The Senate have also passed bills of the House of the following titles, viz: H. R. 1158. An act for the relief of Commander John L. Davis, without amendment; and H. R. 394. An act confirming title to Little Rock island, in the Mississippi river; with an amendment, in which I am directed to ask the concurrence of the House. The House then resumed the consideration of the motion to reconsider the vote by which the joint resolution of the House (H. Res. 402) proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States was recommitted to the Committee on the Judiciary. After debate, On motion of Mr. Boutwell, the further consideration of the same was postponed until the evening session of to-morrow. Mr. Stover, by unanimous consent, from the Committee of Elections, reported the following resolution; which was read, considered, and agreed to, viz: Resolved, That there be paid out of the contingent fund of the House to William F. Switzler the compensation of a representative in Congress for one year, in full for time spent and expenses incurred in contesting the right of George W. Anderson to a seat in this house from the ninth congressional district of Missouri. Mr. Stokes, by unanimous consent, introduced bills of the following titles, viz: H. R. 1801. A bill for the relief of political disabilities of Hiram Crabtree and others, of the county of Jackson, State of Tennessee; and H. R. 1802. A bill establishing a mail route from Altamont to Tracy City, State of Tennessee; which were severally read a first and second time and referred, the former to the Committee on Reconstruction, and the latter to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads. The Speaker, by unanimous consent, laid before the House a letter from the Secretary of the Interior, transmitting letter from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, with accompanying papers, relative to the suffering and starving condition of the Indians on the upper Missouri; which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations. Also, concurrent resolution of the legislature of the State of Kansas, relative to the homestead law; which was referred to the Committee on the Public Lands. The House then, on motion of Mr. E. B. Washburne, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union; and after some time spent therein the Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Schenck reported that the committee having had under consideration, according to order, the special order (H. R. 1672) making appropriations for the legislative, executive, and judicial expenses of the government for the year ending 30th June, 1870, had found itself without a quorum, and that he had caused the roll to be called, when it appeared that the following-named members were absent, viz: Messrs. George M. Adams, George W. Anderson, Samuel B. Axtell, John D. Baldwin, Nathaniel P. Banks, Fernando C. Beaman, James B. Beck, Jacob Benton, John A. Bingham, W. Jasper Blackburn, C. C. Bowen, Nathaniel Boyden, Benjamin M. Boyer, Ralph P. Buckland, Albert G. Burr, Roderick R. Butler, Henry L. Cake, John B. Callis, John W. Chanler, John C. Churchill, Reader W. Clarke, J. W. Clift, Thomas Cornell, Oliver J. Dickey, Nathan F. Dixon, Ephraim R. Eckley, W. P. Edwards, James T. Elliott, John F. Farnsworth, Adam J. Glossbrenner, Samuel F. Gove, Joseph J. Gravely, Charles Haight, Charles M. Hamilton, Isaac R. Hawkins, John Hill, William S. Holman, Asahel W. Hubbard, Calvin T. Hulburd, Morton C. Hunter, James A. Johnson, Alexander H. Jones, Thomas L. Jones, Francis W. Kellogg, Michael C. Kerr, J. Proctor Knott, William Lawrence, William S. Lincoln, John A. Logan, William Loughridge, Rufus Mallory, Hiram McCullough, James K. Moorhead, John Morrissey, Carman A. Newcomb, J. P. Newsham, John A. Nicholson, Benjamin W. Norris, David A. Nunn, Frederick A. Pike, Tobias A. Plants, Theodore M. Pomeroy, Lewis W. Ross, Worthington C. Smith, William B. Stokes, Caleb N. Taylor, Francis Thomas, Nelson Tift, John Trimble, Lawrence S. Trimble, Ginery Twichell, Charles Upson, Henry Van Aernam, Michael Vidal, Hamilton Ward, Cadwalader C. Washburn, John T. Wilson, P. B. M. Young. A quorum having appeared, The House again resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union; and after some time spent therein the Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Schenck reported that the committee having had under consideration the special order, viz: H. R. 1672, (legislative appropriations,) had come to no resolution thereon. Mr. Stephen F. Wilson, from the Committee on Enrolled Bills, reported that the committee had examined and found truly enrolled a bill of the following title, viz: H. R. 1158. An act for the relief of Commander John L. Davis; On motion of Mr. Pile, the House took a recess until 7 o'clock p. m. After the recess, After general debate, On motion of Mr. Eldridge, at 10 o'clock p. m., the House adjourned. THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 1869. The following petitions were laid upon the Clerk's table, under the rules: By Mr. Farnsworth: The petition of Charles A. Russell, of Texas, praying for relief from political disability. By Mr. Arnell: A petition of similar import from C. B. Davis, of Tennessee. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee on Reconstruction. By Mr. McKee: The petition of Mrs. Fannie M. Roberts, praying for relief. By Mr. William B. Washburn: The petition of L. Merchant & Co., praying for compensation for the use of the steam-tug J. S. Neafie. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee of Claims. By Mr. Whittemore: The petition of citizens of the State of Tennessee, praying that the name of James Cox, late a private of company C, 1st Tennessee cavalry, may be placed on the pension rolls; which was referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. Maynard: The petition of John M. Hamilton, of Washington county, Virginia, praying for relief from political disability; which was referred to the Committee on Reconstruction. By Mr. Windom: The petition of citizens of the State of Minnesota, praying for aid in the construction of the Northern Pacific railroad; which was referred to the Committee on the Pacific Railroad. By Mr. Windom: The petition of citizens of the State of Minnesota, praying for a modification of the homestead law in favor of Union soldiers; which was referred to the Committee on the Public Lands. By Mr. Starkweather: The petition of owners of vessels in the State of Connecticut, praying intervention to protect persons engaged in navigation from illegal taxes imposed by State and municipal corporations; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce. By Mr. Loan: The petition of citizens of the State of Missouri, praying for the establishment of a mail route from Bigelow to Maryville; which was referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads. Mr. Blaine, from the Committee on Appropriations, reported a bill (H. R. 1803) making appropriations for the support of the army for the year ending June 30, 1870; which was read a first and second time, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, ordered to be printed, and made a special order for Monday next, after the morning hour, and from day to day thereafter. Mr. Blaine moved that the vote last taken be reconsidered, and also moved that the motion to reconsider be laid on the table; which latter motion was agreed to. Mr. Paine, from the Committee on Reconstruction, reported the following preamble and resolution, viz: Whereas it is provided by the reconstruction act, passed March 2, 1867, that until the people of the lately rebellious States shall be by law admitted to representation in Congress, any civil government which may exist therein shall be deemed provisional only, and that no persons shall be eligible to office in such provisional governments who are disqualified for office by the fourteenth amendment of the Constitution of the United States; and whereas it is reported that the legislature of Georgia has expelled the colored members thereof, and admitted to their seats white men who received minorities of votes at the polls, and that members of said legislature who had been elected thereto by the votes of colored men joined in such action, and that twenty-seven disqualified white men hold seats in said legislature in violation of the fourteenth amendment of the Constitution and of the reconstruction acts of Congress; and whereas senators from Georgia have not yet been admitted to the Senate of the United States: Therefore, Resolved, That the Committee on Reconstruction be ordered to inquire and report whether any, and if any, what, further action ought to be taken during the 40th Congress respecting the representation of Georgia in this house. The same having been read, Mr. Paine moved the previous question; which was seconded and the main question ordered and put, viz: Will the House agree to the said resolution? And it was decided in the affirmative Yeas.... . Nays... 128 34 60 The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are— So the said resolution was agreed to. The question then recurring on the said preamble, Pending which, Mr. Lewis Selye John P. C. Shanks Charles H. Van Wyck Ellihu B. Washburne Mr. Rufus P. Spalding Daniel M. Van Auken Mr. William Mungen John A. Nicholson Theodore M. Pomeroy Lawrence S. Trimble Mr. Chanler moved that the preamble be laid on the table; which motion was disagreed to. The question then recurring on the demand for the previous question, it was seconded and the main question ordered to be put, viz: Will the House agree to the said preamble? Yeas.. And it was decided in the affirmative, Not voting ... 135 34 53 The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are Mr. Paine moved that the vote last taken be reconsidered, and also moved that the motion to reconsider be laid on the table; which latter motion was agreed to. On motion of Mr. Eliot, by unanimous consent, the Committee on Commerce were discharged from the further consideration of the letter from the Secretary of War relative to a bridge over the Missouri river, at Kansas City, and the same was referred to the Committee on Roads and Canals. Mr. Chanler moved that the vote last taken be reconsidered, and also moved that the motion to reconsider be laid on the table; which latter motion was agreed to. Mr. Barnes, by unanimous consent, introduced a bill (H. R. 1804) to establish a bridge across the East river, between the cities of Brooklyn and New York, in the State of New York, a post road; which was read a first and second time, and referred to the Committee on Commerce. The Speaker, by unanimous consent, laid before the House communications, which were severally ordered to be printed and referred as follows, viz: I. A letter from the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, in answer to |