On motion by Mr. Matthews, The Senate resumed the consideration of the resolution submitted by him on the 6th instant, and modified to read as follows: 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 412 grains each, 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 resolved 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 412 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. After debate, An amendment having been proposed by Mr. Conkling, On motion by Mr. Morrill, that the resolution be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, After further debate, On motion by Mr. Edmunds, at 4 o'clock and 40 minutes p. m., that the Senate adjourn, It was determined in the affirmative,{ Yeas Nays.. 30 28 On motion by Mr. Jones, of Nevada, The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present, Those who voted in the affirmative are, Messrs. Anthony, Bayard, Booth, Burnside, Cameron of Wisconsin, Chaffee, Christiancy, Conkling, Davis of West Virginia, Dawes, Dorsey, Edmunds, Garland, Harris, Hill, Howe, Kernan, Lamar, McPherson, Merrimon, Morgan, Morrill, Randolph, Ransom, Rollins, Sargent, Saulsbury, Spencer, Wadleigh, Wallace. Those who voted in the negative are, Messrs. Bailey, Beck, Bruce, Cameron of Pennsylvania, Cockrell, Coke, Davis of Illinois, Eaton, Eustis, Ferry, Gordon, Hereford, Ingalls, Johnston, Jones of Florida, Jones of Nevada, Kirkwood, McCreery, McMil lan, Matthews, Maxey, Oglesby, Paddock, Plumb, Saunders, Teller, Thurman, Voorhees. So the motion was agreed to; and The Senate adjourned. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1877. Mr. George R. Dennis, from the State of Maryland, and Mr. La Fayette Grover, from the State of Oregon, attended. The following message was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Rogers, his secretary: To the Senate and House of Representatives: I have the honor to transmit herewith an additional report (and accompanying statement) addressed to me by the commissioners appointed under the act of Congress approved July 19, 1876, authorizing the repavement of that part of Pennsylvania avenue lying between the Treas ury Department and the Capitol gounds. EXECUTIVE MANSION, December 10, 1877. The message was read. R. B. HAYES. Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on the District of Columbia and be printed. The Vice-President laid before the Senate a letter of the Secretary of State, communicating, in obedience to law, a statement of the names of the consular officers not citizens of the United States to whom salaries have been paid for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1876. Ordered, That it lie on the table and be printed. The Vice-President laid before the Senate a letter of the Secretary of State, communicating, in obedience to law, a statement of such fees as have been collected, accounted for, and reported by the various diplomatic and consular officers of the United States during the year ended December 31, 1876, together with the rates or tariffs of fees, and a full list of consular officers in office on December 15, 1876. Ordered, That it lie on the table and be printed. The following message was received from the President of the United States by Mr. Rogers, his secretary: To the Senate and House of Representatives: I transmit herewith, for the information of Congress, a copy of the report of the commission appointed by me on the 27th of September, 1877, to examine the several public buildings in this city and determine the nature and extent of their security against conflagrations and the measures to be taken to guard the buildings and their contents from destruction or damage by fire. The records of the government constitute a most valuable collection for the country, whether we consider their pecuniary value or their his torical importance; and it becomes my duty to call your attention to the means suggested for securing these valuable archives, as well as the buildings in which they are stored. The commissioners have performed their duties intelligently and faithfully. Their recommendations are fully concurred in by me, and commended to the favorable consideration of Congress. R. B. HAYES. EXECUTIVE MANSION, December 10, 1877. The message was read. Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds and be printed. Mr. Saulsbury presented the petition of Isabella McGunnegle, praying to be allowed an increase of pension; which was referred to the Committee on Pensions. Mr. Bailey presented a petition of citizens of Tennessee, praying the establishment of a post-road from Pine Knot post-office, in Campbell County, to Crooked Fork post-office, in Morgan County, in that State; which was referred to the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads. Mr. Wadleigh presented a petition of Clemence S. Lozier, president. and other officers, of the National Woman Suffrage Association, praying the use of the Senate chamber on the day of January next for the delegates to the Sixteenth Amendment convention, in which to present the subject of a constitutional amendment in relation to woman suffrage; which was referred to the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds. Mr. McCreery presented the petition of Henry B. Helm, of Hardie County, Kentucky, praying compensation for property taken and used by United States troops during the late civil war; which was referred to the Committee on Claims. Mr. Cockrell presented the petition of M. M. Kimmel, praying the removal of his political disabilities; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Mr. Conkling presented the petition of James C. Jewett, praying to be indemnified out of the Geneva awards for losses sustained by him by the depredations of the Alabama and other Confederate cruisers; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Mr. Cameron, of Wisconsin, presented the petition of John Cummins, late collector of internal revenue for the district of Idaho, praying the reimbursement of the amount of certain moneys paid by him for clerkhire during the term of his service; which was referred to the Committee on Claims. Mr. Conover presented papers in relation to the application of Acting Passed Assistant Surgeon Francis V. Greene, United States Navy, for appointment as a surgeon in the Navy; which was referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs. Mr. Morgan presented a petition of citizens of Monroe County, Alabama, praying an appropriation for the improvement of Mobile Bay; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce. Mr. Oglesby presented a petition of citizens of Chicago, Illinois, praying the repeal of the bankrupt-law; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Petitions, praying the appointment of a commission to investigate the traffic in intoxicating liquors, were presented as follows: By Mr. Dawes: A petition of citizens of Massachusetts. By Mr. Conkling: A petition of the Grand Lodge of Good Templars of New York. By Mr. McPherson: A petition of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Bordentown, New Jersey, and a petition of the Grand Temple of Honor of New Jersey. By Mr. Morrill: A petition of the Women's Christian Temperance Union of Saint Albans, Vermont. By Mr. Barnum: A petition of the Grand Lodge of Good Templars of Connecticut, and a petition of the Women's Christian Temperance Union of Connecticut. By Mr. Cockrell: A petition of the Good Templars of Missouri. By Mr. Burnside: A petition of the Grand Lodge of Good Templars of Rhode Island. By Mr. Anthony: A petition of the Rhode Island State Temperance Union. By Mr. Bayard: A petition of the Grand Lodge of Good Templars of Delaware. By Mr. Sargent: A petition of the Grand Lodge of Good Templars of California. By Mr. Chaffee: A petition of the Grand Lodge of Good Templars of Colorado. By Mr. Allison: A petition of the Marietta Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends. By Mr. Withers: A petition of the Rising Sun Lodge of Good Temlars of Virginia. By Mr. Saulsbury: A petition of the Sons of Temperance of New Jersey. By Mr. Bailey: A petition of the Grand Lodge of Good Templars of Tennessee. By Mr. Randolph: A petition of the Grand Lodge of Good Templars of New Jersey. By Mr. Thurman: A petition of the Grand Lodge of Good Templars of Ohio. By Mr. Ransom: A petition of the Grand Lodge of Good Templars of North Carolina. By Mr. Wadleigh: A petition of the Grand Lodge of Good Templars of Massachusetts. By Mr. McMillan: A petition of the Women's Christian Temperance Union of Iowa. By Mr. Matthews: A petition of the Republican Temple of Honor of Steubenville, Ohio. By Mr. McDonald: A petition of the Grand Lodge of Good Templars of Indiana. By Mr. Voorhees: A petition of citizens of Charlottesville, Indiana. By Mr. Christiancy: A petition of the Grand Lodge of Good Templars of Michigan. By Mr. Beck: A petition of the Good Templars of Kentucky. By Mr. Conkling: A petition of the Friends' Temperance Union of New York. By Mr. Whyte: A petition of the Grand Division of the Sons of Temperance of the District of Columbia. By Mr. Maxey: A petition of the Temple of Honor of Texas. By Mr. Hill: A petition of the Supreme Council of the Templars of Honor. By Mr. Kernan: A petition of the Templars of Honor and Temperance, and the petition of the State Temperance Society of New York. By Mr. Paddock: A petition of the Grand Temple of Honor of the District of Columbia. By Mr. Spencer: A petition of the students of Yale Divinity School of New Haven. By Mr. Bruce: A petition of the Good Templars of Washington Territory. By Mr. Patterson: A petition of the Sons of Temperance of South Carolina. By Mr. Howe: A petition of the Good Templars of Wisconsin. By Mr. Hamlin: A petition of the First Presbyterian Church of Marshalltown, Iowa. By Mr. Kirkwood: A petition of the Alton, Iowa, Disciple Church. By Mr. Ferry: A petition of the National Temperance Society. Ordered, That they be referred to the Committee on Finance. Petitions, praying to be allowed the right of suffrage, were presented as follows: By Mr. McMillan: Several petitions of citizens of Minnesota. By Mr. Barnum: A petition of citizens of Connecticut. By Mr. Morrill: A petition of citizens of Vermont. By Mr. Rollins: A petition of citizens of New Hampshire. By Mr. Cameron, of Wisconsin: Two petitions of citizens of Wiscon sin. By Mr. Matthews: Two petitions of citizens of Ohio. By Mr. Dawes : Several petitions of citizens of Massachusetts. By Mr. Barnum: A petition of citizens of Connecticut. Ordered, That they be referred to the Committee on Privileges and Elections. Petitions, praying an amendment to the Constitution prohibiting the several States from disfranchising United States citizens on account of sex, were presented as follows: By Mr. Sargent: A petition of citizens of California. By Mr. Davis, of Illinois: A petition of citizens of Illinois. Ordered, That they be referred to the Committee on Privileges and Elections. Mr. Davis, of Illinois, presented a resolution of the Illinois State Board of Agriculture in favor of the establishment of a bureau of agriculture as one of the departments of the government, and for the appointment of a secretary over it; which was referred to the Committee ou Agriculture. Mr. Dawes presented additional papers in relation to the claim of Frederick A. Holden; which, with his petition and papers on the files of the Senate, were referred to the Committee on Claims. Mr. Howe presented a petition of citizens of Wisconsin, praying the establishment of a post-road from Marshland to Pine City, in that State; which was referred to the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads. Petitions, praying to be allowed the right of suffrage, were presented as follows: By Mr. Oglesby: Three petitions of citizens of Illinois. |