he Swiss Confederation, signed by their
respective plenipotentiaries on the 15th of September last at Paris.

I transmit also a copy of a dispatch from the plenipotentiary of the
United States, with the accompanying documents.

JAMES K. POLK.

WASHINGTON, _December 22, 1846_.

_To the House of Representatives of the United States_:

In compliance with the request contained in the resolution of the House
of Representatives of the 15th instant, I communicate herewith reports
from the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy, with the
documents which accompany them.

These documents contain all the "orders or instructions" to any
military, naval, or other officer of the Government "in relation to the
establishment or organization of civil government in any portion of the
territory of Mexico which has or might be taken possession of by the
Army or Navy of the United States."

These orders and instructions were given to regulate the exercise of the
rights of a belligerent engaged in actual war over such portions of the
territory of our enemy as by military conquest might be "taken
possession of" and be occupied by our armed forces--rights necessarily
resulting from a state of war and clearly recognized by the laws of
nations. This was all the authority which could be delegated to our
military and naval commanders, and its exercise was indispensable to the
secure occupation and possession of territory of the enemy which might
be conquered. The regulations authorized were temporary, and dependent
on the rights acquired by conquest. They were authorized as belligerent
rights, and were to be carried into effect by military or naval
officers. They were but the amelioration of martial law, which modern
civilization requires, and were due as well to the security of the
conquest as to the inhabitants of the conquered territory.

The documents communicated also contain the reports of several highly
meritorious officers of our Army and Navy who have conquered and taken
possession of portions of the enemy's territory.

Among the documents accompanying the report of the Secretary of War will
be found a "form of government" "established and organized" by the
military commander who conquered and occupied with his forces the
Territory of New Mexico. This document was received at the War
Department in the latter part of the last month, and, as will be
perceived by the report of the Secretary of War, was not, for the
rea