JOHN J. CRITTENDEN, Ky.
_Postmaster General_ NATHAN K. HALL, N. York.

It is understood that Mr. PEARCE declines the secretaryship of the
Interior, but no official nomination has yet been made to fill his
place.

No business of public importance has been transacted in Congress. In the
SENATE the Compromise Bill, reported by Mr. CLAY from the Committee of
Thirteen, continues under debate. Mr. WEBSTER, on the 17th ult., made a
very eloquent speech in its support, declaring himself earnestly in
favor of admitting California, of providing a Territorial government for
New Mexico, without the anti-slavery proviso, which he deems
superfluous, and of settling the question of boundary between Texas and
New Mexico. He said he should have preferred to act upon these measures
separately, but he was willing to vote for them as conjoined in the
bill. Speeches were also made by several Senators against the bill, and
some amendments, offered to obviate objections entertained to it in
various quarters, were rejected. No decisive action has been had upon it
up to the time of putting these pages to press.

The chief action in the HOUSE, of general interest, relates to what is
known as the _Galphin Claim,_ the history of which is briefly as
follows: Prior to the year 1773 George Galphin, the original claimant,
was a licensed trader among the Creek and Cherokee Indians in the then
province of Georgia. The Indians became indebted to him in amounts so
large that they were unable to pay them; and in 1773, in order to give
him security for his claims, they ceded to the King of Great Britain, as
trustee, a tract of land containing two and a half millions of acres.
The trust was accepted, commissioners were appointed, some of the lands
were sold, and the proceeds applied to the payment of the expenses of
the commission, but none was then paid to the claimants for whose
benefit the trust had been created. The sum found due to George Galphin
was L9791, for which amount a certificate was issued to him by the
Governor and Council in May, 1775. Meantime the war of the Revolution
broke out, and its successful result destroyed the trust, and the lands
were no longer subject to the control of the king. After the war was
over the state of Georgia granted these lands to those of her soldiers
who had been engaged in the war, and who became actual settlers upon
them. The descendants of Mr. Galphin applied to the state of Georgia for