seven months. Should it be the pleasure of the Senate to give its sanction to the measure suggested by the Commissioner for this purpose, my own will not be withheld. M. VAN BUREN. To the Senate of the United States: WASHINGTON, January 7, 1839. In compliance with the resolution of the Senate of the 20th December last, I communicate to the Senate reports from the several Executive Departments, containing the information* called for by said resolution. M. VAN BUREN. WASHINGTON, January 9, 1839. The PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES. SIR: I transmit herewith a report from the Secretary of the Navy, in answer to the resolution of the Senate of the 3d instant, calling for information in regard to the examinations of inventions designed to prevent the calamities resulting from the explosion of steam boilers, directed by the acts of Congress of the 28th of June and the 9th of July last. M. VAN BUREN. To the House of Representatives: WASHINGTON, January 10, 1839. I communicate to the House of Representatives, in compliance with its resolution of the 3d instant, reports† from the Secretaries of State and War, containing all the information called for by said resolution now in possession of the Executive. M. VAN BUREN. To the Senate of the United States: WASHINGTON, January 11, 1839. I transmit herewith a report of the Secretary of War, in reply to the resolution of the Senate of yesterday's date, calling for information respecting the agreement between him and the United States Bank of Pennsylvania on the subject of the sale or payment of certain bonds of that institution held by the United States, and respecting the disposition made of the proceeds thereof. M. VAN BUREN. *Copies of orders and instructions issued since April 14, 1836, relative to the kind of mɔney and bank notes to be paid out on account of the United States. + Relating to the invasion of the southwestern frontier of the United States by an armed force from the Republic of Texas. To the Senate of the United States: WASHINGTON, January 15, 1839. In compliance with a resolution of the Senate of the 9th of July last, I transmit reports from the several Departments of the Government to which that resolution was referred. M. VAN BUREN. WASHINGTON, January 16, 1839. To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States: I lay before you a communication from the Secretary of War, which is accompanied by one from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, suggesting the propriety of setting apart a tract of country west of the Mississippi for the Seminole Indians, so that they may be separate from the Creeks, and representing the necessity of a small appropriation for supplying the immediate wants of those who have been removed; and I respectfully recommend these subjects for the early consideration and favorable action of Congress. M. VAN BUREN. To the Senate and House of Representatives: JANUARY 17, 1839. I herewith communicate to Congress a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, in respect to the Florida claims under the treaty of 1819 and the subsequent acts of Congress passed to enforce it. The propriety of some additional legislation on this subject seems obvious. The period when the evidence on the claims shall be closed ought, in my opinion, to be limited, as they are already of long standing, and, as a general consequence, the proof of their justice every day becoming more and more unsatisfactory. It seems also that the task of making the final examination into the justice of the awards might advantageously be devolved upon some other officer or tribunal than the Secretary of the Treasury, considering the other responsible, laborious, and numerous duties imposed on him at the present juncture. M. VAN BUREN. WASHINGTON, January 17, 1839. To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States: I transmit herewith a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, which presents for the consideration of Congress the propriety of so changing the second section of the act of March 2, 1837, as that the *Transmitting statements of cases in which a per centum has been allowed to public officers on disbursements of public moneys, existing humane provisions of the laws for the relief of certain insolvent debtors of the United States may be extended to such cases of insolvency as shall have occurred on or before the 1st day of January, 1839 M. VAN BUREN. WASHINGTON, January 17, 1839. The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: In answer to the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 14th instant, calling for information as to the proceedings under the act of Congress of the 28th of June last, providing for examinations of inventions designed to prevent the explosion of steam boilers, I transmit herewith a copy of a report of the Secretary of the Navy, which was made to the Senate in answer to a similar call from that body, as containing the information called for. To the House of Representatives: M. VAN BUREN. WASHINGTON, January 18, 1839. In addition to the information contained in a report from the Secretary of State communicated with my message of the 30th April, 1838, I transmit to the House of Representatives a report * from the Secretary of War, dated the 16th instant, in answer to a resolution of the House of the 19th March last, and containing so much of the information called for by said resolution as could be furnished by his Department. To the Senate of the United States: M. VAN BUREN. WASHINGTON, January 21, 1839. I transmit herewith to the Senate, for their consideration in reference to its ratification, a treaty of commerce and navigation between the United States of America and His Majesty the King of the Netherlands, signed at this place on the 19th instant by the Secretary of State and the chargé d'affaires of the Netherlands in the United States. To the Senate of the United States: M. VAN BUREN. WASHINGTON, January 21, 1839. I transmit for the consideration of the Senate with a view to its ratification a convention for the adjustment of claims of citizens of the United States upon the Government of the Mexican Republic, concluded and *Relating to the intermeddling of any foreign government, or subjects or officers thereof, with the Indian tribes in Michigan, Wisconsin, the territory beyond the Rocky Mountains, or elsewhere within the limits of the United States, etc. signed in this city on the 10th of September last by John Forsyth, Secretary of State of the United States, and Francisco Pizarro Martinez, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the Mexican Republic, on the part of their respective Governments. M. VAN BUREN. To the Senate of the United States: WASHINGTON, January 21, 1839. I transmit a treaty negotiated with the New York Indians, which was submitted to your body in June last and amended. The amendments have, in pursuance of the requirement of the Senate, been submitted to each of the tribes, assembled in council, for their free and voluntary assent or dissent thereto. In respect to all the tribes except the Senecas the result of this application has been entirely satisfactory. It will be seen by the accompanying papers that of this tribe, the most important of those concerned, the assent of only 42 out of 81 chiefs has been obtained. I deem it advisable under these circumstances to submit the treaty in its modified form to the Senate, for its advice in regard of the sufficiency of the assent of the Senecas to the amendments proposed. M. VAN BUREN. To the Senate of the United States: WASHINGTON, January 24, 1839. I transmit herewith to the Senate, for their consideration in reference to its ratification, a treaty of commerce and navigation between the United States of America and His Majesty the King of Sardinia, signed at Genoa on the 26th of November last by the plenipotentiaries of the contracting parties. M. VAN BUREN. To the Senate of the United States: WASHINGTON, January 25, 1839. I herewith transmit to the Senate a report * from the Secretary of State, in answer to their resolution of the 22d instant. M. VAN BUREN. To the Senate of the United States: WASHINGTON, January 26, 1839. I lay before you, for your consideration, a treaty concluded with the Omaha, Ioway, and Otoe tribes of Indians, and sanctioned by the Yancton and Santie bands of Sioux, by which a tract of land situated on the *Stating that there has been no correspondence with Great Britain in relation to the northeast ern boundary since December 3, 1838. south side of the Missouri between the Great and Little Nemahaw rivers has been ceded to the United States. It appears that the consent of the half-breeds of the above-mentioned tribes and bands is wanting to perfect the treaty. This tract of land was ceded by the treaty of 15th July, 1830, to them by the above-mentioned tribes and bands of Indians, and can not be taken from them, even for such a valuable consideration as will relieve their wants, without their assent. In order to avoid unnecessary delay, I submit it to your consideration in order to receive an expression of your opinion as to the manner of obtaining the assent of the minors, whereby all unnecessary delay in the final action upon the treaty will be avoided. M. VAN BUREN. JANUARY 28, 1839. To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States: I transmit herewith a communication received from the Secretary of the Treasury, on the subject of the balances reported on the books of the Treasury against collecting and disbursing agents of the Government, to which I beg leave to invite the early attention of Congress. M. VAN BUREN. WASHINGTON, January 30, 1839. To the Senate and House of Representatives: I herewith transmit a report from the Secretary of the Treasury, on the subject of commissions claimed by agents or officers employed by the General Government. The propriety of new legislation regulating the whole matter by express laws seems very apparent, and is urgently recommended to the early attention of Congress. To the Senate of the United States: M. VAN BUREN. WASHINGTON, February 2, 1839. I transmit a report from the Secretary of State, assigning reasons which render it probable that the time limited for the exchange of the ratifications of the convention for the adjustment of claims of citizens of the United States on the Government of the Mexican Republic may expire before that exchange can be effected, and suggesting that the consent of the Senate be requested for an extension of that time. The object of this communication, accordingly, is to solicit the approval by the Senate of such an extension upon the conditions mentioned in the report of the Secretary of State. M. VAN BUREN. |