The Congressional Globe, Volume 14: Twenty-Eighth Congress, Second Session Page: 39
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CONGRESSIONAL GLOBE.
39
therefore, are unable to concur with Mr. Secretary Dicker-
son in allowing this amount of $60,000 as a credit to Mr. Ful-
ton in the statement of his account with the government. The
honor of being the first to apply steam-power exclusively to
vessels of war, as well as to commercial vessels, is his ; and
the fame of a great public benefactor is inseparably connect-
ed with his name. But, without a departure from the usages
of the government from the earliest period, and the estab-
lishment of a precedent of a most dangerous tendency, the
committee cannot recognise this remote benefit to the coun-
try in the construction of ships of. war, as constituting a
claim for pecuniary reward to be paid to the heirs of the
.inventor from the public treasury. They, therefore, report
for adoption the following resolution, to wit :
"'Resolved, That the prayer of the petitioners ought not
to be g *anted."
Mr. PEARCE said that, inasmuch as the senator
from Illinois had called for the reading of an adverse
report exclusively, while many of a contrary nature
existed which ought also to be read, in -order to
give time for' producing them, he would assent to
the proposition of postponement, or himself make a
motion to postpone the bill till to-morrow.
The further consideration of the bill was accord-
ingly postponed, till'to-morrow.
NAVY CONTRACTS.
The Senate *bill authorizing the Secretary of the
Navy to extend the time for filling contracts in cer-
tain cases, was read a third time and passed.
FURLOUGHS IN THE NAVY.
The Senate bill authorizing furloughs in the navy
in certain cases, was read a third time and passed.
Mr. MOREHEAD gave notice that to-morrow,
or the earliest day practicable, he would introduce
a bill for granting pensions to Jacob Fowler and
Eliston Williams, soldiers in "Wayne's army of
1794.
SPECULATORS IN TEXAS LANDS AND SCRIP.
- Mr. BENTON submitted the following resolu-
tion; which lies over till to-morrow, under the rule:
Resolved, That the Committee on Foreign Affairs be in-
; struct^a to inquire whether any provisions are necessaiy,
in providing for the annexation of Texas, to protect the
United States irom speculating operations m Texas lands or
scrip; and whether any persons employed by the govern- '
inent are connected with such speculations.
Also, that said committee be instructed to inquire whether
the Texas treaty was commenced or agreed upon before the -
receipt of Lord Aberdeen's despatch of December 26, 1843, ;
j to Mr. Packenham, communicated to our government in I
' February, 1844.
I Also,-that it be instructed to obtain, if possible, the "pri-
j vate letter"fcfrom London, quoted in Mr. Upshur's first des-
patch in tiie Texas negotiation, and supposed by the Presi-
dent, to have been carried away among the private papers;
and to ascertain the name of the writer of said letter.
And that said committee be authorized to send for per-
sons and papers to answer the foregoing inquiries, and any
others that may be necessary to promote the safe, speedy,
peaceable, and honorable annexation of Texas to the United
States.
The Senate then adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Tuesday, December 17,1844.
The minutes of yesterday were heard and ap-
proved.
NOTICES AND RESOLUTIONS.
Mr. WENTWORTH gave notice of his inten-
tion hereafter to ask leave to introduce a bill to au-
thorize the erection of a marine hospital at Chicago,
in the State of Illinois, provided, the funds for the
same can be raised from the sale of portions of the
military reservations in said city.
On the motion of Mr. PEYTON, it was
Resolved, That the committee on Revolutionary Pensions
be instructed .to inquire into the expediency of amending
the pension law of 1S3-2, so as to extend the benefits to the
officers and soldiers of the revolutionary war who served
less than six months; and of so amendingfthe pension law
of 1836 as to include the widows of revolutionary offiters
and soldiers who married after 1796.
Mr. HENLEY desired to submit a resolution to
prohibit motions for adjournment before 4 o'clock
p. m. each day; which was objected to. He then
moved a suspension of the rules; which was nega-
tived.
Mr. HAMLIN offered a resolution in the follow-
ing "terms:
Resolved, That 10,000 copies of the report of the majority,
and a like number of the report of thejninority, of the spe-
cial committee of the last session, on the memorial of sev-
eral members of the legislature of Rhode Island, be printed
for the use of the House.
On this resolution, which lies over one day under
the rule, he moved the previous question.
Mr. BARNARD inquired if it was in order to
move the previous question at this time? The rule
required that all such resolutions should lie over for
one day before any action could b§ had thereon; and
he contended that, to make such a motion, was ac-
tion upon the resolution.
The SPEAKER replied, and decided that the
motion for the previous question could be received
and entered, but could not be acted upon this day.
Mr. ADAMS thought the decision of the Speak-
er was inconsistent with other decisions on like sub-
jects.
Mr. CRANSTON desired the gentleman from
Maine to withdraw the motion for the previous
question, that it mi^kt come up to-morrow for dis-
. cussion.
Mr. HAMLIN was not willing to assent to that
suggestion, inasmuch as he was not assured that he
should be entitled to the floor when this subject
should again come up.
The subject then went over.
On motion of Mr. SIMONS, it was
Resolved, That 11,335 copies of a draft representing the
contemplated navy-yard at Memphis, Tennessee, to accom-
pany document No. 2, be furnished.
Mr. HALE gave notice of his intention hereafter
to ask leave to introduce a bill to abolish the office
of Commissioner of Public Buildings.
Mr. HALE also submitted a resolution, as fol-
lows:
Resolved, That itlie Secretary of the Navy be request-
ed to inform the House what contracts, if any, have been
made bjr his department since the first day of January, an-
no Domini 1840, for furnishing pine timber or lumber to
any navy-yards^ and if so, to what yards; in what papers, if
any,were the proposals advertised; with whom the contracts
were made; how much timber or lumber has been furnished
under said contracts; what prices have been paid therefor;
and how much more has been paid under said contracts for
said timber than was paid for the same articles before the
contract was entered into.
The resolution lies over one day, under the rule.
Mr. WINTHROP offered the following resolu-
tion; which lies over one day, under the rule:
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed
to communicate to this House copies of all instructions is-
sued by him in reference to the collection o£ duties on
wines, coffee, or other articles of import since the first day
af June last.
On the motion of Mr. TIBBATTS, it was
Resolved, That the Committee of Claims be instructed to
inquire into the propriety of- paying Samuel Ferry the
amount deducted from a freight bill under a contract with
McClure and company for transportation of Indian stores,
and an additional amount obtained for detention, and the ex-
penses incurred thereby. "
Mr. REDING offered the -following^ resolution;
which lies over one day, under the rule:
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed
to report to this House how much money was paid each
year by the late bank of the United States, and its immedi-
ate successor the United States bank of Pennsylvania, to
members of Congress, editors of newspapers, bank attor-
neys, andthe persons employed by said banks in this and
other countries, giving the name o? each person to whom
payment was made as aforesaid, and the amount paid to
each. And also, that he report the amount loaned by said
banks each year to members of Congress, bank attorneys,
editors of newspapers, and officers, agents, or other persons
in the employment of said banks, giving the names of such
persons, and the amount to each respectively. Also, the
amount paid for printing, and to whom paid.
Mr. CATLIN submitted the following; which
was agreed to:
Resolved, That the Committee on Commerce be, and they
are hereby, instructed to inquire into the expediency of ma-
king an appropriation to continue the improvements in the
harbor of Norwich and Thames river in Connecticut.
Mr. DANIEL P. KING submitted the follow-
ing; which was agreed to:
Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means be in-
structed to report a bill making appropriations for the pay-
ment of the pensions due to the widows of revolutionary
soldiers, agreeably to the act of June 17th
Mr. RATHBUN submitted the following; which
was agreed to:
Resolved, That the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions
he instructed to inquire into the expediency of granting a
pension to Mercy Hoar.
Mr. HUNGERFORD offered the following;
which, after being amended, on the motion of Mr.
WINTHROP, was agreed to, as follows:
Resolved, That the Committee on Commerce inquire into
the expediency of repoiting separate bills for every district
appropriation proposed to be made.
Mr. PATERSON offered a resolution instruct-
ing the Committee on Military Affairs to inquire of
the Secretary of War if it be not expedient to con-
struct fortifications at or near the mouth of the
Genesee river, upon Lake Ontario.
Mr. HARALSON (chairman of the Committee
on Military Affairs) said he hoped the gentleman
who wanted to make the inquiry would do so him-
self. If he wished the information, he could write
to the Secretary of War as well as it could be done
by the committee,
The question was taken, and the resolution was
rejected.
Mr. D. L. SEYMOUR offered the following reso-
lution, which lies over:
Resolved. That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed
to furnish this House with a statement showing the quantity
of "coarse wool unmanufactured, the value whereof, at the
last port or place whence exported to the U. States, is seven
cents or under per pound;" which has been imported into
the United States and paid duties since the present tariff
went into operation.
Mr. FISH gave notice that he would, to-morrow,
or some subsequent day, ask leave to introduce a
bill to authorize the sale of Fort Gansevoort, in the
city of New York, and the purchase of certain land
on Staten Island, used for the defence ofthe harbor of
New York.
Mr. STRONG offered the following resolution;
which was agreed to:
Resolved, That the Committee on Commerce be instruct-
ed to inquire into the expediency of making an appropria-
tion for the preservation and improvement ®f the inlet to
Port Jefferson bay, in the Siate of New York.
Mr. PRATT offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That the Committee on Patents be, and they are
hereby, directed to inquire into the expediency of making
the necessary appropriation, out of the patent fund, to pur-
chase, an ample collection of scientific and other necessary-
books, to provide for the publication and distribution of the
descriptions and drawings of the inventions for which pat-
ents have been grated; also, wbat other provisions are ne-
cessary to give greater effiicicncy to the office, and a more
perfect arrangement of thfc models and drawings, within,
the extent of the funds arising from patents; and that the
committee report by bill or otherwise.
The question was taken, and the resolution was
adopted.
Mr. ELMER offered a resolution instructing the
Committee on Commerce to inquire into the expe-
diency of making; an appropriation for completing
the Delaware breakwater; and also to inquire into
the expediency of commencing a breakwaier on t£e
Crow shoal, on the Cape May side of the bay. The
resolution was agreed to.
Mr. W. WRIGHT gave notice that he intended
to ask leave to introduce a bill for the purpose of
removing obstructions at the mouth of the Passaic
river, New Jersey.
Mr. RAMSEY offered the following resolution;
which lies over one day:
Resolved, That 2,500 extra copies of the report of Pro-
fessor Johnson to the Navy Department, on the various
kinds of coal and their adaptation to the production of
steam, be printed.
Mr. DARRAGH offered a resolution directing the
Committee on Roads and Canals to report a bill
authorizing the opening of a canal around the falls
of St. Mary at the outlet of Lade Superior.
After a momentary conversation between Messrs.
DARRAGH and SAMPLE, the resolution was
adopted.
Mr. J. R. INGERSOLL offered the following
resolution:
Resolved, That the Clerk of the House, at the close of the
session, pay out of the contingent fund to those in the ser-
vice of the House an amount equal to that paid to similar
individuals by the Senate during the present Congress.
Mr. CAVE JOHNSON objected to the resolu-
tion; and it accordingly lies over.
On motion of Mr. ANDREW STEWART,
Resolved, That the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions
be instructed to inquire into the expediency of granting a
pension to "William Gump, of Greene county, Pennsylvania.
On motion of Mr. BUFFINGTON,
Resolved, That the Committee on Commerce be instruct-
ed to inquire into the expediency of making an appropria-
tion for the improvement of the Alleghany, from Pittsburg,
in the State of Pennsylvania, to Olean, m the State of New
York.
WINES, SILKS, AND FREE GOODS.
Mr. C. J. INGERSOLL offered the following
resolution:
Resolved, That those parts of the act commonly known
as the tariff act of August, 1842, be modified and rectified, as
far as respects foreign wines and silks, when they conflict
with treaties, or are otherwise objectionable. Also,' that
the Committee of Ways and Means be instructed to inquire
into the expediency of imposing a nominal duty on all free
articles, for the precise ascertainment of them.
The reading of the resolution being greeted with
some laughter in certain quarters of the House,
Mr. INGERSOLL said he wished it to be under-
stood, as the resolution appeared to be a subject of
derision in his neighborhood, that he was responsi-
ble for it, and for it all.
[Renewed laughter.]
The SPEAKER remarked that this resolution
proposed to change ^ standing law of the land,
which it was not competent for the £Iouse to do by
resolution.
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United States. Congress. The Congressional Globe, Volume 14: Twenty-Eighth Congress, Second Session, legislative document, 1845; Washington D.C.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth2366/m1/55/: accessed April 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.