the vote whereby the bill of the House (H. R. 1364) to provide for the gradual resumption of specie payments, was recommitted to the Committee on Banking and Currency, Debate was had thereon; When a message in writing was received from the President of the United States, by the hands of Mr. Moore, his private secretary, which was handed in at the Speaker's table. Also, a message informing the House that the President did, on the 22d instant, approve and sign the following bills of the House, viz: H. R. 1598. An act to relieve from disabilities R. W. Best and Samuel F. Phillips of North Carolina. H. R. 1261. An act amendatory of an act entitled "An act relating to habeas corpus and regulating judicial proceedings in certain cases." And on the 23d instant, the bill of the House, H. R. 1558. An act to amend an act entitled "An act to prescribe the mode of obtaining evidence in cases of contested elections," approved February 19, 1851. Mr. J. T. Wilson, by unanimous consent, submitted the following resolution; which was read, considered, and agreed to, viz: Resolved, That the Committee on Roads and Canals, for the purpose of acquiring information on the subject of bridge-building over the Ohio river, are hereby authorized to send for persons and papers. The Speaker, by unanimous consent, laid before the House the following executive communications, viz: I. A letter from the Secretary of the Interior, transmitting letter from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, submitting estimate of appropriation required for surveying Indian reservations; which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations. II. A letter from the Secretary of War, transmitting report of General Hazen on battle of Washita river; which was referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs and ordered to be printed. III. A letter from the Comptroller of the Currency, transmitting, in compliance with a resolution of the House of the 18th instant, various statements relative to exchanges of Pacific railroad bonds; which was referred to the Committee on Banking and Currency and ordered to be printed. IV. A report from the commissioners to revise the Statutes of the United States; which was referred to the Committee on the Revision of the Laws and ordered to be printed. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Hamlin, one of their clerks: Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a resolution in the words following, viz: Resolved by the Senate, (the House of Representatives concurring,) That a joint committee to be composed of three members of the Senate and five members of the House of Representatives shall be appointed at the beginning of the next session, in the same manner as other joint committees are appointed, which shall continue during the forty-first Congress, and shall have leave to sit during the recess of that Congress, and whose duty it shall be to examine and report upon the expediency of reorganizing the civil service in the several departments of the government, the clerical force necessary in each, the rate of compensation, and such regulations as will secure a more economical and efficient performance of the civil service; in which I am directed to request the concurrence of the House of Representatives. The Senate insist upon its amendment to the resolution of the House of Representatives (H. Res. 404) providing for the disposition of certain papers relating to military claims in the department of the west, disagreed to by the House, and agree to the conference asked by the House on the disagreeing votes of the two houses thereon, and have appointed Mr. Trumbull, Mr. Stewart, and Mr. McCreery, the conferees on the part of the Senate. The House having resumed the consideration of the motion of Mr. Lynch to reconsider the vote by which the bill of the House (H. R. 1364) was referred to the Committee on Banking and Currency, After debate, On motion of Mr. Stewart, by unanimous consent, leave was granted for the withdrawal from the files of the House of the papers in the case of Charlotte Crane, no copies to be left. Mr. Lynch moved, at 4 o'clock and 30 minutes p. m., that the House adjourn. The question being put, It was decided in the affirmative, The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are Those not voting are Mr. George M. Adams John F. Benjamin Mr. Sidney Clarke Mr. Sidney Perham Charles W. Pierce Mr. Charles Haight George A. Halsey William S. Holman Mr. Glenni W. Scofield Thomas E. Stewart Henry Van Aernam B. F. Whittemore Mr. H. H. Starkweather Ginery Twichell Ellihu B. Washburne Mr. John A. Logan William Loughridge William Moore James K. Moorhead J. P. Newsham The following memorials and petitions were laid upon the Clerk's table, under the rules: By Mr. Phelps: The petition of Robert B. Goodyear, praying for an extension of his patent for improvement in power-looms. By Mr. Boutwell: The petition of Mrs. Polly Hunt, praying for a rehearing of her case before the Commissioner of Patents. By Mr. Myers: The petition of Christian Sharps, praying for an extension of his patent. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee on Patents. By Mr. Moore: The petition of citizens of New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, relative to the tonnage tax on oysters imposed by the States of Virginia and Maryland; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce. By Mr. Churchill: The petition of D. W. Sims, praying for a pension. By Mr. Van Aernam: The petition of Luretta Clements, praying for a pension. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. Julian: The petition of citizens of the State of New York; praying for female suffrage; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. By the Speaker: The petition of Lewis T. Mann, of Virginia, praying for relief from political disabilities; which was referred to the Committee on Reconstruction. By Mr. Samuel Hooper: The memorial of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in favor of the importation of ornamental plants, shrubs, and seeds free of duty. By Mr. Brooks: The petition of citizens of the State of New York, relative to the duty on petroleum. By Mr. Judd: The petition of citizens of the State of Illinois, relative to the tax on retail dealers in lager beer. Ordered, That the said memorial and petitions be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means. By Mr. Brooks: The petition of Elizabeth N. Jackson, praying for an extension of a patent; which was referred to the Committee on Patents. The Speaker, by unanimous consent, laid before the House the following messages heretofore received from the President of the United States, viz: To the Senate and House of Representatives: I transmit for the consideration of Congress, in conformity with the requirements of the sixth section of the act of the 22d of June, 1860, a copy of certain regulations for the consular courts in China prohibiting steamers sailing under the flag of the United States from using or pass ing through the Straw Shoe channel on the river Yangtze, decreed by S. Wells Williams, chargé d'affaires, on the 1st of June, and promulgated by George F. Seward, consul general at Shanghai, on the 25th of July, 1868, with the assent of five of the United States consuls in China, G. H. Colton Salter dissenting. His objections to the regulations are set forth in the accompanying copy of a communication of the 10th of October last, enclosed in Consul General Seward's despatch of the 14th of the same month to the Secretary of State, a copy of which is also transmitted. ANDREW JOHNSON. WASHINGTON, January 26, 1869. The same having been read, Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and printed. To the Senate and House of Representatives: I transmit to Congress a report from the Secretary of State, with accompanying documents, in relation to the gold medal presented to Mr. George Peabody, pursuant to the resolution of Congress of March 16, 1867. WASHINGTON, D. C., January 26, 1869. The same having been read, ANDREW JOHNSON. Ordered, That it be laid on the table and printed. The Speaker also, by unanimous consent, laid before the House executive communications as follows, viz: I. A letter from the Secretary of the Navy in answer to the resolution of the House of the 23d instant, relative to buildings occupied by his department; which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed. II. A letter from the Secretary of the Treasury in answer to the resolution of the House of the 23d instant, relative to buildings occupied by his department; which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed. III. A letter from the same, in answer to a resolution of the House of the 13th instant, relative to the cost of the mint at Carson City, Nevada, &c.; which was referred to the Committee on Coinage, Weights, and Measures and ordered to be printed. On motion of Mr. William B. Washburn, by unanimous consent, leave was granted for the withdrawal from the files of the House of the papers in the case of Charles C. Neill and N. D. McKinney-copies to be left. On motion of Mr. Schenck, by unanimous consent, Ordered, That the evening sessions of the House, for general debate only, be held until otherwise ordered, commencing this day at 71 o'clock p. m. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Gorham, their Secretary: Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a joint resolution of the following title, viz: S. R. 206. Joint resolution relating to the mileage of Charles Westmoreland; in which I am directed to ask the concurrence of the House. The House having resumed, as the regular order of business, the motion heretofore submitted by Mr. Lynch to reconsider the vote by which the bill of the House (H. R. 1364) to provide for the gradual resumption of specie payments was recommitted to the Committee on Banking and Currency, After debate, On motion of Mr. Ingersoll, the motion to reconsider was laid on the table. The Speaker having announced, as the business next in order, the joint resolution of the House (H. Res. 402) proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the pending question being on the motion to reconsider the vote by which it was recommitted to the Committee on the Judiciary, On motion of Mr. Boutwell, its further consideration was postponed until after the expiration of the morning hour. By unanimous consent, leave was granted for printing certain amendments to the said joint resolution proposed to be submitted by Mr. Bingham, Mr. Shellabarger, and Mr. Ward. The House then resumed, as the regular morning-hour business, the consideration of the bill of the House (H. R. 1682) relating to the oper ations of the pension laws, and for other purposes, the pending question being on the demand of Mr. Perham for the previous question on the last amendment reported thereto from the Committee on Invalid Pensions; When, Mr. Perham having withdrawn the said demand and, by unanimous consent, modified the said amendment, After debate, Mr. Paine submitted an amendment to the said amendment. Mr. Perham moved the previous question. Pending which, Mr. Harding moved that the said amendment 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, and under the operation thereof the said amendment to the amendment and the amendment as amended were severally agreed to. Mr. Logan submitted a further amendment to the bill; which was agreed to. Mr. Schenck moved to strike out the second and third sections of the bill. Pending which, Mr. Ingersoll submitted an amendment to the said second section. Pending which, Mr. Perham moved the previous question. Pending which, Mr. Arnell moved that the bill be laid on the table; which motion was disagreed to. The question then recurring on the demand for the previous question, the House refused to second the same; When The morning hour expired. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Hamlin, one of their clerks: Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a bill of the following title, viz: S. 679. An act to amend an act entitled "An act granting lands to the State of Oregon to aid in the construction of a military road from Eugene City to the eastern boundary of said State;" in which I am directed to ask the concurrence of the House. |