Mr. Wickliffe submitted the following resolution, viz: Resclved, That the Secretary of War inform this House what number of soldiers of the volunteer and regular army have been placed on the pay-roll of the army; 2d. What regiments whose soldiers have not been paid up to the 1st of December, 1862; 3d. What regiments remain unpaid, and how long have the soldiers of such regiments remained without pay; 4th. Has the money appropriated by Congress for the pay and subsistence and clothing of the army been applied to other purposes than the pay, subsistence, and clothing of the soldiers of the United States, and to what purposes. The same having been read, Mr. Stevens moved to amend it by inserting after the words "Secretary of War" the words "if not incompatible with the public interest;" which motion was agreed to. The resolution as amended was then agreed to. Mr. Wickliffe 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. Yeaman submitted the following resolutions, viz: Resolved by the House of Representatives, (the Senate concurring,) That the proclamation of the President of the United States, of date the 22d of September, 1862, is not warranted by the Constitution. Resolved, That the policy of emancipation, as indicated in that proclamation, is not calculated to hasten the restoration of peace, was not well chosen as a war measure, and is an assumption of power dangerous to the rights of the citizen and to the perpetuity of free government. The same having been read, Mr. Lovejoy moved that they be laid on the table. And the question being put, Yeas.. ... It was decided in the affirmative, {Nays.. 94 45 The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are Mr. Cyrus Aldrich John B. Alley Fernando C. Beaman Mr. Schuyler Colfax Reuben E. Fenton Mr. Richard Franchot Augustus Frank So the resolutions were laid on the table. Mr. Lovejoy 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. On motion of Mr. Stevens, the House resolved itself into the Comnittee 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. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Hickey, their Chief Clerk: Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a bill of the following title, viz: S. 407. An act to fix the terms of the circuit court in the district of Wisconsin; in which I am directed to ask the concurrence of this house. Mr. Burnham, by unanimous consent, submitted the following resoJution; which was read, considered, and agreed to, viz: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Navy be requested to transmit to this house, at his earliest convenience, the report of the board of officers appointed by him since the last session, to examine and survey certain proposed sites for the building of a navy yard. Mr. Clements, by unanimous consent, introduced a bill (H. R. 600) to amend an act entitled "An act to provide internal revenue to support the government and pay interest on the public debt," approved July 1, 1862, and for other purposes; which was read a first and second time, and referred to the Committee of Ways and Means. Mr. Holman, by unanimous consent, introduced a bill (H. R. 601) to allow certain bounty to private soldiers honorably discharged from the service, and to increase the pay of the private soldiers of the army; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, and ordered to be printed. And then, On motion of Mr. Edgerton, at 3 o'clock and 20 minutes p. m., the House adjourned. MONDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1862. The following petitions, memorial, and other papers, were laid upon the Clerk's table, under the rule: By Mr. Duell: The petition of the widow of Colonel Aaron Burr, asking for a pension; Also, the petition of the heir of Ezekiel Hyatt, of like import. Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Committee on Revolutionary Claims. By Mr. Frederick A. Conkling: The memorial of the dyers of the city of New York, for relief from the unjust construction of the internal revenue tax; which was referred to the Committee of Ways and Means. By Mr. Mallory: Papers relating to the claim of A. H. Markland. for compensation for a house destroyed in Paducah, Kentucky, by federal troops; which was referred to the Committee of Claims. By Mr. Gurley: The petition of pilots of the western gunboat flotilla of Ohio for increase of pay; which was referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs, By Mr. Crittenden: The petition of E. B. Boutwell, asking compensation for losses sustained by the action of the confederates; which was referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs; Also, the petition of citizens of Indiana, asking for increased pay for the soldiers; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. By Mr. Shellabarger: Two petitions from citizens of Ohio for the enlargement of the Illinois and Michigan canal; which were referred to the select committee on the defences of great lakes and rivers. The Speaker, by unanimous consent, laid before the House the following message, heretofore received from the President of the United States, viz: To the House of Representatives: In answer to the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 17th of July last, requesting the communication of correspondence relating to the arrest of a part of the crew of the brig Sumter at Tangier, Morocco, I herewith transmit a report from the Secretary of WASHINGTON, December 10, 1862. The same having been read, Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and printed. The Speaker having proceeded, as the regular order of business, to call the States and Territories for bills on leave for reference Bills were introduced and read a first and second time as follows, viz: By Mr. Blake: H. R. 602. A bill to establish a postal money-order system; which was referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads. By Mr. Mallory: H. R. 603. A bill for repairing and refitting the United States court-rooms in Louisville, Kentucky, and for other purposes; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. By Mr. Colfax: H. R. 604. A bill reducing the rate of duties on paper; which was referred to the Committee of Ways and Means. By Mr. Holman: H. R. 605. A bill to amend the 65th article of war; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. By Mr. Arnold: H. R. 606. A bill for the relief of Gurdon S. Hubbard and A. T. Spencer; which was referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads. By Mr. Noell: H. R. 607. A bill to secure the abolishment of slavery in the State of Missouri, and to provide compensation to loyal persons therein who own slaves; which was referred to the select committee on emancipation. By Mr. Wilson: H. R. 608. A bill prescribing the times and places for holding terms of the circuit court for the districts of Iowa, Minnesota, and Kansas; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. By Mr. Bennet: H. R. 609. A bill to provide for the development of the mineral resources of the United States and of the public domain; which was referred to the Committee on Public Lands. All the States and Territories having been called for bills on leave, The Speaker proceeded to call the States and Territories for resolutions. When Mr. Washburne submitted the following resolution, viz: Resolved, That, in the judgment of this house, there should be no legislation changing existing laws providing for the payment of the interest on the public debt in coin. The same having been read, Mr. Washburne moved the previous question; which was seconded and the main question ordered to be put. When Mr. Blake moved that the resolution be laid on the table; which motion was disagreed to. The question then recurred on agreeing to the resolution. And being put, Yeas. It was decided in the affirmative, Nays.. 82 24 The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are Mr. Cyrus Aldrich William J. Allen Edward Haight Mr. William A. Hall Theodore M. Pomeroy So the resolution was agreed to. Mr. Thomas L. Price Alexander H. Rice John L. N. Stratton Carey A. Trimble Rob't B. Van Valkenburgh Mr. Francis W. Kellogg Mr. Wilson 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 expediency of granting a bounty to soldiers enlisted in the volunteer or regular service of the United States since the 4th of March, 1861, and who may have served or may hereafter serve less than two years, and report by bill or otherwise. Mr. Low submitted the following resolution, viz: Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means be instructed to inquire into the expediency of revising the tariff of duties on imports, increasing the duties on all foreign goods not articles of prime necessity to such a rate as will diminish the amount imported, to the end that the imports of foreign goods may not exceed in amount the ex |