War-Claims was discharged from the further consideration of the bill of the House (H. R. 428) to provide for refunding internal revenue tax illegally collected, and the same was referred to the Committee of Ways and Means. The regular order being demanded, the Speaker pro tempore announced the regular order of business to be the call of committees for reports. When, Mr. Frye, from the Committee on the Judiciary, to which was referred the bill (H. R. 4) to provide a penalty for wanton injury to the public libraries in the District of Columbia and in the Territories of the United States, reported the same without amendment. The House having proceeded to its consideration, Ordered, That the bill be engrossed and read a third time. Being engrossed, the bill was accordingly read the third time, and passed. Mr. Frye 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 therein. On motion of Mr. Knott, the Committee on the Judiciary was discharged from the further consideration of the following petitions, and the same were referred to the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of Justice, viz: Thomas J. Durant, for leave to present his claim for service as United States attorney for the district of Louisiana to the Court of Claims for adjustment; and A petition relative to fees of United States marshals in Arizona. Mr. Whitthorne, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, reported the following resolution, viz: Resolved, That the Committee on Naval Affairs be, and they are hereby, instructed to make a thorough investigation into the matters of deficiency, and the diversion of appropriations from the special objects to which they were applied by law and the expenditure of them for other and different objects, as mentioned by the Secretary of the Navy in his report to the President of the United States of date October 9, 1877; with power upon the part of said committee to send for persons and papers, examine witnesses if necessary, and with leave to report by bill or otherwise. Mr. Frye made the point of order that the House not having referred any measure, bill, petition, or resolution to the Committee on Naval Affairs for an investigation, as proposed by the foregoing resolution, it was not competent for the committee to report the same at this time. The Speaker pro tempore sustained the point of order on the ground that the resolution was not a "measure" within the meaning of Rule 89. Mr. John B. Clark, jr., from the Committee on Coinage, Weights, and Measures, to which was referred the petition of the Boston Society of Civil Engineers, for the adoption of a resolution of inquiry as to the practicability of the government adopting in its transactions the metrical system of weights and measures, reported the following resolution, viz: Resolved, That the heads of the executive departments of the gov ernment be, and they are hereby, requested to report to this House, at as early a date as practicable, what objections, if any, there are to making obligatory in all governmental transactions the metrical system of weights and measures whose use has been authorized in the United States by act of Congress; and also how long a preliminary notice should be given before such obligatory use can be introduced without detri ment to the public service; and that they are also requested to state what objections there are, if any, to making the metrical system obligatory in all transactions between individuals, and what is the earliest date which can be set for the obligatory use of the metrical system through. out the United States. The House having proceeded to its consideration, Mr. Clark demanded the previous question, which was seconded and the main question ordered, and under the operation thereof the resolu tion was agreed to. Mr. Clark 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. Ou motion of Mr. Joseph J. Davis, by unanimous consent, the Committee of Claims was discharged from the further consideration of petitions and of bills of the House of the following titles, and the same were referred to the Committee on War-Claims, not to be brought back on motions to reconsider: H. R. 586. For the relief of Josiah Cunningham; H. R. 215. To provide for payment for the court-house in Lexington, North Carolina, destroyed by fire, while occupied by United States officers and soldiers, in the fall of 1865; H. R. 219. For the relief of Eli Perry ; Petitions of Edgar A. Beach, of Essex, Vermont, for pay for services as second lieutenant during the late war; and Petition of David McClelland, for himself and others, asking compensation for map of District of Columbia, plates, &c., seized in 1861 by order of the War Department. Mr. Davis also, by unanimous consent, from the same committee, to which was referred the memorial of Charles H. Frank, asking to be reimbursed money paid by him for subsistence of recruits, reported the same with the recommendation that the Committee of Claims be discharged from its further consideration and that it be referred to the Committee on War-Claims; Pending which, Mr. Foster moved as an amendment that the petition be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. Pending which, Mr. Stephens, at 2 o'clock and 40 minutes p. m., moved that the House adjourn, Mr Simeon B. Chittenden Mr. John M. Glover John B. Clarke J. B. Elam Those not voting Mr. George A. Bagley William H. Baker Robt. H. M. Davidson John Goode Andrew H. Hamilton Mr. Beverly B. Douglas So the House refused to adjourn. Mr. William Pitt Lynde John H. Reagan Mr. John H. Ketcham John W. Killinger Edward Overton, jr. Mr. Ezekiel S. Sampson Mr. Milton Sayler Wm. S. Shallenberger Martin I. Townsend John T. Wait Gilbert C. Walker The question then recurring on the motion of Mr. Foster; The morning hour expired. The regular order being demanded, the Speaker pro tempore announced the regular order of business to be the special order, viz, the bill of the House (H. R. 805) to repeal the third section of the act entitled "An act to provide for the resumption of specie payments." The House having proceeded to its consideration, When, Amendments were submitted under authority of the previous order of the House, as follows, viz: By Mr. Hubbell; By Mr. Morrison; By Mr. Pound; By Mr. Jacob D. Cox; By Mr. Cummings; By Mr. Abram S. Hewitt. Ordered, That the bill and pending amendments be printed. Mr. Mayham, at 4 o'clock and 20 minutes p. m., moved that the House adjourn; Pending which, Mr. Blackburn, by unanimous consent, presented petitions; which were severally referred as follows, viz: Petition of A. S. Bloom, of Lexington, Kentucky; to the Committee on Military Affairs. Petition of D. W. Price and Thomas Akers; to the Committee of Claims. Petition of Rosa Vertner Jeffrey, of Lexington, Kentucky; to the Committee on War-Claims. Petition of William H. Gray; to the Committee of Claims. By unanimous consent, leave was granted Mr. Field to withdraw from the files of the House papers in the case of Lieutenant-Colonel Ward Marston, United States Marine Corps. And then The motion of Mr. Mayham was agreed to, and the House accordingly adjourned. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1877. The following memorials, petitions, and other papers were laid on the Clerk's desk, under the rule, and referred as follows, viz: By the Speaker: The petition of Huldah Palmer, for a pension; to the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions. Also, the petition of Augustine Hennessey, for a pension; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. Banning: The petition of Peter F. Bacon and other citizens of the District of Columbia, for the appointment of a commission to report a plan for the improvement of the system of drainage and sewerage for the city of Washington; to the Committee for the District of Columbia. By Mr. Cabell: Papers relating to the claim of Abram H. Herr, for the use and occupation of his property by United States authorities; By Mr. John W. Caldwell: Papers relating to the claim of George D. Blakey, to be reimbursed for funds taken from his deputies by Confed. erate soldiers; to the Committee on War-Claims. By Mr. Horace Davis: Two petitions of California laborers and mechanics, for the enforcement of the eight-hour law v; to the Committee on Education and Labor. By Mr. Dunnell: The petition of H. K. Belding, for compensation for carrying United States mails between the years 1858 and 1862; to the Committee of Claims. By Mr. Finley: The petition of Marcus Le Mass, for a pension; to the Committee on Invand Pensions. By Mr. Frye: The petition of John Holland, for a pension; to the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions. By Mr. Gibson: Memorial of citizens of Louisiana and of the city government of New Orleans and of the incorporated institutions of that city, for the grant of certain lands to the New Orleans and Pacific Railway Company; to the Committee on Railways and Canals. By Mr. Giddings: Papers relating to the claim of Marcus Redick, a subject of Montenegro; to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Also, papers relating to the claim of the legal representatives of David G. Burnet, for timber taken by United States troops in the year 1849; to the Committee of Claims. By Mr. Henkle: Papers relating to the claim of George and John W. Railey, for property taken by the United States authorities; to the Committee on War-Claims. By Mr. Hooker: The petition of Victoria L. Brewster, for a pension; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. Hunton: Papers relating to the claim of Joseph Markham, for property taken by the United States Army; to the Committee on War-Claims. By Mr. Frank Jones: Papers relating to the petition of Rebecca Remick, for arrears of pension; to the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions. By Mr. Kidder: A paper relating to the establishment of a post-route from Sioux Falls to Fort Thompson, Dakota Territory; to the Committee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads; By Mr. Knapp: The petition of citizens of Illinois, for the repeal of the resumption act; to the Committee on Banking and Currency. By Mr. Landers: Papers relating to the petition of S. M. Norton, postmaster at Bristol, Connecticut, to be reimbursed moneys paid on moneyorders of the Post-Office Department which were burned; to the Committee of Claims. By Mr. Loring: The petition of Mary Jane Marston and other heirs. of Nicholas Fouquet and Mark Fouquet, to be paid the amount due them for services rendered during the revolutionary war; to the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions. By Mr. Maginnis: Papers relating to the petition of United States Marshal William Wheeler, for relief; Also, papers relating to the claim of Paul McCormick; to the Committee of Claims. By Mr. McMahon : The petitions of John Danlon and George W. Stiles, for pensions; Also, the petition of soldiers of the National Military Home at Dayton, Ohio, that D. M. Herron be granted a pension; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. Morse: Memorial of E. H. Stevens and Thomas S. Rhett, administrators of W. H. Stevens, to be reimbursed certain losses incurred by the action of the republic of Mexico; By Mr. Page: Papers relating to the claim of Christopher Green and Hugh C. Trainor, for reimbursement for loss on Army-beef contract; to the Committee of Claims. By Mr. Stepheus: Papers relating to the claim of Edward Gallaher, for compensation for use of buildings by the United States Army; Also, papers relating to the claim of Elizabeth D. and Ann Frobel, for pay for supplies taken by the United States Army; to the Committee on War-Claims. By Mr. Throckmorton: Papers relating to the claim of Joseph Clymer, for amount due on a contract for transporting Army stores; to the Committee of Claims. By Mr. Vance: A paper relating to the establishment of a post-route from Burnsville to Green Mountain, North Carolina; to the Committee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads. |