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1st Session.

No. 104.

OREGON-LOCATION OF SEAT OF GOVERNMENT, &c.

LETTER

FROM THE

SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY,

TRANSMITTING

Copies of the correspondence between that department and E. Hamilton, Secretary of the Territory of Oregon, in reference to the location of the Seat of Government, &c.

MAY 3, 1852.

Laid upon the table, and ordered to be printed.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT,

March 24, 1852.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith, a communication from the First Comptroller, with a copy of all the correspondence between this department and E. Hamilton, Secretary of Oregon Territory, as required by the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 18th instant. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Hon. LINN BOYD,

THO. CORWIN,

Secretary of the Treasury.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE,

March 23, 1852.

SIR: On the 22d instant you were pleased to refer to this office the copy of a resolution adopted by the House of Representatives, in the following words.

66 THIRTY-SECOND congress, FIRST SESSION. "In the House of Representatives, March 18, 1852. "On motion of Mr. Lane,

"Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be requested to lay before this House a copy of all the correspondence between that department and E. Hamilton, Secretary of Oregon Territory, relative to the location of the seat of Government in said territory; and the mileage and per diem pay of the members and officers of the Legislative Assembly of said Territory.”

Agreeably to your request, I present to you the copies of the correspondence between this office and E. Hamilton, Secretary of Oregon Territory, in relation to the matters mentioned in said resolution.

Also a copy of the opinion of the Attorney General in relation to the validity of what purports to be an act of the legislature of the Territory of Oregon, which is referred to in my letter to Mr. Hamilton on the 26th of February, 1852.

No. 1. Instructions from Mr. Meredith, Secretary of the Treasury, to Mr. Hamilton, dated November 16, 1849, how to disburse the public money that might be placed in his hands. Blank forms for his guidance in stating his accounts for money disbursed, to pay the per diem compensation of members of the Legislative Assembly of Oregon Territory. Blank form of abstracts of disbursement in paying the members of the said legislature. My letter to Mr. Hamilton, dated November 17, 1849, transmitting said papers to him.

No. 2. The opinion of the Attorney General mentioned above.
No. 3. Mr. Hamilton to E. Whitney, December 6, 1851.

Same to same, December 17, 1851.

E. Whitney to Mr. Hamilton, February 26, 1852.

No. 4. Decisions of Judge Strong and Judge Nelson, of the Supreme Court of the Territory of Oregon, pronouncing the pretended act of the Legislative Assembly of Oregon to remove the seat of government of said Territory to be null and void.

Mr. Hamilton mentions in his letter of the 6th of December, that he sent these opinions to me. The paper containing the decisions was not received before I wrote to him on the 26th of February. Mr. Dart furnished me with a paper containing these decisions, on the 25th of February, which I returned to him according to his request.

These papers contain all the correspondence in this office in regard to subjects mentioned in the resolution, which has taken place between this office and Mr. Hamilton.

The instructions given by Mr. Meredith and the forms adopted were prepared in this office, and therefore they were recorded here, and not in the office of the Secretary of the Treasury.

Most sincerely, yours,

Hon. THOMAS CORWIN,

Secretary of the Treasury.

No. 1.

ELISHA WHITTLESEY.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
November 16, 1849.

The law of August 14, 1848, to establish the territorial government of Oregon, having required that the governor and secretary of the Territory in the disbursements of money intrusted to them by virtue of their offices, be governed solely by the instructions of the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, the following instructions are given.

1. No money to be paid for objects not specially authorized by acts of

Congress making the appropriations, nor beyond the sums thus appropriated for such objects.

2. When any money is paid for an object thus authorized, a receipt is to be taken to be a voucher for the payment, dated at the time and place of the transaction, to contain a proper and pertinent description of the article purchased or service rendered, or labor performed or money expended, to be signed by the person who is the meritorious cause of the payment or by his authorized agent, and if to the latter, a proper power of attorney to accompany the receipt; or if the payment is made to an assignee, the assignment of the claim must be acknowledged before a notary public or a magistrate, whose authority to act must be certified by the Secretary of State or by a clerk of a court of record, under the seal of office in each case.

3. Each disbursing officer to render an account semi-annually to the Secretary of the Treasury, with a pertinent certificate at the bottom thereof gned by the officer; and the same being accompanied by the vouchers and an abstract of the account, are to be securely enveloped and directed to the First Auditor of the Treasury of the United States at Washington eity, and sent by the public mail.

W. M. MEREDITH.

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To Hon. Wм. M. MEREDITH, Secretary of the Treasury, Washington, D. C.

Secretary of

Ter

Abstract of disbursements made by ritory, in the payment of the expenses of the Legislative Assembly of said Territory, incurred during a session thereof begun and held at on the day of —, 184, and ending on the

of.

184.

day

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This is to certify that the sum of

dollars is due to

member of the council, being for
sion of the Legislative Assembly from the
day of instant, 18 both days inclusive, at
you will pay on the warrant.

the

day, which

days attendance at the

present ses

day of

to

dollars per

President Council.

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SIR: You will receive herewith the instructions of the Hon. William M. Meredith, in regard to the disbursement of money in the capacity of Secretary of the Territory of Oregon; which are given as required by the act of August 14, 1848, to establish the territorial government of Oregon.

I also transmit to you one form for an account current, one form of an abstract of disbursements for the per diem and mileage of the legislature; and one form of a voucher, which have been examined and approved by the said Secretary of the Treasury.

EDWARD HAMILTON, Esq.,

Most sincerely yours,

ELISHA WHITTLESEY.

Secretary of Oregon Territory, now at Washington.

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