Also, the petition of the board of managers of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, praying for a copyright law for the authors of paintings, drawings, statuary, &c., to the Committee on the Library.

By Mr. Julian: The memorial of the Workingmen's Institute, of Boston, Massachusetts, praying that no more lands may be granted to railroad corporations, to the Committee on the Public Lands.

By Mr. Thomas: The petition of G. R. Head, praying for relief from political disability, to the Committee on Reconstruction.

A message from the Senate, by Mr. Gorham, their Secretary:

Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a bill of the House of the following title, viz:

H. R. 1746. An act for the removal of certain disabilities from the persons therein named;

with an amendment, in which I am directed to ask the concurrence of the House.

The Senate have receded from their amendments to the joint resolution of the House (H. Res. 402) proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and have resolved that the said resolution do not pass, two-thirds of the senators not voting in the affirmative. The Senate have passed a joint resolution of the following title, viz: S. R. 8. Joint resolution proposing an amendment of the Constitution of the United States;

in which I am directed to ask the concurrence of the House.

The Senate request the return of the bill of the House (H. R. 603) granting pensions to certain soldiers and sailors of the war of 1812.

By unanimous consent, it was ordered that the said bill (H. R. 603) be returned to the Senate.

On motion of Mr. Poland, by unanimous consent, the bill of the Senate (S. 935) to provide for a term of the circuit and district courts of the United States for the district of Vermont was taken from the Speaker's table, read three times, and passed.

Mr. Poland 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 the said bill.

Mr. Kerr submitted the views of a minority of the Committee of Elections in the Louisiana contested election case; which were ordered to be printed.

Mr. Shellabarger, from the Committee of Elections, submitted a report in writing in the case of Thomas A. Hamilton, claimant of a seat as a representative from Tennessee, accompanied by the following resolution,

viz:

Resolved, That Thomas A. Hamilton is not entitled to a seat as a representative from the State of Tennessee.

Pending which,

Mr. Heaton, by unanimous consent, submitted the views of a minority of the said committee.

Ordered, That the said report, views, and resolutions be laid on the table and printed.

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.

Mr. Holman, from the Committee on Enrolled Bills, reported that the committee had examined and found truly enrolled a joint resolution and bills of the following titles, viz:

H. Res. 459. Joint resolution authorizing the Secretary of War to allow to the New York and Oswego Midland Railroad Company right of way across a portion of the public grounds at Fort Ontario, Oswego, New York, for railroad purposes;

H. R. 1749. An act granting a pension to Daniel Houser, a citizen of North Carolina, and a soldier of the war of 1812;

H. R. 1745. An act for the relief of the estate of Isaac Philips, deceased, who was a private in the revolutionary war;

When,

The Speaker signed the same.

Mr. Holman, from the same committee, reported that the committee did this day present to the President of the United States a joint resolution and bills of the following titles, viz:

H. Res. 452. Joint resolution for the relief of Leonard Pierce, junior, late United States consul at Matamoras, Mexico;

H. R. 1974. An act to prevent loaning money upon United States notes;

H. R. 1456. An act to authorize the importation of machinery for repair only free of duty;

H. R. 264. An act to locate and establish an assay office in the Territory of Idaho.

By unanimous consent, leave of absence for five days was granted to Mr. McCarthy.

The Speaker having announced as the business first in order the motion submitted by Mr. Wood, and pending when the recess occurred yesterday, to lay upon the table the motion to reconsider the vote by which 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, was laid on the table,

The said motion was disagreed to.

The question then recurring on the motion to reconsider,

It was put and agreed to.

The question then recurring on the motion to lay the bill on the table, It was put, and decided in the negative;

When,

Mr. Pomeroy moved that the bill be recommitted to the Committee on Banking and Currency, with instructions to report the same forthwith with the 1st, 2d, and 3d sections as amended by the House as a substitute therefor.

Pending which,

Mr. Pomeroy moved the previous question, and the House refused to second the same.

Mr. Coburn moved to amend the said instructions.

Pending which,

Mr. Samuel IIooper submitted an amendment to the said amendment. Pending which,

Mr. Hooper moved the previous question, and the House refused to second the same.

Mr. Pomeroy moved the previous question on the said amendment and the amendment to the amendment, which was seconded and the main question ordered to be put.

The amendment to the amendment, submitted by Mr. Hooper, having been read as follows, viz:

Strike out the second section of the proposed instructions.

The question was put, Will the House agree thereto?

It was decided in the negative, Nays

The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are

So the said amendment to the amendment was disagreed to.

The amendment submitted by Mr. Coburn was then read as follows, viz:

"SEC. And be it further enacted, That to secure a better distribution of the national banking currency there may be issued circulation notes to banking associations organized in States and Territories having a less banking circulation than their pro rata above, as herein set forth. And the circulation herein authorized shall, within three years if required, be withdrawn

pro rata from banks organized in States having a circulation exceeding that provided for by the act entitled 'An act to amend an act entitled "An act to provide for a national currency secured by pledge of United States bonds, and to provide for the circulation and redemption thereof," approved March 3, 1865. To ascertain which the Comptroller of the Currency shall, under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, make a statement showing the amount of circulation to be retired by each of such banks, and shall, when circulation is required, make a requisition for such amount upon such bank, commencing with banks in States having the largest excess of circulation, and reducing only the circulation of those having the greatest proportion in excess, leaving undisturbed those having a smaller proportion until those in greater excess have been reduced to the same grade; and continuing thus to make the reduction in such States having an excess until the circulation of such banks shall, as nearly as possible, be equalized among the States and Territories, according to the appraised value of all property, real and personal, within such States and Territories; the same to be ascertained by the certified statements of the governors of such States and Territories made biennially to the Secretary of the Treasury. But this act shall not apply to $150,000,000 of said circulation which shall be distributed according to representation in Congress. And upon failure of such bank to return the amount so required within one year aforesaid it shall be the duty of the Comptroller of the Currency to sell at public auction, having given twenty days' notice in a newspaper printed in Washington city and New York city, an amount of bonds deposited by said bank as security for its circulation equal to the circulation to be withdrawn from such bank, and with the proceeds to redeem so many of the notes of such bank, as they come into the treasury, as will equal the amount required from it: Provided, That the circulation herein authorized shall be issued only as circulation is withdrawn, so that the aggregate circulation shall not at any time exceed $300,000,000." And the question being put, Will the House agree thereto?

The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are

The question then recurring on the motion of Mr. Pomeroy, as amended,

Mr. Ingersoll moved further to amend the same.

Pending which,

Mr. Pomeroy moved the previous question; which was seconded and the main question ordered to be put.

The amendment submitted by Mr. Ingersoll having been read, as follows, viz:

Strike out sections 2 and 4, and in lieu thereof insert the following: "SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That section 22 of the act to which this is supplementary be so amended that said section shall read as follows: In order to furnish suitable notes for circulation, the Comptroller of the Currency is hereby authorized and required, under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, to cause plates and dies to be engraved in the best manner, to guard against counterfeiting and fraudulent alterations, and to have printed therefrom, and numbered, such quantity of circulating notes, in blank, of the denominations of 81, 82, 83, 85, $10, $20, $50, $100, $500, and $1,000, as may be required to supply, under this act, the associations entitled to receive the same; which notes shall express upon their face that they are secured by United States bonds deposited with the Treasurer of the United States, by the written or engraved signatures of the Treasurer and Register, and by the imprint of the seal of the treasury; and shall also express upon their face the promise of the association receiving the same to pay on demand, attested by the signatures of the president or vice-president and cashier. And the said notes shall bear such devices and such other statements, and shall be in such form as the Secretary of the Treasury shall, by regulation, direct: Provided, That not more than one-sixth part of the notes furnished to an association shall be of a less denomination than $5, and that after specie payments shall be resumed no association shall be furnished with notes of a less denomination than $5.

"SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized and directed to prepare and issue, as hereinafter directed, bonds of the United States, either coupon or registered, to the amount of $600,000,000, payable at the pleasure of the United States after 20 years from date in lawful money, and bearing interest at the rate of four