creating distrust in the good faith of the government, and thereby retarding enlistments: Therefore, Resolved, That the Secretary of the Navy be directed to communicate to the House, as promptly as may be, the reasons for this delay, in order that it may be remedied by additionel legislation if needful. Notices were given, under the rule, of motions for leave to introduce bills as follows, viz: By Mr. Holman: A bill to equalize and establish the "civil commission" at Memphis, Tennessee. By Mr. Cravens: A bill to ascertain who have lost horses and other property in the States of Indiana and Ohio by the rebel raid under command of General John H. Morgan and Union forces in pursuit of said rebels, in July, 1863 By Mr. Stevens: A bill to abolish certain laws in the "Confederate States," and to fix the terms of their admission into the Union. By Mr. Kinney: A bill to establish a mail route from Weber to Provo City, in Utah Territory, via Morgan, Porter, Croydon, Henefer, Coalville, Hoytsville, Wanship, Peva, Kansas, Heber, Mound, Midway and Charleston, and to provide for the necessary service on said route. On motion of Mr. Stevens, 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. John II. Rice reported that the committee having had under consideration the special order, viz: H. R. 50. A bill making appropriations for the service of the Post Office Department during the fiscal year ending the 30th of June, 1865, had directed him to report the same without amendment. The House having proceeded to its consideration, Ordered, That the said bill be engrossed and read a third time. Being engrossed, it was accordingly read the third time and passed. Mr. Stevens 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. On motion of Mr. Stevens, the House again 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. Dawes reported that the committee having, according to order, had the state of the Union generally under consideration, and particularly the annual message of the President of the United States, had come to no resolution thereon. Mr. Ellihu B. Washburne, by unanimous consent, submitted the following resolution; which was read and referred to the Committee on Printing, viz: Resolved, That ten thousand extra copies of the various official reports made by Major General Ulysses S. Grant, during the war, be printed for the use of the House. Mr. Francis Thomas, by unanimous consent, introduced a bill (H. R. 63) supplemental to the laws relating to the War Department, authorizing the settlement and payment of certain claims against the United States; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and ordered to be printed. Mr. Francis W. Kellogg, by unanimous consent, introduced a bill (H. R. 64) granting lands to the State of Michigan for the construction of a wagon road for postal and military purposes; which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Public Lands. Mr. Blow, by unanimous consent, submitted the following resolution; which was read, considered, and agreed to, viz: Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire into the justice and propriety of refunding to the State of Missouri the amount paid and expenses incurred by the provisional government of that State, both for enrolled and other militia actually in service during the present rebellion, and report by bill or otherwise. Mr. Boyd, by unanimous consent, submitted the following resolution; which was read, considered, and agreed to, viz: Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to furnish to Congress (if in his opinion it be compatible with the public interest) all the information of an official character which he may have received respecting the extension of the southwest branch of the Pacific railroad, and his order, if any, respecting the same Mr. Holman, by unanimous consent, submitted a resolution, which he subsequently modified to read as follows, and which was considered and agreed to, viz: Resolved, That the Secretary of War be directed to inform the House whether any payments have been made to either of the following named railroad companies, namely: the Illinois Central Railroad Company, the Burlington and Missouri Railroad Company, or the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company, for transporting property or troops of the United States since the 25th day of February, 1862, and if any such payments have been made, the amount paid to each company; and also the amount paid to each of said companies prior to the above date, and the basis on which said payments have been made; and that he also inform the House what claim, if any, the said companies, or either of them, have against the government for the transportation of property or troops, and which are still unpaid. And then, On motion of Mr. Eckley, at 3 o'clock and 45 minutes p. m., the House adjourned THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 1864. The following petitions and memorials were laid upon the Clerk's table, under the 131st rule of the House: By Mr Kernan: Three petitions of citizens of Oneida county, New York, praying for the construction of a ship canal around Niagara Falls; which were referred to the Committee on Roads and Canals. By Mr. Deming: Two memorials of citizens of Connecticut, asking a uniform hospital and ambulance system; which were referred to the Commit-. tee on Military Affairs. By Mr. Boutwell: The memorial of the 53d regiment Massachusetts militia, praying for the bounty awarded to similar regiments; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. By Mr. William G. Brown: The memorial of James A. Bartlett, praying compensation for a horse taken by the United States authorities; which was referred to the Committee of Claims. By Mr. William B. Washburn: The petition of certain assistant assessors in the State of Massachusetts, praying an increase of salary; which was referred to the Committee of Ways and Means. By Mr. Marvin: The memorial of the proprietors of Congress Spring, New York, praying a reduction of the income tax on spring waters; which was referred to the Committee of Ways and Means. By Mr. Longyear: The memorial of Charles P. Dibble and other citizens of Michigan, praying that Calhoun county, in that State, may be annexed to the eastern judicial district of Michigan; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. By Mr. Webster: The memorial of the light-house keepers in the 5th congressional district of Maryland, asking an increase of compensation; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce. By Mr. Morrison: The memorial of citizens of Illinois, praying for a more speedy and commodious railway communication between Washington and New York; which was referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads. By Mr. Ross: The petition of citizens of Illinois, praying the establishment of a daily mail route from Lewistown, in Fulton county, to Lincoln, in Logan county, in that State; which was referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads. By Mr. Thomas: The memorial of James E. Kilgour, executor of William Kilgour, deceased, praying compensation for property destroyed by the British in 1814; which was referred to the Committee of Claims. By Mr. William G. Brown: The petition of Alexander Hayes, praying compensation for amounts expended in subsisting soldiers; which was referred to the Committee of Claims. By Mr. Farnsworth: The memorial of citizens of Illinois, praying the passage of a general emancipation act; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. By Mr. Thomas T. Davis: The petition of Jethro Ronney, of Cortland county, New York, praying compensation for loss of property at the invasion of Plattsburg; which was referred to the Committee of Claims. By Mr. Baily: The petition of citizens of Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, praying compensation for losses sustained by the burning of the Columbia bridge by United States forces during the rebel invasion of that State; which was referred to the Committee of Claims. The Speaker laid before the House certain papers in the case of J. M. Gallegos, contesting the seat of Mr. Perea as a delegate from the Territory of New Mexico; which were referred to the Committee of Elections. The Speaker announced that he had appointed the following named members the select committee on a new route from New York to Washington, under the resolution of the House of yesterday, viz: Mr. Brandegee, Mr. Alley, Mr. Samuel J. Randall, Mr. Farnsworth, Mr. Brooks, Mr. Garfield, Mr. Webster, Mr Voorhees, and Mr. Sloan. Mr. Wilson, by unanimous consent, introduced bills and a joint resolution of the following titles, viz: H. R. 65. A bill to change the place of holding the circuit and district courts of the United States for the district of West Tennessee, and for other purposes; H. R. 66. A bill concerning the jurisdiction of the Court of Claims; H. R. 67. A bill to provide for the revision and consolidation of the statutes of the United States; H. Res. 18. A joint resolution 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; H. R. 68. A bill to provide for auditing and allowing claims for bounty under an act entitled "An act to amend an act entitled An act to authorize the employment of volunteers to aid in enforcing the laws, and protecting public property,'" approved March 3, 1862; and H. R. 69. A bill making an appropriation for the erection of a monument to the United States soldiers buried in the cemetery at Keokuk, Iowa; which were severally read a first and second time and referred as follows, viz: H. R. 65, 66, 67, and H. Res. 18, to the Committee on the Judiciary; H. R. 68, to the Committee on Military Affairs; and H. R. 69, to the Committee of Ways and Means. Mr. Spalding, by unanimous consent, introduced a bill (H. R. 70) to exempt from payment of postage letters and documents of "Soldiers' Aid Societies;" which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads. The Speaker having called the committees for reports, next proceeded to call the States and Territories for resolutions When Mr. Blaine submitted the following resolution; which was laid over one day, under the rule, viz: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed to ascertain and report the amount of debt incurred in the several States in their efforts to aid in suppressing the rebellion; and that, in the judgment of this house, all debts legitimately and necessarily contracted for this purpose should ultimately be assumed and liquidated by the general government. Mr. John D. Baldwin submitted the following preamble and resolution, viz: Whereas the organized treason having its headquarters at Richmond exists in defiant violation of the national Constitution, and has no claim to be treated otherwise than as an outlaw; and whereas this Richmond combination of conspirators and traitors can have no rightful authority over the people of any portion of the national Union, and no warrant for assuming control of the political destiny of the people of any State or section of this Union, and no apology but that of conspiracy and treason for any assumption of authority whatever: Therefore, Resolved, That any proposition to negotiate with the rebel leaders at Richmond (sometimes called "the authorities at Richmond") for a restora tion of loyalty and order in those portions of the republic which have been disorganized by the rebellion is, in effect, a proposition to recognize the ringleaders of the rebellion as entitled to represent and bind the loyal citizens of the United States whom they oppress, and to give countenance and support to the pretensions of conspiracy and treason; and therefore every such proposition should be rejected without hesitation and delay. The same having been read, Mr. Baldwin moved the previous question on the resolution; which was seconded and the main question ordered to be put. When Mr. Cox moved that the resolution be laid on the table; which motion was disagreed to. The question was then put, Will the House agree to the said resolution? Yeas... { And it was decided in the affirmative, { Nays. ... The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are— Mr. John B. Alley William B. Allison Jacob B Blair Mr. John M. Broomall James S. Brown Mr. Daniel W. Gooch Mr. John W. Longyear Charles O'Neill Godlove S. Orth 88 24 Theodore M. Pomeroy Mr. John D. Baldwin moved the previous question; which was seconded and the main question ordered and put, viz: Will the House agree thereto? And it was decided in the affirmative, Yeas.... 102 none. The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Mr. Brandegee submitted the following preamble and resolution; which were read, considered, and agreed to, viz: Whereas the attention of Congress has at a previous and also at the present session been called by the Secretary of the Navy to the necessity for the establishment of new yards or naval depots for the construction, docking, and repair of iron-clad vessels: Therefore, Resolved, That the Committee on Naval Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of the establishment of such yards or depots, and to report at what site or sites such yard or yards ought to be established, with leave to report by bill or otherwise. Mr. Brandegee 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. Rogers submitted the following resolutions, viz: Resolved, That as our country and the existence of the old Union are imperilled by a rebellion against the wisest and best government ever devised by man, we are for the most united, determined, and vigorous prosecution of the war for the purpose of enforcing the Constitution of the United States |