2d Session. No. 2. BOOKS ORDERED TO BE FURNISHED TO MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE. LETTER FROM THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, IN RELATION To the execution by him of the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 7th August, 1848, on the subject of the distribution of books. DECEMBER 11, 1848. Referred to the Committee on Printing, and ordered to be printed. CLERK'S OFFICE, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SIR: The enclosed statement is directed to you, for the purpose of being laid before the House. Very respectfully, THO. J. CAMPBELL, Clerk House of Representatives. Hon. ROBт. C. WINTHROP, Speaker House of Representatives U. S. OFFICE HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES U. S., SIR: On the 7th of August, 1848, the House, by resolution, directed the Clerk to furnish to such members of the present House as have not already received them, such books as were furnished to the members of the 28th and 29th Congresses, and such other books as were distributed in the last Congress to the members of the Senate, provided the resolution should not be construed to authorize the reprinting of such books. On an examination of the statutes and resolutions of the House and Senate touching the foregoing resolution, the Clerk found the following works embraced, viz: American State Papers, by Gales & Seaton ; Senate Land Laws, by Gales & Seaton; Tippin & Streeper, printers. American Archives, by Peter Force; Elliot's Debates, by Jonathan Elliot; United States Statutes at Large, by Little & Brown; Congressional Globe and Appendix, by Blair & Rives; and the In executing the high trust confided by the House to the Clerk, growing out of the aforesaid resolution, a correspondence was opened immediately after the adjournment of the last session of Congress, with the origi nal publishers of the aforesaid works, from which the Clerk found that those publishers could furnish the Register of Debates; Senate Land Laws; Congressional Globe and Appendix; Constitution of the United States. The Clerk was further informed by the publisher of the American Archives that he could furnish that work; but after the lapse of some time, he give the Clerk to understand that he could not furnish it. Excepting, therefore, the American State Papers, American Archives, and Diplomatic Correspondence, all are now, or will be in a few days, ready for delivery as contemplated by the aforesaid resolution. In corresponding with Messrs. Gales & Seaton, the original publishers of the work called the American State Papers, the Clerk found that they were the only publishers of that work in the United States, and that their edition of it was exhausted; and that they never distributed any portion of said work except to members of Congress, under acts of Congress, resolutions of the Senate or House of Representatives. Friends of many of the booksellers in the city of Washington requested the Clerk to ascertain from them if they could furnish the American State Papers and Diplomatic Correspondence. This the Clerk did, and requested to know of them how many copies of said works they had on hand and could at that time furnish; and received for answer, (including the whole of the booksellers,) that of the American State Papers there could be furnished twenty-six copies, and of the Diplomatic Correspondence eighteen copies. It appeared, therefore, that the number of copies required by, the resolution could not be furnished by the booksellers, as required by the Clerk in his correspondence with them. Two of the booksellers of this city proposed to the Clerk to give them full authority to make purchases of the American State Papers and Diplomatic Correspondence; but as the integrity of the Clerk might become involved in such transfer of his authority, and the propriety of his conduct questioned, in the proper exercise of the high official trust confided to his management, he promptly declined the proposition. In relation to the American Archives, Mr. Peter Force, the publisher, has lately informed the Clerk that he doubts his ability to furnish the work. From this gentleman, and Mr. Lund Washington, jr., a clerk in the Department of State, the Clerk of the House ascertained that there were in the Department of State three hundred and eighty or ninety copies of the American Archives belonging to Congress. The Clerk had an in terview and correspondence with the Secretary of State in relation to them, from which he learns that the requisite number of copies of that work can be furnished to comply with the resolution of the 7th of August, without injury to the public service, should the two houses pass a joint resolution authorizing it. Every act done by the Clerk, and all his correspondence in relation to the said resolution, is matter of record in his office. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, THOS. J. CAMPBELL, Clerk House Representatives U. S. To the SPEAKER of the House of Representatives. OFFICE OF THE HOUSE OF RepresentatIVES U. S. SIR: The House of Representatives on the 7th August, 1848, adopted the following resolution: "Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives be directed to furnish to such members of the present House as have not already received them, such books as were furnished to the members of the 28th and 29th Congresses, and such other books as were distributed in the last Congress to the members of the Senate: provided that this resolution shall not be construed to authorize the reprinting of such books." In the examinations made by the Clerk, in executing the foregoing resolution, he has been informed by Mr. Peter Force, the publisher, and also by Mr. Washington, a clerk in the Department of State, that there are now deposited in that department some three hundred and eighty-nine sets or copies of the work called "American Archives," and which publication is included in the resolution of the House. The object of this note is to ask whether you can furnish this office, from the State Department, one hundred and twenty copies of the aforesaid work, without injury to the public interest, for distribution under the aforesaid resolution. SIR: In reply to your letter of this date, I have to state that the copies of the "American Archives," now remaining undisposed of in this department, are solely under the control of Congress, and that it will require the sanction of that body to authorize a further distribution of the work. I regret, therefore, that it is not in my power to furnish you with the number of copies necessary to enable you to carry out the resolution of the House of Representatives to which you refer. 1 am, sir,, very respectfully, your obedient servant, THOMAS J. CAMPBELL, Esq. Clerk of the House of Representatives. 2d Session. No. 3. PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL MESSAGE-REFERENCE OF. RESOLUTIONS OF MR. VINTON, ON THE Subject of the reference of the President's Annual Message. DECEMBER 18, 1848. Introduced, and referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Resolved, That so much of the annual message of the President of the United States to the two houses of Congress at the present session as relates to our treaties, diplomatic intercourse, and relations with foreign countries, be referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. 2d. That so much of said message as relates to compensation to those citizens who have served in the Indian war in Oregon, to the state and condition of the army, to the duties levied on American and neutral commerce in the ports of Mexico, and the disbursement of the moneys so collected, and the accountability therefor by the officers who collected and disbursed the same, with the.report of the Secretary of War accompanying said message, be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, with instructions to said committee to inquire into and report upon the legality of the collection of such duties, and the disbursement of the money so collected. 3d. That so much of said message as relates to the condition and operations of the navy, the marine corps, and the establishment of a line of steamers between New Orleans and Vera Cruz, together with the report of the Secretary of the Navy, be referred to the Committee on Naval Af fairs. 4th. That so much of said message as relates to the tariffs of 1846 and 1842, the revenue, the state of the treasury, the public debt, the sub-treasury, the general condition of the finances, the estimated receipts and expenditures for the next fiscal year, the unliquidated claims of citizens of the United States against Mexico, and the establishment of additional branch mints, be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means. 5th. That so much of said message as relates to the public lands, the graduation and reduction of the price thereof, the surveys thereof, geological, mineralogical, and lineal, the appointment of additional surveyors gen eral, and to the sale of the mineral lands in California and New Mexico, be referred to the Committee on Public Lands. Tippin & Streeper, printers. |