The Secretary of War expresses his concurrence in the views of the military authorities as to the importance of this subject, and urges that the requisite legislation be had by Congress at its present session. CHESTER A. ARTHUR. EXECUTIVE MANSION, December 6, 1882. The Speaker also, by unanimous consent, laid before the House the following executive communications; which were severally referred as follows, viz: 1. A letter from the Secretary of the Interior, transmitting a copy of the disapproval by the Commissioner of the General Land Office of the report of the register and receiver of the New Orleans land office on the private land claim of the heirs of Thomas R. Jennings, deceased; to the Committee on Private Land Claims. II. A letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting the annual report of operations and expenditures of the National Board of Health for the fiscal year which ended June 30, 1882; to the Committee on the Public Health and ordered to be printed. Mr. Haskell, by unanimous consent, presented a memorial of certain citizens of the Territory of Utah, relating to legislation in said Territory; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary and ordered to be printed in the Record. Mr. Ryan moved that the morning hour for the call of committees for reports be dispensed with; which said motion was agreed to, two-thirds. voting in favor thereof. And then, On motion of Mr. Ryan, 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. Page reported that the committee, having had under consideration the bill of the House (H. R. 6900) making appropriations for the current and contingent expenses of the Indian Department, and for fulfilling treaty stipulations with various Indian tribes, for the year ending June 30, 1884, and for other purposes, had directed him to report the same with sundry amendments. The House having proceeded to their consideration, the said amendments were severally agreed to, and the bill as amended engrossed and read the third time. The yeas and nays being taken as required by clause 6 of Rule XXI, Those who voted in the affirmative are Mr. Ryan moved to reconsider the vote last taken, 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. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Sympson, one of their clerks: Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed without amendment a bill and joint resolution of the House of the following titles, viz: H. R. 54. An act for the relief of Charles A. Luke. H. Res. 292. A joint resolution relative to the printing of the annual reports of the Commissioner of Agriculture for the years 1881 and 1882. The Senate have passed bills and a joint resolution of the following titles, in which I am directed to request the concurrence of the House of Representatives, viz: S. 137. An act for the relief of William Schuchardt, United States commercial agent, Piedras Negras, Mexico; S. 561. An act for the relief of Robert Stodart Wyld; S. 1342. An act authorizing the trustees of the Isherwood estate to amend a certain plan of subdivision of said estate recorded in the land records of the District of Columbia. S. Res. 44. A joint resolution authorizing the payment of a portion of the Virginius indemuity fund to the mother of General W. A. C. Ryan. The Senate have passed a resolution providing for the printing of 21,200 copies of the report of the Tariff Commission, &c., in which I am directed to request the concurrence of the House of Representatives. Subsequently, On motion of Mr. Van Horn, by unanimous consent, the said resolu tion was taken from the Speaker's table and referred to the Committee on Printing. Mr. Ellis, by unanimous consent, submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, viz: Resolved, That the Secretary of State, if not incompatible with the public interest, be requested to furnish to this House full information as to the distribution of the indemnity fund paid by the Goverment of Spain to the United States for the murder of the officers and crew of the steamer Virginius, what amount of said fund still remains undistributed, and whether further legislation, in his opinion, is necessary on the part of Congress to authorize the final distribution of the balance of said fund to those who are entitled under any law or treaty to receive it. The Speaker, by unanimous consent, laid before the House a letter from the Secretary of the Interior, transmitting additional papers in the Indian depredation claims of John A. Morrow and Alfred Wolverton; which were referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. The Speaker also, by unanimous consent, laid before the House a letter from the Secretary of the Interior, transmitting an abstract of the following Indian depredation claims acted upon since April 8, 1882, viz: Schuyler S. Saunders, Elijah W. Dobbs, Mariano G. Samaniego, Henry C. Frazier, John H. Taylor, Alexander McNary, James Stapleton, H. C. Hoover, and John Bradley. Ordered, That said abstract be referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs and printed. Mr. Randall moved that the House adjourn; which motion was disagreed to. Mr. Haskell moved that the House resolve itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union; Pending which, Mr. Hooker moved that the House adjourn; which motion was disagreed to. The question recurring on the motion of Mr. Haskell, And being put, The same was agreed to, and the House accordingly 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. Dannell reported that the committee, having had under consideration the bill of the House (H. R. 1440) to authorize the Government of the United States to accept the title to certain lands in the city of Erie, Pennsylvania, and to establish a home for indigent soldiers and sailors, had directed him to report the same with the recommendation that the enacting clause be stricken out. The House having proceeded to its consideration, the said recommendation was agreed to, and the bill was rejected. On motion of Mr. Willis, by unanimous consent, Ordered, That bills of the House of the following titles be reprinted, viz: H. R. 519. A bill to regulate and improve the civil service of the United States. H. R. 520. A bill to prevent extortion from persons in the public service, and bribery and coercion by such persons. And then, On motion of Mr. Hiscock, at 4 o'clock p. m., the House adjourned. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1882. The following memorials, petitions, and other papers were laid on the Clerk's desk, under the rule, and referred as follows, viz: By Mr. Calkins: The petition of citizens of Elkhart, Indiana, for such revision of the tariff laws as shall place the article of lumber and other products of the forest on the free list; By Mr. Hitt: The petition of H. R. Lovin and 24 others, citizens of Nora, Jo Daviess County, Illinois, for the revision of the tariff so as to place lumber and other products of the forest on the free list; to the Committee on Ways and Means. By Mr. Joyce: The petition of John Lindsey, of Rutland, Vermont, for a pension; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. McLane: The petition of John P. Pleasants, William Hartzog, and others, tobacco manufacturers of Baltimore, Maryland, praying that in case there shall be a reduction in the tax on tobacco there shall be a rebate allowed equal to the amount of such reduction; to the Committee on Ways and Means. By Mr. Morse: The petition of Samuel A. Waterman, late first sergeant, Company D, Forty-second Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, for relief; to the Committee on Military Affairs. By Mr. O'Neill: The petition of Elizabeth Watmough, widow of John G. Watmough, deceased, for a pension; to the Committee on Pensions. Also, the petition of John A. Forepaugh, relative to certain licenses for selling cigars by traveling companies; By A. Herr Smith: The petition of 192 citizens of West Cocalico, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, for increase of duty on imported to bacco; to the Committee on Ways and Means. By Mr. Spaulding: Papers relating to the claim of Nancy M. Richmond; to the Committee on Pensions. By Mr. Van Horn: Papers relating to the claim of Frances A. Robinson; to the Committee on Claims. By Mr. Whitthorne: The petition of F. E. Stewart, administrator of the estate of Michael S. Stewart, deceased, for compensation for wood cut and delivered under contract; to the Committee on War Claims. The following members appeared and took their seats, viz: Mr. J. Hyatt Smith, Mr. Wellborn, and Mr. Dwight. Mr. George R. Davis, by unanimous consent, presented a memorial of citizens of Chicago, asking immediate action on question of reduction of taxation; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means and ordered to be printed in the Record. By unanimous consent, Mr. Calkins introduced bills of the following titles; which were read twice, ordered to be printed, and referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, viz: H. R. 6955. A bill granting a pension to John W. Cummings. Mr. J. C. Burrows, from the Committee on Appropriation, reported a bill (H. R. 6957) making appropriations for the consular and diplomatic service of the government for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884, and for other purposes, accompanie by a report (No. 1814) in writing thereon; which said bill was read twice, and, with said report, referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. Holman reserved all points of order on the said bill. By unanimous consent, bills were introduced, severally read twice, ordered to be printed, and referred as follows, viz: By Mr. Curtin: A bill (H. R. 6958) for the relief of John Norman Fillmore, John Septa Fillmore, heirs of John S. Fillmore, deceased, and Max Howard Kershow and Carlton Montgomery Kershow, heirs of Jere Kershow, deceased; to the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds. By Mr. Moulton: A bill (H. R. 6959) granting a pension to John E. Lewis; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. Morse: A bill (H. R. 6960) amending an act granting a pension to Charles Slawson; to the Committee on Pensions. Mr. B. W. Harris, as a privileged question, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, to which was referred the following resolutions, reported the same severally without amendment, viz: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Navy be requested to furnish this House, as soon as the same can be prepared, with copies of all orders which may have been issued by him, or by any officer of any bureau of the Navy Department, between the 1st day of August last and the 4th day of December, by virtue of which any work has been ordered to be done or to be discontinued, or workmen to be employed or discharged in any of the navy-yards of the United States, specifying the date of such orders in each case, and the number of men who were employed or discharged in each case in consequence of such orders. And that the Secretary of the Navy be further requested to report separately whether during the year 1882 any vessels of the United States have been lost or materially damaged at sea, or have collided with other vessels, or have been run aground in port or elsewhere, and also the average speed per hour for twelve hours as shown by the log of each vessel in commission in the year 1882, when steaming in the ordinary course of service, and the consumption of coal per hour for each indicated. horse-power when so steaming. Resolved, That the Secretary of the Navy be directed to communicate to this House, as far as may be compatible with the interests of the public service, all instructions given to and correspondence had with Commanders Henry Glass and E. P. Lull, United States Navy, while they were on duty in the United States ships Jamestown and Wachusett in Alaskan waters. The House having proceeded to their consideration, the said resolutions were read, considered, and agreed to. |