such banking houses, and upon what authority such houses have been built or lots purchased.

The said amendment was received, and the resolution as amended, adopted.

Mr. Gillespy submitted the following:

Resolved, That the committee on the judiciary, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of providing by law for the binding in boards of a certain number of the acts, public and private, and of the journals of each House of this General Assembly, now in the office of the Secretary of State, and that said committee report by bill or otherwise. Mr. Marshall introduced,

A Bill to amend an act, entitled an act, more effectually to subject property in this state belonging to non-residents, debtors, to the payment of their debts due citizens of this and other States, passed 15th Feb. 1836, which was read a first time, passed and referred to the committee on the Judiciary, And

A Bill to prevent Grand Jurors from making presentments, was on motion of Mr. Wheeler, referred to the committee on the Judiciary. On motion of Mr. Turney,

Ordered, That Mr. Terry be added to the committee on Banks.

Mr. Reneau, from the committee on enrollments, reported as correctly enrolled it, A resolution appointing commissioners to view Burk's turnpike road. The Speaker of the Senate signed said enrolled, resolution, and ordered to be transmitted to the House of Representatives. Mr. Brown introduced,

A Bill to create an additional branch of the Bank of Tennessee, which was read a first time and passed. And

A Bill to amend the several laws in force in this State, relative to common schools, was on motion of Mr. Turney, referred to the committee on Education and Common Schools. And

A Bill for the relief of Eli Cleveland, of Monroe county. And

A Bill to extend the benefits of the first section of the act of 1829, chapter 40, to certain purchasers of land in the Hiawassee District, were referred on motion of Mr. Gillespy to the Committee on Claims. Mr. Gaines submitted the following:

Resolved, That so much of the Governor's message as related to Banks and the currency, be referred to the Committee on Finance.

That so much as relates to education, be referred to the Committee on Education and Common Schools.

That so much as relates to the subject of Internal Improvement, be referred to the committee on that subject.

That so much as relates to the State Bank and the location of the branches, be referred to the Committee on Banks.

That so much as relates to the State bonds, be referred to the Committee on Internal Improvements.

That so much as relates to the Penitentiary, be referred to the Committee on the Penitentiary.

That so much as relates to the amendment and revision of the militia laws, be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.

That so much as relates to standard weights, be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means.

That so much as relates to a connexion of the Tennessee and Big Hatchie by means of a canal, be referred to the Committee on In'ternal Improvements.

The Speaker appointed Messrs. Laughlin, Reneau and Coe, the Committee on Federal Relations.

Mr. Jones of Hickman, introduced

A Bill to repeal part of an act passed the 11th day of January, 1838, entitled an act to distribute one hundred thousand dollars amongst the several counties in Middle Tennessee, and for other purposes. And also

A Bill to repeal part of an act passed the 19th day of Jan. 1835, entitled an act to establish a State Bank to raise a fund for Internal Improvement, and to aid in the establishment of a system of education, both of which were severally read a first time and passed; and referred to the Committee on Internal Improvements.

The Speaker presented the following supplemental report from Daniel Graham, Esq. Comptroller of the Treasury: To the General Assembly

of the State of Tennessee:

On examining my report of the 9th inst. as printed, I find that in the specification of the miscellaneous receipts a few important items were not set down in their appropriate places. This omission occurred with myself in transcribing the amount from my books, and not with the Printer, as I at first thought in reading the report as published. The items omitted are

Union Bank, interest on U. S. deposites to 1st. Jan. 1838,

$20,352 00

do.

do

to 1st. July 1835,

19,078 82

The omission occurred only in the specification, and the sum total is correct in the original report.

Respectfully submitted,

DANIEL GRAHAM.

Comptroller of the Treasury.

A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Crockett, their Clerk:

Mr. Speaker: The House of Representatives concur with your resolution directory to the jeint select committee, to whom was referred the report of the Secretary of State with its accompanying documents. They also concur with your resolution proposing to go into the election of Judge for the Sixth Judicial Circuit on Friday next. They have adopted a resolution appointing a joint select committee on the subject of tippling houses. And a resolution to appoint a joint select commit

tee, to take into consideration the propriety of giving legislative aid to the growth and culture of silk in the State of Tennessee, in which they ask your concurrence.

And then he withdrew. Whereupon, the said first resolution was read and concurred with, and the last mentioned resolution ordered to the table.

Ordered, That the Clerk acquaint the House of Representatives therewith.

Mr. Laughlin submitted the following preamble and resolutions:

WHEREAS, It has been customary on various public occasions heretofore with the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, to express its opinions in relation to the selection of candidates for high national offices; and in times like the present, when the importance of unanimity in the Democratic party is felt throughout the Republic; and taking into view at the same time, that the period is rapidly approaching when the action of public sentiment will be called forth on this subject from every quarter of the Union, and believing that much must always de-> pend for the success of all great and essential principles upon the characters and qualifications of the persons and functionaries chosen to sustain them:

We, the Representatives of the people of the State of Tennessee, in strict conformity with Republican usage, deem the present a fit occasion to present our views and to offer for the consideration and approbation of the American people, the names of two of the most distinguished men of the nation as candidates for the elevated stations of President and Vice President of the United States.

In taking this step, we think it proper and respectful to state briefly and distinctly the causes which have actuated us, and which, we doubt not, will animate the Democracy of the whole country. To fully understand our position, however, it may not be improper to take a retrospect of the history of the public action in the selection of candidates.

At the formation of the Federal Constitution in 1787, and upon its ratification in 1788, it was a matter of course that the public eye should have been almost singly directed to the Father of his Country as the most suitable person upon whom to devolve the mighty task of putting our system of Government into practical operation. The universal concentration of public opinion and confidence needed no primary motion of the people, or secondary direction to produce concert and harmony. The glorious Revolution, and our signal passage from a state of collonial dependence to the dignity of a free and independent nation, had been conducted and achieved mainly by the consummate skill and wisdom of that great and good man; and his person and services had become identified with the most cherished recollections and affections of every American citizen. When he had closed his administration, although a contrariety of views had sprung up between distinguished individuals in relation to the financial and foreign policy of the country, no party lines and names were distinctly drawn; and his successor, who liad been a man of the Revolution, was given prece

dence rather by concession to his seniority than to any special political considerations. In the next four years, however, we find that those original differences of opinion had grown into wider distinctions, and when a new election for President was to take place, Virginia and Pennsylvania took decisive ground and adopted concert of action in favor of the Democratic party. The result of this was, the election of Thomas Jefferson, the great apostle of Republican doctrines, which had made their appearance and won the public confidence under the then current discussions and enlightened interpretations of our wise constitution. During his administration the country was distinctly divided into the Federal and Republican parties. His successor, the pure, enlightened and accomplished Madison, was designated as a candidate by the concerted expression of the opinions of the Democratic members of Congress. James Monroe, who came into power after Mr. Madison's retirement, was also nominated as a candidate by a meeting of the Democratic Senators and Representatives in Congress. Up to this period, this seems to have been the acknowledged usage of the party. With the increase, however, of years and population, and the remarkable conflicts and trials through which our country had passed in the field and cabinet, and especially in the second war of independence, several distinguished citizens appeared to have rendered themselves almost equally prominent, and the general sentiment prevailing among the people, indisposed them to adopt the former method of desig nating candidates for the two first offices of the nation, and have their primary assemblies and legislative action, in the form of nominations and resolutions for the purpose of fairly presenting the claims of different candidates.

In pursuance of this change of popular action, the General Assembly of Tennessee nominated our distinguished fellow citizen Andrew Jackson. Kentucky and Massachusetts, it is believed, adopted a similar course in relation to their favorite statesmen, while a portion of the Democratic party adhered to the old system. From that time down to the present, we have pursued a similar course, occasionally bearing in mind, and varying the procedure, according to circumstances, when the necessity of the crisis seemed absolutely to demand it, the propriety of resorting in practice to the additional republican expedient of some general measure for securing unanimity and national concert.— In this course public opinion seems to have fully acquiesced, and to have sactioned nominations made by the members of the General Assembly as one of the approved auxiliary modes of primary action.

Upon reviewing the various expedients which have been adopted in order to present fully and fairly before the public the claims of distinguished individuals for the exalted stations of President and Vice President, no better and no less objectionable method than that already sanctioned by long established republican usage, is likely ever to obtain or to become more proper or available.

The Opposition with whom we have to contend, have resorted to every possible expedient to impress their opinions successfully upon the public, and to produce groundless prejudices against the Democrat

ic party. They are preparing every where for the contest in the Presidential election of 1840; and here, in this city, in our presence, and under the very roof that covers our present deliberations as the Representatives of the sovereign people of Tennessee, they have been arraying themselves for battle and intimidation, and putting forth the most inflammatory attacks upon our most cherished principles and our most highly esteemed public men. The time for action, therefore, on our part has arrived. We have waited in the delusive hope that a less excited state of public feeling would succeed the animated struggle through which we have just passed, but we have waited in vain. The first notes of our late victory-the victory of our principles-were followed not by notes of peace and reconciliation from our opponents, but by a boasted parade of party strength, and open indications of preparation, defiance and war. If in this state of things we were to fold our arms, and tamely and submissively look upon the political pageants which are being enacted around us, and over the wide theatre of the Union, we should be recreant to our professed principles, and richly deserve, the disaster of defeat. We fully believe that the great mass of our fellow citizens who opposed us in the recent struggle in this State are Republicans, but that they were misled by their leaders in whom they had placed confidence, and who once belonged to the Republican ranks, but now act in concert with the Federal party of this State.

In this crisis, we believe it proper and urgently demanded of us by our present peculiar position, that we should announce to the nationto our democratic brethren of the Union-the names of those distinguished men whom we would cordially and respectfully recommend to our countrymen as candidates for the two highest oflices known to the Constitution.

For re-election to the Presidency of the United States we would present the name and claims of MARTIN VAN BUREN. His long established character as a Democratic Republican, the signal ability and integrity with which he has administered the Government in its domestic and federal relations, which have been of the most peculiar, delicate and embarrassing nature, entitle him most fully and. unqualifiedly in our candid judgment, to the support of the American people.

For election to the Vice Presidency, we should at the same time, with all due respect to the claims and services of other distinguished men of the republican party, and with a firm determination not to separate from our Democratic friends of other States in the election, present the name and claims of JAMES K. POLK. While it is with sincere regret we would forego his services as Governor of Tennessee, we act and present his name under the solemn conviction that no other man of the Democratic party could unite with so near an approach to unanimity, in conjunction with Martin Van Buren, the true friends and advocates of Democratic principles throughout the Republic. He has already been nominated in numerous primary assemblies of the people, the tone of the public press over the whole nation indicates the strong feeling which is moving in his favor-and in the present great emer