Evening star., 1877-11-12
FORTTFIFTH CONGRESS,
MONDAY, November L


deceased. The Credentials were placed on
nle, and Mr.. voorhees, came forward and
took the oath OF Office.
A Personal ENPLASATIoN BY SENATOR
CoNKLING.
Mr.. Conkling said he did not often ask the
Senate TO 1sten TO a personal explanation
from him. But in the New York Herdl OF
last Friday appeared an article OF three coll
umns purporilng TO represent a conversation
held with him, or vaguely purpOrIing To
come from him. Il does not claim to D., a
report, bul claims 10 be minutes of "A conver-
saIlon held W III him. IL seems To have be-
come Known throughout The country. how
ever, a. coming from him. He had not for
some months held any conversation ike an
interview with the representative of any
paper for publication, with a single eNcep-
uon. and tnat was In relation ID the deaf
Senator from Indiana. Tue article spoken
of contains some things which he may have
said. IL contains much else thai ne never
did say. IL was not like him To utter such
words as that article contained ant. in the
the republican party last week. he certainty
should not be likely To make any sucl re
marks a. were attributed to bim.
PETITIONS AND BILLS
were presented as follows. BY Mr.. Hamln-
\ petition from the entire bar Of PenObscDt
county, I'm Maine. protesting against a re-
peal Of the bankrupt law: committee on ia
dietary. By Mr.. Cameron. OF visa peii-
uon OF citizens Of Milwau kee, asking for the
passage of law whereby the government
Will receive itS own legal tender notes for all
dues 10 Tie trited States; com mittee o1 A.
rance. By Mr.. Wallace-A petition from
persons employed In the erection of public
build ings, asking that the eight hour law
may be eniorcedi committee on pu )lic build
ings and grounds by Mr.. Windom-A peti-
tion and accompany ing bill for the creation
oil department of commerce; committee on
commerce. Ey Mr.. Barnside-A b II 10
amend chapters Is and 81 OF the revised stat
utes In relation JO commerce: committee on
commerce. By Mr. Hiil-A bill to reimburse
the state OF @ cOrgia for money eN..endei i'm
uFfnf fan tom
claims. BY Mr.. Matthews-A bill TO e1force
judgments anI DEGREES in the states where
made; committee on Judiciary. by Mr..
Davis, of Ill.-A bin TO remit taxes on inSol-
vent savings hanks; committee on finance.
BY Mr.. Maxey-A resolution authorizing the
committee on military affairs to inquire into
ihe ekpe1lency OF erecting system OF de-
ienslve works along the Rio Grande river,
ia Texas, and, II they deem IL advisable,
that they report a bill for such a
purpose; committee on military affairs.
Tne Chelr laid before the Senate a commu-
DicatlOn from the President, transmitting,
i'm compliance with a resolution OF the : en-
ate, statement showing the appropri atlonS
and expenditures for the Navy department
Iom hSJ 10 Fat. Also, setting forth that n
similar statement i'm relation 10 the appro-
pTistion and expenditure on account or
army and navy pensions, was being pre-
pared and would soon be Forwarded TO the
Senate. Committee on appropriations.
Mr Davis III asked To be excused from
iurlher service on the committee on PEN
SiOns. Granted.
Mr.. Saunders asked TO be excused from
further service on the committee on trans
por;ation To the sea aboard. Granted.
Mr.. Wadleigh introduced a resolution 10
transpOse the names OF B. Wadleigh aud
Newton Booth on the COMMITTEES on patents,
So ss 10 bring the name OF Mr.. Booth ii irs'
and that Mr.. Booth be declared chairman o.
the committee on patents. Adoptei.
ENLARGJNG THE CAPITOL GROUNDS
Mr.. lawes called up the bill TO take certain
parcels Of land ~ TIE iutersect on OF Penn
SyiNania avepue aUd Maryland avenue for
public purposes.
After some discussion, Mr. Whyfe moved
an amendment that the land should BE- taken
only after notice TO owner of said property,
either by summons or publication In one or
more neTspa ers in the city OF Washington
al least four times; adopted. He also ptJ-
posed an am endment that there shall be APP
PORTED five comm ssiOners, who shall be
freeholders OF the District of Col ana ba, %
ascer ain The value OF said property; adopted.
Afer furtf er debate, and after further
minor amendments, the bill was passei.
Mr. Sargent introduced resolution, which
was adopted, calling upon the Secretary or
The Navy for Information whether sections
.i93 and ,I9i OF the revised statutes 10 rela-
ton 10 the promotion OF officers OF the navy,
after due examinat' on had been compliei 4
with, and il the examining board hal per
formed their duty in case OF promotions, and
what further legislation was necessary, IL
any, to carry out the above sections.
ON motion ofMr. Hamlin, the Senafa, al
l:50, went into executive session, and at ,
ate adjourned.
HOUSE.-Mr. Atkins sent up aud had
read copies of dispatches sent to the adju-
,ant general. and the reply of the latter, and
dated November 9Th. These were the dis
patches referred TO on Saturday as never
having been delivered. The endorsement on
the paper states that the telegraph operator
at the War department says that he sent the
telegram, and that he has the check OF the
operator at the Capitol that II was received.
Mr.. Atkins said he had had these copies read
In justice TO all parties, because the operator
al the Capitol insists that he never either re-
ceived the dispatch or gave q receipt for il.
The House then, as the first business in or
der, resumed the consideration OF the lnfin-
lshtd business Ct Saturday, which was the
army a! preparation bill.
1 lie nrst amendment made in committee Of
the whole was upon TIE motion OF Mr
recrultlngio The force as II stoDa on Novem
5er LIST, IS,5.
This amendment was adopted.
The amendment OF NJ. Tucker, which linn
ited the increased recruiting 10 the cavalry
ann OF the service, and in effect authorized
The recruiting 10 1900 men, was rejected.
The question then recarred upon the
amendment OF Mr. Clymer, providing for
the recruiting OF a force OF four cavalry regi-
neutS TO their full numbers, and TO be efn-
ployed on the Texas border, bat limiting the
Upon this there was a contest, ana the yeas
and nays We're demanded, and the amend
meDt was adopted-yeas l35, nays II.
After the brst roll call had been completed
and when members who had not ans gered
arose 10 have their votes recorded. Mr.. Say
Ter, OF Ohio, stated that he was not within
The bar wien the last name on the roll was
called, and he asked unanimous consent To
vote. The rule is explicit that members
shall Lot be entitled TO vote unless they are
present during the main roll call, aud as the
vote was supposed TO be very close, Mr.
Conger objected TO Mr. Sayler voting.
Mr.; Knott raised question whether
member could be deprived Of ms vote a. any
tine prior 10 the announcement OF the result.
he krew that wss the rule, but in his opin-
ion !t was violation OF the constitution OF the
United States.
The Speaker said he was in the chair to
en force the rules as he found them, aud
when the question regularly arose he would
determine tle subject, and his disposition
would be TO make the construction IN faVoc
OF the constitutional right OF the member.
The vote Was then announced as above.
The amendment; limiting the pay OF staff
officers and aids 10 the pay Of their actual
rank In the army was rjec.ed: yeas, l23;
nays, l31.
Pending the vote on the passag &c o. the bill.
as amended, Mr.. Atkins, who was entitled
10 one hour 20 close debate, yielded tc-
Mr.. Garfield, who said he desired 10 have
read a leJter from the Secretary OF War,
wnith he said woald explain certain matters
~ tod IL, "A.