The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-01-26
TwENTY-FIFTH CONGRESS.
THIRD SESSION.
in SENATE
TnuaspAY, JAN. 20, ls39.

o. Nj KNIGHT: From Caleb Williams, VINO
has ,wo iron steamboats, building IN Europe, .e 9ne
Of too the other Of res hou,aIa hem in this
'ue M X saidthis was somewhat against inc
.n;9o, ,~stsn which he believed was TO DO every
th;ng ourselves and take from o'aels ony sun
things as could moi be nanuiaetu t a. no'ns go,
hIisysd these boats could not DC out mere, a. leas'
oe.'e,eu LII as in Europe; and he would move the
ho ~ IL The memorial to the Committee on Com
mG b. MIR. WRIGHT From Doctor Charles Q,
,rgoor III the marine corps
Nv Mr. WILLIAMS, Of Maine: From David
BurreSS.
REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES.
NJ, PRENTlSS, from the Committee on Pen
lions asked TO be discharged from the further con-
sideraon of the petition of Moses Leiwich praying
an increase OF pension.
Mr. NORVELL from the Commute on fevoiu-
uonary Claims reported Dill LOT the relieI OF lhe
heirs Of John Mcclellan, deceased,
Mr. FOSTER from the Committee on Revolu-
,ionary Claims, reported bill for the relief Of the
heirs Of Col John Fl. Stone, deceased.
Mr. DAVIS presented the credentials OF Mr.. WEI
sTER. the Senator elect from The State OF Massachu-
sets for the next six years from and after the Sd oil
March next.
Mr.. KING introduceda bill for the relief OF VIM.
H. Rollins of A. w. Smonds and another, which
he asked the consent OF the Senate TO consider at
once il being precisely the same that had passed The
last session The bill was SO considered, and order
ed TO be engrossed.
The bill for the reliefof DR.. John Campbell White
was read third time and passed.
Mr. SMITH, of Indiana. said he rose TO ask leave
10 introduce bill to regulate the price Of the land
acquired by the treaty with The Miami Indians OF
the 9Th Of November, 1888, which was ratified on
Yesterday. The bill fixes the minimum price OF these
lands at So so per acre.
MIR S. said his position in relation TO this bill
might require single word OF explanation, not SO
far as the Senate was concerned, as the whole matter
IL. a Snna nntI ha
State might desire TO know why it was that he had
proposed to fix the minimum of these lands at a
higher price than the usual price of public lands
He wished merely 10 satisfy that inquiry BY saying
that these lands were purchased from the Miami In
dams by the treaty which was ratified on Yesterday
at price that would require to remunerate the Go
vernmen the price fixed by the bill. The lands lie
the public works of the State, and the high
price given was fully justified by the value of the
lands, The price being the great objection to the
purchase, in the minds OF many Senators, he had
felt disposed, upon consultation with his colleague
TO remove that OBJ ection by the introduction of a bill
that would remunerate the Government for the pur
chase He had promised the Senate to do SO, and he
now rose to comply with that promise.
SURVEY or THE LAKES.
Mr. NORVELL said that at the last session Joint
resolution was reported BY the Committee on Com
merce, and passed by the Senate without dissen-
tient vote, authorizing the President OF the United
States 10 cause survey Of the Northwestern lakes
TO be made. He held in his hands letters from the
Secretary OF War, and the Chief of the Topographic
cal Bureau recognising the importance Of the con-
tempated survey; and they had minated, in diff
terent way, and under circumstances 10 which he
could not, at this time specifically allude that scien
thc gentlemen had been sought for and their abili
ties brought into requiSilion, with view to this
very interesting service, well with reference
TO other branches of the public interest. 1t was
fact that no American chart OF the lakes existed
thorough survey of those inland seas had ever been
thr,r,, xnI 49,,
indebted to British charts for all the knowledge we
possessed on the subject except that derived from
personal observation. 1t was difficult to obtain any
OF these British charts, in this country With
view TO the naval operations which war would
render necessary upon the lakes as well as in rela
ton TO their commerce and navigation the survey
so anxiously desired was aimportant. Impressed
with the necessity of the measure, the committee
had again instructed him to report the resolu
ton without any alteration. As he hoped and be-
lieved that no debate would arise upon the resou-
ton, he very respectfully moved thai the previous
orders of the day be postponed; and that the joint
resolution authorizing the President of the United
States to cause certain surveys to be made be now
taken up.
The motion was agreed to- and the joint resolution
considered, and ordered TO third re aiding.
PROCEEDS OF THE PUBLIC LANDS
MIR BENTON submitted resolution to the effec,
that the Secretary of the Treasury report to the
Senate whether any, and, if any, how much would
have been the deficit in the Treasury if the ACT to
appropriate for limited time the proceeds Of the
sales OF the public lands of the United States and
for granting land to certain States, which passed
both Houses of Congress, had received the approba
ton of the President, and been acted on up to the
lst day of January, 1889.
NIB. said he would ask TO have the resolution
considered at once.
Mr. NORVELL rose to avail himself of the op
portunity presented by the motion of the Senator
from Missouri, to correct mistake into which the
,tcstTA az thn a. r.
len, in the table which he had furnished of the pro-
ceeds of the sales Of the public lands, which were
proposed to be distributed among the several States
BY the bill of the Senator from Kentucky, (Mr.
Clay) which recei wed the veto of President Jack
son in 1888. The Commissioner had stated that
certain sums under the twelve and a half per cent
proposed for the new States in that bill and certain
specified sums under the general distribution pro-
posed in it, would have fallen to the lot of Michi-
gan and Arkansas. Now, if he remembered rightly
not cent would have been received under the bill,
either by Michigan or Arkansas. They were at
that period Territories of the United States. No
parnc'pation was allowed to them in that bill. 1t
uepehaed upon the subsequent pleasure Of Congress-
upon the passage Of another law, whether Michigan
or Arkansas would ever have received any portion
OF tne moneys which we're to be distributed if that
oill hda become law. He had felt il to be his duty
TO make this statement for the information of his
constituents at home. - $50
Mr.. TALLMADGE would prefer that the reso-
luton should lie over, as he did not perceive the
senator present who was interested in the matter.
ed TO know what the state of the Treasury would
have been at this time, if that bill had become
law
Mr. BENTON rose to introduce a bill to repeal
the salt tax and went at large into the merits OF the
measure "
Mr.. DAVIS said It was not usual 10 discuss the
merits of bill on its presentation. He desired
however, to make some few observations in reply to
inc Senator, and would do so either tomorrow or
the next dav =.
table " " e
The bill from the House o. Representatives for
C me Ieneei OF The legal representatives Of Thomas
Crascock was read, and referred to the Commit,ee
OF Claims - community
Ranoh o IRON the Senate for the relief Of Thomas