WHEREAS, Such application was made by the said William St. James through an agent employed by him to select a certain description of land hereinafter mentioned and which the said William St. James supposed had been applied for in his name; and WHEREAS, It appears from affidavits on file in the State Land Office that the description intended to have been applied for by the said William St. James was the southeast quarter of southwest quarter of section sixteen, town forty-three north, range four west (se of sw of sec 16, t 43 n, r 4 w), therefore Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the Secretary of State be and he is hereby authorized and empowered to cancel patent for primary school land certificate number twenty-four thousand nine hundred and forty, issued to the said William St. James for the south fractional half of the southeast quarter of section sixteen, town forty-three north, range four west, on surrender of such patent, and to issue in lieu thereof a patent to the said William St. James for the southeast quarter of southwest quarter of section sixteen, town fortythree north, range four west, on the certificate of the Commissioner of the State Land Office, executed in the usual form, showing payment by the said William St. James for the amount of purchase money of said last described tract less amount paid on the purchase of the description above referred to erroneously selected and conveyed. This joint resolution is ordered to take immediate effect. CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS, 1897. [ No. 1.] WHEREAS, There is now pending in Congress a bill (H. R. 4339) to establish a National Military Park to commemorate the campaign, siege and defense of Vicksburg; and WHEREAS, The operations that culminated almost simultaneously at Gettysburg and Vicksburg in July, eighteen hundred sixty-three, not only mark the turning point in the war of the rebellion, but also constitute one of the greatest epochs in the history of our country, and should both be commemorated in the most impressive and enduring manner possible; and WHEREAS, The establishment of a National Military Park at Vicksburg will be a most fitting and appropriate monument to the great commander whose genius planned these operations and directed them to a successful issue; and WHEREAS, The State of Michigan has an especial interest in this bill for the reason that of her gallant soldiers seven regiments of infantry and two batteries of artillery participated in the operations it is intended to commemorate; therefore Resolved by the House (the Senate concurring), That the legislature of the State of Michigan by this concurrent resolution asks that the above named bill (H. R. 4339) be passed during this session of Congress and requests the Senators and members of the House of Representatives in Congress from Michigan to labor earnestly for its passage; and the Secretary of State is hereby directed to send a certified copy of this resolution to the Senators and members of the House of Representatives from Michigan, to the Hon. Thomas B. Reed, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to the Hon. John A. F. Hull, chairman of the House committee on Military Affairs, and to the Senators and Representatives in Congress from this State. Approved January 20, 1897. 56 [ No. 2.] Resolved by the House (the Senate concurring), That we do heartily endorse the Hon. John B. Corliss in his efforts to have the immigration laws so amended as to restrict the tide of foreign labor which flows daily across our borders, robbing our citizens of employment only to return to a foreign land to invest their earnings, thereby depriving our merchants of a large volume of business which they are justly entitled to; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of State be and is hereby instructed to transmit a copy of this resolution to each of our Senators and Representatives at Washington, who are hereby requested to lend their influence to check this gross injustice to our citizens. Approved February 5, 1897. [No. 3.] Resolved (the Senate concurring), That we, the members of the legis lature of the State of Michigan, express our earnest sympathy with, and hearty commendation of the effort now being made by Senator James McMillan, in the Congress of the United States, to regulate the practice of vivisection in the District of Columbia; that we regard this practice of torturing animals as cruel, inhuman, and unworthy of our civilization; That a copy of this resolution, signed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, be forwarded to Senator James McMillan. Approved February 24, 1897. [ No. 4. ] CONCURRENT RESOLUTION recommending the appointment of Col. William R. Shafter as brigadier general. WHEREAS, The services of William R. Shafter during the war of the rebellion as lieutenant of the Seventh Michigan Infantry, major of the Nineteenth Michigan Infantry, and as colonel of a colored regiment distinguished him as, and proved him to be, one of Michigan's most valiant, loyal, capable and able sons; and WHEREAS, A vacancy is liable to occur in the position of brigadier general in the United States army, which it will be necessary for the Presi dent to fill by appointment; and WHEREAS, William R. Shafter now occupies the position of ranking colonel of the United States army, being in charge of the Presidio, of San Francisco, California, which is the largest and most important post in the United States; and WHEREAS, In the ordinary course of military appointments, Colonel Shafter, as ranking colonel, is entitled to appointment to fill the first vacancy in the position of brigadier general of the United States army; therefore be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the desire of the legislature of the State of Michigan, and each and every member thereof, that President-elect McKinley appoint Colonel Shafter to the first vacancy in the position of brigadier general in the United States army, and that General Russell A. Alger, Secretary of War, appointed, use his influence to secure such appointment. Resolved, That, after adoption, these resolutions be forwarded to President-elect McKinley, after being signed by the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate, and that a copy thereof be sent to Gen. Russell A. Alger. Approved February 24, 1897. [ No. 5. ] WHEREAS, This House has learned with sorrow of the death of Hon. James B. Porter, Secretary of State of Michigan from one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one to one thousand eight hundred and sixty-six; and WHEREAS, Mr. Porter's public life was long and honorable, covering the period of Michigan's greatest growth and development; therefore Resolved by the House (the Senate concurring), That the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate do appoint a committee of five members from each House, to be present at the funeral of the deceased; and be it further Resolved, That these resolutions be spread upon the Journal, and an engrossed copy thereof be presented to the family of the deceased. Approved March 12, 1897. [No. 6. ] WHEREAS, It is seasonable that at this period in the history of Michanniversary of the admission of Michigan into the Union as a State; and WHEREAS, The sixteenth day of March next, will be the fiftieth anniversary of the location and establishment of the State capitol at Lansing; and WHEREAS, In the years which have elapsed since said events, Michigan has been transformed from a vast wilderness into a great and prosperous commonwealth, having become rich in mining, manufacturing and agriculture; and WHEREAS, It is seasonable that at this period in the history of Michigan, upon the return of the days upon which happened events so import ant in her history, that her people should commemorate the happening of these events; therefore be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the sixteenth day of March next be designated as Michigan day and that the evening be set apart and devoted to a program in commemoration of the events above named, to be prepared by a joint committee of three of each house of the legislature, to be appointed by the presiding officers of the respective houses. [ No. 7. ] Resolved by the House (the Senate concurring), That there shall be printed one edition of the "Michigan Manual;" and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of State be, and is hereby authorized and directed, to cause to be published a sufficient number of the "Michigan Manual," including those provided for by law, to be distributed as follows: 100 copies .60 copies ..50 copies ..50 copies For distribution by each member of the Senate. For distribution by each member of the House. For distribution by Clerk of the House... For distribution by Secretary of the Senate. And a further number sufficient to supply one copy to each public school in the State, not otherwise provided for, including district schools, and also one copy to each of the officers and employés of the House and Senate not otherwise provided for. Approved March 26, 1897. [ No. 8. ] WHEREAS, During the latter days of the administration of President Cleveland an executive order was promulgated combining the United States pension agency at Detroit with that at Indianapolis, with headquarters at Indianapolis, Indiana; and WHEREAS, The number of pensions quarterly paid at Detroit greatly exceeds the number paid at Indianapolis; and WHEREAS, Without any popular demand for this change which will abolish the Detroit pension agency, this order was arbitrarily made at the suggestion of the Commissioner of Pensions; therefore Resolved, That this House (the Senate concurring), request the Senators and Representatives from Michigan to use all honorable means to secure a revocation of said order; Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions signed by the Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the House be sent to each Senator and Representative in Congress from this State. |