1840. THE free banking law of New York was revised. The banks were given the right to deposit with the comptroller, as security for their bills in circulation, either United States bonds, or those of the state of New York, or bonds and mortgages upon real estate in New York state. The deposit of bonds and mortgages was subsequently forbidden. 1837-41.- EIGHTH administration. President, Secretaries of Navy, Postmasters-General, Attorneys-General, Martin Van Buren, of New York. John Forsyth, of Georgia, continued in office. {James K. Paulding, of New York, June 20, 1838. Amos Kendall, of Kentucky, continued in office. Henry D. Gilpin, of Pennsylvania, January 10, 1840. James K. Polk, of Tennessee, Twenty-Sixth Congress, 1837. R. M. T. Hunter, of Virginia, Twenty-Seventh Congress, 1839. 1841, JANUARY 15.- The Pennsylvania legislature having fixed this day as the limit for the suspension of the banks, a run commenced upon them. In twenty days the United States Bank paid out six millions, and the others over five. 1841, FEBRUARY 4.-The banks of Philadelphia again suspended specie payments. 1841. THE Princeton, a ship-of-war, was built as a propeller. Her constructor was John Ericsson. She was the first ship whose propelling machinery was under water and safe from shot. 1841, MARCH.A patent was granted to Samuel Pennock for a grain-drill. 1841, MARCH 17.- The President issued a proclamation convening Congress May 31. 1841, APRIL 3. A committee of the stockholders of the United States Bank reported, giving a history of the management of the bank for six years. It appeared that the funds had been squandered in various ways. The foreign debt was fifteen millions. Mr. Jaudon, the foreign agent, had borrowed over thirty millions at most usurious rates, and at home certain parties had borrowed freely on worthless securities. This was practically the end of the Bank. 1841, APRIL 4.-President Harrison died, and Vice-President John Tyler assumed the office. 1841, APRIL 6. The foundations of the Mormon temple were laid at Nauvoo, Illinois. 1841, APRIL 10.-The New York Tribune appeared in New York city. It was published by Horace Greeley, and was issued for a cent. On July 31 Thomas McElrath became its publisher. It is now published by an association. Horace Greeley died November 29, 1872. 1841, JULY 21.- Congress authorized a loan of twelve millions of dollars. 1841, AUGUST.-The act establishing the sub-treasury was repealed. 1841, AUGUST.-The President vetoed a bill for the establishment of "The Fiscal Bank of the United States." The secretary of the treasury had suggested such a bank; and being called on to furnish a plan, had done so, and a bill in accordance with it had been prepared. Another bill was prepared, with the title, "An act to provide for the better collection, safe-keeping, and disbursement of the public revenue by means of a corporation to be styled the Fiscal Corporation of the United States," and passed in September. This bill the President also vetoed. In consequence, September 11, all the cabinet officers, except Daniel Webster, the secretary of state, resigned. 1841, AUGUST 19.A bankruptcy act was passed. It was to take effect February 2, 1842. It was repealed March 3, 1843. 1841, AUGUST.-Congress passed an act to distribute among the states the proceeds of the sales of the public lands. The distribution was to be made upon the condition that the duties laid by the tariff of 1833 were not to be raised. The distribution was to be made semi-annually after January 1, 1842. 1842, JANUARY. - The Ledger appeared in Mobile, Alabama. It was published by John Forsyth, on the cash system, and for a penny. 1842. THE pound sterling was ordered by Congress to be rated for customs at four dollars and eighty-four cents. 1842.-A COMPANY calling themselves a "True Inspiration Congregation" (Wahre Inspirations Gemeinde) came from Germany and settled near Buffalo. In 1855 they moved to Iowa, settling about seventy-four miles west of Davenport. They call their place Amana, and have seven villages. They are a religious community, and number nearly fifteen hundred persons. Their present inspirational leader is a woman. 1842, FEBRUARY 21. A patent for a sewing-machine was granted John J. Greenough, of Washington, District of Columbia. The needle was pointed at both ends, with the eye in the middle, and was pulled through by pincers. They were never introduced to public use. 1842. DURING the summer of this year Colonel Fremont's first expedition to the Rocky Mountains was made. His report was ordered printed by the Senate. 1842, MARCH.-The House passed a resolution of censure upon Joshua Giddings, a member from Ohio. The Creole, in October, 1841, while carrying a load of slaves from Richmond to New Orleans, was captured by the slaves, who rose and forced those of the crew who were spared to carry the vessel to Nassau, in the British island of New Providence. Here nineteen of the negroes were imprisoned for mutiny and murder, others being set free. The secretary of state having opened a correspondence concerning the case with the British government, Mr. Joshua R. Giddings submitted a series of resolutions, maintaining that, slavery being created by municipal law, the slaves in regaining their liberty had violated no law of the United States, and that any attempt to re-enslave them was unauthorized by the Constitution and incompatible with national honor. Upon the motion of Mr. Botts, of Virginia, it was voted that Mr. Giddings "deserved the severe condemnation of the people of this country, and of this body in particular." In the debate, Mr. Giddings was denied speaking in his defence. Having resigned after the vote, Mr. Giddings was returned again to the House by his constituents. 1842. CONGRESS passed a tariff law raising the average rate to thirty-three per cent. The duties were to be paid in cash on a valuation at the port of entry. The President had vetoed two tariff bills previously passed. A separate act was then passed to permit the distribution of the revenue from the sale of public lands, notwithstanding the increase of duties. This act the President retained, thus preventing it from going into force. 1842, MARCH 19.- The Philadelphia banks resumed. During the year, Pennsylvania and Maryland failed to pay the interest on their debt. 1842, AUGUST.- Congress passed an act giving the right to patent designs. 1842. A PATENT was granted J. Read, of Illinois, for a mowing and reaping machine. 1842.AN act was passed by Congress for the settlement of Florida. Every head of a family who should make an actual settlement, and clear, enclose, and cultivate five acres, building a house upon them, was entitled to a quarter section. The purpose of the act was to occupy the soil, and by a cessation of hostilities influence the small remainder of the Seminoles to emigrate. This ended the Seminole war, and by successive cessions the land passed entirely into the jurisdiction of the United States. The act was to remain in force one year, and in that time the land was all occupied. The Seminole war had cost about twenty millions of dollars. 1842. THE Croton aqueduct, of New York, was finished. John B. Jervis was the chief engineer, and the cost of the work was twelve million five hundred thousand dollars. The length of the aqueduct, from the Croton River to the distributing reservoir, is forty and a half miles, and the flow of water is some thirty million gallons daily at the lowest average. The construction had taken five years. 1842, AUGUST 9.A treaty was made with Great Britain, by which the north-western boundary, between the United States and the British provinces, was completed. Lord Ashburton, appointed by the English government as minister plenipotentiary for the settlement of this matter, arrived April 3. Commissioners appointed by the states of Maine and Massachusetts, and by New Brunswick, were present at the negotiation. Maine surrendered a tract lying north of the St. John's, the free navigation of that river being granted by Great Britain. The portion of the Madawaska settlement lying south of the St. John's was relinquished by Great Britain, together with the Aroostook and Rouse's Point. For the suppression of the slave-trade, each country agreed to maintain an adequate squadron on the coast of Africa. Persons charged with murder, murderous assault, piracy, robbery, or forgery, were to be mutually delivered up. The treaty was ratified by Great Britain October 13, and proclaimed by the President on November 10. 1842. - A TREATY was made with Mexico. She had failed to meet the conditions of the convention of 1838. Ratifications of this new treaty were to be exchanged within three months at Washington. The American claims, as stated by the President in his message of this year, amounted to $2,026,079. The first payment was to be made April 30, 1843, and the whole amount to be settled in quarterly payments extending over five years, in gold and silver, in the city of Mexico. 1842, NOVEMBER 21.- Rhode Island, by an election, ratified the constitution which had been prepared for her. The charter had up to this time remained as the basis of her organic law. The constitution had been prepared by a convention called in 1841. The chief discontent with the charter was the limit it placed upon the right of suffrage, it being limited to land-owners and their eldest sons. At the election, Thomas W. Dorr was elected governor. Samuel W. King, the governor under the charter, claimed the position, ordered out the militia, declared martial law, and obtained aid from the United States to suppress the rebellion. The armed resistance lasted about two weeks. Dorr fled the state, but returned to answer a charge of treason, on which he was found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment for life. In 1847 he was pardoned, and in 1853 restored his civil rights by the legislature, and the record of his sentence ordered to be blotted out. 1843, JANUARY 1.—The public debt amounted to thirty-two million seven hundred thousand dollars. 1843, FEBRUARY 25. The bankruptcy act was repealed. 1843, MARCH 3.- Congress appropriated thirty thousand dollars for the construction of an experimental telegraph line between Washington and Baltimore. 1843, MARCH 4.-A patent for a sewing-machine was granted to Benjamin W. Bean, of New York. It made a lasting stitch. 1843. A BLAST furnace was started in the Adirondack region. In 1849 a larger furnace was constructed, and the old one abandoned. 1843. A SOCIETY for the study of natural history was organized at Boston, Massachusetts. - 1843, JUNE 16. A new constitution for Mexico was issued by a junta convoked by Santa Anna. - 1843, NOVEMBER. A treaty was made between Mexico and the United States. It provided for the appointment of a joint commission for the examination and settlement of claims for three millions of dollars, which had been left undecided by the previous commission. 1843. COLONEL FREMONT made his second expedition of exploration. He passed through the western slope of the Rocky Mountains, then an unknown wilderness. The Great Salt Lake, the Sierra Nevada, and the valleys of California, were brought to public notice. 1844, JANUARY 2.- Santa Anna was inaugurated president of Mexico under the new constitution. The public debt of Mexico amounted to nearly one hundred millions of dollars, of which sixty millions were due English creditors. The income was derived from taxation, and produced about twenty millions, the expenses of the government being rather more than this amount. 1844, APRIL 12. A treaty was concluded with Texas, at Washington, for annexing her to the Union. It had been made by John C. Calhoun, secretary of state, and Isaac Van Zandt and J. P. Henderson representing Texas. On the 22d it was communicated to the Senate, and ordered to be printed privately for their use. 1844, JUNE 8. —The Senate voted against the ratification cf the treaty with Texas. The vote was 16 to 25. 1844. THE first hydropathic establishment in the United States was opened at No. 63 Barclay Street, New York. Campbell, publisher of the Water Cure Journal, was proprietor, and Joel Shew, physician. 1844, JUNE. The experimental telegraph line, built by an appropriation from Congress, was erected between Washington and Baltimore. 1844. PROFESSOR JOHNSTON published his Lectures on the Application of Chemistry and Geology to Agriculture. 1844. ABOUT this time guano began to be imported into the United States. Previous to 1850 the importations were less than thirty thousand tons. 1844. IN Rensslaer and Delaware counties, New York, an armed resistance began by the anti-renters. |