The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-12-29


the laws Of the United States over the State Of Tex
as, and for other purposes; and asked that mem
Der Of said committee might be appointed IN the
place of Mr. JARNAGiN.
The PRESIDENT, having been empowered so
to do, appointed Mr.. GREENE a member Of said
! committee. M .
| Mr. BRIGHT reported from the committee, that
they had examined, and found duly enrolled, the
resolution for the admission of the State of Texas
into the Union.
sArPERs, MINERS, AND roNToNEERs.
The Senate proceeded in committee Of the whole,
| 10 the consideration of the bill TO organize COM
psny Of sappers, and miners, and pontoneers; and
no amendments being offered, the same was report
ed back TO the Senate; when
| Mr.. BENTON said that il was very desirable
that this bill should pass immediately; the Secre-
tary of War had been importuned by the command
ing officers of the army on the frontiers for the or
ganization of such company, for want OF which
men were obliged to be detached from other service
| to perform the duties which are usually performed
| by such company.
No amendments being offered by the Senate the
question upon engrossing the for third read
| ing was decided in the affirmative.
THE STATE OF TEXAS.
message was received from the House of Rep
resentatves announcing that the bill for the extern
sion of the laws Of the United States over the State
| of Texas and for other purposes, had been signed
by the Speaker of the House. 1.-THE bill was un-
derstood to be subsequently signed by the Vice
| Presidentl
Mr. HAYWOOD, from the Committee on Com
merce reported back the "Bill to establish collection
districts in the State Of Texas, and for other pur-
poses," amended SO as 10 read as follows:
BILL to establish collection district In the State Of
| Texas, and for other purposes
Be enacted by the Senate and HOUSE Of Representative,
g Ms United States aaeriea IN Congress assembled, That
city of Galveston the only port of entry, which shall
annexed Sabine yelasco, Matagorda. Cavello La Vaca
Be further enacted That collector for the district OF
Texas aforesaid shall be appointed by the President with
who shall hold his office upon the and for the
prescribed BY law for the like Offices in other districts
he shall be entitled 10 salary not exceeding thousand
dollars including in that sum the fees allowed by law
ceeding the said of thousand dollars shall he
counted for and paid into the treasury Of the United States
port. Of delivery to witt SABINE W Vesso Mas
gorda Caveio La vaca and Corpus Christi shall be sp
the United states shall hold their Offices respectively
upon the terms and for the time prescribed by law for the
entitled each to salary not exceeding one thousand dol
lars, including in that sum the fees allowed by law; and
year for fees exceeding the said sum Of one thousand
dollars shall be accounted for and paid into the treasury
| the United States.
MIR. HAYWOOD asked for the third reading of
the bill 4
III,
that it could be done by unanimous consent.
Mr.. ARCHER observed that he understood that
a messenger would leave the city to morrow morn
ing for Texas. AS it was desirable that the reve-
nue-system should 60 into operation at once, TO pre-
vent smuggling every sort of facility for this pur
pose ought to be given; and, therefore, he did not
object to the third reading Of the bill. He did not
however, press this course, but merely threw out
the suggestion for the consideration Of the Senate.
Mr.. DAVIS, for the information Of the Senate,
stated that the bill simply provided for one collec
ton district for the State with collector to reside at
Galveston. This was thought to be expedient The
city of Galveston was merely port of entry, and
the only one within the State; and il was deemed
proper to make other places ports Of delivery. The
whole organization was this: one collector to re-
side at Galveston, and surveyors at the ports of de-
livery-excusively of the right of the collector to
appoint certain officers for the collection Of the reve-
nue. and to prevent smuggling. He saw no objec-
ton to the general features of the BILL far as his
judgment went Whether or not they were very
we-informed on the subject, the organization was
gencies which existed for the collection Of the rcvc-
nue. until better information could be obtained.
Mr.. HUNTINGTON wished to make single
inquiry. If he understood the bill as it had been
read, there was provision that the collector shall
be entitled to- at least, the of two thousand dol
lars.
Mr.. DAVIS. Not at least, but at most.
Mr.. HUNTINGTON. Very well; but entitled
to two thousand dollars. Whatever the amount of
the fees may be, the collector was to receive two
thousand dollars, and each surveyor thousand dol
lars. This inquiry of the senator from Massachu.
sets [Mr. DAvis] was this: whether il was not un.
usual to fix the salary Of the collector at two thou
sand dollars, and that of the surveyors at a thou
sand! If unusual, why had provision been made
different from that for other collectors and survey
ors,
Mr.. DAVIS replied, that the proposition might
be judcious or injudicious. 1t was not very easy
to determine precisely what amount Of fees like
ly to be received until they know something of the
trade. Not being wcll-nformed, not having ample
information, the committee seemed fully authorized
to act decisivey; they thought it the better way
to give the officers reasonable compensation,
and make it certain to them. If experience shall
show that different arrangement should be entered
into, it would be, as matter of course. At pres
ent, they did not deem the salaries unreasonable.
They supposed that in the whole of those ports inn
porant duties must devolve; and it was therefore,
the opinion Of the committee, that the collector
should receive two thousand dollars and the officers
at the ports Of delivery thousand dollars The
general law he believed, authorized collectors to re-
ceive not exceeding four thousand dollars.
Mr. HUNTINGTON. II the fees amount to
that sum.
Mr. DAVIS said, what the amount of fees would
be at any one Of these ports they could not deter
mine. If the trade should prove as great as it had
been, the fees would exceed two thousand dollars.
The probability, however, was this: that the reve-
nue. would diminish as the entries had, to small
extent, been from foreign countries; and, by exam
ming several statistics, it ascertained that the
entries were chiefly from the United States. And,
therefore, the probability was, that the revenue
would rather diminish than increase. The commit
tee considered the provision experiment, and
the salaries not unreasonable under the circum.
stances.
message was received from the House of Rep
resentatives, by their clerk, that the President of
the United States had affixed his signature to the
joint resolutions for the admission of Texas into the
Union.
A message in writing was received from the Pres.
idcnt of the United States.
The Senate then went into an executive session;
after time spent therein, the doors open
ed; when
The bill to establish collection district in the
State Of Texas, and for other purposes, was read
third time, and passed.
The Senate then adjourned