Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee on Commerce. By Mr. Ferriss: Three petitions from citizens of the State of Wisconsin, remonstrating against any extension of what is known as the Sturgeon Bay land grant; which were referred to the Committee on the Public Lands. By Mr. Bingham: The petitions of Francis E. Buford, M. B. Sinclair, John G. Herndon, John Tyler Williams, Judge Parker, R. B. Foster, P. A. Krise, and A. S. Worth, praying for relief from political disability. By Mr. Maynard: A petition of similar import from Thomas A. Barber, of Texas. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee on Reconstruction. By Mr. Pettis: The petition of citizens of the State of Pennsylvania, praying for the establishment of a mail route from Lysburg to Wolf Creek; which was referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads. By Mr. Perham: The petition of Eli Whitten, praying for a pension; Also, the petition of George C. Carter, praying for a pension to the children of James Denison. By Mr. Julian: The petition of Rhoda Adams, praying for an increase of her pension. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. Randall: The petition of sundry drafted and enrolled men formerly in the army, praying for additional bounty; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. By Mr. Welker: The memorial of the corporate authorities of Georgetown, District of Columbia, relative to the repeal of all laws creating a distinction on account of race or color; which was referred to the Committee on the District of Columbia. Mr. Paine moved that the call of committees for reports of a private nature be dispensed with for to-day; which motion was disagreed to. The House then resumed, as the regular order of business, the consideration of the bill of the House (H. R. 1969) for the relief of Nott and Company-the pending question when the morning hour expired yesterday being on its engrossment. After debate, Ordered, That the said bill be engrossed and read a third time. Being engrossed, it was accordingly read the third time and passed. Mr. Blair 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. Blair, from the same committee, reported a joint resolution (H. Res. 452) for the relief of Leonard Pierce, jr., late United States consul at Matamoras, Mexico, accompanied by a report in writing thereon; which joint resolution was read a first and second time. Pending the question on its engrossment, After debate, Mr. Blair moved the previous question; which was seconded and the main question ordered, and under the operation thereof the said resolution was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time. Being engrossed, it was accordingly read the third time. Mr. Chanler moved that the resolution be laid on the table. It was decided in the negative, Yeas.. 36 108 78 The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are So the House refused to lay the resolution on the table. The resolution was then passed. Mr. Blair 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 resolution. Mr. McCarthy, from the same committee, to which was referred the resolution of the Senate (S. R. 90) to provide for the payment of the proceeds of the Spanish steamer Nuestra Señora de la Regla, reported the same without amendment. Ordered, That it be committed to a Committee of the Whole House and printed. On motion of Mr. Miller, by unanimous consent, the Committee on Invalid Pensions were discharged from the further consideration of the papers in the case of Dr. Bershold Hahn, and the same were laid on the table. On motion of Mr. Cullom, by unanimous consent, leave was granted for the withdrawal of the said papers from the files of the House. On motion of Mr. Kellogg, by unanimous consent, the Committee on Commerce were discharged from the further consideration of the petition of William Duncan, president of the Savannah hospital, and the same was referred to the Committee of Claims. Mr. Broomall, by unanimous consent, from the Committee on Public Expenditures, submitted a report in writing upon the resolution of the House directing them to investigate the circumstances connected with the making of a contract for carrying the overland Pacific mails; which was recommitted to the said committee and ordered to be printed. Mr. Sidney Clarke, by unanimous consent, submitted the following preamble and resolution; which were read, considered, and agreed to, viz: Whereas by the provisions of a treaty between the United States with the tribe of Sac and Fox Indians of the Mississippi, proclaimed October 14, 1868, it is provided that certain lands known as "trust lands" should "immediately upon the ratification of this treaty become the property of the United States," and should be " open to entry and settlement," and should be subject to all the laws and regulations of the General Land Office, the same as other public lands, provided that said lands shall be subject to sale in tracts of not exceeding 160 acres to any one person and at a price not less than $1 50 per acre;" and whereas nearly four months' time has elapsed since the promulgation of said treaty, and the said trust lands have not yet been offered for sale; and whereas, in consequence of this delay, a large number of persons desirous of purchasing said lands for the purpose of settlement and improvement are unable so to do, and as doubt and uncertainty exist in relation to the occupancy of said lands, thereby greatly prejudicing the interests both of the Indians and settlers; and whereas it is clearly within the intent of the provisions of said treaty that the trust lands should be immediately opened to actual settlement and sale at the land office in Topeka, Kansas: Therefore, Resolved, That the Secretary of the Interior is hereby requested immediately to inform the House why said trust lands have not been offered for sale as contemplated by the treaty, and also as to the number of acres thereof. Mr. Van Aernam, from the Committee on Invalid Pensions, reported a bill (H. R. 1972) granting a pension to John Law, accompanied by a report in writing thereon; which bill was read a first and second time. Pending the question on its engrossment, the morning hour expired. The Speaker, by unanimous consent, laid before the House the following, viz: I. A letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, in answer to a resolution of the House of the 9th instant, transmitting regulations, decisions, &c., relative to the execution of the internal revenue law of July 20, 1868; which was referred to the Committee of Ways and Means. II. A letter from the same, in answer to a resolution of the House of the 6th instant, relative to money arising from sales of captured and abandoned property; which was laid on the table and ordered to be printed. III. A letter from the same, in answer to a resolution of the House of the 6th ultimo, statements of gold coin sold by the government since January 1, 1863, in each year, premium realized, &c.; which was referred to the Committee on Banking and Currency and ordered to be printed. IV. A letter from the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, submitting the annual report of the operations of the Institution for 1868; which was laid on the table and ordered to be printed. Mr. Pruyn, by unanimous consent, submitted the following resolution; which was read and referred to the Committee on Printing, viz: Resolved, That there be printed 5,000 extra copies of the report of the Smithsonian Institution-3,000 for the use of the House and 2,000 for the Institution-and that the same be stereotyped. A message in writing was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Moore, his private secretary; which was handed in at the Speaker's table; also, a message notifying the House that he did, on the 9th instant, approve and sign bills of the following titles, viz: H. R. 1809. An act making appropriations for the payment of salaries and contingent expenses of the Patent Office for January and February, 1869; H. R. 1343. An act to confirm the title to certain land to the pueblo of Santa Ana, in the Territory of New Mexico; and H. R. 1451. An act for the relief of John H. Ósler, of Guernsey county, Ohio. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Hamlin, one of their clerks: Mr. Speaker: The Senate have agreed to the amendment of the House to the bill of the Senate (S. 499) granting a pension to the widow and child of Martin Whitt, deceased. The Senate have passed a joint resolution of the following title, viz:. S. R. 217. Joint resolution for printing the medical and surgical history of the rebellion; in which I am directed to ask the concurrence of the House. On motion of Mr. Schenck, by unanimous consent, Ordered, That the evening session of to-day be for general debate only in Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. Samuel Hooper, from the Committee on Banking and Currency, to which was referred the bill of the House (H. R. 1881) regulating the reports of national banking associations, reported the same without amendment. Pending the question on its engrossment, Mr. Ingersoll submitted an amendment thereto; which was agreed to. Ordered, That the bill be engrossed and read a third time. Being engrossed, it was accordingly read the third time and passed. Mr. Samuel Hooper 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. Samuel Hooper, from the same committee, reported a bill (H. R. 1973) in reference to certifying checks by national banks; 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. Hooper 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. Barnes, from the same committee, reported a bill (H. R. 1974) to prevent loaning money upon United States notes; which was read a first and second time. Pending the question on its engrossment, Mr. Barnes submitted an amendment thereto; which was agreed to. Ordered, That it be engrossed and read a third time. Being engrossed, it was accordingly read the third time and passed. Ordered, That the Clerk request the concurrence of the Senate therein. Mr. Samuel Hooper, by unanimous consent, called up, and the House proceeded to consider, the motion heretofore submitted by him to reconsider the vote by which the bill of the House (H. R. 1882) to prohibit the further increase of the public debt, and for other purposes, was recommitted to the Committee on Banking and Currency. The said motion to reconsider having been agreed to, The motion to recommit was withdrawn. The question then recurring on the engrossment of the bill, Pending which, Mr. Samuel Hooper moved the previous question; which was seconded and the main question ordered, and under the operation thereof the said amendment was agreed to, and the bill ordered to be engrossed and read a third time. Being engrossed, it was accordingly read the third time and passed. Mr. Hooper 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. 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: S. 499. An act granting a pension to the widow and child of Martin Whitt, deceased; When The Speaker signed the same. Mr. Pomeroy, from the Committee on Banking and Currency, to which was referred the bill of the Senate (S. 440) supplementary to an act entitled "An act to provide a national currency secured by a pledge of United States bonds, and to provide for the circulation and redemption thereof," approved June 3, 1864, reported the same with sundry amend Mr. Coburn submitted an amendment to the said amendments. Mr. Smith, Mr. Holman, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Ingersoll, Mr. Buckland, and Mr. Poland severally gave notice of proposed amendments to the said bill; which were ordered to be printed. On motion of Mr. Pomeroy, by unanimous consent, Ordered, That the said bill and the amendments thereto, together with the proposed amendments, be printed. |