The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-03-30
In CONGRESS OF TIE U. STATES
thirty Third Congress--First session.
TUESDAY, MARCH 2s, 1854.
SENATE.
SENATE.

TUESDAY, MARCH as, 1854
SENATE.
MEMORIALS PETITIONS, ETc
The PRESIDENT pro tsn,. presented The petition Of
The board Of directors OF The Mississippi valley ha'foad
Company praying grant of land 10 aid Of the conslfue
tion Of that road which was referred TO the Committee
on Public Lands.
Mr. RUsK presented document in relaion 70 the
claim OF CathariBe Arnold, widow OF Major Ripley A.
Arnold an officer of the United States dragoons y pen
sion which referred to the COMMITTEES on Pensions
Mr.. also presented The memorial OF John 8. Rhea.
praying that be may be credited with sum OF money
stolen while in his keeping collector OF The customs
for the district Of Brazos Santiago, Texas; which was
referred TO the Committee OF Claims.
MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
message was received from the House OF Represent
atves BY MIR Mexican. chief clerk, announcing to The
Senate MAT the House have passed bill q establish ad
dtona land districs in the Territory OF Minnesota, ia
which the concurrence OF The Senate is requested
He also announced that the House have passed the
Joint resolution OF the Senate. authorizing the Secretary
vising the laws with amendment, In which
the concurrence OF the Senate is requested.
MEXICAN CLAIMS.
Mr. BRODHEAD.; During the last Congress. Mr..
Presdent. select committee, Of which Mr. Soule
chairman, appointed by the Senate, TO which
referred memorials the files Of the Senate in relation
TO The proceedings Of the board Of commissioners on the
The Conclusion Of the last session, although ihe basis Of
one had been agreed upon Mr. Soule was appointed TO
mission abroad was member OF that committee,
str, and such beg leave to submit the report OF
that committee will read the arrangement Of the pa
pers which desire to lay before the Senate and to have
printed: First is the report Of the committees second
the journal of the committee third. testimony taken be-
fore the committee fourth documents and papers refer
red to in the journal and sestimony fifth. journal and
mtss to examine into the Gardiner and Meas cases. and
also testimony documents and papers accompanying the
same. will add that number OF documents and pa
pes, not deemed material TO the eucdaon Of the mat
ter referred 10 the committee will be filed in the Office Of
the Secretary of the Senate Although the documents
look pretty formidable the whole when printed viii not
form very large book, the books of testimony and
The journal are not written full. beg leave to submit
the report and the accompanying papers, and ask that
they may lie on the table and be printed for The use Of
The PRESIDENT The order will be made. if there
Mr. BAYARD Mr.. President will ask the indul-
gence Of tho Senate to makes few remarks in connex-
ion with the report OF the select committee on Mexican
claims under the treaty Of Guadalupe H,dalEo, before
the order s made TO print the document was mem.
Der OF that committee and make this request in justice
to the committee. so that what may look like delay or
negligence on our part may be wholly explained The
petitions referred TO two years ago. They
some sxtythree four n number, and OF course the
general course of proceeding ia the action OF the COM
determination and views Of the chairman Of the commit
tee Immediately after organization, directed
notice TO be forwarded to all the dieIen, petitioners. with
view OF elciting any testimony which ,ey might have
sustaining their grounds OF complaint Under this
notice, also received information which led us
diner and Mears; and they occupied the greatest
portion OF the time The examination OF witnesses in
tina. produced strong conviction OF fraud that
arriving the conclusion that the matter could be deter
mined beyond controversy by sending commission TO
Mexico, which should ascertain the existence
Of the mines for the destruction of which inde-
nifty was claimed the committee determined upon that
Then the Executive must also be represented upon
this commission. which occasoned unavoidable delays in
the sending out OF the commission. Alter the return OF
the commissioners the committee during the last session
OF Congress-durng the executive session, may say
having completed their abors, agreed upon the basis Of
their report throughout and the heads OF ha! agreement
were noted by the chairman OF the committee. He had
then been appointed minister 10 Spain, but bad not yet
accepted that appointment and ne undertook 10 prepare
from the determinations of the committee, report. which
TO be submitted and printed by order OF the Senate
But from OF which have knowledge, he left
any communication with any member OF the committee
whatever. have no doubt, from what have heard,
that his reason-and think It was good one--wss that
the OF Gardiner had not been disposed OF and 1t
Of criminal Jurisprudence in which persons
claim ought not to be preudced by pars statement
upon ne pst - q AL ns M h ne eIeose, 1IEn,
determined. presume that must have been the
why, contrary 10 his engagement with the
mitiee he honorable gentleman, who then represented
The Stale OF Louisiana in the Senate. did not make
port in accordance with the discrimination OF the commit
ee think that the sufficient IL such exist
ed in his mind; but placed THE awkward predics-
ment that when returned here at the commencement
of this OF Congress, member OF the committee
had the slightest idea that the report had not been pre-
~
the member OF the committee next in order, 10 prepare
that report, which, OF course, required great deal OF
labor in addition 10 what had previously been encounter
ed his part and rendered revision OF the testimony
necessary in order TO bring the whole matter 10 proper
conclusion This was one reason why the report OF the
committee has been 30 long delayed
There aso another reason-and II Is this ln the
Investigation of the complaints OF these petitioners, the
mode which, OF the committee, adopted to con-
duct the examination TO govern myself by two gem
era rules. l considered that the duty which devoved
upon Ne, mainly, to ascertain whether these com
plants OF the petitioners were welgrounded and re-
quired revision OF their claims by the appointment OF
new commission because that what the petitioners
asked for In order determine that question correctly,
seemed TO me that there only course 10 be pur
sued-and that was, look the whole series OF de-
csons and to compare the evidence in each where
complaint made with the memorial OF the petitioner
and the adjudication and opinion delivered by the board
The committee did that, and the Senate will easily per-
ceve that il was labor OF slight extent, For my
own part, think can say with safety that examined
at least fifty five OF the opinions given in these casesn
which petitions presened-out OF the sixty three IN
all read over all the papers in everv case which
examined order arrive nj the conclusion whsther
the general decisions OF the committee showed ssch
axiy such disregard OF the rights OF the petitioners
tha, should be justified n saying that there had been
such a performance OF duty tha, we must recon-
mend to The Senate revision Of those claims which had
been previously acted upon 10 that investigation, I
found but solitary myself in which could say
that injustice done the petitioners that the
mssoners had allowed less than they entitled
think the committee were unanimous in that and we
could, therefore, find no sufficient ground whatever,
~ tho Of hn nioato