National Republican., 1878-05-06

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
Mr.. STEPHENS, from Committee on Coin
age, reported bill In relation to the exchange
Of subsidiary silver coin for legal-tender notes,
under certain circumstances Ordered printed
and recommitted.
The House resumed consideration of the un.
finished business Of yesterday, which WIS the
legislative appropriation bill, the question
pending being upon the point of order raised
against the amendment offered by Mr.. GrBsoN
70 re-establish the branch mint at New Or
leans. The point raised was that the amend
ment proposed now legislation.
After debate upon the point of order IL was
ovcrruled by the Speaker, who quoted the law
TO show that the mint at New Orleans had
been maintained In successive appropriation
bills as an assay Office, and that this PROPOSE
legislation. The amendment was therefore In
order.
All Of the amendments made to the bill In
Committee Of the Whole, upon which separate
votes were not demanded, were concurred in in
bulk.
Aseparate vote was demanded on the amend
ment increasing the clerical force in the Office
Of the Surgeon General, and on division, II
was decided In the affirmative-yeas, 92; nays
ordered.
Mr.. BUTLER inquired whether this was not
the amendment which proposed to increase
the force 30 that pension claims could bo
brought upf
The SPEAKER said It was.
Objection was made to debate.
The roll was then called, and the Speaker
announced the result to be--ycas, 115 nays,
ia. The Speaker voted In the negative, and
the amendment was defeated.
1.-THE effect Of rejecting this amendment Is to
leave the clerical force as follows six Of class
4; four Of class 3; nine of class 2; seventy Of
class /; twenty-eight at 81 600, and twenty
eight at s9OO
The next vote was taken on the amendment
striking out the clause requiring that the en-
tire clerical force, except three, now employed
on the Medical and Surgical History Of the
War shall be employed on the work necessary
to the prompt payment Of pensions. The re-
suit was, yeas los, nays LIS, aud the amend
ment was rejected, and the clerks on the Medi-
cal and Surgical History Of the War are de-
tailed for pcnsoin work
The next amendment, which increased the
salaries Of the Patent Office examiners, was
also rejected on vote by tallen-yeas 65,
nays Sc.
The amendment changing the mode of max
ing proofs and affidavits for entry on the pub
lie lands was also rejected.
/. BY unanimous consent the House went back
and allowed six clerks instead of three to con-
tinue on the work of the Medical and Surgical
History of the War.
The amendment increasing the number and
advancing the grade Of clerks in the office OF
the Third Assistant Postmaster-Gcnoral was
declared rejected by rising vote, and the
yeas and nays were ordered.
The amendment was rejected-yeas 105,
bays 112.
The .nd,,o,t ,,,,.o..;.. H. ..I..;.. -.
She principal clerks in the Agricultural De-
Partment was also rejected, the friends Of the
increase not being able to obtain either a yea
and nay vote OH vote by tellers.
Inc next question Was on the amendment
offered by Mr.. MILLS, directing the distribu-
tion Of seeds to be mado to the several dis
tricts according to agricultural population.
Mr.. MoCOOK demanded the yeas and nays.
He Wanted to see who favored such legisla-
ton.
Inc yeas and nays were ordered, and this
amendment was agreed to by Ill to 80.
The amendment reducing the rent of the
Frecdmen's Bank building In Washington, to
$io,OOO, was agreed to.
This completed the amendments made In
Committee of the Whole, and the question was
then taken on the amendment offered In the
House yesterday by Mr.. gibson, and ruled In
order this morning, to establish the mint at
New Orleans in full operation again. 1t ap.
propriates in all the sum of $lS3, 400. The
amendment was agreed to by vote of 125
yeas to 9l nays.
The bill was then read third time, and
passed rs amended.
The bill as originally reported recommended
$4,735,670. As 1t left the Committee of the
Whole yesterday there was an increase of
$92,7i0. By rejecting amendments made In
the committee, that was reduced in the House
to-day to 81, $50, but the addition for the
New Orleans mint added $ls3, 400, but from
this must bo deducted Sl0262, which had
been previously appropriated for an assay
office, and there is, therefore, an actual in
crease of S22l, ,02S.
Mr.. WOOD moved that the House go into
committee to take up the tariff bill, pending
which, Mr. O'NEIL moved to adjourn. The
latter motion was agreed to by a vote of 103 to
90, and the House at twenty minutes past four
adjourned.