The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-22

recommends ,ooutd lead 60 war.'-U Union.
Five or six Of the gentlemen who occupy seats
IN tho reporters gallery entertained the same, and
as i now appears, erroneous opinion with regard
10 the only point on which the accuracy oil the re-
port has been at all impusaed.
On motion, IL wGs
Rss-sd That when the Senate adjourned 1t should adj
Iourn to Monday neat
The Senate then proceeded to the consideration Of
executive businessi and after some time so spent,
the doors were opened, and the Senate adjourned
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
The journal Of yesterday Was read and aP-
proved.
posr-RoUTE.
Mr.. G. s. HOUSTON, on leave giyer, offered
the following resolution; which was adopted:
Rssoirsd That the Committee the Post Once and Post
Road. be Instructed inquire into the snpsdieney
bams, to MoultoH, In Lawrence county, Alabama.
DUTIES ON isrorrs.
Mr.. G. W. JONES asked the House at this
time TO take ~ and consider the resolution offered
by him yesterday, and then laid over by the rule
He did not suppose that il could give rise TO any
debate; but if It did, he would Withdraw his mo-
ton.
No objection being made, the resolution was
Rsosd That the Secretary OF the Treasury be directed
report this House the quantity. invoice value cost
amount Of duts, actually paid the rate Of duty and the
dutslls imported into the United States during the
year ending January 30, lsaa.
No amendment having been offered, the resolu-
ton adopted.
The SPEAKER laid before the Honse letter
from the Secretary OF the Treasury, transmitting
report from the Register OF the Treasury, In
compliance with resolution OF the House or the
18th instant, showing the amount expended spnu-
ally for the printing Of the two houses Of Con-
gress from the first to the last Congress nclusive
which letter and report were referred to the select
committee upon the subject of printing
FREsosf's HEroRr--AoAis.
The SPEAKER also presented the following
communication from B. B. FRESen, esq clerk Of
the House; which was read:
oFEeE OF TIE CLERx Housr Rrrs. u. s.,
January 81, ls46.
To Ne Speaker Of The House Of Representatives.;
STA On the 18Th instant, the House passed n
resolution IN the following Words
Rs.oh.d That the clerk Of House b. and he hereby
i directed uisribns the extra copies Of Lieutenant
FTemoH, reports ordered to be printed BY the last House
amongst the members Of the present House.
The document which the undersg ned was thus
directed to distribute to the members Of this House
ordered TO be printed and distributed by reso
luton Of the last House of Representatives sdopt-
ed the 2sth day Of February ls45 in The follow
ing words;
R,,ovss That the clerk fthis Hous. be- and he here
by directed TO receive the Of Congress the
ports Of Lieutenant (new breSet Capsln Fienon sxpe
don OF 1919 sud islt to Oregon and North California as
the shall be published. from the War Department
and that thousand copies Hsreofb be printed to-
gether with the Autographed maps and drawings
pany ing the for the Of the members Of pres
Congress and also the po OF the oeer Of his
expedition 10 the Rocky Ia the year be
printed with The report OF the last expedition without the
appendix Of astronomical and meteorological observation
10 view Of the contradiction in terms contained
in the foregoing resolutions, the undersigned
entertained doubts TO the effect Of the resolu-
ton passed by the last House. IL became a
question in his mind whether that resolution
did not vest right Of property in the document
ordered by that resolution to be distributed in the
members of that Congress- Of which those persons
alone could divest themselves. And the clerk hay.
ing them In his possession an order Of member of
the last Congress, dated, March T. lS45, to deliver
call public documents or books" due to him az a
member of the 2Sth Congress, to gentleman in this
city, deemed proper the day Of the adoption of
the resolution Of the 18th inst by the present House
to address letter to the Attorney General of the
United States setting out the facts and respectfully
requesting his opinion, whether the clerk could de-
liver the copies of Fremont's report, still undcliv-
cred, TO the members Of this House, without sub
jeetng himself to legal prosecution by members of
the last House, for thus disposng of books which
they claimed as their property. And also whether
by the passage of the resolution Of the 18th of Feb
ruary, lS45, the property OF the books ordered
vested in the members Of the House which passed
the resolution.
The Attorney General has no, replied in writing.
or officially to the letter Of the undersigned but al
a personal interview with that officer, he declined
giving opinion, and advised the undersigned TO
bring all the facts before the House, through the
Speaker
The undersigned respectfully states that no ques-
ton has ever heretofore been made, within his
knowledge as to the private and personal right of
a member TO such books and documents as the
House have by resolution ordered to be distribu-
ted amongst the members; and there are many cases
on the files ofthe office where executors admnstra-
tors, and assgnees have applied for, and received the
books and documents OF their testators ntes,ates or
asslgnors; and there are now in the possession of the
Undersigned as clerk of this House, hundreds of vol
umes Of books belonging to members Of former Con-
crosses, which he has ever held to be as sacredly
their private property, he would the value in
money of those same books deposited with him in
trust. ,..
There is no question that the members of the last
House Of Representatives, who are not members
of this House, consider themselves entitled each to
his proportion of the ten thousand copies of Ere
mont's report, ordered by the resolution of the last
House; and many of those members have sent TO
their successors In the present House orders upon
The clerk to deliver the copies to which they are en-
titled, to those SUCCESSORS for distribution among
their common constituents. Since the adoption by
the House of the resolution of the 18th instant the
undersigned has received letters from several MEM
bers'of the last House of Representatives, who are
not members Of this House, protesting against the
delivery of the copies Of Fremonts report claimed
by them, to any person other than Themselves ex-
cept by their order. Those letters are commune
Gated herewith, together with letter from highly
respectable member Of this House, protesting gem
orally Sin behalf Of those who are absent, to nv
taking any step whatever to deprive them of Ere
mont's journal, to which they entitled by virtue
of solemn legal and valid act of the last Houae
Of Representatives"
Under these circumstances the undersigned feels
that he is placed in most unpleasant dilemma
While he may subject himself, on the one hand, to
legal prosecution, by complying with the order Of
the 18th inst, he is that he may on the other
hand incur blame and censure by failing to do SO.
He knows, however, that in appealing through
you, to the House of Representatives relieve him,
IN some way, from the embarrassment in which he
10 placed, he appeals to body composed of individ-
uals not one Of whom would require him to do an
act which would have the remotest tendency TO in
vove him in personal difficulty.
He therefore most respectfully but earnestly
prays that the House may take such order in the
L e.