The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-07-09
In CONGRESS- OF THE U. STATES.
Congress First session.
MONDAY. July 5, 1850.


forh their belief that they possession Of such ad
vantages in the manufacture OF gas as Will make their
enterprise one OF great public utility and OF great
my, and therefore ask that act may be passed TO In
corporate the Union Gas Light Company IN the District OF
Columbia which referred TO the Committee on the
Mr.. M. also presented q memorial from citizens OF
Kanawha county. in the State OF Virginia, asking that
provision may be made by law Tor enabling Professor
Johnston to complete his experiments in American Goals,
setting forth that their mines lie almost totally nnimproved
from the want OF an accurate knowledge OF the different
varieties Of coal and the objects for which they can De
profiably employed; which was referred to the Com
mittee on Public Lands.
Mr.: DICKINSON presented the memorial OF J. N,
Sewal askag that provision may Be made for certain
Gle of the treaty of 1887, concluded between the United
States and these Indians which referred to the Com
mittee on Finance
4 Mr., CLARKE presented the memorial of citizens Of
Providence Rhode Island, asking that provision may be
made TO provide for the appointment and support Of a
corps . % connected WIN M n,sa S,ss 70,
Mexico, whose business il shall be to make researches
into the geology botany and zoology Of the regions about
In presenting the petition MI C. said They express
their opinion that il would be very much 70 the adj
vantage OF TO the sciences OF bota
u he They
think that will be the means Of impartng information
OF practical value not only to SCIENCE but in every point
their own personal acquaintance with the commissioned
recently appointed that he is peculiarly fitted in point OF
scientific aainmens TO assist and superintend such
Mr. c. moved that the memorial be referred to select
committee Of three TO be appointed by the Chair winch
motion having been agreed 70,
The VICE PRESIDENT named the committee as fol.
lows: Messrs cLARKE, PEARcE, and DoUGLAs.
Mr. RUSK presented the petition of g. X Lewis, Of
Cameron county Texas, setting forth that the portion Of
the county lying between the Nueces and Rio Grande
rivers was oyerrun by hordes Of savages, compelling
him TO abandon his home, and making complete wreck
Of his property, for which he asks indemnity; which
referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs
Mr. ArCHISON presented a memorial Of citizens re-
siding the extreme western border OF Missouri. ask
ing the establishment OF posts the road to Santa
Fe, and the employment OF volunteer corps for the pro-
tecon of persons engaged in the Santa Fe trade, setting
forth that the regular army not the sort OF force TO be
most effective. past experience has shown, and recon-
mending regiment OF volunteers of 1000 men, selected
from The border, and famiarw Indian character and
Indian warfare all their lives They state further that th
have been engaged for years as traders and travellers
across the plains and are perfectly familiar with the route
and all its difficulties and have endured long and patiently
the cold neglect of government heretofore manifested in
relation TO this commerce. and contendng that all gov
ernments bound protect their citizens in their law
ial pursuits; which was referred to the Committee on
Military Affairs
MIR. KING presented the memorial Of Jonathan x FL
lo United States commercial agent at the city OF St Do
mngo asking to be reimbursed for expenses incurred in
refugees in his house The menorais states
that during the civil war in the Dominican republic,
large number oil PERSONS chiefly women and children,
sought refuge under the protection OF the American
an asy lum he could not refuse without bringing reproach
upon himself and sovernmenand was subjected to great
expense maintaining said refugees, the city being in
state OF siege and provisions difficult 10 obtain at
exavagan prices The memoralIst further states that
his colleagues. the English and French consus, who
likewise made their houses the asylum to other refugees,
have received the marked appreciation OF their respective
governments and been reimbursed Tor the expenses thus
ncured which was referred to the Committee on For
egn Relations.
In presenting the memorial, Mr. K remarked that the
memoalst forth that during the late between
Soulouque and the Dominican portion OF the island,
n n n
from the invading army, and he supported them
Der OF days. The course pursued by the
sus OF the British and other and they have
been reimbursed by their governments He thinks that
the government OF ,hS United States should pay back 10
him the amount he actually expended keep these peo
Mr.. HAMLiN presented petition Of travelling
preachers Of the Methodist Episcopal church in the East
Maine Conference asking that The further extension Of
which was ordered to lie on the table.
REMOVAL OF FORT POLK
On motion by Mr. HOUSTON the following resolution,
submitted the 2sh OF June was taken up for consdera
ton;
sops That the President be requested to furnish the
ence relative the evacuation Of Fort Polk ia the
STATE OF TeIa' as military post and communicate to the
Mr. HOUSTON Point Isabel was taken possession
Of in March, 1916, BY the American army under the
command Of General Taylor Immediately afterwards,
he commenced the erection OF fort at that place, called
the most eligible site for depot to supply the wants OF
that whole line Of operations His emphatic language
was "our great depot must be here" (See despatch,
March 26) The fort, hospital and other buildings there
erected cost the government al least seventy thousand
dollars. They are large, commodous, and well situated
TO suit the purpose for which they located there
This place, well Brownsville is remarkably heal
thy for southern latitude.
Point Isabel is about miles from the mouth OF the Rio
Grande and near twenty in direct line from Brownsville
the iourshing town on the Rio Grande Point Isabel
from it's contguty the harbo the Brasos and from its
relative position 10 Brownsville and the Rio Grande is
and must continue to be, the great point Of tanshp
carried upon that river This trade during the past year.
have been satisfactorily assured BY those who know its
character and extent, has amounted in the aggregate to
The large OF ten millions o dollars, or in other
words, goods imported to the value of FIVE millions OF
dollars, chiefly through point Isabel and exchanged for
specie, hides, wool, &c, 10 the amount, returning
through the same channel
Point Isabel is well known Is the port OF entry for
all the trade OF that section OF country Goods money!
and other property often TO large amount are stored at
that place, en- route, each way Until some time in April
last, the government have had greater or less number
81 troops stationed al Fort Polk but some time in that
month, Is understood that order issued for the
evacuation OF THIS place. and for turning the public
buildings TO the use OF the custom house
This proceeding is thought by the well informed to
have been unadvised and mpotc and calculated TO en-
Danger the safety OF Point Isabel by its being exposed TO
attack by Indians and other marauders known TO be
lurking IN that nelghbohood in considerable numbers,
and who have on one or two OCCASIONS attacked and
ROBBED the trains OF wagons between Point Isabel and
directly interested in the trade and prosperity OF this SEQ
lion.
This step OF the administration at least reauires some
explanation, and II is the object OF the resolution 10 see