By Mr. Vance: Papers relating to the bill for the relief of Mary Tatham;

to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Also, letters of Second Assistant Postmaster-General Brady, relative to the claims of J. S. Waldrup and J. C. Clendennin for carrying United States mails;

By Mr. Wait: The petition of A. D. Cook & Company for the remis sion of a forfeiture under a contract with the United States, and for payment of a claim;

to the Committee of Claims.

By Mr. Harry White: The petition of citizens of Pennsylvania, for aid from the government to assist persons from said State to emigrate to the West and engage in agricultural pursuits;

to the Committee on the Public Lands.

By Mr. Benjamin A. Willis: Memorial of the New York Board of Trade and Transportation, for the appointment of a joint commission to investigate the working of our system of savings institutions;

to the Committee on Banking and Currency.

By Mr. Young: Papers relating to the claim of Peter Targarona, for property seized by United States officials;

to the Committee on War-Claims.

Messages in writing were received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Pruden, one of his secretaries; which were handed in at the Speaker's table.

Subsequently,

The Speaker, by unanimous consent, laid before the House the said messages; which were ordered to be printed and severally referred as follows, viz:

To the House of Representatives:

In answer to the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 1st instant, I transmit herewith reports from the Secretary of State and the Secretary of War, with their accompanying papers.

WASHINGTON, November 12, 1877.

[SUBJECT.-Mexican border troubles.] to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Also, the following:

To the House of Representatives:

R. B. HAYES.

In answer to the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 5th instant, I transmit herewith reports from the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury, with their accompanying documents. R. B. HAYES.

WASHINGTON, November 12, 1877.

[SUBJECT.-Differential duty of fifty cents per ton on Spanish vessels entering American ports.]

to the Committee of Ways and Means.

By unanimous consent, bills and a joint resolution were introduced, read twice, and referred as follows, viz:

By Mr. Scales: A bill (H. R. 1476) for the relief of F. B. Culver;

to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

By Mr. Stephens: A bill (H. R. 1477) for the relief of Edward Gallaher;

to the Committee on War-Claims.

By Mr. Banks: A bill (H. R. 1478) to extend, facilitate, and cheapen

land and water transportation of freight and passengers, and to promote industry and labor without further appropriation of public property or increase of public debt;

to the Committee of Ways and Means.

By Mr. Eames: A joint resolution (H. Res. 47) authorizing RearAdmiral John J. Almy, United States Navy, to accept a decoration from the King of the Hawaiian Islands;

to the Committee on Naval Affairs.

By Mr. Wait: A bill (H. R. 1479) for relief of A. D. Cooke & Company, remission of a forfeiture and payment of a claim;

to the Committee of Claims.

By Mr. Calkins: A bill (H. R. 1480) to prevent the sale of real estate in the District of Columbia by virtue of any power in a mortgage or deed of trust and to authorize a foreclosure and sale by decree of court; By Mr. Ittner: A bill (H. R. 1481) to provide for ascertaining and settling private land-claims in certain States and Territories; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

By Mr. Neal: A bill (H. R. 1482) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to place upon the pension-roll Levi J. Friel, late private Company K, Seventy-seventh Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry;

By Mr. Shellenberger: A bill (H. R. 1483) granting a pension to Thomas Lowry, late a sergeant of Company A, One hundred and fortyseventh Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers;

to the Committee on Invalid Pensions.

By Mr. Boone: A bill (H. R. 1484) for the relief of Allord & Crozier, of McCracken County, Kentucky;

Also, a bill (H. R. 1485) for the relief of W. H. Slack, of McCracken County, Kentucky;

By Mr. Riddle: A bill (H. R. 1486) for the relief of Mrs. Maggie A. Elliott, of Sumner County, Tennessee;

to the Committee on War-Claims.

By unanimous consent, the following resolutions were submitted and referred to the Committee of Accounts, viz:

By Mr. Burdick:

Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to pay to James M. Johns the sum of $300 for services as messenger from the 4th day of December, 1876, to the 4th day of March, 1877, to be paid. out of the contingent fund of the House of Representatives.

By Mr. John W. Caldwell:

Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives be, and he is hereby, directed to pay to G. J. Houston the sum of $295.33, out of the contingent fund, balance due him for services rendered as laborer in the Doorkeeper's department of the House of Representatives during the second session of the Forty-fourth Congress.

By Mr. Glover:

Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives be, and he is hereby, authorized to pay out of the contingent fund of the House the sum of $348 to John M. Butler, of Washington, District of Colum bia, for labor and services performed in assorting and classifying public papers and property of the House, and as custodian of the same, by the direction of a select committee of the House, from September 1 to November 26, 1876.

By Mr. Fuller:

Resolved, That the Clerk of the House be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to pay to H. T. Burrows, for services in the Door

keeper's department, compensation at the rate of $3.60 per diem, from August 15, 1876, to October 27, 1876, the same to be paid out of the contingent fund of the House.

By Mr. Hartridge:

Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives pay to Beaufort C. Lee, for services rendered in the Doorkeeper's department, from March 1 to October 15, 1877, at the rate of $720 per annum. By Mr. Boone :

Resolved, That the Clerk of the House be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to pay to W. S. Warrick, out of the contingent fund of the House, the sum of $17.50, for services as page of the House of Representatives, from October 15, 1877, to October 22, 1877.

By unanimous consent, resolutions were submitted and severally referred as follows, viz:

By Mr. Albert S. Willis :

Resolved, That Frank M. Schell be, and he is hereby, appointed a messenger of the House of Representatives for the Forty-fifth Congress, with an annual salary of $1,200, to be paid out of the contingent fund of the House, for service in the Special Committee on the Revision of the Electoral Law, the Special Committee on Ventilation, and such other special committees as may be ordered by the House;

to the Committee on the Rules.

By Mr. Walsh:

Resolved, That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, requested to ascertain the probable cost of the removal of the rocks in the channel of the Potomac River, between Georgetown, District of Columbia, and the new outlet-locks of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, above said Georgetown, and report the same before the close of the present session of Congress;

to the Committee on Commerce.

By Mr. Springer:

Resolved, That 2,000 copies of the volume of Questions of Order decided in the Organization of the House, as compiled and revised by the journal clerk, be printed for the use of the House;

to the Committee on Printing.

By Mr. Harry White:

Whereas a large portion of the laboring population of the country, particularly in Pennsylvania, is unemployed and is determined to engage in agricultural pursuits by emigrating to the West and settling on the public lands; and

Whereas a large portion of such people have sent their petitions to Congress reciting their desire to so emigrate and their inability to do so for want of transportation and the necessary implements of husbandry, and asking the assistance of the government: Therefore,

Resolved, That the Committee on Public Lands be, and is hereby, instructed to consider and report what assistance can be given by the gov ernment to such citizens who desire to emigrate to the West to take up a homestead and engage in agricultural pursuits, and that such committee report at as early a day as practicable, by bill or otherwise. to the Committee on the Public Lands.

By Mr. Townshend :

Resolved, That the Committee on Banking and Currency be instructed to inquire into the expedincy of withdrawing the national-bank circulation and winding up the national banks, and in lieu of said circulation providing the country with greenbacks or other currency of similar character, and that they report by bill or otherwise;

to the Committee on Banking and Currency.

On motion of Mr. Eden, by unanimous consent, the Committee on War-Claims was discharged from the further consideration of the petition of A. B. Rowden, and the same was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.

On motion of Mr. Reagan, by unanimous consent, the Committee on Commerce was discharged from the further consideration of the bill of the House (H. R. 1232) authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to adjust the claim of John Whittaker against the United States of America, and the same was referred to the Committee of Claims.

Mr. Neal, by unanimous consent, presented a memorial of the City Council, Board of Trade, and citizens, of Portsmouth, Ohio, praying that said city be mada a port of entry, and for other purposes; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce.

Mr. Claflin, by unanimous consent, presented a resolution of the National Board of Trade, in regard to the Signal Service; which was referred to the same committee.

On motion of Mr. Joseph J. Davis, by unanimous consent, the Committee of Claims was discharged from the further consideration of the petitions of Elias B. Moore and Josiah Cunningham, and bills of the House of the following titles, and the same were referred to the Committee on War-Claims, viz:

H. R. 724. For the relief of Eva Vansant, Henry Carleton, and Maud Carleton, children of General James H. Carleton.

H. R. 969. For the relief of Balaam A. Bridges, of Bartow County, Georgia.

H. R. 1022. For the benefit of Nathan G. Wells, of Russell County, Kentucky.

H. R. 1023. For the benefit of William D. Wolford, of Russell County, Kentucky.

On motion of Mr. Davis, also by unanimous consent, the same committee was discharged from the further consideration of the bill of the House (H. R. 819) for the relief of Joab Spencer and James Mead, for supplies furnished the Kansas tribe of Indians, and the same was referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

On motion of Mr. Davis, also by unanimous consent, the same committee was discharged from the further consideration of the following resolution, viz:

Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives be authorized to pay to V. H. McCormick, special messenger and watchman for the Committee on Freedman's Savings and Trust Company of the last Congress, the sum of $723.60, the amount due to him for services rendered during the Forty-fourth Congress and still unpaid, out of the contingent fund of the House of Representatives, and the same was referred to the Committee of Accounts.

Mr. Blount moved that the House resolve itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for the consideration of the Naval deficiency bill.

Pending which,

Mr. Blount further moved that general debate on the said bill be limited to two hours; which motion was agreed to.

Mr. Blount 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 recurring on the first motion of Mr. Blount, the same was agreed to; and the House accordingly 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. Blackburn reported that the committee, having had under consideration the bill of the House (H. R. 1220) to provide for certain deficiencies in the pay of the Navy and the pay of the Marine Corps, and for other purposes, had directed him to report the same without amendment. The House having proceeded to its consideration,

Mr. Blount demanded the previous question; which was seconded and the main question ordered.

Ordered, That the bill be engrossed and read a third time.

Being engrossed, the bill was accordingly read the third time, and passed.

Mr. Blount 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 Speaker, by unanimous consent, laid before the House executive communications; which were referred as follows, viz:

I. A letter from the Secretary of War, transmitting papers relating to office-rooms required for the State, War, and Navy building, and public buildings and grounds, in compliance with law of March 3, 1877; to the Committee on Appropriations.

II. A letter from the Secretary of War, transmitting papers in the case of the claim of the Annapolis and Elkridge Railroad Company, against the United States, for its occupation by the military authorities in 1861;

to the Committee on War-Claims.

The regular order being demanded, the Speaker announced as the regular order of business the bill of the House (H. R. 805) to repeal the third section of the act entitled "An act for the resumption of specie payments," under the order of the House of the 5th instant.

The House having proceeded to its consideration,

When

Mr. Eden submitted an amendment in the nature of a substitute for the said bill.

Mr. Chittenden submitted an amendment in the nature of a substitute for the said bill.

After debate,

Mr. Felton, at 4 o'clock and 40 minutes p. m., moved that the House adjourn;

Pending which,

By unanimous consent, leave of absence was granted to Mr. Alvah A. Clark until Monday next.

By unanimous consent, resolutions were submitted and referred as follows, viz:

By Mr. Wilson:

Resolved, That the Clerk of this House be, and he is hereby, directed to pay to William M. Patton, out of the contingent fund, the sum of $400, for services rendered as messenger of this House, from May 1, 1877, to the 1st of September following;

By Mr. Henderson :

Resolved, That the Clerk of the House be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to pay, out of the contingent fund, to such of the laborers of the House as were actually employed during the recess of Congress or any part of the same;

to the Committee of Accounts.