The republic., 1850-12-04
THIRTY-FIRST CONGRESS.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1850.
S SENAT L.
J ECoND SESSION

Il
The Hon. VIM. L. DAYTON, of New Jersey. Hon.
ALBERT c. GREENE, of Rhode Island, and the Hon.
JOSEPH r. USpERwooD, OF Kentucky, appeared in
their seats to day.
After the Journal was read
Mr.. MANG UNI said that yesterday more
business had been transacted than he had ever
known to have been the first day of the session.
He thought it desirable that the Senate should be
organized for Legislative business soon posi-
BILE. Ii had been the custom to have the commit
tees of the Senate chosen on the Monday after the
first week of the session but he thought they
might this session be chosen earlier. There was
standing rule of the Senate which required that
the committees should be elected by the Senate,
and the Senate had conformed to that rule always
when the presiding officer of the Senate was the
Vice President of the United States. But he be-
lieved il had been the uniform practice, whenever
the presiding officer was member OF the body,
that he should be given the appointment of the
committees. Believing that such course was
most proper, he submitted the following resolution,
and asked for its immediate consideration
ResolUed That the President pro tempore be au-
thorized to appoint the standing committees of the
Senate for this session, and also the members OF
joint committees
NOTICES OF BILLS.
Mr.. BENTON gave notice that to- morrow or
come subsequent day he would ask leave to intro
duce bills of the following titles:
bill to grant to the State of Missouri certain
quantity of public land for objects of internal i'm
provement, which, added to the quantity heretofore
granted to that State, for that purpose, shall make
it equal to the quantity heretofore granted to any
State for the same purpose.
A Dill to pay the state Missouri, TO be APP
pied to railroads within the State, the amount OF
the two per centum fund accrung sales OF
public lands within the State and reserved to make
road 'to" the State, and not yet applied to that
purpose.
bill to amend the act Of the last session of Con-
gress, granting the swamp lands to the States in
which shey lie.
A bill to provide for the location and constr uc-
ton of central national highway, consisting of a
railroad and common road from the Mississippi
rlver at ST. Louis, to the Bay Of San Francisco, on
the Pacific Ocean, and to cxtinguish the Indian
title to the lands along the said highway, and to
establish military poss, and grant land to settlers.
bill to relinqush the collection OF tolls on the
the United States stock in the Louisville and Port
land canal, and to remit the same to the boats on
which they accrue, and to provide for the extin-
guishment Of private interests in the said stock and
to make the navigation of said canal free.
bill to accelerate the sales of the public lands,
and to pay the public debt, and to extinguish the
Federal title to lands within the States and to
grant donations and pre- emption rights to actual
settlers and to ccde the refuse lands the States
in which they lie.
A bill to authorize the President to select site
for western armory, and to procure the same and
to commence the construction of the armory.
A bill to suppress the salt tax.
Mr.. HALE submitted the following resolution,
which lies day under the rules:
ResoiUed, That the Secretary of War be directed
to lay before the Senate the proceedings of court
martial holden at Fort Constitution, in Portsmouth,
New Hampshire, the tenth of September last
for the trial of - Harrison, private soldier, on
the charges OF mutiny and dsobedience Of orders
The Senate then adjourned.