The following-named Delegates from the Territories also appeared and

took their seats, viz:

The Speaker announced that a quorum had appeared (two hundred and two members having answered to their names).

The Speaker laid before the House the credentials of Robert R. Hitt as a Representative from the fifth Congressional district of the State of Illinois, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Robert M. A. Hawk; of Seaborn Reese, from the eighth Congressional district of the State of Georgia, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Alexander H. Stephens; and of Charles M. Shelley, a Representative from the fourth Congressional district of the State of Alabama, to fill a vacancy. The same having been read,

Mr. Hitt, Mr. Reese, and Mr. Shelley having appeared, and having taken the oath of office prescribed by law, Mr. Hitt taking the oath prescribed by section 1756, and Mr. Reese and Mr. Shelley the oath prescribed by section 1757 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, took their seats in the House.

Mr. Calkins, as a privileged question, presented the memorial and protest of John W. Jones against seating Charles M. Shelley as a Representative from the fourth Congressional district of the State of Alabama; which, with the credentials of Mr. Shelley, were referred to the Committee on Elections.

Mr. Moulton, as a privileged question, presented the petition of John T. Caine concerning his right to a seat as Delegate to this House from the Territory of Utah, for the unexpired term of the Forty-seventh Congress; which, with accompanying papers and affidavits, was referred to the Committee on Elections.

Mr. Hiscock submitted the following resolution; which was read, considered, and agreed to, viz:

Resolved, That the Clerk of the House inform the Senate that a quorum of the House of Representatives has appeared and that the House is ready to proceed to business..

Mr. Robeson submitted the following resolution; which was read, considered, and agreed to, viz:

Resolved, That a committee of three members be appointed on the part of the House, to join such committee as may be appointed on the part of the Senate, to wait upon the President of the United States and inform him that a quorum of the two Houses has assembled and that Congress is ready to receive any communication he may be pleased to make.

The Speaker announced the appointment of Mr. Robeson, Mr. Charles G. Williams, and Mr. Atkins as the members of the said committee on the part of the House.

Ordered, That the Clerk acquaint the Senate therewith.

The Speaker laid before the House the report of the commission appointed under the act of May 15, 1882, to investigate the question of the tariff; which, with the testimony taken in the course of the same, was, on motion of Mr. Kelley, referred to the Committee on Ways and Means and ordered to be printed.

The Speaker also laid before the House a letter from the Clerk of the House, transmitting, as required by section 60 of the Revised Statutes, his annual report of contingent expenses, &c.; which was referred to the Committee on Accounts and ordered to be printed.

The Speaker also laid before the House a statement of the judgments rendered by the Court of Claims during the year ending December 3, 1882, transmitted in pursuance of section 1057 of the Revised Stat utes of the United States; which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed.

Mr. Valentine, by unanimous consent, introduced a joint resolution (H. Res. 292) relative to the printing of the annual report of the Commis

sioner of Agriculture for the years 1881 and 1882; which was read twice, engrossed, read the third time, and passed.

Mr. Valentine moved to reconsider the vote last taken, and also moved that the motion to reconsider be laid on the table; which latter motion was agreed to.

Ordered, That the Clerk request the concurrence of the Senate in the said resolution.

Mr. Ryan, as a privileged question, from the Committee on Appro priations, reported a bill (H. R. 6900) making appropriations for the current and contingent expenses of the Indian Department, and for fulfilling treaty stipulations with various Indian tribes for the year ending June 30, 1884, and for other purposes, accompanied by a report (No. 1812) in writing thereon; which said bill was read twice, and, with said report, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, and ordered to be printed.

Mr. Randall reserved all points of order on the said bill.

Mr. Martin, by unanimous consent, submitted the following resolutions; which were referred to the Committee on Accounts, viz:

Resolved, That the Clerk of the House be directed to continue the preparation of a digested summary and alphabetical list of the private claims presented to the House of Representatives so as to include the Forty-seventh Congress; and the expense of performing said work shall, under the direction of the Committee on Accounts, be paid out of the contingent fund of the House.

Resolved, That the Postmaster of the House of Representatives be, and hereby is, authorized to employ two additional persons, with his present force, and that they be paid out of the contingent fund of this House, at a salary not exceeding $100 per month, such employment to continue only during the session.

The Speaker then proceeded, as the regular order of business, to call the States and Territories for bills and joint resolutions;

When

Bills and joint resolutions were introduced, severally read twice, ordered to be printed, and referred as follows, viz:

By Mr. Herbert: A bill (H. R. 6901) to further protect executive officers and employés of the United States Government from political assessments;

to the Committee on Reform in the Civil Service.

By Mr. Page: A bill (H. R. 6902) to encourage ship-building for the foreign trade;

Also, a bill (H. R. 6903) relating to American shipping;

Also, a bill (H. R. 6904) to encourage the employment of apprentices in merchant ships, and for the promotion of American commerce; Also, a bill (H. R. 6905) relating to consular fees;

Also, a bill (H. R. 6906) to promote the building of American iron and steel steamers;

Also, a bill (H. R. 6907) to establish a department of commerce and navigation, and to define its powers and duties;

to the Committee on Commerce.

By Mr. Rosecrans: A bill (H. R. 6908) relating to consular fees; to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Also, a bill (H. R. 6909) relating to American shipping;

Also, a bill (H. R. 6910) to encourage ship building for the foreign trade;

Also, a bill (H. R. 6911) to encourage the employment of apprentices in merchant ships and for the promotion of American commerce;

Also, a bill (H. R. 6912) to promote the building of American iron and steel steamers;

Also, a bill (H. R. 6913) to establish a department of commerce and navigation and define its powers and duties;

to the Committee on Commerce.

Also, a bill (H. R. 6914) to incorporate the Yellowstone Park Railroad, and to aid in the construction of its road;

to the Committee on Pacific Railroads.

By Mr. Wait: A bill (H. R. 6915) to reduce internal-revenue tax; By Mr. D. C. Smith: A bill (H. R. 6916) to take the tax off fermented liquors and tobacco;

to the Committee on Ways and Means.

By Mr. Springer: A joint resolution (H. Res. 293) authorizing the printing of two thousand five hundred extra copies of the report of the Health Officer of the District of Columbia;

to the Committee on Printing.

By Mr. Matson: A bill (H. R. 6917) to increase the pension of Joseph B. Sellers;

to the Committee on Invalid Pensions.

By Mr. McCoid: A bill (H. R. 6918) appropriating money for the purchase of a site and the erection of a building for a post-office and other government offices in the city of Keokuk, Iowa;

to the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds.

By Mr. Kasson: A bill (H. R. 6919) for the better regulation of the civil service;

to the Committee on Reform in the Civil Service.

By Mr. Anderson: A bill (H. R. 6920) to create an agricultural commission;

to the Committee on Agriculture.

By Mr. Dingley: A bill (H. R. 6921) to remove certain burdens on the American merchant marine, and to amend the laws relating to the discharge of seamen;

Also, a bill (H. R. 6922) for the relief American ship-building and ship-owning interests in the foreign carrying trade;

to the Committee on Commerce.

Also, a bill (H. R. 6923) granting a pension to Mrs. Helen M. Thayer; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions.

By Mr. Norcross: A joint resolution (H. Res. 294) proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States;

to the Committee on the Judiciary.

By Mr. Hill: A joint resolution (H. Res. 295) to reduce postage to two cents;

to the Committee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads.

By Mr. Hardenbergh: A bill (H. R. 6924) granting land warrants to soldiers and sailors of the rebellion;

to the Committee on the Public Lands.

By Mr. Valentine: A bill (H. R. 6925) to compel the payment by the Union Pacific Railway Company of the cost of surveying, selecting, and conveying certain lands granted to it, and for other purposes;

to the Committee on Pacific Railroads.

By Mr. Vance: A bill (H. R. 6926) to repeal all laws of the United States providing for the internal revenue;

By Mr. W. R. Cox: A bill (H. R. 6927) to repeal the internal-revenue tax;

to the Committee on Ways and Means.

By Mr. Neal: A bill (H. R. 6928) to regulate licenses in the District of Columbia;

Also, a bill (H. R. 6929) to provide for the collection of taxes in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes;

Also, a bill (H. R. 6930) to levy an assessment of the real estate in the District of Columbia in the year 1883, and every third year thereafter, for purposes of taxation;

to the Committee on the District of Columbia.

By Mr. Randall: A bill (H. R. 6931) to abolish the offices of Assistant Secretary of War and Assistant Secretary of the Navy;

to the Committee on Appropriations.

By Mr. Barr: A bill (H. R. 6932) for the relief of Assistant-Engineer Howard D. Potts, United States Navy;

to the Committee on Naval Affairs.

By Mr. Watson: A bill (H. R. 6933) for the relief of Captain Charles C. Cochrane;

By Mr. Spooner: A bill (H. R. 6934) for the relief of Charles H. Keltan ;

to the Committee on Military Affairs.

By Mr. Houk: A bill (H. R. 6935) to preserve the purity of the elective franchise, and to punish bribery and other offenses against a free ballot;

to the Committee on the Judiciary.

By Mr. Barbour: A bill (H. R. 6936) for the relief of the heirs and legal representatives of Anna M. Fitzhugh, deceased;

to the Committee on War Claims.

By Mr. S. S. Cox: A bill (H. R. 6937) amendatory of title 48 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, so as to authorize the purchase of foreign-built ships by citizens of the United States for use in the foreign carrying trade;

Also, a joint resolution (H. Res. 296) as to giving notice to the North German Confederation to terminate the treaty of February 22, 1868; Also, a joint resolution (H. Res. 297) authorizing Major-General Daniel E. Sickles, of the United States Army, to accept a decoration from the French Republic;

to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

By Mr. Cabell: a bill (H. R. 6938) to repeal all laws imposing internalrevenue taxes upon tobacco and spirits;

to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Under the call of States and Territories for bills and joint resolutions, the following resolutions of inquiry were introduced and severally referred as follows, viz:

By Mr. A. S. Hewitt:

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Navy be requested to furnish this House, as soon as the same can be prepared, with copies of all orders which may have been issued by him, or by any officer of any bureau of the Navy Department, between the 1st day of August last and the 4th day of December, by virtue of which any work has been ordered to be done or to be discontinued, or workmen to be employed or discharged in any of the navy-yards of the United States, specifying the date of such orders in each case, and the number of men who were employed or discharged in each case in consequence of such orders. And that the Secretary of the Navy be further requested to report separately whether during the year 1882 any vessels of the United States have been lost or materially damaged at sea, or have collided with other vessels, or have been run