H. R. 56. Joint resolution relative to reservoirs to promote the navigation of the Mississippi River.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives having signed an enrolled bill (H. R. 1279), I am directed to bring it to the Senate for the signature of its President.

Mr. Conover, from the committee, reported that they had examined and found duly enrolled the bill (H. R. 1279) authorizing binding of documents for members of Congress.

The Vice-President signed the enrolled bill (H. R. 1279) last reported to have been examined, and it was delivered to the committee to be presented to the President of the United States.

The bills and joint resolution last received from the House of Representatives for concurrence were severally read the first and second times, by unanimous consent.

Ordered, That the bill H. R. 5 be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary; that the bill H. R. 318 be referred to the Committee on Patents; that the bill H. R. 1887 be referred to the Committee on Education and Labor; that the bill H. R. 1890 be referred to the Committee ou the Revision of the Laws; and that the joint resolution H, R. 56 be referred to the Select Committee on the Levees of the Mississippi River. Leave having been obtained, bills were introduced, read the first and second times by unanimous consent, and referred as follows:

By Mr. Ingalls: A bill (S. 369) for the relief of George A. Schreiner; to the Committee on Military Affairs.

By Mr. Conkling: A bill (S. 370) to incorporate the Citizens' Gas Light Company of the District of Columbia; to the Committee on the District of Columbia.

By Mr. Conkling: A bill (S. 371) to authorize the extension of the patent of E. N. Horsford; to the Committee on Patents.

By Mr. Paddock: A bill (S. 372) granting a pension to Adelia K. Clark; to the Committee on Pensions.

By Mr. Paddock: A bill (S. 373) to amend an act to provide for the sale of a portion of the reservation of the Confederated Ottoe and Missouria, and the Sac and Fox of the Missouri tribes of Indians, in the States of Kansas and Nebraska; to the Committee on Public Lands.

By Mr. Cameron, of Wisconsin: A bill (374) to pension all soldiers of the Black Hawk Indian war; to the Committee on Pensions.

By Mr. Burnside: A bill (S. 375) for the protection of widows, orphans, and heirs at law of officers of the Army of the United States; to the Committee on Military Affairs.

By Mr. Plumb: A bill (S. 376) to provide for ascertaining and settling private land-claims in certain States and Territories; to the Committee on Private Land Claims.

By Mr. Plumb: A bill (S. 377) to authorize the restoration of Stephen O'Connor to the rank of first lieutenant in the Army; to the Committee on Military Affairs.

By Mr. Cockrell: A bill (S. 378) for the relief of William L. Hickam, of Missouri; to the Committee on Claims.

By Mr. Wallace: A bill (S. 379) for the relief of William Wheeler Hubbell; to the Committee on Patents.

By Mr. Thurman: A bill (S. 380) to provide for circuit and district courts of the United States at Toledo, Ohio; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

By Mr. Dorsey: A bill (S. 381) to amend the fifth section of an act for the support of the government of the District of Columbia for the

fiscal year ending June 30, 1878, approved March 3, 1877; to the Committee on the District of Columbia.

By Mr. Dorsey: A bill (S. 382) to organize the Territory of Tishmingo, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Territories.

By Mr. Mitchell: A bill (S. 383) to establish a certain post-route in the State of Oregon,

And a bill (S. 384) for the establishment of a certain mail-route in the State of Oregon; to the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads. By Mr. Booth: A bill (S. 385) for the relief of settlers on the public lands; to the Committee on Public Lands.

By Mr. Matthews: A bill (S. 386) to extend the time for presenting claims for collecting, drilling, or organizing volunteers for the war of the rebellion; to the Committee on Military Affairs.

By Mr. Dawes: A bill (S. 387) to correct the date of commission of certain officers of the Quartermaster's Department; to the Committee on Military Affairs.

Mr. Burnside submitted the following resolution; which was considered, by unanimous consent, and agreed to:

Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested, if deemed not incompatible with the public interest, to transmit to the Senate the correspondence of the minister of the United States at Paris with the department in relation to the Franco German war, together with the correspondence of the said minister with the Count de Bismarck; Mr. Von Thile, the Prussian minister of foreign affairs; Mr. Bancroft, the United States minister at Berlin; and Mr. Motley, the United States minister at London.

Mr. Matthews submitted the following resolution for consideration; which was ordered to be printed:

Whereas, by the act entitled "An act to strengthen the public credit," approved March 18, 1869, it was provided and declared that the faith of the United States was thereby solemnly pledged to the payment in coin or its equivalent of all the interest-bearing obligations of the United States, except in cases where the law authorizing the issue of such obligations had expressly provided that the same might be paid in lawful money or other currency than gold and silver; and

Whereas all the bonds of the United States authorized to be issued by the act entitled "An act to authorize the refunding of the national debt," approved July 14, 1870, by the terms of said act, were declared to be redeemable in coin of the then present standard value, bearing interest payable semi-annually in such coin; and

Whereas all bonds of the United States authorized to be issued under the act entitled "An act to provide for the resumption of specie payments," approved January 14, 1875, are required to be of the description of bonds of the United States described in the said act of Congress approved July 14, 1870, entitled "An act to authorize the refunding of the national debt;" and

Whereas, at the date of the passage of said act of Congress last aforesaid, to wit, the 14th day of July, 1870, the coin of the United States of standard value of that date included silver dollars of the weight of 4123 grains each, as declared by the act approved January 18, 1837, entitled "An act supplementary to the act entitled 'An act establishing a mint and regulating the coins of the United States,"" to be a legal tender of payment, according to their nominal value, for any sums whatever: Therefore,

Be it enacted by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring therein), That all the bonds of the United States issued or authorized to

be issued under the said acts of Congress hereinbefore recited are payable, principal and interest, at the option of the Government of the United States, in silver dollars, of the coinage of the United States, containing 4123 grains each of standard silver; and that to restore to its coinage such silver coins as a legal tender in payment of said bonds, principal and interest, is not in violation of the public faith nor in derogation of the rights of the public creditor.

Mr. Howe submitted the following resolution; which was considered, by unanimous consent, and agreed to:

Resolved, That the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds be instructed to inquire and report what further provision can be made in the Capitol for the use of the committees of the Senate.

On motion by Mr. Allison that the bill (H. R. 1093) to authorize the free coinage of the standard silver dollar, and to restore its legal-tender character, be made the special order for Tuesday next at one o'clock; On motion by Mr. Morrill to amend the motion by striking out "Tues day" and inserting January 11,

The yeas and nays being desired by one fifth of the Senators present, Those who voted in the affirmative are,

Messrs. Anthony, Bayard, Blaine, Burnside, Christiancy, Dawes, Eaton, Hamlin, Hill, Kellogg, Lamar, McPherson, Morrill, Randolph, Rollins, Sargent, Wadleigh, Whyte.

Those who voted in the negative are,

Messrs. Allison, Bailey, Beck, Booth, Cameron of Wisconsin, Chaffee, Coke, Davis of Illinois, Davis of West Virginia, Dorsey, Ferry, Garland, Gordon, Harris, Hereford, Howe, Ingalls, Johnston, Jones of Florida, Jones of Nevada, Kirkwood, McCreery, McDonald, Matthews, Maxey, Merrimon, Mitchell, Morgan, Oglesby, Paddock, Patterson, Plumb, Ransom, Saunders, Teller, Thurman, Voorhees, Wallace, Windom, Withers.

So the amendment was not agreed to. The question recurring on agreeing to the motion submitted by Mr. Allison,

It was determined in the affirmative,

On motion by Mr. Sargent,

(Yeas...
Nays....

41

18

The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present, Those who voted in the affirmative are,

Messrs. Allison, Bailey, Beck, Booth, Bruce, Cameron of Wisconsin, Chaffee, Coke, Conover, Davis of Illinois, Davis of West Virginia, Dorsey, Ferry, Garland, Gordon, Harris, Hereford, Howe, Ingalls, Johnston, Jones of Florida, Jones of Nevada, Kirkwood, McCreery, McDonald, Matthews, Maxey, Merrimon, Morgan, Oglesby, Paddock, Patterson, Plumb, Ransom, Saunders, Teller, Thurman, Voorhees, Wallace, Windom, Withers.

Those who voted in the negative are,

Messrs. Anthony, Bayard, Blaine, Burnside, Christiancy, Dawes, Eaton, Hamlin, Hill, Lamar, McPherson, Mitchell, Morrill, Randolph, Rollins, Sargent, Wadleigh, Whyte.

So it was

Resolved, That the bill be made the special order for Tuesday next at one o'clock, two-thirds of the Senators present agreeing thereto.

On motion by Mr. Chaffee,

The Senate resumed the consideration of the resolution submitted by him November 8, 1877, calling for certain information relative to the Pacific Railroads; and, having been modified by Mr. Chaffee,

After debate,

The resolution as modified was agreed to, as follows:

Whereas Congress did provide in the act of July 1, 1862, being an act entitled "An act to aid in the construction of a railroad and telegraphline from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean, and to secure to the government the use of the same for postal, military, and other purposes;" and also by the subsequent acts of July 2, 1864, March 3, 1869, and June 20, 1874, amendatory thereof, that "said railroad and branches should be operated and used for all purposes of communication, travel, and transportation, so far as the public and government are concerned, as one connected, continuous line, without any discrimination of any kind in favor of the business of any or either of said companies, or adverse to the road or business of any or either of the others;" and upon such basis and contract with the said railroad company and its branches did grant to the Union Pacific Railroad Company and branch companies large subsidies in bonds and lands of the United States, all for the purpose of aiding in the construction of said roads, to be operated as aforesaid; and

Whereas it is alleged the said Union Pacific Railroad Company and its branch companies, being, as is alleged, the Kansas Pacific Company, the Denver Pacific Company, the Central Pacific of California, the Burlington and Missouri River Company, and the Sioux City Branch, have heretofore neglected and still do neglect and refuse to operate their roads in accordance with said acts of Congress, but have heretofore operated and still do operate them in open violation of the same; and

Whereas it is alleged by reason of said defaults, and on account of the same, the Government of the United States and the public have been and still are being damaged and deprived of their just and lawful rights and privileges, as stipulated, defined, and agreed upon in said acts aforesaid: Therefore,

Be it resolved, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, requested to inform the Senate what legal impediments, if any, exist which prevent him from executing said laws in accordance with the obligations accepted and agreements made by said Union Pacific Railroad Company and branches with the United States, as stipulated and agreed upon in the several acts aforesaid.

On motion by Mr. Oglesby,

The Senate proceeded to the consideration of executive business; and After the consideration of executive business the doors were opened, and,

On motion by Mr. Howe, at 5 o'clock and 4 minutes p. m.,
The Senate adjourned.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1877.

The Vice-President laid before the Senate a letter of the Secretary of War, communicating, in obedience to law, a statement of the expendi tures and operations of the Springfield Armory for the year ended June 30, 1877.

Ordered, That it lie on the table and be printed.

The Vice-President laid before the Senate the fifteenth annual report

of the Comptroller of the Currency, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1877.

Ordered, That it lie on the table and be printed.

Mr. Morgan presented a petition of citizens of Alabama, praying an appropriation for the improvement of the navigation of Mobile Bay; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce.

Mr. Ferry presented a memorial of William A. Burt, praying compensation for the use, by the United States, of a solar compass invented by him; which was referred to the Committee on Public Lands. Mr. Ferry presented a petition of citizens of Michigan, praying the passage of the bill for the coinage of the standard silver dollar, and restoring its legal-tender character.

Ordered, That it lie on the table.

Mr. Conkling presented a memorial of insurance companies, merchants, and others, of New York, praying the re-establishment of a legation of the United States at Bogota, in the United States of Colombia, and the appointment of a representative thereat; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Mr. Conkling presented a petition of citizens of New York, praying the appointment of a commission to confer with other nations with a view to the construction of a railroad across the continent of Africa; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Mr. Beck presented the petition of Mrs. Annie Horine, of Kentucky, praying compensation for property alleged to have been taken and ap propriated by the United States authorities during the late civil war; which was referred to the Committee on Claims.

Mr. Cockrell presented a petition of citizens of Missouri, praying to be allowed pensions; which was referred to the Committee on Pensions. Mr. Beck presented additional papers in relation to the claim of John E. Woodward to have refunded to him certain moneys, the proceeds of the sales of certain tobacco alleged to have been seized by the United States forces at Paducah, Kentucky; which, with the petition and papers on the files of the Senate, were referred to the Committee on Claims. Mr. Wallace presented a petition of citizens of Pennsylvania, praying the establishment of a post-route from Alleman's to Clearfield, in that State; which was referred to the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads.

Mr. Wallace presented a petition of citizens of Pennsylvania, praying the repeal of the so-called resumption act, and for the remonetiza. tion of silver; which was referred to the Committee on Finance.

Mr. Morgan presented a copy of the report of Captain A. N. Damrell, Corps of Engineers, United States Army, in relation to the work of improvement in Mobile Bay, Alabama, and recommending an appropriation for the continuation thereof; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce and ordered to be printed.

Mr. Conover presented the petition of Passed Assistant Engineer Ab. salom Kirby, United States Navy, praying to be allowed the pay of his present grade from October 11, 1866, to the date of his commission as a passed assistant engineer; which was referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs.

Mr. Conkling presented a memorial of L. C. Wood, of Watertown, New York, recommending the passage of a law to further the administration of justice, and to relieve the circuit and supreme courts of the great press of business now before them; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. Burnside presented a memorial of Major J. W. T. Gardiner, United