Special Messages.

To the Senate of the United States:

The convention between the United States and France, concluded at Washington on the 24th day of June last, is now transmitted to the Senate for their advice and consent with regard to its ratification, together with the documents relating to the negotiation, which may serve to elucidate the deliberations of the Senate concerning its objects and the purposes to which it was adapted.

To the Senate of the United States:

I transmit herewith to the Senate, for their constitutional consideration and decision thereon, a convention between the United States and Great Britain, concluded at St. Petersburg on the 12th day of July last, under the mediation of His Imperial Majesty of all the Russias, together with the documents appertaining thereto, and which may elucidate the motives for its negotiation and the objects for the accomplishment of which it is intended.

To the House of Representatives of the United States:

In compliance with the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 7th of May last, requiring that a plan for the peace establishment of the Navy of the United States and also of the Marine Corps should be communicated to that House at the present session, I transmit a report of the Secretary of the Navy, containing a plan which has been prepared for the proposed establishment.

To the Senate of the United States:

In compliance with the resolution of the Senate of the 8th of May last, requesting "information relative to the copper mines on the southern shore of Lake Superior, their number, value, and position, the names of the Indian tribes who claim them, the practicability of extinguishingtheir titles, and the probable advantages which may result to the Republic from the acquisition and working these mines," I herewith transmit a report from the Secretary of War, which comprises the information desired in the resolution referred to.

To the Senate of the United States:

Recent information of the multiplied outrages and depredations which have been committed on our seamen and commerce by the pirates in the West Indies and Gulf of Mexico, exemplified by the death of a very meritorious officer, seems to call for some prompt and decisive measures on the part of the Government. All the public vessels adapted to that service which can be spared from other indispensable duties are a ready employed in it; but from the knowledge which has been acquired of the places from whence these outlaws issue and to which they escape from danger it appears that it will require a particular kind of force, capable of pursuing them into the shallow waters to which they retire, effectually to suppress them. I submit to the consideration of the Senate the propriety of organizing such force for that important object.

To the Senate of the United States:

In compliance with a resolution of the Senate of the 22d of February last, "requesting the President of the United States to cause to be collected and communicated to the Senate at the commencement of the next session of Congress the best information which he may be able to obtain relative to certain Christian Indians and the lands intended for their benefit on the Muskingum, in the State of Ohio, granted under an act of Congress of June 1, 1796, to the Society of the United Brethren for Propagating the Gospel among the Heathen, showing as correctly as possible the advance or decline of said Indians in numbers, morals, and intellectual endowments; whether the lands have inured to their sole benefit, and, if not, to whom, in whole or in part, have such benefits accrued," I transmit a report from the Secretary of War with the accompanying documents.

To the Senate of the United States:

In compliance with the three resolutions of the Senate of the 5th April 1822, requesting the President of the United States to communicate adetail the expenses of building each vessel of war authorized by the act of the 2d of January, 1813, and its supplements, and also the names, number, grade, etc., of the officers and men employed at each navy-yard and naval station during the two years immediately preceding the 1st of January, 1822, I herewith transmit a report from the Secretary of the Navy, with the accompanying documents, which contains the desired information.

To the House of Representatives of the United States:

In compliance with the resolutions of the House of Representatives of the 8th of January, 7th May, and 17th December, 1822, requesting the President of the United States to cause to be laid before that House a detailed statement of the current expenses of the Ordnance Department for the years 1817, 1818, 1819, 1820, and 1821, and as much as can be shewn for the year 1822, and also the number and local position of each of the armories, arsenals, and magazines of the United States, the total expense of constructing and repairing the same up to the year 1821; the number of cannon and other arms annually made at each, and the expenses of each armory and arsenal for each year from 1816 to 1821, inclusive, I herewith transmit a report from the Secretary of War, accompanied by such documents as will be found to contain the desired information.

To the House of Representatives of the United States:

In compliance with the resolution of the House of Representatives of the United States of the 19th of December, 1822, requesting the President of the United States to cause to be laid before that House the several laws which have been made by the governor and legislative council of Florida, together with such information as may be in the possession of the Executive, I herewith transmit a report from the Secretary of State, with the accompanying documents, which contains the information desired.

To the House of Representatives of the United States:

In compliance with the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 19th of December last, requesting the President of the United States to communicate to the House the progress which has been made in theexecution of the act of the last session entitled "An act to abolish the Indian trading establishments," with a report from the factories, respectively, as the same were made to him, I transmit a report from the Secretary of the Treasury, with the documents referred to by that resolution. In further execution of the act of the last session treaties have since been made with the Osage and Sac Indians by which those tribes have severally relinquished to the United States their right under preceding treaties to the maintenance of a factory within each, respectively.

To the Senate:

I transmit to the Senate, for their advice and consent as to the ratification, treaties which have been made with the Osage and Sac tribes of Indians in execution of the provision contained in the act of the last session entitled "An act to abolish the Indian trading establishments."

To the Senate of the United States:

In compliance with a resolution of the Senate requesting the President of the United States "to cause to be laid before the Senate the number of arms required annually to supply the militia of the West according to acts of Congress; the probable number necessary to be placed in military deposits located or to be located on the Western waters; the cost of transportation of arms to the Western States and deposits; the probable cost of manufacturing arms in the West; the probable cost of erecting at this time on the Western waters such an armory as that at Harpers Ferry or at Springfield, and such other information as he may deem important to establish the expediency of erecting on the Western waters a national armory," I herewith transmit a report from the Secretary of War containing the desired information.

The VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE:

The convention concluded and signed at St. Petersburg on the 21st of July last under the mediation of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias having been ratified by the three powers parties thereto, and the ratifications of the same having been duly exchanged, copies of it are now communicated to Congress, to the end that the measures for carrying it on the part of the United States into execution may obtain the cooperationof the Legislature necessary to the accomplishment of some of its provisions. A translation is subjoined of three explanatory documents, in the French language, referred to in the fourth article of the convention and annexed to it. The agreement executed at the exchange of the ratifications is likewise communicated.

To the Senate of the United States:

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.

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.

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 19th of December last. relating to the establishment at the mouth of Columbia River.

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.

JANUARY 28, 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.

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.

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 anyexpedition 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 show 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.

To the House of Representatives:

In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 28th of January last, requesting information "whether the treaty concluded with the Choctaw Nation of Indians on the 18th of October, 1820, has been executed so far as respects the cession of certain lands to said nation west of the river Mississippi, and if possession has been given of the lands ceded to them; if not, that he assign the reasons which prevented the immediate execution of the stipulations of said treaty, and whether the difficulties have diminished or increased by the delay in its execution," I communicate a report from the Secretary of War, with the documents referred to in it.

To the Senate of the United States:

In compliance with a resolution of the Senate of February 3, requesting a statement of the number and size of cannon, mortars, and howitzersnecessary for the armament of the fortifications already built and intended to be built, with an estimate of the sum necessary for their construction, I transmit a report from the Secretary of War, prepared in execution of instructions given him to that effect.

To the House of Representatives of the United States:

In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives of 22d January last, requesting the communication to the House of all the correspondence between the Governments of the United States and Great Britain relating to the negotiation of the convention of the 20th October, 1818, which may not be inconsistent with the public interest, I transmit herewith to the House a report from the Secretary of State, together with the papers requested by the resolution of the House.

To the Senate of the United States:

In compliance with a resolution of the Senate of the 11th of this month, requesting the President to cause to be communicated to the Senate an estimate of the amount of land in the State of Georgia to which the Indian title has been extinguished by the United States since the cession of a portion of the territory of Georgia to the United States, with a statement of the cost of such extinguishments, and also an estimate of the amount of land within the said State to which the Indian title still remains to be extinguished, and by what tribes claimed, I transmit a report from the Secretary of War, which contains the information desired.

To the House of Representatives of the United States:

In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 17th of December, requesting the President to communicate to the House a statement of the amount expended for the current expenses of the Ordnance Department during the years 1817, 1818, 1819, 1820, and 1821, and as much as can be shewn for the year 1822, with the items for which the money was expended, the place where and the persons to whom paid, what quantity of timber has been procured for gun carriages and caissons, its cost annually, and where deposited; the quantity of ordnance of every kind that has been procured during those years or paid for, and the whole amount of arms of every description now belonging to theUnited States; the sum expended in the purchase of sites for arsenals since the peace, the cost of the buildings erected thereon, and whether all those arsenals are necessary for the service of the United States, I transmit a report from the Secretary of War, with the documents mentioned therein, which contains the information desired.

The VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE:

The convention of navigation and commerce between the United States of America and His Majesty the King of France and Navarre, concluded and signed at Washington on the 24th of June, 1822, with the first separate article thereto annexed, having been ratified by the two parties, and the ratifications of the same having been duly exchanged, copies of it and of the separate article referred to are now communicated to the two Houses of Congress, to the end that the necessary measures for carrying it into execution on the part of the United States may be adopted by the Legislature.

To the House of Representatives of the United States:

In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 11th of December last, I transmit to the House a report from the Secretary of the Treasury, containing the information requested, of the amount of moneys advanced to agents, subagents, contractors, subcontractors, or individuals since the 1st of January, 1817, which have not been accounted for on settlement, and of the loss sustained in each case, the sureties taken, and the names of the sureties.

To the House of Representatives of the United States:

I transmit to the House of Representatives, in pursuance of a resolution of that House of the 31st of last month, a report from the Secretary of State, relative to the commissioners appointed for the purpose of ascertaining the titles and claims to land in Florida.

To the House of Representatives of the United States:

I transmit to the House of Representatives an additional report from the Secretary of the Treasury, with the documents referred to therein, containing further information of the proceedings in execution of the law of the last session respecting the trade with the Indian tribes, called for by the resolution of the 19th of December last.

To the House of Representatives of the United States:

In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 11th of this month, requesting information whether any prize agents have neglected to render an account of their agency and to pay over the money in their hands, the names of those who have failed, the sums unaccounted for, and whether any of those thus failing are in the employ of the Government, and their compensation has been in consequence suspended, I transmit a report from the Secretary of the Navy, with the documents referred to by him.

To the Congress of the United States:

I transmit to Congress the general returns of the militia of the several States and Territories for the year 1822, with an account of the arms, accouterments, ammunition, ordnance, etc., belonging to each as far as the returns have been received, in compliance with the provision of the act of 1803.

To the Senate of the United States:

By a resolution of the 27th of December last the President of the United States was requested to communicate to the Senate such information as he might possess respecting the political state of the island of St. Domingo; whether the Government thereof was claimed by any European nation, what our commercial relations with the Government of the island were, and whether any further commercial relations with that Government would be consistent with the interest and safety of the United States.

From the import of the resolution it is inferred that the Senate were fully aware of the delicate and interesting nature of the subject embraced by it in all its branches. The call supposes something peculiar in the nature of the Government of that island and in the character of its population, to which attention is due. Impressed always with an anxiousdesire to meet every call of either House for information, I most willingly comply in this instance and with a view to the particular circumstances alluded to.

in adverting to the political state of St. Domingo I have to observe that the whole island is now united under one Government, under a constitution which retains the sovereignty in the hands of the people of color, and with provisions which prohibit the employment in the Government of all white persons who have emigrated there since 1816, or who may hereafter emigrate there, and which prohibit also the acquisition by such persons of the right of citizenship or to real estate in the island. In the exercise of this sovereignty the Government has not been molested by any European power. No invasion of the island has been made or attempted by any power. It is, however, understood that the relations between the Government of France and the island have not been adjusted, that its independence has not been recognized by France, nor has peace been formally established between the parties.

The establishment of a Government of people of color in the island on the principles above stated evinces distinctly the idea of a separate interest and a distrust of other nations. Had that jealousy been confined to the inhabitants of the parent country it would have been less an object of attention; but by extending it to the inhabitants of other countries with whom no difference ever existed the policy assumes a character which does not admit of a like explanation. To what extent that spirit may be indulged or to what purposes applied our experience has yet been too limited to enable us to form a just estimate. These are inquiries more peculiarly interesting to the neighboring islands. They nevertheless deserve the attention of the United States.

Between the United States and the island a commercial intercourse exists, and it will continue to be the object of this Government to promote it. Our commerce there has been subjected to higher duties than have been imposed on like articles from some other nations. It has nevertheless been extensive, proceeding from the wants of the respective parties and the enterprise of our citizens. Of this discrimination to our injury we had a right to complain and have complained. It is expected that our commercial intercourse with the island will be placed on the footing of the most favored nation. No preference is sought in our favor, nor ought any to be given to others. Regarding the high interest of our happy Union and looking to every circumstance which may by any possibility affect the tranquillity of any part, however remotely, and guarding against such injury by suitable precautions, it is the duty of this Government to promote by all the means in its power and by a fair and honorable policy the best interest of every other part, and thereby of the whole. Feeling profoundly the force of this obligation, I shall continue to exert with unwearied zeal my best faculties to give it effect.

To the House of Representatives of the United States:

I transmit to the House of Representatives, in pursuance of a resolution of that House of the 30th January last, a report from the Secretary of State, containing the information required in relation to the transactions of the commissioners under the sixth and seventh articles of the treaty of Ghent, and also as to the measures which have been taken under the fourth article of the treaty with Spain of the 22d of February, 1819, for fixing the boundary line described in the third article of the last-mentioned treaty.

To the House of Representatives:

I transmit to the House of Representatives a report from the Secretary of State, made in pursuance of their resolution of the 21st of January last, requesting the President of the United States to cause to be arranged and laid before that House a digest shewing such changes in the commercial regulations of the different foreign countries with which the United States have intercourse as shall have been adopted and come to the knowledge of the Executive subsequently to the formation of the digest communicated to the Senate on the 7th December, 1819.

To the House of Representatives of the United States:

I transmit to the House of Representatives a report from the Secretary of State, with copies of sundry papers which should have been included among those which accompanied my message of the 13th instant, being part of the correspondence with Great Britain relating to the negotiation of the convention of 20th of October, 1818, but which were accidentally omitted from the papers communicated to the House with that message.

To the House of Representatives:

In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 24th of January, requesting the President to communicate to the House the number of persons and the amount due from each whose compensation has been withheld or suspended, in pursuance of the law prohibiting payments to persons in arrears to the United States; whether the amount withheld has been applied in all cases to the extinguishment of their debts to the Government; whether the said laws have been enforced inall cases against securities who are liable for the payment of any arrears due; whether any disbursing officer, within the knowledge of the President, has given conclusive evidence of his insolvency, and, if so, whether he is still retained in the service of the United States, I transmit to the House a report from the Secretary of the Treasury, with the documents mentioned therein.

The report has been confined to the operations of the law. Respecting the circumstances of individuals in. their transactions without the sphere of their public duties I have no means of information other than those which are common to all.

To the House of Representatives of the United States:

In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives of this day, requesting information of the measures taken with regard to the illegal blockade of the ports of the Spanish Main, and to depredations of privateers fitted out from Porto Rico and other Spanish islands on the commerce of the United States, I transmit to the House a report from the Secretary of State containing the information required by the resolution.