The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-12-13
a discoveries of each successive

the inventions ana ulsoo'efle5 Vi eaoh suCSessi'e
year.
by person fully competent TO the task and llius
trated and printed, and bound in style worthy OF
the subject and Of the nation. Ii would doubtless
be attended with large expense, brit it could
readily be paid out Of the patent fun.. without
croachIng on the natio nal treasdry and can con
ceve OF no purpose to which that fund could be
applied which would oe more acceptable TO lnyen'
tors and in all respects so appropriate, as In per.
petnating and diffusing the knowledge OF their
)hbars, and presenting to the public full descrip
ton of the existing condition OF the mechanic arts
and the kindred bra of science in country
The report of Mr.. Stansbury on the London In
dustria Exhibition of 1851, 10 which alluson was
made in my last annual report has been delayed
by causes beyond his control. II will be ready to
be laid before Congress in the course OF q few
weeks. and will doubtless be valuable aud In
teresting document.
Mexican boundary.
The latest advices from the Commissioner con.
tain the gratifying Intelligence that the survey Of
the river Gila, from it's confluence with the Colo
RADIO to the point where il strikes the western boun
Diary of New Mexico, has been completed. Much
progress has also been made in the survey OF the
Rio Grande. When last heard from, the parties
under the Immediate command Of Major Emory
had finished the work. from the point agreed on
by the Commissioners az the beginning point on
the river, TO Eagle Pass; and il ia presumed that
by this time the survey has been completed at least
two thirds of the distance down the course Of the
river
lam not aware that any further progress has
been made in the survey Of those portions of the
line which lie between the Rio Grande and the
ella, and which constitute the southern and west
ern boundaries Of New Mexico A party had been
organized, however, for that purpose; and ii is pos
sible that it may have been employed in that Ger
vice before the Commissioner was advised of the
action Of Congress the subject at It's last session,
and ordered to discontinue his operations
III such should prove 10 be the fact, | will avail
myself Of the earliest opportunity to communicate
TO you all that has been done. to enable you to lay
1t before Congress.
Before proceeding to present more in detail the
views OF the Department in reference to the various
questions arising of the survey Of the boundary,
feel it to be due alike to myself and the public TO
correct an inaccuracy which accidentally occurred
in my last report, nSegard TO the latitude Of GER
tain points referred 10, which occasioned by
error of the clerk who requested to fill two
blanks in the original draught of the report But,
although the error was too palpabie TO misead any
one, and susceptible of ready correction by refer
ence to the map, avail my self of the earliUst op
portuuity TO put the matter right upon the record
The mistake occurs in the following paragra PHI
"Di hculties also existed in regard to the point
where the Rio Grande strikes the southern line of
New Mexico By the map it appears to be ct lati,
tude 80 45', whereas the true position ia latitude
800 30"
The facts of the case arc as follow: The south
ern line Of New Mexico is laid down on the map of
Disturnel, as nearly as can be ascertained by
measurement, in latitude N. 800 22.', and the
towno FL Paso appears, by similar measurement,
TO Elm latitude \. 800 l5p, and longitude 27o So
west of Washington. This would make the line,
according To the map, about seven minutes Cor
seven geographical miles) north of FL Paso, a
fraction Of minute north of 800 49, agreed
on by the Commissioners.
By actual observation, however, it
certained that Ell Paso ia erroneously placed on
the map, both in respect to latitude and longi-
tude; it's true position being in latitude N 80 49,
or a fraction more than half degree south of its
it's position as marked by Disturnel. and in longi
tude 290 40instead of go 49, west Of Washington,
two degrees and five minutes west of its DCsi.
tipn according to the map.
The law of the last session of Congress, making
the appropriation for the continuation of the survey
is in the following words:
''For running and marking the boundary line
between the United States and Mexico, under the
treaty OF Guadalupe Hdalgo, one hundred and
twenty thousand dollars: Proridsd, That part
Of this appropriation shall be used expended
until II shall be made satisfactorily to appear to
the President of the United States that the southern
boundary of New Mexico is not established by the
commissioner and surveyor OF the United States
further north Of the town called Paso than the
same 10 laid down in Disturnell's map, which is
added to the treaty"
Alter mature deiiberation, came TO the cUnclu-
sion that, under the terms of the proviso to this
appropriation, no part of the money appropriated
could be used or expended; and on the 18th day of
october 1852, made report to you to that effect,
in which conclusion you expresed your concur.
renee by an endorsement on the report, dated 18th
October, 1852.
copy Of that report and endorsement are ap-
pended to this communication.
On the 18th October l addressed a letter TO the
Commissioner, enclosing copy Of the report and
OF your endorsement and informed him that it
would not be proper for him to make any further
drafts on the Department, as the available funds
baG been exba But knew that large
amounts OF provisions Lad been sent TO Presidio
del Nortc. Eagle Pas, and Fort Brown opposite
Matemoros, for the use Of the surveying parties
along the course Of the Rio Graude, and as the
Commissioner and Major Emory were in possession
OF funds raised upon drafts previously drawn upon
1Ff faft Iair III, h.
;her il would be best to disband the Commission
at once, or TO continue their operations the river
as Long as the means at their disposal would
bic them 10 maintain their rcspectiye parties in the
field
On thi. point il wss impossible for the De-
partnent TO form a satisfactory opinion with the
limited information in its possession. But,
there could be no controversy in relation to that
part Of the line, considered 1t very desirable not
TO arrest the survey OF it. Peremptory instruc-
tons were, however, given to the Com missioner to
discontinue all further operations on the southern
and western lines of New Mexico, which consti
tute the disputed portion Of the boun dary, until
further action should be taken by Congress A
copy OF that letter also accompanies this report
IA there has been come misunde rstandine in
regard To the conrse OF the Department on the
subject of the Initial point the Rio Grande and
the line thence, westward, which constitutes the
southern boundary of New Mexico, I deem il pro.
per u give a full history of all that has been done
by the Department in regard to it, and an ex pa
nation OF the reasons which have controlled its
action. The treaty Of Guadalupe IIdalgo provides
that
THE boundary line between the two Republics
ehaii commence in the Gulf of Mexico, three
leagues from land, opposite the mouth OF the Rio
Grande, otherwise called tho Rio Bravo del Norte,
or opposite the mouth Of its deepest branch if it
should have more than branch, emptying di
recfly into the sea; from thence up the middle of
that river, following the deepest channel where il
mas more than one, to the point where it strikes
the southern boundary of New Mexico; thence
westwardiy along the whole southern boundary
OF New Mexico (Which rune north of the town
called Pdso) to its western terminatiop thence
northward along the western limo of New Mexico.
until it ntersects the fret branch Of the river Gia;
(or fu should not ntcrsect any branch Of that riv
then TO the point the said line nearest 10 such
branch, and thence in direct line to the same;)
thence down the middle Of the said branch and of
the saId river, until it cmpties into the Rio Colo
rado; thence across the Rio Colorado, following
the division Vine between Upper and Lower Cali
toTria, TO the Pacific ocean.
"TAe southern aud western limits of New Mexi
CO mentioned in this article those laid down in
tue map entitled Map OF the United Mexican States
as orga nzed and defined b various acts Of the Con
gress OF said Republic and constructed or ding
TO the best authoriues revised edition, published