Ordered, That said petitions be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. By Mr. Maxwell: The petition of M. C. & J. W. Brown, for indemnity for loss sustained in consequence of the loss of a schooner by being run into by a United States vessel at St. Marks, in 1843. By Mr. Edgerton: The petition of H. Lowry heretofore presented January 20, 1845. By Mr. Latham: The petition of A. M. Winn, for compensation for services rendered to the sick in California. Ordered, That said petitions be referred to the Committee of Claims. By Mr. Upham: The petition of citizens of the State of Maine, for the repeal of the duty on coal. By Mr. Kittredge: The petition of citizens of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, of like import with the foregoing. Ordered, That said petitions be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means. By Mr. May: Additional papers in the case of Thruston M. Taylor; Also, the petition of Samuel McClellan, late navy agent of Baltimore, for compensation as such for services rendered and expenses incurred on behalf of the United States. Ordered, That said petition and papers be referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs. By Mr. Andrew Oliver: The petition of Matthew Dickerson, jr., for relief for injuries received while in the military service of the United States. By Mr. Hughes: The petition of R. R. Platt, heretofore presented December 7, 1853. By Mr. Stratton: The petition of Joshua Shaw, of Bordentown, New Jersey, for the payment of $7,000 for the use of his invention of percussion cap and lock. By Mr. Maxwell: The petition of Richard Fitzpatrick, aid to Generals Clinch and Call, during the Florida war in 1836, for compensation for said services. Ordered, That said petitions be referred to the Committee on Milita-. ry Affairs. By Mr. Aiken: The petition of Hugh E. Vincent and Daniel B. Vincent, of Charleston, S. C., to change the name of the barque "Como;" which was referred to the Committee on Commerce. By Mr. William Smith: The petition of Thomas Ap C. Jones, for the return of $900 fee paid with his sanction, as commander of the Pacific squadron, to Hall McCallister, attorney at law, for professional services rendered the United States at San Francisco, October, 1849. By Mr. Westbrook: The petition of Zelia M. Crosby, for a pension. Ordered, That said petitions be referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs. The Speaker, by unanimous consent, laid before the House copies of the journals, acts, and resolutions of the third annual session of the legislative assembly of the Territory of Utah; which were referred to the Committee on Territories. The Speaker also laid before the House the following executive communications, viz: I. A letter from the Secretary of State, transmitting detailed statements of the expenditure of the contingent fund of the State Department for the year ending June 30, 1854; which was laid upon the table and ordered to be printed. II. A letter from the Secretary of War, transmitting a statement of the appropriations applicable to the service of the War Department during the last fiscal year, appropriations carried to the surplus fund, &c.; which was laid on the table and ordered to be printed. Mr. Green, from the Committee on Enrolled Bills, reported that the committee had examined and found truly enrolled bills of the following titles, viz: H. R. 418. An act for the relief of Enoch S. More; S. 126. An act to relinquish to the State of Wisconsin the lands reserved for salt springs therein; when, The Speaker signed the same. Notices were given, under the rule, of motions for leave to introduce bills as follows, viz: By Mr. Mace: A bill to prohibit slavery or involuntary servitude, except for the punishment of crime, in the Territories of Kansas and Nebraska. By Mr. Hestor L. Stevens: A bill for appropriations for improvements in the navigation of Lake St. Clair, and the Great and Little rapids, and Hay lake, in St. Marie's river, Michigan. By Mr. Lane, of Oregon: A bill regulating the compensation of the collectors at Astoria and Umpqua, Oregon Territory. Mr. Clark, by unanimous consent, introduced a bill (H. R. 560) to confirm the entry to certain lands in the State of Michigan; which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Private Land Claims. Mr. Clingman moved that the rules be suspended so as to enable him to introduce a joint resolution requesting the President to tender the mediation of the United States to the powers engaged in the Eastern war. And the question being put, it was decided in the negative, twothirds not voting in favor thereof. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Dickins, their Secretary: Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed, without amendment, a bill of the following title, viz: H. R. 393. An act for the relief of Jacob McLellan. The Senate have also passed a bill and resolution of the following titles, viz: S. 501. An act supplemental to an act therein mentioned; S. Res. 23. A resolution for the appointment of Regents in the Smithsonian Institution; in which I am directed to request the concurrence of this House. And then he withdrew. Mr. Florence moved that the rules be suspended, so as to enable him to introduce a joint resolution authorizing a steamer and transport to be fitted out for the relief of the expedition under the command of Dr.. Elisha Kent Kane; which motion was disagreed to, two-thirds not. voting in favor thereof. Mr. Frederick P. Stanton, by unanimous consent, submitted the following resolution; which was read, considered, and agreed to, viz: Resolved, That the President be requested to communicate to this House any proposition which may have been made to the government by the city authorities of Memphis relative to the navy-yard property recently ceded to that city, together with his views and those of the Navy Department, as to the propriety of accepting the proposed recession, and of re-establishing a naval depot and yard of construction at Memphis. Mr. Alexander H. Stephens, by unanimous consent, submitted the following resolution; which was read, considered, and agreed to, viz: Resolved, That the Committee on Printing be directed to have the report of the Secretary of the Treasury on the state of the Finances cut and bound, for the use of the members of this House. Mr. James H. Lane, by unanimous consent, introduced a joint resolution (H. Res. 38) for the relief of the children of Captain Thomas Porter, deceased; which was read a first and second time. Ordered, That the said joint resolution be engrossed and read a third time. Being engrossed, it was accordingly read the third time and passed. Ordered, That the Clerk request the concurrence of the Senate therein. Mr. Sapp, by unanimous consent, submitted the following resolution ; which was read, considered and agreed to, viz: Resolved, That the special committee appointed at the last session on the subject of military supervision of civil works, and which reported only in part, be continued, with all its powers to examine and report upon those branches of the inquiry intrusted to them not yet reported upon. Mr. Sapp moved that the vote by which the said resolution was agreed to be reconsidered, and also moved that the motion to reconsider be laid on the table; which latter motion was agreed to. Mr. Hamilton, the rules having been suspended for that purpose, submitted the following resolution; which was read, considered and agreed to, (two-thirds voting in favor thereof,) viz: Resolved, That Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the 19th, 20th, and 21st instant, be set apart for business for the District of Columbia. Mr. Hamilton 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. Houston, by unanimous consent, reported bills of the following titles, viz: H. R. 561. A bill making appropriations for the support of the Military Academy for the year ending the 30th of June, 1856; H. R. 562. A bill making appropriations for the support of the army for the year ending the 30th of June, 1856; which were severally read a first and second time, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, and ordered to be printed. On motion of Mr. McDougall, by unanimous consent, Ordered, That the further consideration of the bill of the House (No. 295) "to provide for the establishment of railroad and telegraphic communication between the Atlantic States and the Pacific ocean, and for other purposes," (heretofore made the special order for this day,) be postponed until the second Tuesday (9th) of January next. Mr. McDougall, by unanimous consent, submitted the following resolution; which was read, considered and agreed to, viz: Resolved, That the maps accompanying reports of engineers of Pacific railroad surveys be lithographed and printed, for the use of the members of this House. Mr. Bocock, by unanimous consent, introduced a bill (H. R. 563) to provide a more efficient discipline in the navy of the United States; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs, and ordered to be printed. On motion of Mr. John J. Taylor, by unanimous consent, Ordered, That he be excused from further service on the Committee for the District of Columbia. The Speaker thereupon appointed Mr. Isaac Teller, of New York, to fill the vacancy occasioned thereby. On motion of Mr. Houston, 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. Frederick P. Stanton 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 directed. him to report the following resolutions, viz: 1. Resolved, That so much of the annual message of the President of the United States to the two houses of Congress, at the present session, as relates to our foreign affairs, together with the accompanying correspondence in relation thereto; to marking the boundary between the United States and the British possessions in the northwest, as designated in the convention of the 15th June, 1846; to the extinguishment of the possessory rights of the Hudson's Bay Company, and of the Puget Sound Agricultural Company, under the third and fourth articles of said convention, be referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. 2. Resolved, That so much of the said message and accompanying papers as relates to the existing tariff, and recommends a revision and change of its provisions; to the condition of the treasury; to the finances of the government; to the public debt and its repayment; to the receipts and expenditures; together with the "estimates for appropriations," be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means. 3. Resolved, That so much of the said message and accompanying documents as relates to the army of the United States, and recommends an increase and modification of the same, together with all recommendations for new arsenals, forts, magazines, and barracks, or the discontinuance of old ones, be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. 4. Resolved, That so much of the said message and accompanying documents as relates to the navy of the United States, and recommends an increase and reform of the same, be referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs. 5. Resolved, That so much of said message and accompanying documents as relates to the modification of the present judicial system of the United States; to the records and papers of a public character, of the several officers of the government; to making false entries in said books, or returning false accounts, be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. 6. Resolved, That so much of the said message and accompanying papers as relates to our intercourse with the various Indian tribes, be referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. 7. Resolved, That so much of said message and accompanying documents as relates to the Post Office Department, its operation and condition, be referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads. 8. Resolved, That so much of said message and accompanying documents as relates to commerce; to a revision of the existing laws for the maintenance of discipline, and the protection of life and property at sea, be referred to the Committee on Commerce. 9. Resolved, That so much of said message and accompanying documents as relates to the public lands, their survey and sale; to grants of land in aid of the construction of railroads, be referred to the Committee on Public Lands. 10. Resolved, That so much of the said message and accompanying documents as relates to the District of Columbia, be referred to the Committee for the District of Columbia. 11. Resolved, That so much of said message and accompanying documents as relates to the public buildings and grounds, be referred to the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds. 12. Resolved, That so much of said message and accompanying documents as relates to patents, the condition and operations of the Patent Office, and the modification of existing patent laws, be referred to the Committee on Patents and the Patent Office. The same having been read, Mr. Houston moved the previous question; which was seconded, and the main question ordered, and, under the operation thereof, the said resolutions were agreed to. Mr. Olds having called up the motion, heretofore submitted by him, to reconsider the vote by which the bill of the House (No. 244) abolishing the present ocean mail steam service, and authorizing the Postinaster General to re-let the same, in accordance with usages and regulations appertaining to the inland mail-service, and for other purposes, The question was put, Shall the said vote be reconsidered? On motion of Mr. Olds, the said bill was recommitted to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads. And then, On motion of Mr. Alexander H. Stephens, at 1 o'clock and 50 minutes p. m., the House adjourned until to-morrow, at 12 o'clock m. |