quantity of land equal to that granted to the other States, to be applied, under the direction of the Legislature thereof, to objects of internal improvement within their respective limits. Resolved, That the Committee on the Public Lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of repealing so much of the act entitled "An act supplemental to the several laws for the sale of public lands, passed April 5, 1832, as provides that no person shall be permitted to enter more than one half quarter section of land in quarter quarter sections, or tracts of forty acres, and in no case, unless he intends it for cultivation, or for the use of his improvement;" and, also, into the expediency of repealing so much of said act as requires the person applying to make an entry under its provisions, to file an affidavit before making the purchase. Resolved, That the Committee on the Public Lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of providing by law for the payment of office rent to the registers and receivers of land offices, and to provide for the better preservation of the records, books, papers, &c. Resolved, That the Committee on the Public Lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of providing by law for the transcribing, and better preservation, of the books and papers of the land office at Augusta, Mississippi. Resolved, That the Committee on Revolutionary Claims be instructed to inqure into the expediency of allowing the claim of the heirs of Henry King, deceased, for services rendered, and money expended, as assistant commissioner of issues during the revolutionary war, and that the petition, and other documents on file among the records of this House, be referred to said committee. Resolved, That the Committee on Indian Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of making an appropriation for the purpose of aiding the Choctaw nation of Indians in establishing a printing press in the country to which they are now emigrating west of the Mississippi; and that the documents presented to Congress on that subject, at the last session, by Harkins and Foster, be referred to said committee. Resolved, That the Committee on Invalid Pensions be instructed to inquire into the expediency of granting to Right Fore, a citizen of Rankin county, Mississippi, and a soldier of the last war, a pension; and that the accompanying documents be referred to said committee. Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post route from Memphis, in Tennessee, to Rankin, in Mississippi. Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads inquire into the expediency of allowing the Postmaster at Jackson, Mississippi, a compensation in addition to the compensation now allowed by law. Resolved, That the report of the Postmaster General, and accompanying documents, on the subject of the obstructions to the safe transportation of the mail which exists in the Homochitto swamp, in the State of Mississippi, on the great mail route from Natchez to New Orleans, made to the House of Representatives at the first session of the twentieth Congress, be referred to the Committee on Internal Improvement, with instructions to inquire into the expediency of making a sufficient appropriation for the improvement of the swamp, to ensure the safe transportation of the United States' mail. Resolved, That the Committee on Roads and Canals be instructed to inquire into the expediency of appropriating the sum of ten thousand dollars for the purpose of improving the navigation of the pass or bayou connecting the waters of the Mississippi river with the head waters of Yazoo. On motion of Mr. Wing, Resolved, That the Committee on the Public Lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing two land offices between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi, in the Territory of Michigan, one to be located at Green bay, and the other at Mineral point or Dodgeville. On motion of Mr. White, of Florida, Resolved, That the Committee on Roads and Canals be instructed to inquire into the expediency of making an appropriation for the improvement of St. Augustine harbor, according to the report of the United States' engineer. On motion of Mr. White, of Florida, Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of repairing the fortification at St. Augustine, and for reconstructing the sea-wall connected with the same, and from thence in front of the city of St. Augustine. On motion of Mr. Daniel, Resolved, That the Committee on Revolutionary Claims be instructed to inquire into the expediency of paying to John Peck the balance of interest due on three final settlement certificates; and which is withheld at the Treasury in consequence of an error in the act of the last session of Congress, (No. 455) for the relief of John Peck." On motion of Mr. Howard, Resolved, That the Third Auditor of the Treasury be directed to lay before this House all the evidence collected by him, or submitted by him, together with the correspondence between himself and others, having relation to the subject-matter referred to him by the act of the twenty-ninth May, one thousand eight hundred and thirty, entitled "An act for the relief of sundry owners of vessels sunk for the defence of Baltimore." On motion of Mr. Wayne, Ordered, That the communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, of the 11th instant, transmitting the report of the agent selected to make the inspection into the accounts of the Bank of the United States; and the letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, of the 13th instant, transmitting the correspondence with the President of the Bank of the United States; and the documents furnished by the latter, relative to the arrangement made in Europe, on the part of the bank, for the postponement of the payment of the three per cent. stock of the United States, and the correspondence between the Secretary of the Treasury and the president of the bank, or its officers, as relate to the redemption of the three per cent. stock, be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means. The House resumed the consideration of the resolutions reported from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, on the President's message. The question recurred on the amendment moved by Mr. Polk, yesterday, to the 7th resolution; which amendment was agreed to, and the said 7th resolution was then concurred in by the House as amended, viz. 7. Resolved, That so much of the President's message as relates to the subject of internal improvement, be referred to the Committee on Roads and Canals. On motion of Mr. Taylor, The 8th resolution was amended to read as follows: 8. Resolved, That so much of the President's message as relates to the army and the operations thereof, and to the War Department, be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. As thus amended, the said 8th resolution was concurred in by the House. The 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th, of said resolutions were then, severally, concurred in by the House. Ön motion of Mr. Speight, The 15th resolution was amended to read as follows: 15. Resolved, That so much of the President's message as recommends an amendment of the Constitution in relation to internal improvements, and so much of said message as relates to the exercise of doubtful powers by Congress, be referred to a select committee. As thus amended, a motion was made by Mr. Stewart that the said 15th resolution do lie on the table. And the question being put, Yeas, It was decided in the negative, {Nays, 59, 118. The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, The said 15th resolution was then concurred in as amended. And the 16th resolution was then also concurred in; and Mr Barringer, Mr. Adam King, Mr. Weeks, Mr. Pitcher, Mr. Cahoon, Mr. Stewart, and Mr. McCarty, were appointed the Committee on the Militia in pursuance of the 9th resolution. Mr. Daniel, Mr. Speight, Mr. Polk, Mr. Everett, of Massachusetts, Mr. Archer, Mr. Vance, and Mr. Beardsley, were appointed the Committee on amending the Constitution in relation to internal improvement, and to the exercise of doubtful powers by Congress, in pursuance of the 15th resolution And then the House adjourned until to-morrow, twelve o'clock, meridian. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1832. On motion of Mr. Evans, of Maine, Ordered, That the petition of Heard Bracket, presented January 10th, 1832, be referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Mr. Evans, of Maine, presented a petition of Nehemiah Ward, a petition of Joseph Webb, and a petition of Joseph Prescot, of the State of Maine, praying for pensions; which petitions were referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. On motion of Mr. Crawford, Ordered, That the petition of Joseph Chamberlain, of Pennsylvania, presented January 16, 1932, be referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Mr. Edward Everett presented a petition of Ebenezer Breed & Com-pany, of Boston, praying indemnity for losses sustained on certain sugars by them imported, and detained by the collector of Boston, in consequence of a demand for illegal duties; which petition was referred to the Committee on Commerce. Mr. Appleton presented a petition of Caleb Andrews, of the city of Boston, praying to be allowed the drawback on a quantity of silks re-exported, which is withheld by reason of informality in the shipment; which petition was referred to the Committee on Commerce. On motion of Mr. Young, Ordered, That the petition of Jacob Bosworth, presented February 20, 1832, be referred to the Committee on Revolutionary Claims. |