History of Alaska United States of America

The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the consideration of the treaty between the United States of America and the Emperor of all the Russias for the cession to the United States of all the territory and dominions now possessed by His Majesty on the continent of America, and in the adjacent islands, concluded at Washington, D.C., the 30th day of March, 1867.

On motion by Mr. Fessenden, that the further consideration of said treaty be postponed to to-morrow:

It was determined in the negative, Yeas ... 12, Nays ... 29

On motion by Mr. Fessenden, the yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present, those who voted in the affirmative are: Messers. Anthony, Chandler, Conkling, Cragin, Ferry, Fessenden, Henderson, Howe, Morrill of Me., Morrill of Vt., Patterson of N.H., and Tipton.

Those who voted in the negative are, Messrs. Buckalew, Cameron, Cattell, Cole, Conness, Corbett, Davis, Dixon, Doolittle, Drake, Fowler, Frelinghuysen, Harlan, Johnson, Morgan, Nye, Patterson of Tenn., Ramsey, Ross, Stewart, Sumner, Thayer, Trumbull, Van Winkle, Wade, Willey, Williams, Wilson, and Yates.

SO the Senate refused to postpone the further consideration of said treaty; and After debate, No amendment being made, the treaty was reported to the Senate. Mr. Sumner submitted the following resolution for consideration:

Resolved (two-thirds of the Senators present concurring), That the Senate advise and consent to the ratification of the treaty between the United States of America and the Emperor of all the Russias for the cession to the United States of all the territory and dominions now possessed by His Majesty on the continent of America, and in the adjacent islands, concluded at Washington, D.C., the 30th day of March, 1867.

The Senate, by unanimous consent, proceeded to consider the said resolution: and:

On the question to agree thereto, It was determined in the affirmative, Yeas ... 37, Nays ... 2

On motion by Mr. Fessenden [sic, should be Sumner], The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present,

Those who voted in the affirmative are, Messrs. Anthony, Buckalew, Cameron, Cattell, Chandler, Cole, Conkling, Conness, Corbett, Cragin, Davis, Dixon, Doolittle, Drake, Fowler, Frelinghuysen, Wade, Willey, Williams, Harlan, Henderson, Johnson, Morgan, Morrill of Me., Nye, Patterson of N.H., Patterson of Tenn., Ramsey, Ross, Stewart, Sumner, Thayer, Tipton, Trumbull, Van Winkle, Wilson, and Yates.

Those who voted in the negative are, Messrs. Fessenden and Morrill of Vt.

So the resolution was agreed to.

Ordered, That the Secretary lay the said resolution before the President of the United States.

Lyman Enos Knapp, governor of Alaska, was born in Somerset, Vt., Nov. 5, 1837; son of Hiram and Elvira (Stearns) Knapp; grandson of Cyrus Knapp, who removed to Dover about the beginning of the nineteenth century; and great2 grandson of Capt. Joseph Knapp, who commanded a company in Colonel Titcomb's regiment during the Revolution. His first ancestor in America emigrated from England in 1640 and settled in Brighton, and subs, equently at Paunton, Mass. Lyman attended school at Manchester, Vt., and was graduated at Middlebury college in 1862. He enlisted as a private in 1862; was promoted captain in the 16th Vermont volunteers; was subsequently transferred to the 17th Vermont volunteers, and rose to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He was wounded at Gettysburg, at Sportsylvania and at the capture of Petersburg. He was brevetted colonel for gallantry at Petersburg, and at the close of the war he settled in Middlebury, Vt. He was married, Jan. 23, 1865, to Martha A. Severance, of Middlebury, Vt. He was editor and publisher of the Middlebury Register, 1865-78, and also contributed editorial articles to the American Law Register and the Chicago Inter-Ocean. While thus engaged he studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1876, and practised in Middlebury. He was clerk of the Vermont house of representatives, 1872-73, and judge of the probate and insolvency courts, 1879-89. He was appointed governor of Alaska by President Harrison, April 12, 1889, and resided at Sitka. He was succeeded, Jan. 9, 1893, by James Sheakley and engaged in the practice of law in Seattle, Wash. He received the degree of LL.D. from Whitman college in 1898, and became a member of the Institute of Civics and of various patriotic and learned societies.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

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