Messrs. Brown, Durocher, Fletcher, Kingsley, Stockton, Edwards-6. Those in the negative, are, Messrs. Bartow, Drake, Irwin, Lawrence, Le Roy, M'Donell, Schoolcraft-7. On motion of Mr. Drake, the bill was further amended, by striking out in the 1ith section, all after the word "belonging,” in the 18th line, and also, the 12th section of the bill. Ayes, 9; Nays, 4. Mr. M'Donell requiring the ayes and nays: Those who voted in the affirmative, are, Messrs. Bartow, Drake, Durocher, Fletcher, Kingsley, Lawronce, Le Roy, Stockton, Edwards-9. Those in the negative, are, Messrs. Brown, Irwin, M Donell, Schoolcraft-4. On motion of Mr. Irwin, the bill was further amended, by adding the following, to stand as the 13th section: "Sec. 13. That it shall be competent for the Legislature, at any future period, to establish rates of toll on said rail-way, and to make such further provision by law, as to them may seem just and proper, for compelling the said Company to keep the same in repair.” On motion of Mr. Drake, Ordered, That the bill be engrossed and read a third time on Thursday. The Council adjourned. TUESDAY, July 27, 1830. Mr. Drake presented an account of Thomas Simpson, for newspapers furnished the Council. Referred to the committee on Expenditures. Mr. Lawrence, from the Judiciary committee, reported bills with the following titles: A bili authorising the administration of an oath in certain cases. A bill to legalise the acts of certain highway Commissioners in Washtenaw county. A bill to organise the townships of Arcadia and Brady, in the county of K damazoo, A bill relative to the county of Chippewa. A bill to authorise Laurent Durocher, jr. and Angelique, bis wife, to sell and convey certain lands therein mentioned. A bill to amend an act, entitled an act relative to the duties and privileges of townships. A bill to dissolve the marriage contract between Luther Stoddard and Arlinda Stoddard. A bill to amend an act, entitled an act to improve the navigation of the Huron River of Lake Erie. Said bills having been severally read the first time; On motion of Mr. Lawrence, the 19th rule was suspended, and the bills were severally read a second time. On motion of Mr. Lawrence, Ordered, That said bills be engrossed and read a third time to morrow. Mr. Fletcher, from the committee on Enrolment, reported as correctly enrolled, bills with the following titles: An act to set off and organise the township of La Fayette, in the county of Monroe. An act concerning townships. An act to legalise the proceedings of Justices of the Peace in certain cases. An act to legalise the proceedings of officers within the county of Iowa, and for other purposes. An act amendatory to an act, relative to the office and duties of the Auditor of the Territory of Michigan. The President signed said bills. Mr. Schoolcraft, from the committee on the Judiciary, reported, Said bills were severally read the first time; and, On motion of Mr. Schoolcraft, the 19th rule was suspended, and the bills were read a second time. On motion of Mr. Schoolcraft, Ordered, That said bills be engrossed and read a third time to morrow. Mr. Bartow, from the committee on Claims, reported, A bill to regulate the fees of County Treasurers and town offi vers. The bill having been read the first time; On motion of Mr. Bartow, the 19th rule was suspended, and the bill passed to its second reading. On motion of Mr. Bartow, Ordered, That the bill be engrossed and read a third time to morrow. Mr. Stockton, from the committee on Territorial Affairs, reported, A bill to amend an act, entitled an act to organise the township of Clay, in the county of St. Clair. The bill was read a first time; and, On motion of Mr. Stockton, the 19th rule was suspended, and the bill passed to its second reading. On motion of Mr. Stockton, Ordered, That the bill be engrossed and read a third time to morrow. Mr. Schoolcraft, from the committee on Expenditures, reported, A bill to provide for the payment of the contingent expenses of the Legislative Council, for the year 1830. D The bill having been read the first time; On motion of Mr. Schoolcraft, the 19th rule was suspended, and the bill passed to its second reading. On motion, Ordered, That the bill lie on the table. Mr. Schoolcraft, from the committee on Expenditures, to whom had been referred the report of the Fiscal Agent of the Council, reported, that the committee recommended to the Council, to place that report upon their Journal, The report of the committee being concurred in, the report of the Fiscal Agent is as follows: To the Hon. the Legislative Council of the Territory of Michigan. In obedience to the resolution of the 25th inst. the uudersigned, Fiscal Agent of your honorable body, reports— That agreeably to the statement presented at the last session, the sum of $9,300 was appropriated by Congress, $1,635 in part payment of the arrearages, and the balance, being $7,665, for the service of the year 1829. It was supposed that this sum of $7,665, was sufficient for the payment of the remaining balance of arrearages, being $2,415 24, for which vouchers had been transmitted to the Treasury, and $550, previously appropriated for books and periodicals, the vouchers for which had not been sent to that department, and also for the expenses of the session of 1829, and an act was accordingly passed, authorising the Agent to receive from the Treasury, the two sums last mentioned. At the close of the session, it being taken for granted, that this act of the Council had been approved at the Treasury department, and the necessary amount remitted for the objects specified therein, it was found that the expenses of the session amounted to nearly $900 more than the sum remaining in the Treasury, and it became necessary to issue certificates to the claimants for the deficiency. But the 1st Auditor of the Treasury, decided that as the act of Congress was specific, the Council could not appropriate the funds for the service of the year 1829, to the payment of claims of a preceding year-and in accordance with this decision, the full amount of the accounts for 1829, was paid to me, leaving in the Treasury $1,738 36. Through the exertions of his Excellency the Governer, and the Hon. Mr. Biddle, this balance in the Treasury has been procured by special order of the Secretary of that Department, and has been divided among the several holders of certificates. The sum remaining due on account of arrearages, is $676 88, besides interest; and for the purpose of paying this sum and for the service of the current year, eight thousand dollars have been appropriated. It may be proper to mention here, that three several appropria tions have been made by the Council, for the purchase of books and periodicals that the sum of $368 79, has been expended for this object, and that if it should be deemes expedient to aco to the Library of the Council, it would be necessary, according to the decision of the Treasury department, that the expenditure be authorised by a new act of appropriation, as funds cannot be drawn under any one of those heretofore passed. All of which is respectfully submitted. C. C. TROWBRIDGE, Fiscal Agent. Detroit, May 26, 1830. Mr. Irwin, from the committee on Claims, reported, A bill to provide for the payment of certain claims for interest. The bill having been read the first time; On motion of Mr. Irwin, the 19th rule was suspended, and the bill passed to its second reading. On motion of Mr. Irwin, Ordered, That the bill lie on the table. Mr. Le Roy, from the Judiciary committee, reported, A bill in addition to, and for the amendment of, the act concerning judgments and executions. The bill having been read the first time; On motion of Mr. Le Roy, the 19th rule was suspended, and the bill passed to its second reading. On motion of Mr. Le Roy, Ordered, That the bill lie on the table. A message was received from the Governor, by the hands of Mr. Trowbridge, advising the Council, that he returned without his signature, the "act concerning townships"-which message is as follows: To the Legislative Council: I return without my signature, the bill entitled " an act concerning townships.” An The practice of giving the same name to different places in the United States, has been long found a serious inconvenience. eminent French traveller, alluding to this subject, more than thirty years ago, said: "and thus has America becoine a kind of second, though as yet, by no means, an improved edition of Europe, especially of England and Germany." Since that time, the evil has gone on increasing, and the reproach is more just now, than then. The repetition of the same names has proceeded so far, as to call for some check It tends to introduce confusion into the geography of the country, and to occasion the misdirection and loss of letters, entrusted to the mail. The act entitled “an act concerning town plats," and which is proposed to be repealed by the bill now res turned, applied a simple but efficient remedy to this state of things, and a remedy which was coextensive with the evil. It provided, that no town plat should be admitted to record, if the name proposed to be given to it, was contained in the general list of post N offices in the United States. And as the selling of lots in any town, before the plat is recorded in the proper office, is rendered penal, the proprietor is necessarily led to the introduction of a new name. And I see no reason for the repeal of this provision, not for the limitation of the principle, as proposed in this bill, to names already given in the Territory. The wish to transfer to a new country, names familiar to us in an old one, is perhaps connected with a natural association. But when the wish cannot be indulged without practical inconvenience, it is surely better to abandon, than to gratify it. Names are arbitrary, and only useful as they designate the objects. By continued multiplication, the very end sought to be attained by them, is lost. Whatever name is given to a place, use soon renders familiar, and by adhering to the principle that has been laid down in this Territory, we shall es cape the inconvenience, which has been elsewhere experienced, and present an original list of names, instead of an English or German edition. LEW. CASS. July 27, 1830. Ordered, That the message lie on the table. The bill in addition to the several Probate laws in this Territory, was taken up for a second reading. Mr. M'Donell moved to postpone the further consideration of the bill until the next session of the Council. A message was received from the Governor on Executive business, by the hands of Mr. Trowbridge. The question on Mr. M'Donell's motion, being taken, it was determined in the negative. The bill was read a second time and considered as in committee of the whole. Mr. Fletcher moved to amend, by striking out all after the word “administration,” in the 9th line of the 1st section. Mr Stockton moved to amend the amendment, by striking out all her the word “Probate,” in the 7th line of that section. Mr M'Donell moved to amend the amendment offered by Mr. Stockton, by sir king out all after the word "writings," in the 6th line of that section. The question being taken on the amendment last offered, it was decided in the affirmative. Ayes 9; Nays, 4. Mr. M'Donell requiring the ayes and nays: Those who voted in the affirmative, are, Messrs. Bartow, Drake, Irwin, Kingsley, Le Roy, M'Donell, Schoolcraft, Stockton, Edwards-9. These in the negëtive, are, Mess.s. Brown, Durocher, Fletcher, Lawrence—4. Mr Angsley moved to strike out, in the 4th line of the 1st section, the words, "administer oaths." |