Part 48

In compliance with a resolution of December 12, 1822, requesting that the President would cause to be laid before the Senate a statement exhibiting the amount in aggregate of the goods, wares, and merchandise exported from the United States to France, and imported from thence, in each year from and after the year 1814 to the year 1820, discriminating in the reports between the articles of the growth, produce, or manufacture of the United States and those of foreign countries, and also stating the national character of the vessels in which such exports and imports have been made, I transmit a report from the Secretary of the Treasury, which contains the information desired.

JAMES MONROE.

JANUARY 22, 1823.

To the Senate and House of Representatives:

In carrying fully into effect the intention of Congress in making an appropriation of $5,000 by the act of the 14th April, 1820, for the survey of the Ohio and the Mississippi rivers from the Rapids of the Ohio at Louisville to the Balize, for the purpose of facilitating and ascertaining the most practicable route of improving the navigation of these rivers, orders were given through the proper department to the Board of Engineers to examine and survey the said rivers with reference to those objects, and to report their opinion thereon, which they have done, and which report I now communicate for the information of Congress.

JAMES MONROE.

WASHINGTON, January 25, 1823.

To the House of Representatives:

I transmit herewith to the House of Representatives a report from the Secretary of State, together with the documents which contain the information requested by the resolution of the House of the 10th of December last, relating to the establishment at the mouth of Columbia River.

JAMES MONROE.

To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States:

I transmit herewith a letter from the Secretary of the Navy, containing one from Captain John Rodgers, president of the Naval Board, accompanied by a description of the inclined plane, dock, and fixtures for hauling up ships, and an estimate of the cost and materials and workmanship necessary for the completion of a dock and wharves, proposed to be connected with the inclined plane constructed at the navy-yard, Washington, and recommend the same to the attentive consideration of Congress.

It is confidently believed that this invention combines advantages so highly useful as to justify the appropriation required.

JAMES MONROE.

JANUARY 28, 1823

FEBRUARY 3, 1823.

To the Senate of the United States:

Having lately received a memorial from the legislative council of the Territory of Florida on subjects very interesting to the inhabitants of the Territory and also to the United States, which require legislative provision, I transmit the same to Congress and recommend it to their consideration,

JAMES MONROE.

WASHINGTON, February 3, 1823.

To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States:

I transmit herewith a resolution of the legislature, with an extract of a letter from the governor, of Georgia, and a memorial of the legislature of Missouri, relative to the extinguishment of the Indian title to lands within the limits of these States, respectively. Believing the present time to be propitious for holding treaties for the attainment of cessions of land from the Indians within those States, I submit the subject to the consideration of Congress, that adequate appropriations for such treaties may be made should Congress deem it expedient.

JAMES MONROE.

FEBRUARY 4, 1823.

To the House of Representatives of the United States:

In compliance with the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 12th of December last, requesting the President "to communicate to the House such information as he might possess with regard to any expedition prepared in the United States and having sailed from thence within the year 1822 against the territory or dependency of any power in amity with the United States, and to inform the House whether any measures have been taken to bring to condign punishment persons who have been concerned in such expedition contrary to the laws," I transmit to the House reports from the Secretaries of State and of the Treasury, with the documents mentioned in each. Those documents contain all the information in possession of the Executive relating to the subject of the resolution.

That a force of a very limited extent has been equipped in the ports of the United States and sailed from thence for the purpose described in the resolution is manifest from the documents now communicated. The reports from the collectors of Philadelphia and New York will shew in what manner this equipment escaped their notice.

The first information of this equipment was received from St. Bartholomews, the place of its rendezvous. This was confirmed afterwards from Curracoa with an account of its failure. Should any of those persons return within the jurisdiction of the United States care will be taken that the laws applicable to such offenses are duly enforced against them. Whether any aid was afforded by others to the parties engaged in this unlawful and contemptible adventure in the ports in which it was planned, inconsistent with ordinary commercial transactions and contrary to the laws of the United States, will be referred to the Attorney-General, on whose advice any measures in regard to them will depend.