Also, a bill (H. R. 1240) for the relief of William Wheeler Hubbell; to the Committee on Patents.

By Mr. Price: A bill (H. R. 2241) for the relief of Amanda M. Cook, of Scott County, State of Iowa;

to the Committee of Claims.

By Mr. Errett: A bill (H. R. 1242) to provide a building for the use of the United States circuit and district courts, custom-house, and postoffice, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

to the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds.

Mr. Swann, by unanimous consent, from the Committee on Foreign Affairs, to which was referred the joint resolution of the House (H. Res. 1) in relation to the international industrial exposition to be held in Paris in 1878, reported the same with amendments.

Ordered, That the said joint resolution and amendments be printed and recommitted to the said committee.

Mr. Swann also, by unanimous consent, from the same committee, reported letters from the Secretary of State, in relation to the interna tional industrial exposition to be held at Paris in 1878, and to the necessity of the prompt payment of awards made under the convention between the United States of America and the republic of Mexico concluded on the 4th day of July, 1868; which were ordered to be printed and recommitted to the said committee.

On motion of Mr. Knott, by unanimous consent, the Committee on the Judiciary was discharged from the further consideration of the bill of the House (II. R. 86) to provide for the settlement of the accounts of workmen, &c., for excess of eight hours' labor; and the same was referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

The regular order being demanded, the Speaker stated the regular order of business to be the motion of Mr. Atkins, that when the House next resolves itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union on the Army bill all debate on the pending paragraph be limited to ten minutes;

Pending which,

Mr. Atkins modified his motion by substituting "twenty" for "ten." And the question being put on the motion as modified, the same was agreed to.

Mr. Atkins 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.

Mr. Richard Williams, by unanimous consent, presented a resolution of the Board of Trade of Portland, Oregon, asking Congress to extend the time for completion and extension of land-grant of the Northern Pacific Railroad; which was referred to the Committee on the Pacific Railroads and ordered to be printed in the Record.

And then,

On motion of Mr. Atkins, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union; and after some time spent therein the Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Cox reported that the committee had had under consideration the bill of the House No. 902, (Army appropriation bill,) and had come to no resolution thereon.

On motion of Mr. Atkins,

Ordered, That when the House next resolves itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union on the Army bill, all debate on the pending paragraph be limited to twenty minutes.

Mr. Atkins 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.

Mr. Finley moved that when the House adjourns it be to meet on Monday next; which motion was not agreed to.

Mr. Luttrell, at 3 o'clock and 55 minutes p. m., moved that the House adjourn.

Pending which,

By unanimous consent, leave of absence for fifteen days was granted to Mr. Hazelton.

By unanimous consent, leave was granted to withdraw from the files of the House papers in the following cases, viz:

To Mr. James L. Evans, in the case of John Fletcher;

To Mr. Glover, in the cases of Wolff & Brown, Matilda Shields, and Mary De Zevalos;

To Mr. Slemons, in the case of Mrs. Mary Hackley.

By unanimous consent, bills were introduced, read twice, ordered to be printed, and severally referred as follows, viz:

By Mr. Patterson: A bill (H. R. 1243) for the relief of Josephine C. Owen, postmaster at Randolph, New York;

By Mr. Boyd: A bill (H. R. 1244) for the relief of Charles E. Fahnestock;

to the Committee of Claims.

By Mr. Dickey: A bill (H. R. 1245) for the relief of Samuel V. B. Strider, of Chillicothe, Ohio;

to the Committee on War-Claims.

By Mr. Humphrey: A bill (H. R. 1246) to appropriate money to improve the Saint Croix River, between Hudson, in the State of Wisconsin, and Saint Croix Falls, in said State;

Also, a bill (H. R. 1247) to appropriate money to improve the Mississippi River from the crossing of the Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul Railway bridge, above the city of La Crosse, Wisconsin, to the mouth. of Root River, below said city;

to the Committee on Commerce.

By Mr. Tucker: A bill (H. R. 1248) for the relief of Elias D. Bruner; to the Committee on Naval Affairs.

Mr. Abram S. Hewitt, by unanimous consent, presented a petition of the National Board of Trade, in relation to the navigation-laws; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, and ordered to be printed in the Record.

And then

The motion of Mr. Luttrell was agreed to, and the House accordingly adjourned.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1877.

The following memorials, petitions, and other papers were laid on the Clerk's desk, under the rule, and referred as follows, viz:

By Mr. Banks: The petition of Captain Joseph H. J. Rutter, of Maryland, for compensation for services rendered the military authorities of the middle military department of the government as special agent during the months of April, May, June, and July, 1861, amounting to $500;

to the Committee on Military Affairs

By Mr. Blair: Papers relating to the claims of Sidney P. Luther and Isaiah H. Pickard, for property wrongfully seized by United States revenue officials;

to the Committee of Claims.

By Mr. Buckner: The petition of 5,000 citizens of Missouri, for the adoption of a system of finance that will free our currency from the absurdity of coin redemption;

to the Committee on Banking and Currency.

By Mr. Calkins: The petition of Peter Scowden, for an honorable discharge from the United States Army;

to the Committee on Military Affairs.

By Mr. Jacob D. Cox: The petition of citizens of Toledo, Ohio, that the salaries of letter-carriers be increased;

By Mr. Cravens: The petition of Coleman Cole and other citizens of the Choctaw Nation, in the Indian Territory, for the establishment of a post-route from Dallas, Arkansas, to Stringtown, in said Territory; to the Committee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads.

By Mr. Crapo: Memorial of W. T. Smith, Jonathan Bourne, and Samuel Osborne, junior, agents and managing owners of the barks Midas, Progress, Lagoda, and the ships Daniel Webster and Europa, to be reimbursed on account of losses sustained by abandoning their voyages and taking on board of their vessels twelve hundred wrecked seamen; to the Committee of Claims.

By Mr. Darrall: Memorial of citizens of Louisiana, representing the city government and chartered institutions of New Orleans, that the land-grant made to the New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Vicksburg Railroad, now lapsed, be granted to the New Orleans Pacific Railroad; to the Committee on the Pacific Railroad.

By Mr. Dickey: Papers relating to the claim of Samuel V. B. Strider, for property destroyed by the United States Army;

to the Committee on War Claims.

By Mr. Eickhoff: The petition of C. Schmith, and other citizens of New York, against unjust discrimination in fixing the salaries of Government employés, and also against the violation of the spirit of the eight-hour law in government departments;

to the Committee on Reform in the Civil Service.

By Mr. Felton: Papers relating to the claims of James H. Rogers and Charles J. Shepard, for property taken by the United States Army; to the Committee on War-Claims.

Also, papers relating to the claim of William Hedgpeth, to be refunded the amount of taxes illegally collected from him by United States officials;

By Mr. Franklin: Papers relating to the claim of James Brice, on account of Indian depredations;

to the Committee of Claims.

Also, papers relating to the petition of Minor T. Smith, for a pension; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions.

By Mr. Hanna: Papers relating to the claim of John W. Dodd & Company, for work done on the arsenal grounds at Indianapolis, Indiana; to the Committee on Appropriations.

Also, the petition of 5,000 citizens of Indianapolis, Indiana, for the increase of the salaries of letter-carriers;

to the Committee on the Post Office and Post-Roads.

By Mr. Haskell: Papers relating to the claim of Mrs. C. F. Short, whose husband and son were killed by Indians in 1874;

to the Committee of Claims.

By Mr. House: Papers relating to the claim of the Mount Olivet Cemetery Company, of Nashville, Tennessee, for damages to their property by the United States Army;

By Mr. Hunton: Papers relating to the claim of Mrs. Amelia A. H.

Richards, administratrix of Felix Richards, for property used by the United States during the late war;

to the Committee on War-Claims.

By Mr. John S. Jones: The petition of J. H. Rogers, electrician of the House of Representatives, relative to his plan of calling the roll of members and calling pages;

to the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds.

By Mr. Maish: Papers relating to the petitions of Martha J. Porter and John Nichtman, for pensions;

to the Committee on Invalid Pensions.

Also, papers relating to the claim of Ernestine Stevens and Thomas S. Rhett, administrators of the estate of W. H. Stevens, deceased; to the Committee of Claims.

By Mr. McMahon : Papers relating to the petitions of James McMullin and Michael O'Brien, for pensions;

to the Committee on Invalid Pensions.

By Mr. Muller: Papers relating to the petitions of Sergeants Condon, Hughes, and Delaney, for increase of pay;

to the Committee on Appropriations.

By Mr. Phillips: Papers relating to the bill intoduced in the Fortyfourth Congress, regulating the hours of labor, and for other purposes; to the Committee of Claims.

By Mr. Price: The petition of Nancy Read, for a pension;

to the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions.

By Mr. Scales: Papers relating to the claim of Margaret Martin, for property destroyed by the United States Army;

to the Committee on War-Claims.

Also, papers relating to the petition of W. H. Thompson, collector internal revenue fifth district North Carolina, to be reimbursed the amount taken from his deputies by robbers;

to the Committee of Claims.

By Mr. Shallenberger: The petition of 64 pilots on western and southern rivers, in service forty years and under, that the law be so amended as to require the appointment of one competent pilot in each and every board of local inspectors whose duty it is to examine and license pilots; to the Committee on Commerce.

By Mr. Singleton: Papers relating to the claim of Asbury Dickins; to the Committee of Claims.

By Mr. Martin I. Townsend: Papers relating to the claim of Susan E. Willard, for supplies furnished to and for use of property by the United States Army;

to the Committee on War-Claims.

By Mr. Walsh: Papers relating to the petitions of Ambrose Wellen, Captain Robert C. Bramford, and Eliza Ceville, for pensions; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions.

Also, papers relating to the petitions of Frederick Division, No. 15, Sons of Temperance, of the State of Maryland, and of the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal church at Old Town, Alleghany County, Maryland, for the use and destruction of property by the United States Army; to the Committee on War-Claims.

By Mr. Albert S. Willis: Papers relating to the petition of Will R. Hervey, of Louisville, Kentucky, to be reimbursed the amount paid by him as a United States officer on a forged check for $4,000;

to the Committee of Claims.

By unanimous consent, bills were introduced, read twice, ordered to be printed, and severally referred as follows, viz:

By Mr. Price: A bill (H. R. 1249) granting a pension to Nancy Read, the widow of John Read, a soldier of the war of 1812;

to the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions.

Also, a bill (H. R. 1250) appropriating money for the purchase of a site and the erection of a post-office and other government offices in the city of Davenport, in the State of Iowa;

to the Committee on Appropriations.

By Mr. Browne: A bill (H. R. 1251) granting a pension to Udelia Vogle, mother of Nicholas Vogle, late a private in Company G, One hundred and first Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions.

Also, a bill (H. R. 1252) to authorize the President of the United States to place the name of James Weir Grayden, of the United States Navy, on the lieutenants' list in such a place as to make his date and rank correspond with the date of his enlistment in the volunteer Army of the United States;

to the Committee ou Military Affairs.

By Mr. Finley: A bill (H. R. 1253) granting a pension to R. G. Peterson, of Ohio;

to the Committee on Invalid Pensions.

Mr. Banning, by unanimous consent, submitted the following resolution, viz:

Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be, and they are hereby, instructed to inquire into

1. The total number of general, staff. field, and line officers, non-com. missioned officers, musicians, artificers, wagoners, and other enlisted men and employés in all branches of the Army on the 1st day of July, the 1st day of September, and the 1st day of November, 1877, respectively, and where, how, and in what service such officers and men have been employed during the present fiscal year.

2. The number and rank of officers on the retired-list.

3. The number and rank of all officers on the active-list who are unassigned and the reason why they are so unassigned; the number and rank of officers on the active-list physically unfit for the proper discharge of their duties by reason of age, disease, or other disability, and the number and rank of all officers upon leave of absence during the present fiscal year, and the length of such leave in each case.

4. The condition of affairs on the frontier of the State of Texas, the number and character of the troops in the Department of Texas, the conduct of military operations in that department, and what, if any, additional military protection ought to be provided for the people on that frontier against Indian and Mexicau marauders.

5. The number and location of all military headquarters, forts, and posts, the annual cost of maintaining each of them, and the necessity therefor.

6. The practicability and expediency of reducing, consolidating, or otherwise changing the present organization of the Army with a view to promoting its efficiency and reducing its cost.

Objections thereto being made, the said resolution was laid over under the rule.

Mr. Hooker, by unanimous consent, presented the memorial of the Choctaw Nation, asking for the settlement of their claims; which was referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs, and ordered to be printed. And then,

On motion of Mr. Atkins, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union; and after some time