404
WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1857
indeed, to adopt the vices of the white man without his virtues; and one reason is, that they are furnished with an example of vice while virtue is withheld. 1 Cong1·essional Globe, Part 1, 1856-1857, p. 475. The provision discussed was that at the discretion of the President all disbursements of moneys, whether annuities or otherwise, to fulfil treaty stipulations with individual Indians, or with tribes, should be appropriated for such objects distinctly and separately, and not "in a lump sum." It also provided that the Super- intendents of Indian Affairs should state these disbursements to the Indians of the various tribes in the presence of their local agents and interpreters, who should witness the same under such rules and regulations as might be provided by the Secretary of the Interior. The phase of the subject upon which Houston spoke was the provision of traveling expenses for the Super- intendents of Indian Affairs. REMARKS ON THE RESOLUTIONS RELATING TO NAVAL DESERTIONS, JANUARY 30, 1857 1 [The President pro temvo1·e. The Chair will put the question on the motion of the Senator from Texas to take up the reso- lutions. The motion was agreed to; and the Senate proceeded to con- sider the following resolutions, submitted by Mr. Houston, on Wednesday, January 14 :] Resolved, That the President be requested to inform the Senate of the number of deserters from the Navy since the 28th of Febru- ary, 1855, and particularly of the deserters from the crew of the steam-frigate Merrimac whilst commanded by Captain G. J. Pen- dergrast, together with any report or reports made to the Navy Department by said Captain Pendergrast, of the causes of said desertions. Also, of the causes of the return from the .Pacific squadron of the captain and commander of the frigate Inde- pendence, and more recently, to the commander of the sloop-of- war Decatur; together with the copies of all reports made by the commander of the Pacific squadron, or any other officer, in rela- tion to either the said captain or commanders; and whether any, and what, action was taken by the President, or Secretary of the Navy, in relation to Commander Gansevoort, of the sloop Decatur. Also, whether any other officer of the Pacific squadron has been reported to the Navy Department for dereliction or unofficer- like conduct, and if so, to furnish copies of the. reports, together with a statement of the course pursued by the Department toward such derelict officer. And also, whether, since the return of the captain from the frigate Independence, in the Pacific ocean, an
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