Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1862-05-30
XXXVIIlh Congress -. LIST Session
MESSAGE or THE PRESIDENT.
WASHINGTON, D. O., May 81.

WASHINGTON, D. O., May 81.
SENArE.--Mr. Grimes offered resolution
, that the Secretary Of War inform the Senate
, how many officers and men belonging to the
! regular volunteer forces in the United States
!, are now in the penitentisry of the District Of
Columbia, to what regiments they belong, and
by what court or authority such commitments
were made. Adopted.
On motion of Mr.. Collamer, the Post Route
Bill was taken up and passed.
The resolution suspendng payments under
the act providing payments for the troops
employed in the Department of the West, was
taken up.
MIR. Henderson offered an amendment that
the commissioners provided for report within
sixty days, which was adopted.
The bill was then laid over and the tax bill
taken up.
HoUsE.-Mr. OrisAeld, from the Committee
on Public Lands, reported and advocated the
bill granting to the State of California the
tract of land known as the Colorado Desert,
for the purpose of introducing sufficient
supply of fresh water upon and over the same.
The bill was referred to q Committee Of the
| Whole.
| MIR. Potter, from the Committee on Public
Lands, reported back the Senate bill providing
that contracts for surveys shall not be bind
ing until approved by the Commissioners of
the general land office, that the compensation
of Registers and Receivers shall be each $500
per annum, with fees and commissions, &C.,
the object being to reduce the expenses of the
survey and sale of lands.
The bill was passed.
The Speaker laid before the House mes
sage from the President briefly referring to
the commencement of hostilities, and his ex-
ercise OF the broad power of the Constitution
to preserve the capital of the country during
the absence of Congress incidentally to this
he refers to the arrangements with Gov.
Morgan, Alexander Cummings, and others,
with view to speedy and efficient protection
measures by these means he believes the
Government was prevented from overthrow.
He has no knowledge that dollar was lost or
wasted.
The Speaker laid before the House the fol-
lowing message from the President, to the
Senate and House:
The instruction which Is yet existing in
the United States. and aimed at the over
throw of the Federal Constitution and Union,
was clandestinely proposed during the win
ter of 1860 and 1861, and assumed an open
organization i'll the form of reasonable pro-
visional government at Mo- tgomery, Ala, on
the 18th day of February, 1861. On the
18th day of April, 1861, the insurgents COM
mitted the fragrant act of civil war by the
bombardment and capture of f. Sumter,
which cut off the hopes of immediate concile-
alton. Immediately afterwards the roads
aud avenues to this city were DISTRACTED and
the Capital was put into a condition of q
seige. The mails in every direction were
stopped and the lines of telegraph cut Oft by |
the insurgents, and the military and naval
forces, which had been called out by the Gov
eminent for the defense of Washington, were
prevented from reaching the city by organ
lied and combined reasonable resistance, in
the State of Maryland. There was no ade-
quate and effective organization for the pub
lie defense. Congress had indefinitely ad-
journed. There was no time to convene
them. 1t became necessary for me to choose
whether, using only the existing means,
agencies and possesses which Congress had
provided, should let the Government fall
broader popers conferred by the constitution
in cases of insurrection would make an eff:
fort to save it, with all it's blessings, for the
pFcSeHt age aiiu IoA Poos0AVy.
thereupon summoned my constitutional
advisers, the Heads of the Departments, to
meet on Sunday, April goth, 1861, at the of.
flee of the Navy Department, and then and
there, with their unanimous concurrence, l !
directed that an armed revenue cutter should
proceed to sea, to afford protection to the
commercial marine, especially, to the Califor
MIA treasure ships, then on their way to this
coast. | also directed the commandant ofthe
navy yard at Boston to char ter or purchase,
and arm as quickly as possible, five steamers
for purposes of public defense. l directed
the commandant of the navy yard at Phila
delphia to purchase or charter an equal num-
Der for the same purpose. l directed the
commandant at New York to purchase or
charter and arm an equal number. l direct
ed Commandant Giles to purchase or charter
and arm and put to sea two other vessels.
Similar directions were given te Commander
Dupont, with a view to the opening OF pas
sages bv water to and from the Capital.
I directed the several officers to take the |
advice, and obtain the aid aud efficient ser
vices in the matter, of His Excellency, Ed |
win D, Morgan, the Governor of New York,
and in his absence, Geo. D. Morgan, VIM.
Evarts, R. NJ. Blockford and Moses H. Grin
nell, who were by my direction, especially
empowered by the Secretary Of the Navy, to
act tor his department in that crisis, IN mat
tiers pertaining to the forwarding Of troops
and supplies for the public defense, on the
same occasion. directed that Gov. Nor
gan and Alexander Cummings, of the city Of
New York, should be authorized by the Sec
rotary of War, Simon Cameron, to make all
the necessary arrangements for the trans
portation of troops and munitions Of war, in
aid and assistance of the officers of the army
of the United States, until communication by
mail and telegraph should be completely re-
established between the cities of Washington
and New York No security was required
to be given by them, and either of them was
authorized to act in case of inability to con-
suit with the other.
l authorized and directed the Secretary of
the Treasury to advance, without requiring
security, two million of dollars to John A.
Dix, Geo. Opdyke, and Richard NJ. Black
ford, of New York, to be used by them in
meeting such acquisitions as should be d.
reetly consequent upon the military and ma,
val measures for the defense and support OF
the Government, requiring of them only to
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