President Van Buren was absent from the capital during his Presidential term one hundred and thirty-one days.  He discharged executive duties and performed official and public acts during these absences.  Among the papers signed by President Van Buren during his absence from the seat of Government are commissions (one of these being for a United States judge of a district court), pardons, etc.

President Tyler was absent from the capital during his Presidential term one hundred and sixty-three days, and performed public acts and duties during such absences, signing public papers and documents to the number of twenty-eight, in which were included commissions, exequaturs, letters of credence, pardons, and one proclamation making public the treaty of 1842 between the United States and Ecuador.

President Polk was absent from the capital during his Presidential term thirty-seven days, and appears to have signed but two official public papers during such absence.

President Taylor was absent from the capital during the time he served as President thirty-one days, and while absent signed two commissions, three “full powers,” two exequaturs, and the proclamation of August 11, 1849, relative to a threatened invasion of Cuba or some of the Provinces of Mexico.

President Fillmore was absent from the capital during the time he served as President sixty days.  During such absence he signed pardons, commissions, exequaturs, etc.

President Pierce was absent from the capital in all during his Presidential term fifty-seven days.  The several periods of absence which make up this aggregate were each brief, and it does not appear that during these absences the President signed any public official documents, except one pardon.

President Buchanan was absent from the capital during his Presidential term fifty-seven days, and the official papers which he is shown to have signed during such absence are three exequaturs and one letter of credence.

In addition to the public documents and papers executed by the several Presidents during their absences from the seat of Government, constant official correspondence was maintained by each with the heads of the different Executive Departments.

WASHINGTON, May 15, 1876.

To the House of Representatives: 

In answer to the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 10th ultimo, I transmit herewith a report and accompanying papers upon the subject[104] from the Secretary of State.

U.S.  GRANT.

[Footnote 104:  Course pursued to enforce the provisions of the convention with Venezuela of April 25, 1866, and the payment of adjudicated claims under act approved February 25, 1873.]

WASHINGTON, May 16, 1876.

To the House of Representatives: 

In answer to a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 5th instant, requesting information as to payments by the Government of Venezuela on account of claims of citizens of the United States under the convention of the 25th of April, 1866, I transmit a report from the Secretary of State, to whom the resolution was referred.