levied, collected, and paid on spirits distilled from grain or other materials, whether of American or foreign production, imported from foreign countries, of first proof, a duty of forty cents on each and every gallon; and no lower rate of duty shall be levied or collected than upon the basis of first proof, and shall be increased in proportion for any greater strength than the strength of first proof." The question was put, Will the House agree thereto ? And it was decided in the negative, Nays The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Mr. Sydenham E. Ancona Mr. Joseph K. Edgerton Mr. James R. Morris Joseph Baily James G. Blaine Jacob B. Blair John M. Broomall Freeman Clarke Henry Winter Davis Thomas T. Davis Charles Denison James E. English William R. Morrison Mr. Martin Kalbfleisch John A. Kasson So the said amendment was disagreed to. 51 100 Mr. Robert C. Schenck Kellian V. Whaley Mr. Alexander H. Rice Glenni W. Scofield John G. Scott John B Steele William G. Steele John D. Stiles John T. Stuart M. Russell Thayer Daniel W. Voorhees Thomas Williams Mr. Ellihu B. Washburne 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. Under the further operation of the previous question, the bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time. Being engrossed, it was accordingly read the third time. The question was then put, Shall the bill pass? And it was decided in the affirmative, Yeas.. The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Mr. John B. All-y Lucien Anderson Isaac N. Arnold Mr. Augustus C. Baldwin Jacob B. Blair George S. Boutwel Mr. Sempronius H. Boyd Augustus Brandegee Mr. John A. J. Creswell Henry L. Dawes Ephraim R. Eckley 87 68 So the bill was passed. Mr. John F. McKinney Mr. Henry W. Tracy R. B. Van Valkenburgh Mr. Lewis W. Ross Chilton A. White Mr. Ellihu B Washburne 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. Cobb, from the Committee on Enrolled Bills, reported that the committee did this day present to the President of the United States bills of the following titles, viz: H. R. 35. An act to provide for the deficiency in the appropriation for the pay of officers and men actually employed in the western department, or department of Missouri; and H. R. 143. An act to amend the law prescribing the articles to be admitted into the mails of the United States. A message was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Nicolay, his private secretary, notifying the House that he did this day ap prove and sign the said bills, viz: H. R. 35 and H. R. 143. On motion of Mr. Gooch, by unanimous consent, Ordered, That he be excused from further service on the Committee on Private Land Claims, and also on the select committee on the rebellious States. Mr. Ambrose H. Clark, from the Committee on Printing, reported the following resolution; which was read, considered, and, under the operation of the previous question, agreed to, viz: Resolved, That there be printed three thousand copies (extra) of the report of the Superintendent of the Coast Survey for the year 1863, two thousand for the use of the Superintendent of the Coast Survey, and one thousand for the use of the members of this house. Mr. Clark 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. James R. Morris moved, at 2 o'clock and 18 minutes p. m., that the House adjourn; which motion was disagreed to. Mr. Orlando Kellogg, by unanimous consent, submitted the following resolution; which was read, considered, and agreed to, viz: Resolved, That the Committee on Commerce be instructed to inquire into the expediency of regulating and equalizing the fees and salaries of collectors of customs on the northern, northwestern, and western frontiers of the United States; and that they report thereon to this house by bill or otherwise. The Speaker having proceeded, as the regular order of business, to call the committees for reports of a private character, Mr. Hale, from the Committee of Claims, to whom was referred the petition of Chapin Hall, made a report in writing threon, accompanied by a bill (H. R. 160) for his relief; which was read a first and second time, committed to a Committee of the Whole House, and the bill and report ordered to be printed. Mr. Hale, from the same committee, to whom was referred the bill of the House (H. R. 43) for the relief of Milo Sutliff and Levi H. Case, reported the same without amendment, accompanied by a report in writing thereon. Ordered, That the said bill be committed to a Committee of the Whole House, and that the bill and report be printed. On motion of Mr. Hale, Ordered, That the Committee of Claims be discharged from the further consideration of the petition of Isaac Hertzberg, and that the same be referred to the Committee on Accounts. Mr. Holman, from the Committee of Claims, to whom was referred the bill of the House (H. R. 47) for the relief of William C. Walker and others, reported the same without amendment, accompanied by a report in writing. thereon. Ordered, That the said bill be committed to a Committee of the Whole House, and that the bill and report be printed. Mr. Holman, from the same committee, to whom was referred the petition of Josiah O. Armes, made a report thereon, accompanied by a bill (H. R. 161) for his relief; which bill was read a first and second time, committed to a Committee of the Whole House, and the bill and report ordered to be printed. Mr. Windom, from the Committee on Indian Affairs, to whom was referred the petition of Nathaniel McLean, Richard G. Murphy, and Charles E. Flandreau, made a report thereon, accompanied by a bill (H. R. 162) for their relief; which bill was read a first and second time, committed to a Committee of the Whole House, and the bill and report ordered to be printed. On motion of Mr. Julian, Ordered, That he be excused from further service on the Committee on Public Expenditures. The Speaker appointed Mr. A. W. Hubbard to fill the vacancy occasioned thereby. On motion of Mr. Schenck, Ordered, That the Committee on Military Affairs be discharged from the further consideration of the petition of William B. Cutter, and that the same be laid on the table. Mr. Schenck, by unanimous consent, introduced a bill (H. R. 163) for the relief of Charles Anderson, assignee of John James, of Texas; which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. Mr. Chanler, by unanimous consent, submitted the following resolution; which was read, considered, and agreed to, viz: Resolved, That the Committee on Patents be instructed to inquire into the expediency of compiling and printing in one body the laws of the United States and the regulations of the Patent Office relative to patents. On motion of Mr. Cobb, by unanimous consent, Ordered, That leave be granted for the Committee on Enrolled Bills to be absent from the sittings of the House while engaged in the duties of the said committee. Notices were given, under the rule, of motions for leave to introduce bills as follows, viz: By Mr. Ward: A bill to amend an act entitled "An act to authorize the employment of volunteers to aid in enforcing the laws and protecting public property," approved July 22, 1861; and By Mr. Morrison: A bill for the payment of field officers of regiments for the time actually employed in organizing their regiments. The Speaker announced that he had appointed Mr. Boutwell a member of the select committee on the rebellious States in the place of Mr. Gooch, excused; and that he had appointed Mr. Francis P. Blair, jr., a member of the Committee on Private Land Claims in the place of Mr. Gooch, excused. All the committees having been called for reports of a private character, The House resumed, as the regular order of business, the consideration of the joint resolution (H. Res. 18) to amend a joint resolution explanatory of "An act to suppress insurrection, to punish treason and rebellion, to seize and confiscate the property of rebels, and for other purposes," approved July 17, 1862-heretofore reported from the Committee on the Judiciary, the pending question being on the motion of Mr. Wilson to recommit the same to the said committee. Pending the question on the said motion, After debate, Mr. Pendleton moved, at 3 o'clock and 28 minutes p. m., that the House adjourn. And the question being put, Yeas The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, So the motion to adjourn was disagreed to. Mr. Rufus P. Spalding John T. Stuart Mr. John H. Rice Edward II. Rollins After further debate, and pending the said motion to recommit, On motion of Mr. Schenck, by unanimous consent, The bill of the Senate (S. 36) to amend an act entitled "An act for enrolling and calling out the national forces, and for other purposes," approved March 3, 1863, was taken from the Speaker's table, read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, and ordered to be printed. Mr. Ward, by unanimous consent, introduced a bill (H. R. 164) to amend an act entitled "An act to authorize the employment of volunteers to aid in enforcing the laws and protecting public property," approved July 22, 1861; which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. Mr. Longyear, by unanimous consent, presented a joint resolution of the legislature of the State of Michigan, asking for a donation of public lands to endow female colleges; which was referred to the Committee on Public Lands and ordered to be printed. And then, On motion of Mr. Pendleton, at 4 o'clock and 50 minutes p. m., the House adjourned. MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 1864. The following petitions, memorials, and other papers, were laid upon the Clerk's table, under the 131st rule of the House: By Mr. Stevens: The petition of the owners of the bridge across the Susquehanna river at Columbia, in the State of Pennsylvania, praying compensation for its destruction during the rebel raid into that State; which was referred to the Committee of Claims; Also, two petitions from citizens of the State of Pennsylvania, praying a change in the mail route from Intercourse to Jordan's Mills, in that State; which were referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads. By Mr. Spalding: Three petitions of citizens of Ohio, praying the construction of a navy yard at Cleveland, in that State; which were referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs; Also, three memorials from citizens of Ohio, praying the improvement of the public works in the harbor at Cleveland, in that State; which were referred to the Committee on Commerce; Also, three memorials of citizens of Ohio, praying the construction of a ship canal around the Falls of Niagara; which were referred to the Committee on Roads and Canals. By Mr. Jenckes: The memorial of Thomas A. Paine and other officers in the internal revenue department of the State of Rhode Island, praying an increased compensation; which was referred to the Committee of Ways and Means; Also, the memorial of James Jarden and other citizens of the State of Rhode Island, praying aid to the South American Steamship Company; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce. By Mr. Morrill: The memorial of citizens of the State of Vermont, praying that Congress may abolish African slavery; which was referred to the select Committee on Emancipation. By Mr. Cobb: The petition of W. W. Cothner and others, for the relief of N. B. Boyden, late receiver of public money at Eau Claire, in the State of Wisconsin, and his sureties; which was referred to the Committee on Public Lands. By Mr. Samuel J. Randall: The petition of Daniel Saint, praying compensation for property destroyed at Pensacola, in the State of Florida; which was referred to the Committee of Claims. By Mr. Knapp: The petition of citizens of the State of Illinois, praying |