Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-07-15
CONGRESSIONAL.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

PuaPo'o !" 6s'h6 Picie'OhSc "
Mr. STEPHENS moved suspension of the rules for the
purpose Of enabling him to offer The following resolutions
esoicd That the President be requested communicate
TO this House the best and reliable information In his pos
session relating TO the proper limits and boundaries OF New
Mexico and California, with the population Of each
lively and particularly copies OF the referred TO in the
late treaty between Mexico and the United States.
Rssoiued further That the President be also requested to
inform this House whether there are not now civil Govern
ments organized in New Mexico and California and ii SO,
what their form and Character by whom and when
they instituted and by what authority by whom and In what
he inform this House the and other officers
appo in New Mexico by Gen Keay in 1s46, aud the
Governor other officers appointed by Commodore Stock
ton in California during year. the appont-
ments thus conferred Them and whether the salaries a
fixed their Offices have been paid Of the Treasury Of the
United States and, If SO, by what authority Of law.
On the motion suspend the rules the yeas and nays
taken and resulted yeas 1853, nays n
Two-thds having voted in the affirmative the rules
suspended and the resolutions received.
Mr.. STEPHENS did not intend TO much OF the
time OF the House in presenting the which influenced
him in offering these resolutions The President Of the Uni
ted States communicated to this House few days ago the
fact that he had lately made treaty, by which acquired
California and New Mexico and he called Congress
make the necessary legislation for those territories and it
seemed to him (M SrEpHEss manfesy proper that this
House should bc informed what the extent Of the boun
daries and limits Of this country which to egis
late and the character of the people whom e
asate So New Mexico concerned for one he wish
cd to know auhoatvely from the President what the limits
Of that country He wished to know whether New
Mexico extends this side Of the Rio Grande and, if
So to what He wished know the President calls
on Congress legsate for portions of territory which he had
previously informed the country belonged to Texas and he
the honorable from Texas wished 10
obtain the information He wished the President to in
form this House and the country it, in the face of his message
of e46 which be (Mr had before him, Santa Fe is in
New Mexico, or within the limits of Texas which has been
attached TO this Union He had the Presidents message
1916 in his hand, and he would reada short extract from it
II follows
sThe Congress Of Texas the 10Th of December 1885,
passed define the boundaries Of the republic ofTex
which they declared the Rio Grande from its mouth
be the boundary and by the said they extend
ed their civil and political jurisdiction the country up
TO boundary. During period Of than nine years
which adoption Of her constitution
her annexation OF the States OF UnoD Texas
ed and exercised acts Of sovereignty and jurisdiction
country and inhabitants of the Nueces She
organized aud defined the limits of counties extending the
Rio Grande She established Of justice and extended
her judicial the territory She established
tomhouse and collected dutie and also po Offices and post
roads in She established land Office and issued
grants for land within its limits Senator and Represen
tative residing in it elected to Congress Of the re-
public and served such when the of annexation took
place In both the Congress and Convention of Texas which
gave their the annexation the United States
proposed by Congress- representatives residing
othe Nueees who took part in the act Of annexation ITSELF
This the Texas which, by Of Congress goth
of December lS45, admitted OF the States Of this
Unonn
What Texas, He wanted the president to show what
Texas he meant The Texas which extends from the mouth
the President of the United States enths the people
doubtless understood him.
Now about the same time this message was sent to Con-
gress there file in the Department of State docu
which he wished call the attention Of the House.
1t a document which emanated from Brig. Gen. Keany
which in these words
"Appointnaeat By Gen. Kenny Of cira officers
"Being duly authorized by the President of the United
for the government of New Mexico Territory Of the Unit
ed States The officers thus appointed will be obeyed and
spected accordingly
Charles Bent, TO be Governor.
Doaaisano Vigil, to be Secretary Of the Territory
Richard Dallam, to be Marshal
Francis p. Blair to be United States District Attorney
Charles Blumner, to be Treasurer.
Eugene Setzendorfer tc be Auditor of Public Accounts.
Joab Hougho Antonio Jose Otero Charles Beaubian to
be Judges OF the Superior Court
Given at Santa Fe the capital Of the Territory OF New
Mexico this 22d day September 1885, the seventy
FIRST year of the independence of the United States.
S. w. KEARNY,
Brigadier General U. S. army"
He also read the following from document No. "a
entitled Organic Law OF the Territory OF New Mexico "
CART. 1-Sec. L. The country heretofore known New
shall be known hereafter and designated the
rtory New Mexico in the United States of America and
the temporary of the said Territory shall Or
ganized and administered In the herein prescribed
"ART 2.-Erecuaue po.rer-Sec l. The executive pow
shall be vested in governor who shall reside n the said
Territory his Office for years unless
removed by the President Of the United States
" He shall be the commander-inchie Of the militia Of the
said Territory, except when called into the service Of the
United States and &c o superintendent Of Indian affairs
!" He shall have power to NIL all civil and military Offices
which shall be established the appointments which shall
not be otherwise provided for by law"
"AHT s.-Legisah1c pos0er.-Sec. 1. The Legislative
power shall be vested in General Assembly which shall
s Legislative Council House OF Representatives
" Sec 2. The House of Representatives shall consist OF
members be chosen every by the qualified eec
OF the several counties and the Legislative Council shall
consist Of members be chosen every years qua
fed electors Of their respective dsrcts'
Sec z. Until the Legislative power shall otherwise d-
rect the Territory of New Mexico shall retain the division
of counties and districts established by the decree Of the de-
patment Of New Mexico Of June IL s44, and they shall be
represented as follows In the House Of Representatives the
county Of Santa Fe shall three members the county
San Miguel del Bado, three the county Rio Arrva three
the county Of Valencia, 6ve the county Of Taos three the
In the Legislative Council the central district %
three MEMBERS the northern district members and the
southeastern district two members, which apporonment
shall continue until otherwise directed by law"
"Sec The General Assembly shall convene at the city
of Santa Fe the first Monday December A. d. Is47
and the first Monday in December every years
AFTER until otherwise provided by Law and each house shall
elect Of its members speaker and shall choose
clerks and such other officers be shall
sit from day to day, its adournments, until all its
business shall be finished"
shl be vested in superior court and inferior tribunals
be established by Law.
Sec. The superior shall consist of three judges,
be appointed by the President OF the United States One
Of them shall be the presiding judge and the others associate
judges The Judges shall be peace through
out the Territory and shall hold times and
places and perform such duties shall be prescribed
Arr 5MsceRdncous.--Sec. 1. Members Of the General
Assembly the governor, whose salary shall be $4,000