The true Democrat., 1854-05-02

led home by sickness in his family. Before he left, he requested me to call up bill which had been introduced by him, and reported from the committee on public lands, giving a right of way and granting alternate sections of certain public lands to the State of Florida. to further the construction of certain railroads therein specified. In accordance with his request, now move that the Senate take up that bill- 1t has been reported from the committee on public lands, with an amendment or substitute in the usual form. l wish to move some fur ther amendments, by direction of the commit tee, and to ask for the passage of the bill.
 The motion was agreed to; and the Senate proceeded to consider the bill as in committee of the whole.
 MT. JOHNSON. move to amend the amendment of the committee by striking out In the first section of the substitute the words "on the St. Johns river" and also to strike out Appalachicola" and insert St. Andrews bay," and insert also, after the words "Tampa bay'' the words and from Pensacola on point between the boundary line of Florida and Ala bama;;" so that the grant shall be, "for the purpose of aiding in the construction of rail- road from Pensacola, in the said State, to Jack sonvllle, or some point near thereto with bran ches to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, one of which shall terminate at St. Andrews bay. and one at Tampa bay, and from Pensacola on point between the boundary line of Florida and Alabama.''' ? etc.
 The amendments were agreed to; the amend ment ot the committee as amended was agreed to; and the bill was reported to the Senate as amended; the amendments were concurred in. and the bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, was read third time and passed
 RAILROADS IN ARKANSAS.
 On motion by Mir. JOHNSON, the Senate proceeded, as in committee of the whole, to consider the bill granting the right of way and making grant of land to the State of Arkan- sas, to aid ln the construction of railroad from point on the Mississippi in the region of Gaines Landing, via Camden, to the Texas boundary, near Fulton, in Arkansas which had been reported from the committee on public lands with an amendment as substitute, in the usual form.
 The amendment was agreed to; the bill was reported to the Senate as amended; the amend ment was concurred in; the bill was ordered to be engrossed for third reading; was read a third time, and passed.
 February 2S, 1854
 LAND GRANT TO FLORIDA
 Mr. JOHNSON. 1 move to reconsider the vote of yesterday by which bill making a grant of land to the State of Florida, to aid in the construction of railroads in said State. was passed. l ask 1t for the purpose of submitting an amendment, to insert after the word "Jack- sonville," one of the ternaa1u of the road. the words 'or Fenandino," so that that place may be made terminus. It is within short dis tance of Jacksonville, only some fifty or sixty miles. It may be desirable to make that the terminus, and the amendment will leave it to the option of the Legislature to take either of the points.
 The motion to reconsider was agreed to; and the amendment was agreed to-
 The bill was then ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, and was read third time. and passed.
 RICHARD NJ. YOUNG.
 Mir. SEBASTIAN l am directed by the committee on Indian affairs to submit the fol- lowing resolutions:
 Resolvea, That the Secretary of the Senate be directed to pay to Richard M Young S974 20, the amount of his per diem and compensa- ton allowed him by the President as special commissioner to investigate the charges against the Hon. Alexander Ramsey, late superlnten- dent of Indian affairs of Minnesota territory. under resolution of the Senate of the 5th of April 1853; and that the same be paid out of the contingent fund of the Senate
 The President As this resolution proposes to appropriate money out of the contingent fund, 1t must go, under the rules, to the com mittee to audit and control the contingent ex- penses of the Senate
 Mir. SEBASTIAN. 1 ask the unanimous consent of the Senate to have the resolution considered now, without reference.
 The President. If there be no objection. the resolution will now have its second reading
 The resolution was read second time
 Mir. SEBASTIAN. If 1t provokes any dis cusson, l will consent that 1t may go over.
 Mir. Stuart. 1 should like to inquire of the Senator from Arkansas if there is any recom- mendation from the department for the pay ment of this sum.
 MT. SEBASTIAN. There is an official statement from the Secretary of the Interior that this amount is due, and would have been paid out of the contingent fund of that depart ment, but for the fact that that fund was ex- hausted by the payment of the other expenses of the commission. These expenses are pro- perly chargeable to the contingent fund either of the Senate or of the department of the h. teror. There Is no question about that, forthe whole investigation arose underline order of the Senate. The only reason why the matter has been brought here, is because the contingent fund of the department of the Interior has been exhausted by the payment of the other expen- ses of this commission
 Mir. Stuart. 1 do not wish to indicate any opposition to the resolution, but I ask that it may lie over, in order that we may have an op- portunty of looking into it.
 The President. The objection being made, the resolution must go over
 MT. SEBASTIAN. I have no objection to the postponement.
 The motion to postpone was agreed to.
 March 2, 1854.
 REPORTS FROM STANDING COMMITTEES.
 Mir. JOHNSON, from the committee on pub lie lands to whom was referred bill granting the right of way and making grant of land to the States of Arkansas, Louisiana and Missou ri, to aid in the construction of railroad from Shreveport, in Louisiana, through Arkansas, to St. Joseph's, Missouri, reported it back, with sundry amendments.
 He also, from the committee on military af- fairs, to whom was referred the memorial of