The Treaty: In The Senate Of The United States

April W, 1844. Read the first and second times, referred to the committee on foreign relations, and ordered to be printed in confidence for the use of the Senate. A TRRATY OF ANNEXATION. Concluded between the United States of America and the Republic of Texas, at Washington, the 12th day of April; 1844. The people of Texas having,at the time of adopting .their constitution, expressed by an almost unanimous vote, their desire to be incorporated into the Union of the United States, and being still desirous of the same with equal unanimity, in order to provide more effectually ior their security and prosperity; and the United States, actuated solely by the desire to add to their own security and prosperity, and to meet the wishes of tKe governmeut and people of Texas, have determined to accomplish, by treaty, objects so important to their mutual and permanent welfare. Forthat purpose, the President of the United States has given full powers to John C. Calhoun, Secretary of State of the United States, and the President of the Republic of Texas has appointed,with like powers, Isaac Van Zandt, and J. Pinckney Henderson, citiizens of the said Republic, and the said plenipotentiaries, after exchanging their full powers, have agreed on and concluded the following articles: Art. 1. The Republic of Texas, acting ir conformity with the wishes of the people and every department of its government, cedes to the United States all its territories, to be held by them in full propcrty and sovereignty, and to be annexed to the said United States as one of their territories, subject to the same constitutional provisions with their other territories. This cession includes alllic lots and squares, vacant lands, mines, minerals, sak lakes and springs, public edifices, fortifications, barracks, ports and harbors, navy and navy yards, docks, magazines, arms, armaments and accoutruments, archives and public documents, public funds, debts, taxes and dues unpaid at the time of the exehslnge of tho ratifications of this treaty. Art. II. The cilizens of Texas shall be incorporated into the Union of the United States, maintained and protected in the freo enjoyment of their liberty and property, and admiüed, ns soon ns may be consistent with the principies of the federal constitution, to the enjoyment of all the rights, privileges and immunities of citizens of the United States. Art. III. AH titles and claims to real estáte, which are valid under the laws of Texas, shall be held to be so by the United States; and measures shall be adopted for the speedy adjudication of all unsettled claims to land, and patents shall be granted to those found to be valid. Art. IV. The public lands hereby ceded shall be subject to the laws regulatihgthe public lands in theother Territories of the U. States, as far as they may be applicable; subject, however, to such alterations and changes as Congress may from time to time thirik proper to make. It is understood bet ween the two parties, that if, in consequence of the mode in which lands have been surveyed in Texas, or from previous grants or locations, the sixteenth section cannot be applied for education, Congress shall make equal provisión by grant of land elsewhere. - And it is also farther understood, that, ïereafter, bóoks, papers, and documents of the general land office of Texas shall je deposited and kept at such place in Texas as the Congress of the United States shall direct. Art. V. The United States assume and agreO to pay the public debt and lia)ilities of Texas, however crealed, for which the faith and credit of her governnent may be bound at the time of the exchange of the ratifications of this treaty; which debts and liabilities are estimatcd ïot to exceed in the whole, ten millions of dollars, tobe ascertained and paid in he manner hereinafter stated. The payment of the sum of thrce hundr ed and fifty thousand dollars shall be nade at the Treasury of the United States, within ninety days after the exchange of the ratifications of this treaty, as follows: - Two hundred and fifty thousand dolars to Frederick Dawson, of Baltimore, or his executors, on the delivery of that amount of ten per et. bonds of Texas;one ïundred thousand dollars, if so much be requircd, in the rcdemption of the exchequer bilis which may be in circulation at the time of the exchange of the ratifications of this treaty, For the payment of the remainder of the debts and liabilities of Texas, which,together with the amount already specified, shall not exceed ten millions of dollars, the public lands herein ceded and the net reverme from the same, are hereby pledged. Art. VI. In order te ascertain the full amount of the debts and liabililies herein assumed, and the legalitv and validity thereof, four commissionerá shaíl be appointed by the President of the United Siates, by and with the consent of the Senate, who shal! meet at Washington, Texas, within the pcrioci of' six months after the exchange of' the ratifications of Ui is treaty, and may continue in session uot exceedmg twelve months, unless the Congress of the United States should prolong ihe time. They shall take an oath for the faïthful diacharge of their duties, and that they are not directly or indirectly intcrestcd in said claims at the time, and will not be during their countenance in office; and the said oath shall be recorded with their proceedings. In case of the death or sickness, or res:g nation of any of the commissioners,his or their place or places may be supplied by the appoint ment as arbresaid, or by the President of the United States during the recesa of the Senáte. They, or a majoriry of them, shall be authorized, under bucIi rcgulations as the Congress of the Uniteil States may prescribe, to hear, examine and decide on all questions toiiching the legality and validity of said claims, and shall, when a claim is allowed, issue a certifícate to the claimant stating the amount, distinguishing principal from interest. The certificates so issued aha)) be numbered, and en try made of the number, the name of the person to whom issued, and the amount, in e book to be kept for that purpose. They 6hall transmit the records of their pro ceedings and the book in which the certifícales are entered, with the vouchers und documents produced before them, relative to the claims allowed or rejlted't .to the Treasury Dnpartnient of the lBBÍates,to be deposit ed therein; and the Sccretary of theTreasury shall, aa soon as practicable after the receipt of the same, ascertain the aggregaHe amount of the debts and liabilities allowed; and if tbc same, when added to the amount to be paid to Fredprick Dawjson, and.the sum which may be paid in the redetrfjkion of the exchequer bilis, shall not excecdtlie estimated suni of ten millions of dollars, he símil, onpresenlation of a certifícate of the commissioners, issue, at the opüon of the holder, a certifícate for the amotint, distmguishing principal from interest, and payable to him or order, out of the net proceeds of the public landa hereby ceded, or stock of the United States, for tho araount allowed, including principal and interest, and bearingan interest of three per cent per annum, from the date thereof; which stock, in addition to being mnde payable out of the net proceeds of the public lands hereby ceded,shall alto be reccivable and paynble for tbe same. ín case the amount of the debts and hábil ities allowed, with the sum aforcuaid to be paid to Frederick Daw3on, ont' whicli may be paid in the redeniption of the exchcquer bilis, shall exceed the said siim of ten milhoiis of dollars, the tsaid Secretnry before issuing a new certifícate, or stock, as the case may be, símil inake in each case such proportionable nnd ratnble reduction on its amount as lo reduce the oggregateto the Bame amount of ten millions of dollars, and he shall have power to make al! needfül rule3 and regulations neceesary to carry mto effect the powers hereby ves led in him. AnT. VJI. Until farther provisión shall be made, the lawa of Texas, as now exiating, shall remain in forcé, and all executiye and judicial officers of Texas,except the President, Vice President, and heods of deparfments, shall relain íheir offices, with all power and authority thereto, and the courts of justice shall remain in all respects as now established and org-anized. Art. VIII. Immediaiely after the exchango of the ratifications of the treaty, the Presideni of the United States, by, and with the advice and consent of the Senate,shall appoint a commissioner, who ehall proceed to Texas and receive the transfer of the territory thereof,ano all the achives and public property and othér things herein conveyed, in the name of the United Statis. He shall exercise all executive authority in said territory ïiecessary to the proper execution of the laws, anti) otherwise provided. Art. IX. The present treaty shall he ratified by the contracting parties, and the ratificationa exchanged at the city of Washington, in s:x montha from the date thereof, or sooner, if possible. In witnes9 whereof, we, the unrlersigned, plenipotentiaries of the United States of Amer ica and of the Republic of Texas, have signed, by virtue of our powers, the present treaty of annexation,and have hereur.to affixed our seals respectively. Done at Washington, the twelfih day of April one thousund eighl hundred and fortyfour.