His message of the 6th instant, requesting the passage of a joint resolution to relieve the Secretary of the Treasury from the disabilities imposed by section 8 of the act approved September 2, 1789.

MARCH 9, 1869.-Read, ordered to lie on the table and be printed.

To the Senate of the United States:

I have the honor to request to be permitted to withdraw from the Senate of the United States my message of the 6th instant, requesting the passage of a joint resolution of the two houses of Congress to relieve the Secretary of the Treasury from the disabilities imposed by section 8 of the act of Congress approved September 2, 1789.

WASHINGTON, D. C., March 9, 1869.

U. S. GRANT.

wupy u wropof the government

railroad relative to the election of directors for the ensuing year.

MARCH 16, 1869.-Read, referred to the Committee on the Pacific Railroad and ordered to be printed.

To the Senate of the United States:

I invite the attention of Congress to the accompanying communication of this date, which I have received from the Secretary of the Interior. U. S. GRANT.

WASHINGTON, March 15, 1869.

To the Hon. Secretary of the Interior :

Under the act of Congress approved July 2, 1864, it is made the duty of the government directors of the Union Pacific railroad "at any time to report to the Secretary of the Interior such information as should be in possession of the department."

According to the provisions of this act, it becomes our duty now to report the following facts:

March 10, 1869, in obedience to the act of Congress December 27, 1867, the stockholders of the Union Pacific railroad met in the city of New York and proceeded to the election of directors for the ensuing year, when an injunction was served by Judge Barnard, of the supreme court of the city of New York, upon the officers of the company, some of its directors, some of its stockholders, and certain of the government directors, restraining them from and prohibiting an election of any officer or directors upon the day designated by the federal law of December 20, 1867, for the ensuing year. The whole number of votes thrown we have ascertained to be 207,430 shares, of which 205,840 were given for the gentlemen whose names are hereto annexed, and no other votes could have been given that would change the result.

Under these injunctions, attachments, (some of them not bailable,) and threats of imprisonment, if disobeyed, the inspectors of the election were advised not to declare the result, though believing themselves authorized so to do by the federal law, and hence the new board thus elected, remains in abeyance, under injunctions and attachments, which may endure for a year or more, and thereby make the company and stockholders expense on litigation, and thus endanger and obstruct the progress of the road.

In compliance win a resolution of the Denure of ine on insuum, injormution whether the government of Venezuela has paid the first instalment due to American citizens under the award recently made by the mixed commission of the two governments.

MARCH 17, 1869.-Read, referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed.

To the Senate of the United States :

In compliance with the resolution of the Senate of the 11th instant, asking if the first instalment due from the government of Venezuela, pursuant to the convention of April 25, 1866, has been paid, I transmit a report from the Secretary of State, to whom the resolution was referred. U. S. GRANT.

WASHINGTON, March 16, 1869.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, March 15, 1869.

The Secretary of State, to whom was referred the resolution of the Senate of the 11th instant, requesting the President to inform the Senate, if compatible with the public interest, whether the government of Venezuela has paid the first instalment due to American citizens under the award recently made by the mixed commission of the two governments, has the honor to report that no intelligence of any such payment has been received at this department.

A correspondence has taken place with the representative of Venezuela accredited to this government in regard to the proceedings of that commission, a copy of which is hereunto annexed.

Respectfully submitted.

The PRESIDENT.

E. B. WASHBURNE.

List of papers accompanying the report of the Secretary of State to the President, March 15, 1869.

Memorandum of a conversation between Mr. Muñoz y Castro and Mr. Seward, February 8, 1869.

Mr. Muñoz y Castro to Mr. Seward, February 12, 1869.
Mr. Seward to Mr. Muñoz y Castro, March 3, 1869.
Mr. Muñoz y Castro to Mr. Washburne, March 12, 1869.
Mr. Washburne to Mr. Muñoz y Castro, March 16, 1869.