Chapter 17

I transmit to the Senate, for their constitutional advice, an additional article, signed on the 4th day of June last, to the convention of friendship, commerce, and navigation between the United States and the Hanseatic Republics of Lubeck, Bremen, and Hamburg concluded at this place on the 20th December, 1827. A copy of the article is likewise inclosed.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _December 16, 1828_.

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I transmit to the Senate, for their advice, articles of agreement concluded at Green Bay, in the Territory of Michigan, on the 20th of August last, between Lewis Cass and Pierre Menard, commissioners on the part of the United States, and the chiefs of the Winnebago tribe and of the united tribes of the Potawatamies, Chippewas, and Ottawas, being a temporary arrangement concerning the occupation of a certain portion of the mining country which has not heretofore been ceded to the United States.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _December 22, 1828_.

_To the House of Representatives of the United States_:

I transmit to the House of Representatives a report from the Secretary of War, with documents, reported in compliance with the resolution of the House of the 10th instant, requesting a copy of the instructions given for the government of the agent of the United States superintendent of the lead mines in Missouri and Illinois.

Also a report from the Secretary of War, in compliance with the resolution of the House of the 15th instant, setting forth the reasons upon which it has not been deemed expedient to nominate commissioners to hold a treaty with the Choctaw Nation of Indians for the purchase of a certain tract of land, as authorized by the act of Congress of the 24th of May last.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _January 1, 1829_.

_To the House of Representatives of the United States_:

In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 18th ultimo, I communicate to the House a report from the Secretary of War, containing the information required in relation to the intended frauds upon the revenue, which has rendered expedient the stationing additional troops on the Niagara frontier. The other evidence embraced by the resolution, and in possession of the Government, does not, in my judgment, at present render any further employment of a regular armed force for the enforcement of the revenue laws necessary.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _January 7, 1829_.

_To the House of Representatives of the United States_:

In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 19th May last, requesting a copy of the correspondence between the minister of the United States at the Court of Madrid and the Government of Spain on the subject of claims of citizens of the United States against the said Government, I transmit herewith a report from the Secretary of State, with the correspondence desired by the resolution.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _January 14, 1829_.

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I transmit herewith to the Senate a report from the Secretary of State, with supplemental returns of free taxable inhabitants not freeholders in certain States and Territories of the United States, which returns have been received since my message to the Senate of the 9th December last.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _January 17, 1829_.

_To the House of Representatives of the United States_:

In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 13th instant, I transmit herewith a report[019] from the Secretary of War, with an application from the Creek Indians, through the agent of the United States, and an opinion of counsel in behalf of the Indians, having relation to the subject of the resolution.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _January 21, 1829_.

_To the House of Representatives of the United States_:

In compliance with two resolutions of the House of Representatives of the 5th instant, requesting information received not heretofore communicated in relation to the arrest and trial in the British Province of New Brunswick of John Baker, a citizen of the United States, and the correspondence between the Government of the United States and that of Great Britain in relation to the said arrest and to the usurpation of jurisdiction by the British government of New Brunswick within the limits of the State of Maine, I transmit a report from the Secretary of State, with the information and correspondence requested by the House.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _January 21, 1829_.

_To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States_:

I transmit to Congress copies of two treaties with Indian tribes, which have been ratified:

1. Articles of agreement between the United States of America and the Winnebago tribe and the united tribes of Potawatamie, Chippeways; and Ottawa Indians, concluded at Green Bay 25th August, 1828.

2. Treaty between the United States of America and the Potawatamie tribe of Indians, concluded at the missionary establishment upon the St. Joseph of Lake Michigan 20th September, 1828.

Both by Lewis Cass and Pierre Menard, commissioners on the part of the United States, with certain chiefs and warriors of the respective tribes.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _January 26, 1829_

_To the House of Representatives of the United States_:

In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 17th instant, requesting copies of the instructions to the commissioners of the United States who made the treaty at the Indian Springs in 1821, I transmit to the House a report from the Secretary of War of the 22d instant, with copies of those instructions.

And in compliance with a resolution of the House of the 20th instant, requesting a communication of the journal of the above-mentioned commissioners, I transmit a report from the Secretary of War of the 24th instant, with copies of the papers, which it is believed will supply the information desired by the resolution, no regular journal having been transmitted by the commissioners to the Department.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _January 26, 1829_.

_To the House of Representatives of the United States_:

I transmit herewith a report from the Secretary of State, with voluminous documents prepared and collected in compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 13th January, 1825, calling for a statement of convictions, executions, and pardons for capital offenses under the authority of the Government of the United States since the adoption of the Constitution.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _January 26, 1829_.

_To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States_:

I transmit to Congress copies of a convention of friendship, commerce, and navigation between the United States and the free Hanseatic Republics of Lubeck, Bremen, and Hamburg, the ratifications of which were exchanged at this place on the 2d day of June last; and also of an additional article to the same convention, signed on the 4th day of June last, and the ratifications of which were exchanged at this city on the 14th of the present month.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _January 29, 1829_

_The President of the Senate of the United States_

Sir:

I transmit herewith a letter which I have received from Mr. David, member of the Institute of France, professor of the School of Painting at Paris, and member of the Legion of Honor, the artist who presents to Congress the bust of General Lafayette which has been received with it; and I have to request the favor that after it has been communicated to the Senate it may be transmitted to the Speaker of the House of Representatives for similar communication to that body.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _January 29, 1829_.

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I nominate Stephen Clin, of Georgia, to be secretary of the legation of the United States at the Court of Great Britain.

Jesse H. Willis, of Florida, to be collector of the customs for the recently established district of St. Marks and inspector of the revenue for the port of Magnolia, in Florida.

And I nominate for reappointment Callender Irvine, of Pennsylvania, to be Commissary-General of Purchases. It is proper to apprise the Senate that this office is one of those which by the act of Congress of 15th May, 1820, is limited to the term of four years; that it was held by Mr. Irvine at the time of the passage of that act, but that by some inadvertence he has not hitherto been nominated for reappointment. The fact having but just now been ascertained by me, I deem it my duty to make the nomination. Mr. Irvine has hitherto performed the duties of the office under his original appointment.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _January 30, 1829_.

_To the House of Representatives of the United States_:

In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 13th instant, requesting information of the measures taken in execution of the act of 9th May last, making an appropriation for carrying into effect the articles of agreement and cession of 24th April, 1802, between the State of Georgia and the United States, and also in execution of certain provisions of the treaty of May last with the Cherokee Indians, I transmit to the House a report from the Secretary of War, with documents, comprising the desired information.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _February 2, 1829_.

_To the Senate of the United States_:

In compliance with a resolution of the Senate of the 20th ultimo, requesting information received since the last session of Congress from the Mexican Government respecting the recovery of debts in that country due to American citizens, I transmit a report from the Secretary of State, with copies of a letter of instructions to the minister of the United States in Mexico, and of his answer, relating to the subject of the resolution.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _February 6, 1829_

_To the Senate of the United States_:

In compliance with a resolution of the Senate of the 9th of December last, requesting a detailed statement of the amount expended by the Federal Government upon works of internal improvement within the limits of the several States, with an estimate of the amount necessary to complete any work begun and not yet completed, I transmit herewith reports from the Secretaries of the Treasury and of War, with documents, containing the information desired by the resolution.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _February 6, 1829_.

_To the House of Representatives of the United States_:

In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 4th instant, I transmit herewith a report from the Secretary of War, with that of the commissioner appointed to locate the national road from Zanesville, in Ohio, to the seat of government of the State of Missouri.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _February 11, 1829_.

_To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States_:

By the act of Congress of the 23d of May last, "supplementary to the several acts providing for the settlement and confirmation of private land claims in Florida," provision was made for the final adjudication of such claims by the judges of the superior courts of the districts wherein the lands claimed respectively lie, and by appeal from them to the Supreme Court of the United States; and the attorneys of the United States in the several districts were charged with the duty, in every case where the decision should be against the United States by the judge of the superior court of the district, to make out and transmit to the Attorney-General of the United States a statement containing the facts of the case and the points of law on which the same was decided, and it was made the duty of the Attorney-General in most of those cases to direct an appeal to be made to the Supreme Court of the United States and to appear for the United States and prosecute such appeals. By the same act the President of the United States was authorized to appoint a law agent to superintend the interests of the United States in the premises, and to employ assistant counsel if in his opinion the public interest should require the same.

In the process of carrying into execution this law it was the opinion of the Attorney-General of the United States that a translated complete collection of all the Spanish and French ordinances, etc., affecting the land titles in Florida and the other territories heretofore belonging to France and Spain, would be indispensable to a just decision of those claims by the Supreme Court. At his suggestion the task of preparing this compilation was undertaken by Joseph M. White, of Florida, who was employed as assistant counsel in behalf of the United States. The collection has accordingly been made and is deposited in manuscript at the Department of State, subject to such order as Congress may see fit to take concerning it. The letter from Mr. White to the Secretary of State, with a descriptive list of the documents collected and thus deposited, is herewith transmitted to Congress.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _February 16, 1829_.

_To the Senate of the United States_:

In compliance with the resolution of the Senate of the 5th instant, requesting detailed statements of the expenses incurred and of those which may be necessary for the expedition proposed for exploring the Pacific Ocean and South Seas, and also of the several amounts transferred from the different heads of appropriation for the support of the Navy to this object and the authority by which such transfers have been made, I transmit herewith a report from the Secretary of the Navy, with documents, from which the Senate will perceive that no such transfer has been made, and which contain the other information desired by the resolution.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _February 20, 1829_.

_To the Senate of the United States_:

In compliance with the resolution of the Senate of the 10th instant, requesting copies of correspondence and communications from 20th October, 1816, to 24th November, 1817, received at the Department of State from the American commissioner under the fourth article of the treaty of Ghent, I transmit herewith a report from the Secretary of State, with the copies of papers mentioned in the resolution.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _February 20, 1829_.

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I transmit to the Senate a report from the Secretary of the Treasury, with documents, prepared in pursuance of their resolution of the 31st of December last, and showing the amount of expenses incurred in the survey, sale, and management of the public lands for the year 1827.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _February 25,1829_.

_To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States_:

By the act of Congress of the 3d March, 1826, for the survey of a route for a canal between the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, the President of the United States was authorized to cause to be made an accurate and minute examination of the country south of the St. Marys River, and including the same, with a view to ascertain the most eligible route for a canal admitting the transit of boats to connect the Atlantic with the Gulf of Mexico, and also with a view to ascertain the practicability of a ship channel; that he cause particularly to be examined the route to the Appalachicola River or Bay, with a view to both the above objects; that he cause the necessary surveys, both by land and along the coast, with estimates of the expense of each, accompanied with proper plans, notes, observations, explanations, and opinions of the Board of Engineers, and that he cause a full report of these proceedings to be made to Congress.

In execution of this law I transmit herewith a report from the Secretary of War, with a copy of that of the Board of Engineers, upon this great and most desirable national work. The time not having allowed a copy to be taken of the map, one copy only of the whole report is transmitted to the Senate, with the request that it may be communicated to the House of Representatives, and that the map may be ultimately returned to the Department of War.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _February 26, 1829_.

_To the Senate of the United States_:

In compliance with a resolution of the Senate of the 20th instant, I transmit herewith a report from the Secretary of War, with the inspection reports of Brevet Major-General Gaines for the years 1826 and 1827, relating to the organization of the Army and militia of the United States, with the request that the original documents may be returned to the Department of War at the convenience of the Senate.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _February 26,1829_.

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I transmit herewith to the Senate, for their constitutional advice with regard to its ratification, a treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation between the United States and His Majesty the Emperor of Brazil, signed by the plenipotentiaries of the respective Governments at Rio de Janeiro on the 12th day of December last. A copy of the treaty is likewise inclosed, with copies of the instructions under which it was negotiated and a letter from Mr. Tudor elucidating some of its provisions. It is requested that at the convenience of the Senate the original papers may be returned to the Department of State.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _February 28, 1829_.

_To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States_:

I transmit to Congress copies of two Indian treaties, which have duly ratified:

1. A treaty with the Chippewa, Menominie, and Winnebago Indians, concluded on the 11th of August, 1827, at the Butte des Morts, on Fox River, in the Territory of Michigan, between Lewis Cass and Thomas L. McKenney, commissioners on the part of the United States, and certain chiefs and warriors of the said tribes on their part.

2. A treaty with the Potawatamie tribe of Indians, concluded the 19th of September, 1827, at St. Joseph, in the Territory of Michigan, between Lewis Cass, commissioner on the part of the United States, and the chiefs and warriors of the said tribes, on their part.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _February 28, 1829_.

_To the House of Representatives of the United States_:

In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 21st instant, requesting any information in my possession as to the practical operation of the recent act of the British Parliament entitled "The customs amendment act," purporting a discrimination of duties upon the importation of cotton from the British North American colonies and showing how far this discrimination may affect existing treaties, I transmit herewith a report from the Secretary of State, with copies of the instructions and correspondence of the minister of the United States at London, containing the information requested.

John Quincy Adams.

Washington, _March 3, 1829_.

_To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States_:

I transmit herewith to Congress a copy of the instructions prepared by the Secretary of State and furnished to the ministers of the United States appointed to attend at the assembly of American plenipotentiaries first held at Panama and thence transferred to Tacubaya. The occasion upon which they were given has passed away, and there is no present probability of the renewal of the negotiations; but the purposes for which they were intended are still of the deepest interest to our country and to the world, and may hereafter call again for the active efforts and beneficent energies of the Government of the United States. The motives for withholding them from general publication having ceased, justice to the Government from which they emanated and to the people for whose benefit it was instituted requires that they should be made known. With this view, and from the consideration that the subjects embraced by these instructions must probably engage hereafter the deliberations of our successors, I deem it proper to make this communication to both Houses of Congress. One copy only of the instructions being prepared, I send it to the Senate, requesting that it may be transmitted to the House of Representatives.

John Quincy Adams.

* * * * *

PROCLAMATION.

(From Senate Journal, Twentieth Congress, second session, p. 196.)

Washington, _January 12, 1829_

_The President of the United States to--, Senator for the State of--_:

Certain matters touching the public good requiring that the Senate of the United States should be convened on Wednesday, the 4th day of March next, you are desired to attend at the Senate Chamber, in the city of Washington, on that day, then and there to receive and deliberate on such communications as shall be made to you.

John Quincy Adams.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 001: See Vol. I, pp. 352 to 354, inclusive.]

[Footnote 002: Relating to the proposed congress at Panama.]

[Footnote 003: Relating to land warrants issued to soldiers of the Revolutionary war, etc.]

[Footnote 004: Relating to intervention of the Emperor of Russia with Spain for a recognition of the independence of the South American States.]

[Footnote 005: Relating to the proposed congress of the Spanish American States.]

[Footnote 006: Relative to governments to be represented at the congress at Panama.]

[Footnote 007 and 007a: Respecting the right of a foreign minister to retain money advanced by the President as an outfit beyond the sum appropriated by law.]

[Footnote 008: Relating to the negotiations with Great Britain for a cession of certain keys on the Bahama Banks.]

[Footnote 009: Referred to in the protocol of the third conference of the American and British plenipotentiaries on February 5, 1824, relating to trade with Great Britain.]

[Footnote 010: Concerning the assembly of American ministers at Tacubaya, Mexico]

[Footnote: 011 Relating to the conflicting claims of Georgia and the Creek Indians to lands in Georgia.]

[Footnote 012: Relating to the conflicting claims of Georgia and the Creek Indians to lands in Georgia.]

[Footnote 013: Relating to the northeastern boundary of the United States.]

[Footnote 014: Relating to the detention of American vessels by the naval forces of Brazil.]

[Footnote 015: Relating to the war between Spain and her colonies.]

[Footnote 016: By the authorities of the Province of New Brunswick.]

[Footnote 017: Relating to alleged blockade by the naval forces of Brazil, imprisonment of American citizens by Brazil, etc.]

[Footnote 018: Relating to a survey for a canal through the Cherokee country.]

[Footnote 019: Relating to claims of Georgia and the Creek Indians under the treaty of 1821, held at Indian Springs.]