When The Speaker signed the same. By unanimous consent, leave was granted to the Speaker to withdraw from the files of the Committee on Invalid Pensions the papers in the case of Brewer; no copies to be left. Mr. Corley, by unanimous consent, introduced a bill (H. R. 1907) to incorporate the National Railway, Loan and Trust Company; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee for the District of Columbia, and ordered to be printed. Mr. Brooks 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. Pruyn, by unanimous consent, submitted the following resolution; which was read, considered, and agreed to, viz: Resolved, That it be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means to inquire into the propriety of reducing or abrogating the duty now charged on flowering plants brought from foreign countries. Mr. Spalding, from the Committee on Appropriations, to which was referred the Senate amendments to the bill of the House (H. R. 1570) making appropriations for the consular and diplomatic expenses of the government for the year ending June 30, 1870, and for other purposes, reported the same back, recommending concurrence in some and nonconcurrence in others of said amendments. Ordered, (by unanimous consent,) That said bill and amendments be made a special order for consideration in the House to-morrow, after the morning hour, and until disposed of; and that the same be printed, with the recommendations of the committee thereon. Mr. Garfield, by unanimous consent, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to which was referred the joint resolution of the Senate (S. 171) in relation to coast defence, reported the same back without amendment. Ordered, That said joint resolution be read a third time. It was accordingly read the third time and passed. Mr. Garfield 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. Ordered, That the Clerk acquaint the Senate with the passage of said joint resolution. Mr. Judd, by unanimous consent, submitted the following resolution; which was read and referred to the Committee on Appropriations, viz: Resolved, That the Secretary of War be directed to have examinations and surveys made at the port of Chicago, with a view to secure such additional and enlarged harbor facilities as the necessities of commerce at that point demand. The Speaker having announced as the business next in order the motion submitted by Mr. Schenck on Monday last to suspend the rules so as to enable the House to consider the bill (H. R. 1460) regulating the duties on imported copper and copper ores, with the amendments of the Senate thereto, The question was put, Will the House agree to the said motion? Yeas And it was decided in the affirmative, Nays Two-thirds voting in favor thereof. Not voting. 120 50 52 The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, So the motion to suspend the rules was agreed to. Mr. William H. Robertson Logan H. Roots John T. Wilson Mr. Aaron F. Stevens Daniel M. Van Auken Mr. Halbert E. Paine Pending the question on agreeing to the said amendments, Mr. Brooks moved that the bill be laid on the table; And the question being put, It was decided in the negative, Yeas 65 110 47 The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are Mr. William B. Allison Jehu Baker John D. Baldwin Demas Barnes John Beatty Mr. James B. Beck Mr. John W. Chanler Mr. Charles A. Eldridge So the House refused to lay the bill on the table. Mr. John Taffe Mr. William H. Robertson Robert C. Schenck Samuel Shellabarger Cadwal'r C. Washburn John T. Wilson Stephen F. Wilson Mr. C. H. Prince Logan H. Roots The main question having been ordered, and the said amendments of the Senate having been read as follows, viz: Insert after the word "enumerated," in line four of the bill, the following: "including sulphate of copper, or blue vitriol," At the end of the bill add the following: "On copper in rolled plates, called braziers' copper, sheets, rods, pipes, and copper bottoms, eyelets, and all manufactures of copper or of which copper shall be a component of chief_value, not otherwise herein provided for, forty-five per cent. ad valorem: Provided, That the increased duty imposed by this act shall not apply to any of the articles therein enumerated which shall have been in course of transit to the United States, and actually on shipboard on the 19th of January, 1869." The question was put, Will the House agree thereto? (Yeas And it was decided in the affirmative, Nays (Not voting. 112 56 54 The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, So the said amendments were agreed to. Mr. Green B. Raum William H. Robertson Samuel Shellabarger Mr. John P. C. Shanks Mr. William A. Pile John V. L. Pruyn Mr. Schenck 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. Ordered, That the Clerk acquaint the Senate with the concurrence of the House in the said amendments. Mr. Eliot, by unanimous consent, from the Committee on Commerce, reported a bill (H. R. 1906) to establish the collection district of Aroostook, in the State of Maine, and to more accurately define the boundaries of the district of Newark, New Jersey; which was read a first and second time. Ordered, That it be engrossed and read a third time. Being engrossed, it was accordingly read the third time and passed. Mr. Eliot 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. Ordered, That the Clerk request the concurrence of the Senate in the said bill. Mr. Kelley, by unanimous consent, submitted the following resolution, which was read, considered, and agreed to, viz: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Navy be directed to inform the House what amount of money has been expended in experiments on steam expansion under the direction of the department or the Bureau of Steam Engineering, where said experiments were made, and to whom the money expended was paid, and to transmit to the House copies of the vouchers produced for the several items. On motion of Mr. Blaine, the House 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. Ferry reported that the committee having had under consideration the special order, viz: H. R. 1803. A bill making appropriations for the support of the army for the year ending June 30, 1869, had come to no resolution thereon. Mr. Blaine moved that all debate on the pending paragraph of the said bill shall cease in 15 minutes after its consideration is resumed. Pending which, Mr. Garfield moved to amend the said motion by striking out “15 minutes," and inserting in lieu thereof "one minute;" which motion was disagreed to. The motion of Mr. Blaine was then agreed to. On motion of Mr. Blaine, the rules having been suspended for that purpose, Ordered, That at the evening session to-day the consideration of the army bill be continued. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Hamlin, one of their clerks: Mr. Speaker: The Senate have adopted the following resolution, viz: Whereas the question whether the State of Georgia has become and is entitled to representation in the two houses of Congress is now pending and undetermined; and whereas, by the joint resolution of Congress passed July 20, 1868, entitled "A resolution excluding from the electoral college votes of States lately in rebellion, which shall not have been reorganized," it was provided that no electoral votes from any of the States lately in rebellion should be received or counted for President or Vice-President of the United States until, among other things, such State should have become entitled to representation in Congress, pursuant to the acts of Congress in that behalf: Therefore, Resolved by the Senate, (the House of Representatives concurring,) That on the assembling of the two houses on the second Wednesday of February, 1869, for the counting of the electoral votes for President and Vice-President, as provided by law and the joint rules, if the counting or omitting to count the electoral votes, if any, which may be presented, as of the State of Georgia, shall not essentially change the result, in that case they shall be reported by the President of the Senate in the following manner: Were the votes presented, as of the State of Georgia, to be counted, the result would be, for for President of the United States, votes; if not counted, for for President of the United States, votes; but in either case is elected President of the United States; and in the same manner for Vice-President; in which I am directed to ask the concurrence of the House. |