The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-12-29
TWENTY-FIFTH CONGRESS.
THIRD SESSION.
IN SENATE.
WEDNESDAY,. Dec. %, 1879.

Memorials and petitions were presented and re-
! ferred--
By Mr.. ALLEN: From suudry citizens Of Erie
county, Ohio praying the establishments Of nalion-
By Mr.. FULTON Resolutions from the Legs
la,ufe of Arkansas in relation 10 allowing such per-
sons as had made improvements ON public lands to
| float their pre-empion rights.
| Also from the same, in relation TO relinqulshlng
the sixteenth section where they ioundsleri, and
to select others iD their place.
The VICE PRESIDENT communicated TO the
Senate letter from The President OF the United
States, with accompanying documents rom me pc
cretary of War In relation to the Pea Patch Island
stating that the public works had been put stop TO
| in consequence OF said island having been taken
possession Of by the individual claimant under de-
cison of the District Court OF New Jersey, and tha
unless some steps taken, great losses must en-
| sue TO the public.
Mr. LINN gave notice that he would, tomorrow,
ask leave to bring in bill for the relief OF certain
companies of Missouri Volunteers.
Mr. KING also gave notice OF his intention 10 IN
troduce bill 10 remunerate The Corporation Of NO
bile for advances made in equippng military COM
! pany
REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES.
| Mr. ROBINSON, from The Committee on the
Post Office and Post Roads, reported bill for the
| relief OF certain persons therein named.
| On motion Of Mr.. PRENTISS, the Committee
on Pensions were discharged from the further consi
Iteration Of The petition of Eliza Causin, and the
same was referred TO the Committee on Revolution
AIRY Claims.
| Mr.. STRANGE, from the Committee on the
Patent Office, asked leave TO be discharged from the
further consideration of the petition Of Henry
Stone
MIR Upton, from the Committee on Military
Affairs reported bill for the relief Of the Clerks in
the Second Auditors ONCE, accompanied by sps-
| cia report
Mr.. WILLIAMS, from the Committee on PEN
sons asked TO be discharged from the further consi.
| Iteration of the petition of Ethra Cleveland
| On motion of Mr.. LINN,
| Resoirsd, That the Commute. on Commerce be in
sructcd TO inquire into the expediency Of making
appropriation improve the harbor Of ST. LOUIS Mis-
souri,.
Also, Resoiced That the Secretary of War send to
the Senate the report N any has been made) Of the
gineer who had &c supsrn.endence Of the public
works undertaken for ti6 purpose Of improving the
| above harbor.
Also, Resolped, That so much sl the different re-
ports Of the appointed under the acts Of
July, 1882 and 1885, for the final adjustment OF private
land claims in Missouri and Arkansas, have not been
acted on by Congress, be referred to theommi.tee
Private Land Claims. EiJc&
Also, Resoired Tha. the CommittShsK Commerce
be instructed to inquire into the expedtr of making
appropriation improve the nayigati bf the Mis-
sour river from its mouth TO Fort Leavehyor,h.
Also, Resolpcd That the Committee On Commerce
be instructed to inquire the expedienc establish
pg marine hospitals the Mississippi and Ohio rivers,
and also on the Northern lakes and that the report Of
the Secretary Of the Treasury and documents accom-
panyng the same be referred to said committee.
| On motion of Mr. STRANGE,
| Resolved That the Committee on the Post Office
and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the pro-
priety Of afordng relief to the securities Of VIM. b.
Ferguson, and report by bill or otherwise.
| On motion Of Mr. FOSTER,
Resoired, That the Committee on the Judiciary be
instructed to inquire into the proprety Of raising the
salary allowed BY law tho District Judge for the Dis
trcts OF East and West Tennessee.
Mr. CLAY, OF Alabama, introduced bill for the
lief Of certain settlers the public lands deprived Of
the benefit Of the act granting pre- empon rights which
was approved on the 10Th June, 1884
Also, bill authorizing the REIMBURSEMENT Of the six
eenth sections for the benefit Of schools and the entry
| Of other lands in lieu thereof
Mr. Upton introduced bill granting to Peter
Warner, OF Indiana the right to purchase certain half
| section Of land. ,.
On motion Of Mr. HUBBARD the bill for the COM
pleton OF the Cumberland road through the States Of
Of the day, was postponed until "Wednesday az n oue,
| made the special order for that day. s.
The bill for the reduction and graduation OF the price
| OF the public lands taken up, when Mr. CLAY
moved ITS posponement until Wednesday next but,
at the suggestion Of Mr. CLAY, of Alabama this motion
was modified so as to postpone it until Monday.
| Mr.. BENTON submitted additional information in
relation TO the subject Of the BILL derived from the Land
Office, which was ordered to be printed
The bill for the relief Of the owners of the brig Des
patcn was consluereu IN COMMITTEE oil the Whole, and
| ordered to be engrossed fer third reading.
The bill TO the captors of the priva4eer
Lydia was also taken up in Committee of the Whole,
and after being warmly advocated and explained by Mr.
DAVIS and Mr.. NILES, and opposed by Mr.. CAL
HOUN, ordered to be engrossed for third read
ing,
The bill for the relief of Jcchonias Pigot and Bcnja-
min Lecraf, spre,ies Of James Nancy, ordered to
be engrossed for third reading
The bill to remit to the Philadelphia, Wilmington,
and Baltimore Railroad Company the duties upon GER
tain railroad iron ordered 10 be engrossed for third
reading.
The bill to rcinquish to the State Of Alabama the
two per cent fund reserved by the act for her admis
sion into the Union, to be applied to tho making of
road roads leading to said State then taken IN
when
Mr.. CLAY, of Alabama, explained, and advo-
Gated the bill, and noticed various benefits which
would result from IT. particularly to the State of
Alabama ....
Mr.. NILES opposed the bill, on the ground of his
general opposition 10 internal improvements by this
Government, whether constitutional or not-a ques-
| ton which he would not now discuss. He had voted
| in favor Of the Cumberland road, on the peculiar
ground that it was the general object in the case of
| that road, TO open communication TO the Western
| from the Atlantic States. But on that road more
than the two per cent. fund for all the new States
had been already expended; and on this general OBJ
ject in favor of all the Western States that fund
| might be considered as already exhausted.
| Mr. CLAY, of Alabama, replied that this
the very first time he had heard this idea of gene
raj and joint concern in the two per cent fund sug
| geSted in this manner, here or elsewhere. Mr.. G.
argued at length that the compocs in regard TO the
two per cent. fund were made separately and dis
tfnctly with the several new States, as they were adj
| mitted into the Union, making reference what
ever to thai fund Joint or general fund. He in
sisted therefore, that Alabama should have the be-
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