The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-13
xKcurIvE COMMUNICATIONS.

mOnDAf, hPtu ~, Io0A.
EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
The PRESIDENT pro tom laid before the Sen
ate REQ oct of the Secretary Of the INTERIOR in an
swsr 70 resolution OF the Senate calling TOR the
namss and number Of claimants Of the liquidated
balance Of indemnity due to the friendly Creek
Indians, for losses in the Creek war Of 1872 :.
Also q communication, transmitting IN comph-
ance with resolution, the report OF Engineer
Ellis and other officers, of test Of Goals, mace al
the navy-yard at Washington.
Also a communication from the same depart
ment, transmitting, in compliance with a resolu-
ton, copy Of the charges preferred against the
present commissioner appointed to run and marx
the boundary line between the United States ana
Mexico =,
A message was also received from the ffesident
of the United States transmitting in reply to the
resolution of the 4th ultimo, information in rela
ton to the proposed naval expedition to the East
Indies.
The communications were severally referred,
and ordered to be printed
TEXAS BoNpHoLDERs.
Mr.. UNDERWOOD presented the petition OF
Leslie Combs, complaining of injustice on the part
Of the State Of Texas towards himself and other
creditors Of that State and praying that some pro-
vision may be made for the payment OF '"eli
claims.
After remarks by Messrs. UEDERwooD and
Rusx, the petition was referred to the Commi"se
on the Judiciary.
LOCAL AFFAIRS.
Mr.. SHIELDS, from the Committee on the
District of Columbia, reported Q. bill to make .
Columbia turnpike road free to the District line.
Also, bill making an appropriation to survey
and locate basin at the termination OF the Chesa-
peake and Ohio canal, near Rock creek, in George
Town, ID. G..
The bills were read and passed to second
reading.
Mr.. HUNTER, agreeably to notice, introduced
bill appropriatng land scrip in full and final
satisfaction of Virginia military bounty land war
rants; which was read twice and referred.
THE PUBLIC PRINTING.
MIR. BORLAND rose, he said, for the purpose
of making a report, somewhat informal ana per-
hans anomalous, from the Committee on Printing
n was doubtless known to most of the Senators
that a new arrangement hao been, or was about to
he made for the execution of the public printing
He deemed it important to inform the Senate what
action the Joint Committee on Printing had taken
in the matter
On the 9th instant they passed a resolution in
these words:
:" Resolpsd, That the Committee enter into con-
tract with Messrs Donelson and Armstrong to do
the future printing OF the present Congress for the
House. and with Messrs. Gideon q Co. for the
Senate, on such terms as shall be agreed upon
hereafter"
On this resolution, Messrs. SMIrH, Of the SEN
ate. and GoRMAN, STANTON, and HAVEN, OF the
House. voted in the affirmative, and Messrs.
BoRLANp and HAMLlN, Of the Senate, IN the mega
tive.
And this morning the Committee adopted the
following resolution: %
R.solped. That for SO much Of the public print
mo as NAV be deemed necessary by the commit
tee TO remedy any neglect or delay on the part OF
the contractor, Mr.. Hamilton, to execute the
werk ordered by Congress, the persons doing the
work under the direction of this COMMITTEE be
allowed the same price as contained IN Mr. Kives
hid for printing for the Thirty-second Congress;
provided. that in no case shall pay be allowed for
double composition.
YrAa Messrs. SMITH Of the Senate, german,
SrANroN and HAVEN of the House, a. NAYS,
MIR. HAmLIN of the Senate, l. Mr.. BoRLAND be-
ing absent.
ing to confer with the parties, and get from them
in writing their acceptance or non-acceptance OF
the proposition.
M. r.. said he deemed it due to himself to shy
that these resolutions were adopted without his
concurrence. He had no doubt that the commit
tee had technically the power under the joint res
olution of 1886 under which the committee acted,
10 make this arrangement; but he was Of opinion
that il was not good policy to take such II step
without first presenting the matter 10 Congress.
And further, the action of the committee had not
in his opinion been in accordance with the rules
which properly governor TIC oCuoH VI TIC JUN
Committee. He held that Joint Committees OF the
two Houses in cases involving question of pro-
nrietv. should act separately and report to their
reanectiye Houses In this opinion he had been
overruled, and consequently the action of the
Joint Committee had been against the views of a
majority Of the Committee on PRINTING OF the
Senate.
He was unwilling to participate in such pro-
ceedincs and therefore he asked to be excused
from the service on the committee
He was excused and the presiding officer was
authorized to fill the vacancy
Mr.. RUSK was appointed
FRENCH sPoLIATIoNs.
On motion Of Mr.. BRADBURY, after some debate,
: the Senate proceeded to the consideration OF the
bill appropriating sum "not exceeding hve MIL
lions Of dollars" to the payment OF claims Tor spo-
lations by the French, prior to the year loOO.
The vote on taking up was taken by yeas ana
navs and resulted yeas %, nays 10.
Mr.. BRADBURY explained and advocated the
bill
various amendments.
Mr.. BORLAND moved to strike out the appro-
nriation of a sum not exceeding five millions. ne
was opposed to paying anything at all; but II
ANYTHING was allowed, he would pay the full
amount without limitation.
Mr.. FELCH entered into minute historical
argument to prove that the claims were not valid
Without concluding, he gave way to an adj