The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1845-01-31


enlistment of boys in the Navy--not agreed to-
A bill for the relief of William Allen was read
twice and referred to the Committee on the Post
Office and Post Roads.
The bill making an alteration in the rates of post
age was called up, and under consideration when
our Reporter left the Senate.
HOUSE OF REPRESEN rATIVES.
WEDNESDAY, January 20, l845.
Mr.. A. c. DODGE, the Delegate from Iowa, pre-
sented To the House the evidence Of The of the
people of that Territory to the State constitution re-
Gently formed; also abstract of the census Of
| Iowa.
The States called, and several resolutions of
inquiry were submitted and agreed to.
| THE REPORTERS.
| MIR. HOUSTON moved to reconsider the vote by
which a resolution was passed yesterday, ordering
all papers" belonging to- and printed by order of the
House, TO be regularly placed on the Reporters
desks and the question having been taken, The re-
suit was-yeas 81, noes al.
No quorum having voted, the subject was consi-
dered of sufficient importance to call the yeas and
! nays, which were ordered Before responding to his
| name,
| Mr.. ADAMS inquired Of the Chair whether it
was designed to furnish all the Reporters he beiev-
| ed there fifteen "A voice: Thirty") with the
| matter printed for the House.
The SPEAKER replied that he knew nothing far
Their than the words OF the resolution.
Mr.. ADAMS asked whether the Chair did not I'M
jerstand it and
The SPEAKER rejoned that the gentleman from
Massachusetts was as capable of forming an opinion
as he was.
1.-THE papers" proposed to be placed on the Re-
porters desks bills reports and resolutions, fur
| nished to the members
The result of the call was announced-yeas ll9,
nays 3S-and so the resolution was reconsdered
SECURITY TO TRAVELLERS.
Mr.. TlBBArTS presented the memorial Of Thos
S. Halderman and lib other citizens of the Mssis
sppl Valley, praying that Congress may, early
iday as practicable, pass the bill of the House Of
Representatives, No. H. entitled bill to amend an
act entitled act to provide for the better security
OF the pes cpassengers board of steamboats, approx
ed July 9th, 1888, which was referred to the commit
tee OF the whole House on the state of the Union.
WESTERN RIVERS AND HARBoRs
Mr.. TlBBATTS gave notice of his intention to
| ask leave to introduce bill making appropriation
for the Improvement of certain western rivers and
harbors.
| CLAIMS ON MEXICO.
| Mr. DARRAGH, pursuant to notice, introduced a
bill to provide for the adjustment and settlement of
| claims of American citizens upon the republic of
Mexico; which was read twice. and referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs.
APPOINTMENTS TO OFFICE
|
| MAN yesterday, was taken up, viz:
Resolved, That in the appointments to aGica uudsr
the government Of the United States the e~nbers of
this House consider that each State and Territory
ought TO have its due proportion according to the
population thereof far may be found practical
BILE consistently with the public interest and that
the appointments hereafter TO be made ought to be
regulated as TO equalize the proportion among the
States and Territories aforesaid.
Mr.. ADAMS having expressed desire to debate
the resolution, it was ordered to lie over.
OREGON.
A motion made that the House resolve itself
into Committee of the Whole for the purpose of
taking up the bill to organize the Territorial Gov
eminent of Oregon.
Mr.. ADAMS said that the House, several days
ago passed bill providing for the purchase Of books
on the subject of Oregon and which had been semitic
the Senate Tor ITS concurrence and yesterday re-
solution passed, with vote of only four in the
negative, calling upon the Presdento of the United
States to communicate TO this House the state Of the
negotiation between this country and Great Britain.
His object in rising to ask the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. A. V. Brown whether he intended
10 drive through this bill without waiting for the in
formation TO which he had alluded.
Mr.. BROWN, IN reply, remarked that he bad no
desire to drive this any other but he no.
ped that the House would act on this subject without
delay. He did not consider that the elaboration of
this body depended the information referred to, or
the work of Mr.. Greenhow but If members thought
proper to wait for either it was not for him TO com
plain
The House then resolved itself into Committee
of the Whole on the state Of the Union, and resumed
the consideration of the bill TO organize the territorial
government of Oregon, and for other purposes.
The bill proposes that, after It's passage, all the
country belonging to the United States lying west OF
the summit of the Rocky Mountains and bounded on
the south by the fory-second and the north by the
forty fourth degree and forty minutes of north lat
tude shall constitute and be organized into temporary
government to be called the Oregon territory. gov
and secrearyIo be appointed for five years who
shall reside west Of the Rocky Mountains courts to
be established general assembly TO be Organized
soon there shall be FIVE thousand free white male
inhabitants the age Of twenty one years they
shall have authority TO elect representatives from the
counties townships, and districts; one for every hive
hundred nhabtants-the term of the representative
TO be two years The General Assembly to consist
of . legislative Council and House of Represen-
tatiyes-the former to consist of five members, to be
elected by the representatives. A delegate in Con
gress is allowed. The President OF the United States
is authorized and required to 10 be erected at
suitable places, line Of stockade forts and block
houses, not exceeding five in number, from some
point the Missouri river, on the most practicable
route to the south pass in the Rocky Mountains, and
to cause Notifications to be erected at near the
mouth Of the Columbia river. Six hundred and forty
Of land to be granted to every white male in
habitant who shall cultivate the same for five years
to every married man, in addItIon one hundred
and sixty acres to his wife, aud the like quantity
to the father for each child under the age of eighteen
years he may have, or which may be born within
five years.
Mr.. DUNCAN, in the commencement Of his re,
marks, alluded to the question having been promi-
nent in the Presidential election. On the banners of
the Democracy not merely the inscription,
"Polk, Dallas, and Oregon" but many of them,
"9H of Oregon )" and this great issue decided at
| the ballot-boxes he people wanted possession of
the territory, and the protection which our laws af
| forded extended over it-aDd this obtained, they
| would not care how long negotiations might be ex
tended or delayed The soil was extremely fertile
its wales ever green and ever growing, its hills
| clothed with timber and its mountains pregnant
with valuable minerals its scenery was magnificent
and its streams and rivers contained the choicest FISH