JAMES BUCHANAN.

WASHINGTON CITY, January 21, 1859.

To the Senate of the United States: 

I transmit herewith a report from the Secretary of State, in answer to the resolution of the Senate of the 18th instant, requesting the President, if not incompatible with the public interest, “to communicate to the Senate any and all correspondence between the Government of the United States and the Government of Her Catholic Majesty relating to any proposition for the purchase of the island of Cuba, which correspondence has not been furnished to either House of Congress.”  From this it appears that no such correspondence has taken place which has not already been communicated to Congress.  In my late annual message I stated in reference to the purchase of Cuba that “the publicity which has been given to our former negotiations on this subject and the large appropriation which may be required to effect the purpose render it expedient before making another attempt to renew the negotiation that I should lay the whole subject before Congress.”  I still entertain the same opinion, deeming it highly important, if not indispensable to the success of any negotiation which I might institute for this purpose, that the measure should receive the previous sanction of Congress.

JAMES BUCHANAN.

WASHINGTON, January 21, 1859.

To the Senate of the United States: 

I herewith transmit to the Senate a digest of the statistics of manufactures according to the returns of the Seventh Census, prepared under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior in accordance with a provision in the first section of an act of Congress approved June 12, 1858, entitled “An act making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the year ending the 30th of June, 1859.”

JAMES BUCHANAN.

WASHINGTON, January 26, 1859.

To the Senate of the United States: 

I transmit another report from the Secretary of State, in answer to the resolution of the Senate of the 14th of June last, requesting information on the subject of claims of citizens of the United States against foreign governments.

JAMES BUCHANAN.

WASHINGTON, January 26, 1859.

To the Senate and House of Representatives: 

I transmit to Congress a report, dated the 25th instant, with the accompanying papers, received from the Secretary of State, in compliance with the requirement of the eighteenth section of the act entitled “An act to regulate the diplomatic and consular systems of the United States,” approved August 18, 1856.

JAMES BUCHANAN.

WASHINGTON, January 29, 1859.

To the Senate and House of Representatives: 

I transmit a report from the Secretary of War, with the accompanying documents, recommending the repayment to Governor Douglas, of Vancouvers Island, of the sum of $7,000, advanced by him to Governor Stevens, of Washington Territory, which was applied to the purchase of ammunition and subsistence stores for the forces of the United States in time of need and at a critical period of the late Indian war in that Territory.