ticability of the tracks recommended by Lieutenant Maury, whenever he may be of opinion that such vessels can be spared from other public duty.

Mr. Howell Cobb moved that the said resolution be laid upon the table; which motion was agreed to.

A message from the Senate by Mr. Dickins, their Secretary: Mr. Speaker: The Senate have agreed to the amendment of the House to the amendments of the Senate to the bill of the House (No. 665) entitled "An act to supply deficiencies in the appropriations for the service of the fiscal year ending the 30th of June,

1849."

The Senate have passed a bill of the House (H. R. No. 363) entitled "An act for the relief of Dan Drake Henrie."

The Senate have passed a bill (S. 398) entitled "An act to grant the right of way to the Mobile and Ohio Railroad Company."

On motion of Mr. Stephens, the House resolved itself into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union; and, after some time spent therein, the Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Toombs reported that the committee having, according to order, had the state of the Union generally under consideration, and particularly a bill (No. 695) making appropriations for the support of the army for the year ending the 30th of June, 1850, had come to no resolution thereon.

Mr. Robinson, from the Committee on Enrolled Bills, reported that the committee had examined enrolled bills of the following titles, viz:

H. R. No. 665. An act to supply deficiencies in the appropriations for the service of the fiscal year ending the 30th June, 1849; H. R. No. 363. An act for the relief of Captain Dan Drake Henrie; and found the same truly enrolled: when

The Speaker signed the said bills.

On motion of Mr. Stephens, the House, at 3 o'clock and twentyfive minutes, p. m., adjourned until to-morrow, at 12 o'clock, m.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 1849.

Mr. Leffler, by leave, presented sundry joint resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of Iowa, viz:

A joint resolution asking a grant of land to aid in the construction of a railroad from Davenport, via Bloomington, Iowa city, and Fort Des Moines, to Council Bluffs, on the Missouri river.

A joint resolution in relation to the inundated lands on Muscatine island, in the State of Iowa.

A joint resolution relative to the establishment of a land office at Fort Des Moines; which joint resolutions were referred to the Committee on Public Lands.

A joint resolution relative to the completion of the harbor at Dubuque; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce; and A joint resolution in relation to the establishment of a post route from Prairie du Chien to Fort Atkinson; which was referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads.

On motion of Mr. Leffler, it was

Ordered, That the said joint resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of Iowa be printed.

Mr. Alexander Evans, by unanimous consent, in pursuance of previous notice, obtained leave and introduced a bill (No. 735) for the relief of Uri Emmons; which was read a first and second time, and referred to the Committee on Patents.

Mr. Bingham, by unanimous consent, in pursuance of previous notice, obtained leave and introduced a bill (No. 736) granting the Detroit, Romeo, and Port Huron Railroad Company public lands on certain conditions; which was read a first and second time, and referred to the Committee on Public Lands.

Mr. Goggin moved that the House proceed to the regular order of business; and

The Speaker commenced the call of committees for the presentation of reports, resuming the call at the committee where it was suspended on a former day; when

Mr. Grinnell, from the Committee on Commerce, to whom were referred the petitions of ship owners and others, of Boston, and of New Bedford and Fairhaven, asking an amendment of the laws regulating the registry and enrolment of vessels, reported a bill (No. 737) to provide for the recording the conveyance of vessels and for other purposes; which was read a first and second time, postponed until to-morrow, and ordered to be printed.

Mr. Grinnell, from the same committee, reported bills of the following titles, viz:

No. 738. A bill to extend the provisions of all laws now in force, relating to the carriage of passengers in merchant vessels, and the regulation thereof; and

No. 739. A bill to abolish imprisonment for debt in certain cases; which bills were read a first and second time, postponed until tomorrow, and ordered to be printed.

Mr. Grinnell, from the same committee, to whom was referred the memorials of Henry Leef and John McKee, of the city of Baltimore, reported a bill (No. 740) to provide for the settlement of the claim of Henry Leef and John McKee, accompanied by a report in writing; which bill was read a first and second time, committed to the Committee of the Whole House, made the order of the day for to-morrow, and the bill and report ordered to be printed.

On motion of Mr. Bingham,

Ordered, That the Committee on Commerce be discharged from the further consideration of the resolution of the House of the 11th of December last, in relation to the establishment of a collection district in that part of Tennessee bordering on the Mississippi river. with a port of entry at Memphis, and that it be laid upon the table, Mr. Atkinson, from the Committee on Commerce, to whom was referred the memorial of Ferguson and Milhado, of Norfolk, Virginia, reported a joint resolution (No. 48) authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to cancel certain bonds for duties on goods destroyed by fire while in public store at Norfolk; which was read

306

[JAN. 25,

a first and second time, and ordered to be engrossed and read a third time.

The said joint resolution being engrossed, was accordingly read the third time, and passed.

Ordered, That the Clerk request the concurrence of the Senate in the said joint resolution.

Mr. Hunt, from the Committee on Commerce, reported the following resolution; which was read:

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, directed to inquire and ascertain the most favorable terms on which suitable sites can be obtained for marine hospitals at Buffalo, Oswego, and Apalachicola; and that he report the same, with his opinion upon the expediency of erecting hospitals at those places to Congress, at the next session.

Mr. Kaufman moved to amend the resolution, by inserting "Galveston" after the word "Oswego;" which was agreed to.

Mr. McClelland moved to amend the resolution, by inserting "Detroit" after the word "Galveston;" which was agreed to.

Mr. McKay moved to amend the resolution, by inserting "Wilmington, North Carolina," after the word "Detroit;" which was agreed to.

Mr. Cranston moved to amend the resolution, by inserting "Newport, Rhode Island," after "Wilmington, North Carolina;' which was agreed to.

Mr. James Thompson moved to amend the resolution, by inserting "Erie, Pennsylvania," after Newport, Rhode Island;" Pending which

Mr. Hunt moved the previous question, which was seconded; and the main question was ordered, viz: Will the House agree to the said amendment?

And the question being put,

It was decided in the affirmative.

The question recurred on agreeing to the resolution as amended; And being put,

It was decided in the affirmative.

So it was

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and is hereby, directed to inquire and ascertain the most favorable terms on which suitable sites can be obtained for marine hospitals at Buffalo, Oswego, Galveston, Detroit, Wilmington, North Carolina; Newport, Rhode Island; Erie, Pennsylvania; and Apalachicola, and that he report the same, with his opinion upon the cxpediency of erecting hospitals at those places to Congress, at the next session.

Mr. Grinnell, from the Committee on Commerce, reported the following resolution; which was read:

Resolved, That Senate bill (No. 201) to provide for the repairs and improvement of the dam at the head of Cumberland island, in the Ohio river, be made the special order of the day for Wednesday, February 7, and until it is disposed of.

Mr. Grinnell moved to amend the resolution, by inserting at the

end thereof "Fridays and Saturdays excepted;" which was agreed

The question was then stated on agreeing to the resolution as amended, And being put,

It was decided in the negative-two-Yeas..... thirds not voting in favor thereof,

Nays.....

The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are,

On motion of Mr. Hunt, it was

[JAN. 25,

Ordered, That the Committee on Commerce be discharged from the further consideration of the petition of Atkins Dyer, of Truro, Massachusetts, for return of tonnage duty, and that it be laid upon the table.

Mr. Collamer, from the Committee on Public Lands, reported the following resolution; which was read:

Resolved, That House bill No. 225, to create the office of surveyor general of the public lands in the Territory of Oregon and to grant donation rights to settlers therein, be made the special order of the day for the first Tuesday in February next.

Mr. John A. Rockwell moved to amend the resolution, by inserting at the end thereof "Fridays and Saturdays excepted;" which was agreed to.

The question was then stated, viz: Will the House agree to the said resolution?

And being put,

It was decided in the affirmative-two-thirds voting in favor thereof.

Mr. Collamer, from the Committee on Public Lands, reported tabular statements, prepared by direction of the Commissioner of the General Land Office, showing the grants of land made to sundry States and Territories for various purposes, and the per centage on the proceeds of the public lands to which each State was entitled upon admission into the Union, &c.

On motion of Mr. Collamer,

Ordered, That said statements be laid upon the table and printed. Mr. Greeley, from the same committee, reported a bill (No. 741) to reduce the minimum price of the mineral lands in the Lake Superior district, in Michigan, and in the Chippewa district, in Wisconsin; which was read a first and second time, postponed until to-morrow, and ordered to be printed.

On motion of Mr. Collamer,

Ordered, That the Committee on Public Lands be discharged from the further consideration of the resolution of the House of the 13th of December last, in relation to the signing of the land patents by the President, and that it be laid upon the table.

On motion of Mr. Collamer,

Ordered, That the Committee on Public Lands be discharged from the further consideration of the memorial of A. L. Fraser, proposing to construct a railroad from St. Louis to San Francisco, and that it be laid upon the table.

On motion of Mr. Goggin,

Ordered, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be discharged from the further consideration of the letter of Berer Simmons, relative to the transportation of a mail from San Francisco to the Sandwich islands, and that it be laid upon the table.

On motion of Mr. Goggin,

Ordered, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be discharged from the further consideration of the memorial of John J. Haley and others, and that it be laid upon the table.