Mr. Reuben E. Fenton Mr. John R. McBride Mr. Theodore M. Pomeroy Mr. M. Russell Thayer Hiram Price William H. Randall Robert C Schenck So the House refused to lay the resolution on the table. Francis Thomas Charles Upson R. B. Van Valkenburgh The question then recurring on the demand for the previous question, it was seconded and the main question ordered, and under the operation thereof the resolution was agreed to. Mr. Pike 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. John H. Rice submitted the following resolution; which was read, considered, and agreed to, viz: Resolce 1, That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed to communicate to this house the report and tabular statements made and returned to him by the commissioners appointed by the President in accordance with the provisions of an act entitled "An act for the release of certain persons held to service or labor in the District of Columbia," approved April 16, 1862, and an act supplementary thereto, approved July 12, 1862. Mr. Fernando Wood submitted the following preamble and resolution, viz: Whereas accusations seriously affecting the official integrity of Major General Benjamin F. Butler, in the discharge of his duties while in command of New Orleans, have been publicly made; and whereas other military officers have been charged with delinquencies, oppressive conduct, and connivance at fraud; and whereas it is stated that inefficiency, collusion in procuring supplies, and malversations exist in the Navy Department; and whereas recent disclosures show that in the custom-house at New York, and in other branches of the Treasury Department, the revenue has been defrauded and treasonable aid given to the insurrectionists; and whereas it is apparent that general demoralization and incapacity pervades the executive branch of the government to an extent which calls for the interposition and preventive legislation of Congress: Therefore, Resolved, That a committee of nine be appointed to investigate into and to ascertain the foundation for these accusations, with power to send for persons and papers, to take testimony under oath, to make recommendations for the necessary reforms, and to report at any time. Mr. Stevens moved that the preamble and resolution be laid on the table. And the question being put, It was decided in the affirmative, Yeas 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 Mr. Joseph Bily John D. Baldwin Mr. George S. Boutwell Mr. Amasa Cobb Cornelius Cole 77 63 So the preamble and resolution were laid on the table. Mr. Rufus P. Spalding R. B. Van Valkenburgh Mr. Andrew J. Rogers Lorenzo D. M. Sweat Elihu B. Washburne Joseph W. White Charles H. Winfield Mr. Fenton submitted the following resolution; which was read, considered, and agreed to, viz: Resolved, That the charges recently made of official misconduct in the New York custom-house in regard to the alleged shipment of contraband goods and supplies, and all matters of alleged misconduct in the management of the affairs of the custom-house at New York, be referred to the Committee on Public Expenditures. Mr. Fenton 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. Herrick submitted the following resolution; which was read, considered, and agreed to, viz: Resolved, That the Committee of Military Affairs be directed to inquire into the expediency of so amending the act entitled "An act for enrolling and calling out the national forces, and for other purposes," approved March 3. 1863, as to exempt from any draft or conscription under the provisions of that act all such enrolled citizens now liable to draft as may by their personal efforts, previous to the day assigned for any such draft, procure and cause to be mustered into the military service of the United States an acceptable recruit, to serve for three years or during the war; thus creating a powerful motive, and offering an additional inducement, for every citizen who desires to escape the draft to personally engage in the patriotic duty of enlisting recruits for our depleted armies. Mr. Broomall submitted the following preamble and resolution, viz: Whereas the burden of government should be made to fall as nearly equally as possible upon all parts of the country; and whereas the southern portion of the country has for several years contributed little, either in men or money, towards the support of the government; and whereas almost the only way to get men from that portion is to take black men; and whereas for every black man enlisted in the south some man in the overburdened north may be exempted from draft. It is therefore hereby declared to be the sense of this house that the gov ernment should use its most strenuous efforts to procure the voluntary enlistment of persons claimed as slaves in the rebel territory, by giving them the full bounty and pay of other soldiers, and by guaranteeing their freedom, at once, upon enlistment. Mr. Cox moved that the preamble and resolution be laid on the table. And the question being put, It was decided in the negative, (Yeas... The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are 61 74 EFFE Brutus J. Clay Samuel S. Cox James A. Cravens John L. Dawson Charles Denison Joseph K. Eagerton John A. Griswold Francis Kernan Archibald McAllister Mr. Orlando Kellogg Benjamin F. Loan Alexander H. Rice Myer Strouse Lorenzo D. M. Sweat Mr. John H. Rice Glenni W. Scofield So the House refused to lay the preamble and resolution on the table. And then, By unanimous consent, the said preamble and resolution were referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. Notices were given, under the rule, of motions for leave to introduce bills as follows, viz: By Mr. Schenck: A bill to amend the act entitled "An act to establish and equalize the grades of line officers of the United States navy," approved July 16, 1862; Also, a bill to promote the efficiency of the battalion of engineers of the United States army. By Mr. Eliot: A bill for the measurement of tonnage of ships and vessels of the United States. By Mr. Finck: A bill supplementary to the act entitled "An act for enrolling and calling out the national forces, and for other purposes," approved March 3, 1863; and By Mr. Clay: A bill to divide the State of Kentucky into two districts for the purpose of holding United States courts. Mr. Stevens, by unanimous consent, from the Committee of Ways and Means, reported a bill (H. R. 117) to reimburse the State of Pennsylvania for expenses in calling out the militia of said State during the recent invasion; which was read a first and second time, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, ordered to be printed, and, by unanimous consent, made a special order for to-morrow, at 2 o'clock p. m. Mr. Stevens, on leave, introduced a bill (H. R. 118) to abolish certain laws in the conquered territory of the Confederate States, and to prescribe terms of their admission into the Union; which was read a first and second time, ordered to be printed, and its further consideration postponed until the second Tuesday of February next. Mr. Ancona submitted the following resolution; which was read, considered, and agreed to, viz: Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be directed to inquire. into the expediency of reporting a bill providing for the payment and refunding to soldiers all sums withheld and deducted from their pay for cloth ing charged to them, lost or thrown away through the exigencies of the service, while on march or in battle, by command of their officers. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Hickey, their chief clerk: Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a joint resolution (S. Res. 15) amendatory of the joint resolution to supply, in part, deficiencies in the public printing, and to supply deficiencies in the appropriations for bounties to volunteers; in which I am directed to ask the concurrence of this house. I am also directed by the Senate to communicate a copy of their proceedings upon the announcement of the death of the honorable Lemuel J. Bowden, a senator of the United States from the State of Virginia. The said proceedings having been read, After remarks upon the life and public services of the deceased, Mr. William G. Brown submitted the following resolutions; which were read, considered, and agreed to, viz: Resolved, That this house has received with deep sensibility the annouacement of the death of honorable Lemuel J. Bowden, late a senator of the United States from the State of Virginia. Resolved, That, in order to testify their respect for the memory of the deceased, this house will wear the usual badge of mourning for thirty days. Resolved, That, as an additional mark of respect for the memory of the deceased, this house do now adjourn. And the House accordingly adjourned. TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1864. The following petitions and memorials were laid on the Clerk's table, under the 131st rule of the House: By Mr. A. W. Hubbard: The petition of citizens of the State of Iowa, praying the construction of a new line of railway between Washington and New York; which was referred to the special committee on that subject. By Mr. Perham: The petition of merchants and other citizens of Rockland, in the State of Maine, praying that aid may be granted by Congress to the South American Steamship Company; which was referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads. By Mr. Ganson: The memorial of citizens of the State of New York, praying the construction of a new line of railway between Washington and New York; which was referred to the special committee on that subject. By Mr. Donnelly: The memorial of the legislature of the State of Minnesota, praying the construction of a road from St. Paul, in that State, to the Pacific coast; which was referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads. By Mr. Alexander H. Rice: Four memorials from citizens of the State of Massachusetts, praying the establishment of a uniform ambulance and hospital system in the army; which were referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. By Mr. Julian: The petition of the legal representatives of Noah Wiswall-heretofore referred December 10, 1860; which was referred to the Committee on Public Lands. By Mr. Fenton: The petition of Isaac Hertzberg-heretofore referred January 13, 1863; which was referred to the Committee of Claims. By Mr. Donnelly: The memorial of George L. Becker-heretofore referred January 15, 1862; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. By Mr. Fenton: The memorial of C. Hall-heretofore referred December 16, 1862; which was referred to the Committee of Claims. By Mr. Henry Winter Davis: The memorial of John C. McConnell-heretofore referred January 26, 1863; which was referred to the Committee of Claims. By Mr. Windom: The memorial of the legislature of Minnesota, praying the construction of a road from St. Paul, in that State, to the Pacific coast; which was referred to the Committee on Roads and Canals. The Speaker, by unanimous consent, laid before the House additional evidence in the following contested election cases, viz: J. B. S. Todd vs. William Jayne, Territory of Dakota, and which was referred to the Committee of Elections. The Speaker also, by unanimous consent, laid before the House executive communications as follows, viz: I. A letter from the Secretary of War, transmitting a statement of the expenditures of the appropriations applicable to the service of his department, balances on hand, &c.; which was referred to the Committee on Expenditures in the War Department and ordered to be printed. II. A letter from the Secretary of State, transmitting a statement of the expenditures of the contingent fund of his department, &c.; which was referred to the Committee on Expenditures in the State Department and ordered to be printed. On motion of Mr. Holman, leave of absence from the sittings of the House was granted to Mr. Harrington until Friday next. Mr. Ellinu B Washburne, by unanimous consent, submitted the following. resolution; which was read, considered, and agreed to, viz: Resolved, That the Committee on Commerce be directed to inquire into the expediency of amending the law of 1799 in regard to the admeasurement of vessels; and also of providing by law a punishment of masters and owners of vessels for changing their names, and similar fraudulent practices; and also amending the revenue act of July 14, 1862, and other acts on the same subject. Mr. Eliot, by unanimous consent, introduced a bill (H. R. 119) to regulate the admeasurement of tonnage of ships and vessels of the United States; which was read a first and second time, and referred to the Committee on Commerce. Mr. Orlando Kellogg, by unanimons consent, introduced a bill (H. R. 120) to re-establish the principal port of entry of the district of Champlain at Plattsburg, and for other purposes; which was read a first and second time, and referred to the Committee on Commerce. Mr. James R. Morris, by unanimous consent, introduced a bill (H. R. 121) for the relief of Lieutenant William P. Richner, 77th regiment Ohio volun |