year, has strengthened and extended, until now the popular mind has approximated to unanimity in reprobating the injustice and usurpation of power involved in the passage of the act. In this general opinion this committee fully concur; and believing that both justice and policy demand that reparation should be made to all who suffered under the penalties of that unconstitutional act, they report a bill refunding to the petitioner the fine paid by his testator, with interest.

2d Session.

FRANCOIS GRAMILLION-HEIRS OF.

[To accompany bill H. R. No. 626.]

JANUARY 20, 1847.

Mr. S. ADAMS, from the Committee on Private Land Claims, made the

following REPORT:

The Committee on Private Land Claims, to whom was referred the petition of the widow and heirs of François Gramillion, make the following report:

The documentary testimony shows satisfactorily that François Gramillion, the ancestor of the petitioner, did, on or about the 11th day of December, 1815, and the 20th of January, 1816, purchase from Alexandre Plauché certain tracts or parcels of land, containing 20 arpents in front by 40 deep; and, further, that the said Plauché sold to Pierre Decuir a tract of 3 arpents front by 40 deep; that Decuir, by power of attorney to Martin Gramillion, sold the said land, so acquired, to one Villeneuve Gramillion, son of said François-so that the whole claim now belongs to the said widow and heirs of François Gramillion.

It is further shown that Plauché purchased from Julien Poydras de la Laud, Poydras from one Dufief, and Dufief from one Jacques Gaigneard; and the petitioners allege that in February, 1826, they had the land surveyed by one Kenneth McCrummen; that it was surveyed and located previous to any survey by the United States; that they have, and their assignees or persons under whom they hold, continually occupied the same since A. D. 1796, or thereabouts, and they now pray for a confirmation in accordance with the plat of February, 1826, accompanying their petition, with the boundaries designated.

This old survey, with the settlement of more than thirty years, considered in connexion with the regularly recorded sales already alluded to, coupled with the affidavits of Lemoine, Bordelon, and Coco, raises a strong presumption of the ancient purchase; and your committee believing that they ought to be confirmed to at least the quantity specified in their survey, say 17 arpents in front by a depth of 40-680 arpents-they report a bill accordingly.

2d Session.

PAPERS OF THOMAS JEFFERSON.
[To accompany bill H. R. No. 627.]

JANUARY 20, 1847.

Mr. BRODHEAD, from the Committee on the Library, made the following

REPORT:

The Joint Committee on the Library, to whom the memorial of Thomas Jefferson Randolph was referred, praying that Congress would purchase the manuscript papers of the late Thomas Jefferson, formerly President of the United States, and of which papers he, the said Thomas Jefferson Randolph, is the devisee and proprietor, have had the same under consideration, and beg leave to report:

That these papers consist, in part, of official, political, scientific, and miscellaneous letters, amounting, as it appears from a well kept and perfectly preserved journal in the handwriting of Mr. Jefferson himself, to the number of about forty-two thousand, many of which were written to and received from the most distinguished men of his time and country. Of the number written by himself, namely, about sixteen thousand, eight hundred only have been published in the printed volumes which are entitled "The Memoirs and Correspondence of Thomas Jefferson ;" and these, as the committee understand, were not selected for publication because they were deemed the most interesting and valuable, but were so selected, in a great degree, upon other grounds.

Besides these letters, there are three thick quarto volumes of MSS., which are thus described by Mr. Jefferson in a paper in his own handwriting, to wit:

3

Explanations of three volumes bound in marbled paper.

"In these three volumes will be found copies of the official opinions given in writing by me to General Washington, while I was Secretary of State, with sometimes the documents belonging to the case. Some of these are the rough draughts, some press copies, some fair ones. In the earlier part of my acting in that office, I took no other note of the passing transactions; but, after a while, I saw the importance of doing it, in aid of my memory. Very often, therefore, I made memorandums on loose scraps of paper taken out of my pocket in the moment, and laid by to be copied fair at leisure; which, however, they hardly ever were. These scraps, therefore, ragged, rubbed and scribbled as they were, I had bound with the others, by a binder who came into my cabinet, did it under my own eye, and without the opportunity of reading a single paper. At this day, (February

4th, 1818,) after the lapse of twenty five years or more from their dates, I have given to the whole a calm revisal, when the passions of the time are passed away, and the reasons of the transactions act alone on the judgment. Some of the informations I had recorded are now cut out from the rest, because I have seen that they were incorrect or doubtful, or merely personal or private, with which we have nothing to do. "TH. JEFFERSON.

"FEBRUARY 4, 1818."

Of these volumes, thus described by Mr. Jefferson, it is understood by the committee that a portion, not exceeding sixty pages octavo, and hav ing no higher interest than the rest, has heretofore been published.

In addition to the foregoing, the committee have received from the memorialist a long catalogue of other manuscript matter, connected more or less with the official position and duties of Mr. Jefferson-namely, his reports, with the materials upon which they were founded; notes of cabinet councils during his own administration of the government; papers re. lating to early treaties with France-revolutionary papers; some of which are marked by himself as " valuable," and not elsewhere to be found, and much other matter of a scientific and miscellaneous character.

The arrangement of these manuscripts is chronological and systematic; and the condition, as exemplified by specimens presented to the committee, perfectly sound. A portion of them, and an inconsiderable portion only, as it is believed, has been published.

As the consequence of the extraordinary labor and system with which Mr. Jefferson appears, during the whole course of his long and active life, to have made and preserved a written record of every important matter to which his thoughts or his duties were directed, the manuscripts which are now offered to Congress are not only unexampled in the variety and volume, as compared with other manuscripts which have heretofore been offered, but correspond in all respects, as the committee have reason to believe, with the services, the stations, and the renown of their author. These manuscripts the memorialist informs the committee he is unable to publish on his own account, and is determined not to commit to the mutilation and caprice of others, who would undertake their publication with a view only to pecuniary profit. It is evident, therefore, that, between the inability of the memorialist on the one hand, and his rightful determination on the other to protect the character and the labors of his great ancestor from prejudice and public misuse, these valuable papers will be lost, or worse than lost, unless the government itself shall interpose to preserve them. This it has already done, as the committee think, in several other cases; but in no case did the necessity or the expediency of its action have stronger or better grounds than in the present one. The committee are therefore of opinion that-whether the precedents in similar cases, or the great volume, variety, or interest of the manuscripts themselves be considered, or whether the character and services of their illustrious author, and the deep and permanent influence over our doctrines and system of government, which have resulted, and will ever result, from his political opinions and acts, be taken into view-it is fit and right that the government should possess itself of all his unpublished papers, and thus forever preserve them against any danger of misapplication and loss. To carry out these views the committee herewith report a bill.