Also, the petition of citizens of San Marcos, Texas, for the repeal of the tax on national banks; to the Committee on Banking and Currency. By Mr. Singleton: The petition of John Woodward, for a pension; to the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions. By Mr. Steele: A paper relating to the establishment of a post-route between Hamlet, North Carolina, and Cheraw, South Carolina; to the Committee on the Post Office and Post-Roads. By Mr. Throckmorton: Papers relating to the claim of Henry Warren, for property destroyed by Indians; to the Committee on Indian Affairs. By Mr. Amos Townsend: Papers relating to the claim of Julius M. Carrington, for services rendered as an officer of the United States Army; to the Committee on Military Affairs. By Mr. Vance: Papers relating to the claim of James O. Robertson; to the Committee on Indian Affairs. By Mr. Walker: The petition of Sallie Hardeman, for pay for maintenance of sick and indigent colored people; to the Committee of Claims. Also, the petition of John T. Tucker, of the District of Columbia, for the removal of his political disabilities; Also, the petition of C. B. Oliver, of similar import; to the Committee on the Judiciary. By Mr. Charles G. Williams: Papers relating to the claims of Moses Ladd and John L. Williams; to the Committee on Indian Affairs. By Mr. Wright: The petition of Washington R. Hansom, president, and 62 others, members of the Florida Colonization Society of Baltimore, Maryland, for the passage of bill H. R. 110 or some other like measure for the aid of settlers on the public domain; to the Committee on the Public Lands. The regular order being demanded, the Speaker announced the regu lar order of business to be the bill of the House (H. R. 902) making appropriations for the support of the Army for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1878, and for other purposes, reported from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, with sundry amendments, pending when the House last adjourned, the pending question being on the adoption of the following amendment, viz: Strike out the following, (being all after the word "dollars," in line 11, to and including the word "expired," in line 21 :) "And no money appropriated by this act shall be paid for recruiting the Army beyond the number of enlisted men, including Indian scouts and hospital stewards, actually on the Army rolls on the 1st day of November, A. D. 1877. Nothing, however, in this act shall be construed to prevent enlistments for the Signal Service, which shall hereafter be maintained, as now organized, and as provided by law, with a force of enlisted men not exceeding four hundred, after present terms of enlistment have expired." The question being put, the said amendment 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. The question then being on the following amendment, viz: After the words, in lines 10 and 11, "for expenses of recruiting and transportation of recruits, $75,000," insert the following in lieu of the words stricken out by the last amendment: And no money appropriated by this act shall be paid for recruiting the Army beyond the number of enlisted men, including Indian scouts and hospital stewards, actually on the Army rolls on the 1st day of November, 1877, except for the cavalry service and for employment exclusively in the defense of the Mexican and Indian frontiers, and so far only as shall be necessary for that purpose, and no further; but nothing herein contained shall authorize an increase of any cavalry company beyond the number of one hundred as now authorized by law: Provided, That nothing herein contained shall authorize the recruiting of the Army beyond twenty-five thousand men; And being put, The amendment was rejected. 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. The question then being on the following amendment, viz: In the paragraph relating to the Pay Department, strike out in lines 40 and 41 the words "and for postage on letters and packages received and sent by officers of the Army on public service;" And being put, The amendment 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. The question then being on the following amendment, viz: In the paragraph relating to purchase of horses for cavalry and artillery, &c., strike out all after the word "provided," in line 102, to the end of the paragraph, as follows: "That cavalry regiments may be recruited to one hundred men in each company, and kept as nearly as practicable at that number; and a sufficient force of cavalry shall be employed in the defense of the Mexican and Indian frontiers of Texas; " And insert the following: That a force of four cavalry regiments shall be recruited to one hundred men in each company, and the same shall be employed in the defense of the Mexican and Indian frontier of Texas: Provided, That nothing herein contained shall authorize the recruiting the number of men on the Army rolls, including Indian scouts and hospital stewards, beyond twenty thou sand, of whom four full cavalry regiments shall be kept in service on the Mexican frontier in Texas; And being put, The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are Mr. D. Wyatt Aiken J. D. C. Atkins Mr. Aylett H. Buckner Mr. Philip Cook George C. Cabell James W. Covert Mr. Anthony Eickhoff J. B. Elam Mr. William Aldrich William J. Bacon Nathan Cole Omar D. Conger Mr. Horace Davis Milton S. Robinson Mr. Edwin W. Keightley Mr. William W. Rice Mr. Jeremiah W. Dwight Mr. Hernando D. Money Eugene Hale Alfred C. Harmer Amaziah B. James Van H. Manning So the amendment was agreed to. Charles O'Neill Charles G. Williams Richard Williams Mr. Robert Smalls Milton I. Southard 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. The question then being on the following amendment, viz: Add to the paragraph relating to the Medical Department (lines 152 to 156) the following: Provided, That the heads of the several Executive Departments are hereby authorized to detail for temporary service in the Surgeon General's Office, to be employed in furnishing information called for by the Commis sioner of Pensions, clerks from such departments, or any of them, whenever practicable. And being put, The amendment 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. The question then being on the following amendment, viz: SEC. 2. That now and hereafter no officer selected, detailed, or assigned to duty upon the staff of, or as aid to, any general officer, or upon any other duty whatsoever, shall be entitled to or receive any additional rank, pay, or allowance by reason of such selection, detail, or assignment. And all laws or parts of laws in conflict with the provisions of this section are hereby repealed. And being put, It was decided in the negative, The yeas and nays being desired Mr. D. Wyatt Aiken Mr. Joseph J. Davis Geo. G. Dibrell J. B. Elam E. John Ellis Thomas M. Gunter Mr. Abram S. Hewitt Goldsmith W. Hewitt Those who voted in the negative are Mr. William Aldrich William J. Bacon Mr. William W. Crapo Chapman Freeman Mr. Morton C. Hunter Mr. James B. Reilly Americus V. Rice Mr. Romualdo Pacheco Thomas B. Reed Ordered, That the bill as amended be engrossed and read a third time. 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. Atkins demanded the previous question; which was seconded. After debate, The question was put, Shall the main question be now put? And it was decided in the affirmative. 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. The question was then put, Shall the bill pass? And it was decided in the affirmative. 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. Ordered, that the Clerk request the concurrence of the Senate in the said bill. The regular order being demanded, the Speaker announced as the regular order of business the further consideration of 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," under the order of the House of November 5. Pending which, On motion of Mr. Conger, by unanimous consent, Ordered, That the States and Territories be called for bills on leave, for reference only, not to be brought back on motions to reconsider, as under Rule 130. Whereupon The Speaker proceeded to call the States and Territories for bills on leave; When Bills and joint resolutions were introduced and read twice, and joint resolutions of State legislatures were introduced and read; which bills and resolutions were ordered to be printed and severally referred as follows, viz: By Mr. Frye: A bill (H. R. 1254) for the relief of John A. Darling; to the Committee on Military Affairs. By Mr. Frank Jones: A bill (H. R. 1255) for the examination and survey of obstructions to navigation of the Piscataqua River: to the Committee on Commerce. |