The great cost of the construction of the public buildings in the City of Jef ferson, in my opinion, renders advisable some measure to guard them against destruction by fire. By virtue of an act of the last General Assembly, the fire places of the capitol have been laid with sheet iron, so as to, in a great degree, prevent all danger from that source, yet the building is far from being fire proof. Perhaps it is as much so as it can be rendered; yet to guard against accidents, I would recommend to you the propriety of causing to be dug, on the capitol hill, one or more cisterns, and the purchase of a fire engine with the necessary hose. The public spirit of the citizens of Jefferson, I have no doubt, would soon organize a fire company, whose services would be cheerfully rendered in behalf of the State. Among the documents which accompany this communication will be found a letter from the Treasury Department of the United States requesting certain statistical information respecting this State, which I respectfully refer to you, with a suggestion of the propriety of making it the duty of sheriffs, when they take the census of this State, to collect and report the information thus desired for the use of both the State and General Governments. You will also find a correspondence between the late Governor of this State and the Governor of Illinois, in relation to the surrender of Richard Eels, a fugitive from justice, charged with having assisted in decoying slaves from this State. I invite your particular attention to this subject. The other accompanying documents have been received from the several States and from individuals, with a request that they be laid before the General Assembly. From a communication of the Register of lands, herewith transmitted, it will be seen that nearly one half of the grant to this State by Congress of five hundred thousand acres of land has been selected by the commissioners appointed for this purpose, and that in the land districts of the United States the proportion of these lands has been selected as follows: 180,086 52 Amount selected in the Lexington district, and not yet acted on by the Secretary of the Treasury. 46,565 07 Making 226,651 59 5,137 32 160 00 Of this quantity there have been sold in the Fayette 5,297 32 For the sum of six thousand six hundred and twenty-one dollars and sixty-one cents. There yet remains to be selected, two hundred and seventy three thousand three hundred and forty-eight and 4-100 acres, which by an act of the last General Assembly, are directed to be taken in the counties of Platte, Buchanan, Andrew and Holt. In pursuance of the provisions of this act, a commissioner was appointed by the late executive, and directed to proceed as early as practicable in the discharge of the duties imposed on him by law. His report has not as yet been received but will in all probability, be filed in the office of Register of Lands at an early period of your session. The act above referred to provides for the sale of such lands only as were held by pre-emption claims, and authorises the person holding their right, to come forward, prove and pay for the same within one year from the date of the pro clamation of the Governor, at the rate of one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. In consequence of this restriction imposed on the purchase of these lands, only a small portion of them has been sold. I recommend such an amendment to this act, as will authorise the sale of any part of the selected lands whether held by pre-emption or otherwise. Closely connected with this subject, is that of internal improvements by this State. Should the General Assembly adopt the suggestion made in another part of this communication, relative to the appropriation of a portion of the money arising from the sale of the lands above referred to, for the purpose of indemnifying to the seminary and State school funds, the amount which they may have lost by being invested in bank stock, there would doubtless still be a large sum remaining to be expended in such objects of internal improvements as shall be deemed most expedient; among these the most important, it is believed, is the improvement of the Osage and North Grand rivers. These two rivers present in my opinion, very strong claims to the consideration of the Legislature, though doubtless there are many other objects on which a portion of this fund may be very beneficially expended. In conclusion, I trust that your deliberations may be attended with harmony, and that your action may prove beneficial to the best interests of the people of the State. City of Jefferson, Nov. 18th, 1814. M. M. MARMADUKE. Mr. Detchemendy submitted the following resolution: Resolved, That the message of the Governer be referred to the committee of the whole on the state of the Republic, and that' copies be printed for the use of the Senate, and that a committee of three be appointed to contract for, and superintend the printing of the same, the price for which to be determined by the Senate. Mr. Detchemendy moved to fill the blank, in the resolution, with "five thousand," and withdrew his motion. Mr. Monrce renewed the motion to fill the blank with "five thousand." Mr. Reese moved to fill the blank with 2,000. The question was taken on the motion to fill the blank, with 5,000 and determined in the negative. The question was then put on the motion to fill the blank with 3,500 and decided in the affirmative. The question recurred on the passage of the resolution, and the resolution as amended was adopted. Mr. Monroe offered the following resolution: Resolved, That if concurred in by the House of Representatives, the Senate will meet the House in the hall of their sittings, this evening, for the purpose of counting the votes for Governor and Lieutenaut Governor, Which was adopted. Mr. Jones offered the following resolution, which was adopted. Resolved, That a committee of three to be selected by the president, be appointed to draft rules and regulations, by which the Senate shall be governed, during the present session, and that the rules of the last session, be adopted for their government until the committee report, and their report is acted upon. Mr. Fort offered the following resolution: Resolved, By the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring therein, that the two Houses will meet in the hall of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, (to-morrow,) the 20th inst., at the hour of two o'clock P. M., and will proceed to elect a Senator to the Congress of the United States, to supply the vacancy occas oned by the death of the Hon. Lewis F. Linn; also, a Senator to the Congress of the United States, whose term of service shall commence on the 4th day of March, 1845, the time at which the present term of the Hon. Thomas H. Benton expires. Mr. Ellis moved to lay the resolution on the table until to-morrow, Mr. Ellis offered the following substitute for the resolution. "Whereas, it is the right of the people to direct the action of their public servants, upon all subjects of great importance, and to insist on strict and faithful obedience to the will of the people, when clearly ascertained and expressed, as a vital principle, never to be abandoned in a representative governent; and, whereas, the President of the United States did, on the 12th day of April, 1844, conclude a treaty with the republic of Texas, for the acquisition of the territory of that republic, and the incorporation of said territory as a part of the territory of this confederation; and whereas further, said treaty, in the estimation of this body, contemplated the prosperity, safety and glory of our beloved country, therefore, 1. Resolved, That Texas ought to be admitted into this Union at the carliest practicable moment. 2. Resolved, That the manner provided in the rejected treaty, or some action for the annexation of Texas on a similar basis, ought to be taken by the proper authorities at Washington, without delay. 3. Resolved, That our Senators in Congress be instructed, and our members in the House of Representatives requested, to advocate, by every honorable means, and to vote for any measure for the immediate annexation of Texas on the basis herein above indicated. 4. Resolved, That the previous consent of Mexico or of any third power, to said annexation, ought not to be asked by the Government of the United States, and that the State of Missouri is, in the opinion of the General Assembly, opposed to a division of said territory into slave-holding and non slave-holding States. Which said substitute the President decided to be out of order. Mr. President decided the question not to be divisible. Mr. Ellis moved to amend the resolution by striking out all after the word "Linn," Which was decided negatively by the following vote. The ayes and nays being ealled for and ordered, Ayes.-Messrs. Anderson, Boggs, Campbell, Calhoun, Detchemendy, Ellis, Gentry, Harper, Harris, Lucas, Mills, Netherton, O'Bryan and Snell-14. Nays.-Messrs. Acock, Blythe, Fort, Hancock, Hudspeth, Johnson, Jones, Massey, Miller, Monroe, Polk, Powers, Rawlins, Recse, Shelton, Snyder, Thompson, Welborn and Wolfskill-19. The question then recurred on the adoption of the resolution, which was determined in the affirmative by the following vote; The yeas and nays having been called for and ordered, Yeas-Messrs. Acock, Blythe, Detchemendy, Fort, Hancock, Hudspeth, Johnson, Jones, Massey, Miller, Monroe, Polk, Powers, Rawlins, Reese, Shelton, Snyder, Thompson, Welborn and Wolfskill-20. Nays.—Messrs. Anderson, Boggs, Campbell, Calhoun, Ellis, Gentry, Harper, Harris, Lucas, Mills, Netherton, O'Bryan and Snell--13. Mr. Welborn offered the following, which was adopted: Resolved, By the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring therein, that the two Houses on Wednesday next, immediately after the election for Senators to Congress of the United States, proceed to elect a Librarian for the present session of the General Assembly of the State of Missouri. Message from the House of Representatives by Mr. Huston, Mr. President: I am instructed by the House of Representatives to inform the Senate that the House has concurred in the resolution of the Senate, proposing to meet the House in the hall of their sitting, this evening, for the purpose of counting the votes for Governor and Lieutenant Governornor, and that they are now ready to receive the Senate, and that the seats on the right of the Speaker's Chair are set apart for their reception. On motion, The Senate repaired, to the hall of the House of Representatives. The President of the Senate, pro tempore, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, proceeded to count the votes for Governor and Lieutenant Gov On motion of Mr. Monroe, the joint session of the two Houses took a recess until to-morrow morning at ten o'clock. The Senate then retired, assembled in their own hall, and On motion adjourned. WEDNESDAY MORNING, November 20th, 1844. The Senate met pursuant to adjournment. Mr. Monroe moved a reconsideration of the resolution relative to the reference and printing of the Governor's Message, Which was sustained. Mr. Monroe, then offered the following substitute: Resolved, That a joint committee of three, on the part of the Senate, and on the part of the House of Representatives, be appointed to contract, for printing such number of the Governor's Message, and the Inaugural address of Governor Edwards, as shall be ordered by the two Houses, the price for which, to be hereafter determined by the two Houses. Mr. Fort moved to amend the substitute by striking out all after the word "Houses," where it first occurs in the same, Which was sustained. The substitute was then adopted. The question was then taken on the adoption of the resolution and determined in the affirmative. The President announced Messrs. Jones, Campbell and Monroe as the committee, under the resolution adopted on yesterday to draft and report rules for the government of the Senate. On motion the Senate repaired to the hall of the House of Representatives. On motion of Mr. Reynolds of the House of Representatives, Resolved, That a committee of three he appointed to wait on the Governor, and Lieutenant Governor elect and inform them of their election, and that they request them respectfully, to appear before the two Houses, now in joint session, to take the several oaths of office prescribed by the constitution. Whereupon the President appointed Messrs. Reynolds and Coalter of the House, and Mr. Rawlins of the Senate, to constitute the committee under the resolution. The committee returned, and Mr. Reynolds announced, that the Governor and Lieutenant Governor elect, were present and ready to be qualified. The oaths of office were then severally administered to them, by the Hon. James W. Morrow, Judge of the Circuit court of the first judicial circuit of the State. After which, Governor Edwards, took the chair and delivered the following Inaugural address. Fellow-citizens of the Senate and House of Representatives: It appears from the count of the official vote, that I have been duly chosen Governor of the State for the next four years. Of this fact, the committee raised for the purpose, from the two Houses in joint session, have just given me official notice. As a more appropriate opportunity than this may not present itseli, let me here return to you and to our fellow-citizens at large, my unfeigned acknowledgments for this expression of confidence and for the partiality thus shown me. In taking the Executive chair, it has been usual for the incumbent to give to the Legislature, and through it to the people of the State, an outline of the principles upon which the affairs of the State, in the opinion of the Executive, should be administered. This is not a duty enjoined by any law, or by the constitution of the State: but is a practice which has grown up with the government, seldom if ever departed from, and with which, in entering upon the discharge of my official duties, it is now my purpose to comply. In some things which I may deem it my duty to say, I may appear a little out of the common channel. If so, I must ask the kind indulgence of my fellowcitizens, until they have given themselves time to investigate and reflect, before they proceed to condemn me. I am well aware, that he who deviates at all from the beaten track of public opinion, or expresses an idea somewhat new in itself in politics, unless he has reached that eminence which makes his dress. the fashion and his word the law, is often hastily set down as a simpleton or without reflection condemned as a blockhead, by the inconsiderate and especially by the prejudiced part of mankind. And yet the older track is not always right, nor the new one always wrong: But it must not be inferred from these remarks that I am going to wander wide from the ancient landmarks. In the business of life it is always important to understand correctly on what we can rely, and on what we cannot rely for any given purpose. We are not wrong when we understand that we can rely upon government for the protection of our rights; but we are wrong when we understand that we can rely upon it for the support of ourselves and our famillies. A few may be benefitted, here and there, but the great body of the people cannot depend upon banks or protective tariffs, or distributions of the public revenue, or upon any other acts of government, whether state or national, for support or aid; and the propagation of doctrines which induce them to look to |