the telegraph-lines of the United States, and declaring that the telegraph belongs properly to the Post-Office Department, and that the Government can alone secure the freedom of the press and the security of private correspondence, to the Committee on the Post-Office and PostRoads.

By Mr. Erastus Wells: The petition of Thomas R. Cross, late a private in the First Missouri Light Artillery, for a pension, to the Committee on Invalid Pensions.

By Mr. Wigginton: The petition of 1,472 citizens of Los Angeles County, California, protesting against the confirmation by Congress of illegal indemnity school-land selections in said State, to the Committee on the Public Lands.

By Mr. Willis: The petition of Charles Perley, for compensation for the use by the United States of certain inventions patented by him and applied without his consent in the construction of certain naval engines of war, to the Committee on Naval Affairs.

By unanimous consent, bills were introduced, read a first and second time, ordered to be printed, and severally referred as follows, viz:

By Mr. Hereford: A bill (H. R. 4301) for the relief of A. W. Plymale, of West Virginia, to the Committee on the Judiciary.

By Mr. Willis: A bill (H. R. 4302) to provide for the repeal of all taxes upon capital and deposits of State and national banking institu tions, corporations, companies, associations, or persons engaged in the business of banking, to the Committee of Ways and Means.

Also, a bill (H. R. 4303) to further declare the meaning of section 5219 of the Revised Statutes of the United States and its correct interpretation, to the Committee on Banking and Currency.

By Mr. Caulfield: A bill (H. R. 4304) to authorize the United States to secure a title to the Fort Union military and timber reservation in New Mexico, to the Committee on Military Affairs.

By Mr. Tufts: A bill (H. R. 4305) to change the name of the steamboat Blue Lodge to that of A. P. Hosford, to the Committee on Com

merce.

By unanimous consent, resolutions, petitions, and a memorial were introduced, read, and severally disposed of as follows, viz:

By Mr. Fort: The petition of officers and soldiers of the United States Army who served in the Mexican war, praying for such additional pay, bounty, or pension as may seem most wise and just, to the Committee on Invalid Pensions and ordered to be printed.

By Mr. Willis: The memorial of merchants, bankers, and others of the city of New York, praying for a peaceful and harmonious solution of the presidential question, to the select committee on counting the electoral vote.

By Mr. Bright: Resolved, That one messenger be added to the list of messengers under the Doorkeeper of the House, to be assigned to duty to the diplomatic gallery, which is not now provided for, to the Committee on Accounts.

By Mr. John W. Wallace: Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire whether by the act of August 15, 1876, which declares that the fourteen messengers on the soldiers' roll shall be employed during the current year at a compensation not exceeding $1,200 each, and the sum of money necessary to pay the messengers on that roll is hereby appropriated," the Doorkeeper of the House had the legal right to discharge Charles H. Reisenger, one of the messengers on that soldiers' roll, to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. McCrary, by unanimous consent, submitted the following resolu tion; which was read, considered, and agreed to, viz:

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Interior be requested to transmit to the House a copy of the latest report of the Government directors of the Union Pacific Railroad Company.

Mr. McCrary moved to reconsider the vote by which the resolution was adopted, and also moved that the motion to reconsider be laid on the table; which latter motion was agreed to.

On motion of Mr. William R. Brown, by unanimous consent, the bill (H. R. 2260) "providing for the sale of saline lauds," with the amendments of the Senate thereto, was taken from the Speaker's table and the said amendments agreed to.

Mr. William R. Brown moved to reconsider the vote by which the amendments of the Senate were agreed to, and also moved that the motion to reconsider be laid on the table; which latter motion was agreed to.

Ordered, That the Clerk acquaint the Senate therewith.

By unanimous consent, on motion of Mr. Holman, the House proceeded to the consideration of business on the Speaker's table; when the following resolutions of the Senate were read and severally referred to the Select Committee on Rules:

Resolved, That the Committee on Enrolled Bills shall have power to act concurrently with a similar committee of the House of Representatives in the examination of enrolled bills, and shall carefully compare the enrollment with the engrossed bills as passed in the two houses, and correct any errors that may be discovered in the enrolled bills, make their report to the respective houses, and shall be as follows: Mr. Conover, (chairman,) Mr. Robertson, and Mr. Kelly.

Resolved, That the Committee on the Library shall have power, in conjunction with three members appointed by the House of Representatives, to superintend and direct the expenditure of all the moneys appropriated for the Library, and to perform such other duties as are or may be directed by law, and shall be as follows: Mr. Howe, (chairman,) Mr. Edmunds, and Mr. Ransom.

Resolved, That the Committee on Printing shall have power, in conjunction with the committee on the part of the House of Representatives, to discharge all the duties now or hereafter devolved upon them by law, and shall be as follows: Mr. Anthony, (chairman,) Mr. Sherman, and Mr. Saulsbury.

Resolved, That the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds shall have power to act concurrently with the same committee of the House of Representatives, and shall be as follows: Mr. Morrill, (chairman,) Mr. Cameron of Pennsylvania, Mr. Paddock, Mr. Cooper, and Mr. Whyte. Bills and joint resolutions of the Senate and bills of the House, with amendments of the Senate thereto, were also taken from the Speaker's table, read a first and second time, and severally referred as follows, viz: S. 614. An act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to deposit certain funds in the United States Treasury in lieu of investment, with the amendments of the House, and the message from the Senate disagreeing to the said amendments, and requesting a conference, to the Committee of Ways and Means.

H. R. 2300. A bill granting a pension to Margaret C. Bell, to the Committee on Invalid Pensions.

H. R. 2473. A bill to authorize claimants upon even-numbered sections of land within the twenty-mile limits of the Northern Pacific Railroad to make proof in payment for their claims at the ordinary minimum rate

of one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, to the Committee on the Public Lands.

H. R. 1558. A bill to remove the legal and political disabilities of Robert Ransom, of Virginia, to the Committee on the Judiciary.

H. R. 2133. A bill to amend section 10 of the act making appropriations for the current and contingent expenses of the Indian department for the year ending June 30, 1876, to the Committee on Appropriations. H. R. 1915. A bill to change the name of the steamboat Robert Ross, to the Committee on Commerce.

H. R. 2041. A bill to amend section 2291 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, to the Committee on the Public Lands.

H. R. 1237. A bill for the relief of Benjamin F. Reynolds;

H. R. 262. A bill for the relief of the legal representatives of John W. Gall, deceased, late of Company A, One hundred and thirtieth Regiment Illinois Volunteers;

to the Committee on Military Affairs.

H. R. 2736. A bill to remove the political disabilities of N. H. Van Zandt, of Virginia, to the Committee on the Judiciary.

H. R. 4120. A bill making appropriations for the payment of invalid and other pensions of the United States for the year ending June 30, 1878, to the Committee on Appropriations.

H. R. 2043. An act to improve the law in relation to dower in the District of Columbia, to the Committee on the Judiciary.

S. R. 16. Joint resolution to authorize the President to appoint com missioners to attend an international conference upon the subject of the relative value of gold and silver, to the Committee on Coinage, Weights, and Measures.

S. 873. An act for the relief of John G. Taylor, of Annapolis, Maryland, to the Committee of Claims.

S. 686. An act supplementary to the present statutes in aid and defense of the constitutional rights of citizens, to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

S. 735. An act granting a pension to Martha Irwin, widow of John Irwin, to the Committee on Invalid Pensions.

S. 739. To amend section 5457 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, relating to counterfeiting, to the Committee on the Revision of the Laws of the United States.

S. 783. An act providing for the extension of the time for completing the survey and location of the Portland, Dalles, and Salt Lake Railroad;

S. 547. An act for the relief of settlers upon certain lands in the State of Minnesota ;

to the Committee on the Public Lands.

S. 813. An act granting au increase of pension to Lawrence P. N. Landrum, to the Committee on Invalid Pensions.

S. 845. An act for the relief of W. H. Woodward, of Indianola, Texas, to the Committee on Military Affairs.

S. 882. An act granting a pension to Stillman E. Dix, of Hampton, Virginia;

S. 883. An act granting a pension to William H. Oliver, of Sweet Water, Tennessee;

to the Committee on Invalid Pensions.

S. 934. An act to provide for furnishing certified transcripts of terri torial records, to the Committee on the Territories.

S. 535. An act granting a pension to Armistead Goodlow, to the Committee on Invalid Pensions.

S. 655. An act to confirm to the city of San José, in the State of California, the title to certain lands, to the Committee on the Public Lands. S. 973. An act for the relief of Elizabeth Carson, to the Committee on Military Affairs.

S. 884. An act to authorize the change of name of the steamboat Peter Crary to that of Joseph L. Chapman, to the Committee on Com

merce.

S. 978. An act extending and continuing the act entitled "An act to provide temporarily for the expenditures of the Government," to the Committee on Appropriations.

S. 781. An act for the relief of the estate of Amos Ireland, deceased, to the Committee of Claims.

S. 999. An act to continue the provisions of an act entitled "An act to provide temporarily for the expenditures of the Government," &c., to the Committee on Appropriations.

S. 992. An act to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to issue a register and change the name of the schooner Captain Charles Robbin to Minnie, to the Committee on Commerce.

S. 904. An act for the relief of William C. Nichols, late assistant treas urer of the United States at Chicago, Illinois, to the Committee of Claims.

S. 1008. An act to increase the efficiency of the cavalry force in the suppression of Sioux Indian hostilities, to the Committee on Military Affairs.

S. 731. An act to limit and fix the Signal-Service, to the Committee on Appropriations.

S. 917. An act to enable O. F. Bussell, of Indianapolis, Indiana, to make application to the Commissioner of Patents for extension of letters patent for a combined rubber and spiral steel spring, to the Committee on Patents.

S. 234. An act to allow a pension of thirty-seven dollars per month to soldiers who have lost both an arm and a leg, to the Committee on Invalid Pensions.

S. 307. An act concerning security on writs of error aud appeals, and for other purposes, to the Committee on the Judiciary.

S. 526. An act to amend section 1036 of the Revised Statutes, relating to the District of Columbia, to the Committee for the District of Columbia.

S. 453. An act to authorize the Vancouver Water Company to lay water pipes through the Fort Vancouver military reservation, to the Committee on Military Affairs.

S. 796. An act for the relief of the heirs of Sheldon S. Hartshorn;

S. 795. An act to enable Moses Marshall to make application to the Commissioner of Patents for the extension of letters-patent for improvement in knitting machines;

to the Committee on Patents.

S. 1044. An act making appropriation to pay judgments of the Court of Claims, to the Committee on Appropriations.

S. 832. An act to increase the pension of Helen M. Stansbury;

S. 210. An act granting a pension to Austin R. Mills;

to the Committee on Invalid Pensions.

S. 691. An act for the relief of Edward A. Leland, to the Committee on Patents.

S. 705. An act for the relief of Albert Towle, postmaster at Beatrice, Nebraska, to the Committee of Claims.

S. 750. An act granting a pension to T. B. Murdock, to the Committee on Invalid Peusions.

S. 752. An act authorizing the recorder of the District of Columbia to appoint an assistant with certain powers, to the Committee for the District of Columbia.

S. 792. An act granting a pension to Peter Hardie, to the Committee on Invalid Pensions.

S. 828. An act for the relief of Peter Phillips;

S. R. 29. Joint resolution extending the time for the making of a report by the Army commission created by the act of July 24, 1876;

S. 683. An act for the relief of the officers and privates of the Fourth Arkansas Cavalry Volunteers;

to the Committee on Military Affairs.

S. 991. An act for the relief of Edwin Rogers;

S. 946. An act for the relief of Gibbes & Co., of Charleston, South Carolina;

to the Committee of Claims.

S. 606. An act to establish the Territory of Huron and to provide a temporary government therefor, to the Committee on the Territories.

Mr. Holman moved to reconsider the various votes by which the bills and resolutions were referred, and also moved that the motion to reconsider be laid on the table; which latter motion was agreed to.

The Speaker, by unanimous consent, laid before the House the following executive communications; which were severally referred as follows, viz:

I. A letter from the Secretary of War, respecting an appropriation for head-stones of graves of citizens and rebel soldiers in the cemeteries at Rock Island and Elmira, to the Committee on Military Affairs.

II. A letter from the Secretary of the Interior, iuclosing an estimate for an appropriation for a survey of certain lands in North Carolina, to the Committee on Appropriations.

Mr. Henry R. Harris, from the Committee on Enrolled Bills, reported that the committee had examined and tound truly enrolled a bill of the following title, viz:

S. 408. For the relief of Assistant Surgeon Thomas F. Azpell, United States Army;

When

The Speaker signed the same.

Mr. Clymer, from the Committee on Appropriations, reported a bill of the following title; which was read a first and second time, viz:

H. R. 4306. A bill making appropriation for the support of the Military Academy for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1878, and for other

purposes.

Ordered, That the said bill be committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, made the special order therein for Monday, January 8, next, after the morning hour, and from day to day thereafter until disposed of, and be printed.

On motion of Mr. Conger, all points of order were reserved on the

said bill.

The Speaker, having proceeded to call the committees for reports, announced as the regular order of business the consideration of the bill (H. R. 3775) reported yesterday from the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of Justice, the pending question being on the amendment submitted by Mr. Conger.

The House having proceeded to the consideration of the said amendment,

It was disagreed to.

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