IN HOUSE. land, Polsley, Price, Prince, Pruyn, Randall, Raum, Jones, Mungen, Lawrence S. Trimble-6. Barnes, Beck, Blackburn, Blaine, Boles, Bromwell, 1868, December 14.-Mr. Broomall moved that the rules be suspended, so as to enable him to submit the following preamble and resolution: Whereas the President of the United States, in his annual message to the Fortieth Congress, at its third session, says: "It may be assumed that the holders of our securities have already received upon their bonds a larger amount than their original investment, measured by a gold standard. Upon this statement of facts it would seem but just and equitable that the six per cent. interest now paid by the Government should be applied to the reduction of the principal in semi-annual installments, which in sixteen years and eight months would liquidate the entire national debt. Six per cent. in gold would at present rates be equal to nine per cent. in currency, and equivalent to the payment of the debt one and a half time in a fraction less than The second division of the question-being seventeen years. This, in connection with all the remaining portion of the preamble and resothe other advantages derived from their invest-lution-was agreed to without a division. ment, would afford to the public creditors a fair and liberal compensation for the use of their capital, and with this they should be satisfied. The lessons of the past admonish the lender that it is not well to be over anxious in exacting from the borrower rigid compliance with the letter of the bond;" and whereas such sentiments, if permitted to go to the world without immediate protest, may be understood to be the sentiments of the people of the United States and their Representatives in Congress: therefore, Vote on Minority Representation. IN HOUSE. 1869, January 19-Pending a bill (H. P. 1824) to preserve the purity of elections in the several Territories, Mr. Phelps moved this as an additional section: 'That the legislatures of the Territories hereinbefore named shall, at their first session after the passage of this act, provide by law for a reResolved, That all forms and degrees of repu- apportionment of the members of the several diation of national indebtedness are odious to legislatures as nearly equal as may be among the American people. And that under no cir- council and legislative districts, entitled each to cumstances will their Representatives consent to elect three members of council and three repreoffer the public creditor, as full compensation, a sentatives; and that the outlying districts, if less amount of money than that which the Gov-any, to which it may be necessary that a less ernment contracted to pay him. The rules were suspended-yeas 135, nays 29. A division of the question was called, the first division to include the preamble and the first sentence of the resolution. The previous question was called and seconded, and the main question ordered. A motion to reconsider the vote ordering the main question was tabled, yeas 134, nays 37. The question recurring on the first division of the question, a motion to table the preamble was lost-yeas 37, nays 133. The first division of the question-being the preamble and the first sentence of the resolution was then agreed to, yeas 155, nays 6, not voting 60, as follow: YEAS-Messrs. Allison, Ames, Arnell, James M. Ashley, Axtell, Bailey, Baker, Baldwin, Banks, Barnum, Beaman, Beatty, Benjamin, Benton, Bingham, Blair, Boutwell, Bowen, Boyden, Boyer, Broomall, Buckley, Roderick R. Butler, Callis, Cary, Chanler, Churchill, Reader W. Clarke, Sidney Clarke, Coburn, Cook, Corley, Covode, Cullom, Dawes, Deweese, Dickey, Dixon, Donnelly, Driggs, Eckley, Edwards, Eggleston, Ela, Thomas D.Eliot, Farnsworth, Ferriss, Ferry, Fields, French, Garfield, Getz, Glossbrenner, Goss, Gove, Griswold, Haughey, Hawkins, Higby, Hooper, Hopkins, Hotchkiss, Chester D. Hubbard, Richard D. Hubbard, Hulburd, Hunter, Ingersoll, Jenckes, Alexander H. Jones, Judd, Julian, Kelley, Kellogg, Kelsey, Ketcham, Kitchen, Koontz, Lash, George V. Lawrence, Wm. Lawrence, Lincoln, Loan, Loughridge, Lynch, Mallory, Marvin, McCarthy, McKee, Mercur, Miller, Moore, Moorhead, Morrell, Morrissey, Mullins, Myers, Newsham, Norris, O'Neill, Órth, Paine, Perham, Peters, Pettis, Phelps, Pike, Pile, Plants, Po number than three shall be apportioned, shall be located in the least populous portions of said Territories; and that at the next legislative elections thereafter in said Territories every qualified voter shall be entitled to three votes for member of council, and three votes for member of the house of representatives, with the privilege of cumulating said votes upon any one or two of the candidates for either house respectively, it being the intent and meaning of this act to secure an equitable and just representation to minorities in said Territories in all cases where minority parties exceed in number two-fifths of the electoral body." Which was disagreed to-yeas 49, nays 116, as follow, (not voting, 57): YEAS-Messrs. Anderson, Archer, Axtell, Baker, Barnes, Barnum, Beck, Benjamin, Boyden, Boyer, Roderick R. Butler, Chanler, Cook, Deweese, Getz, Glossbrenner, Golladay, Gove, Grover, Hawkins, Heaton, Holman, Hotchkiss, Humphrey, Jenckes, Alexander H. Jones, Thomas L. Jones, Kerr, Knott, Lash, George V. Lawrence, Mallory, Marshall, McCormick, McCullough, Mungen, Newsham, Nicholson, Phelps, Ross, Spalding, Stone, Taber, Taffe, Van Trump, Ellihu B. Washburne, Stephen F. Wilson, Woodward, Young-49. NAYS-Messrs. Allison, James M. Ashley, Bailey, Baldwin, Banks, Beaman, Beatty, Benton, Blaine, Blair, Boutwell, Bowen, Broomall, Buckland, Buckley, Callis, Cary, Reader W. Clarke, Sidney Clarke, Clift, Cobb, Coburn, Corley, Cornell, Covode, Cullom, Dawes, Dickey, Dodge, Eggleston, Ela, Thomas D. Eliot, James T. Elliott, Farnsworth, Ferriss, Fields, French, Goss, Gravely, Harding, Haughey, Higby, Hill, Hopkins, The NAYS were: Messrs. Archer, Baker, Barnes, Beck, Boyer, Brooks, Burr, Cary, Chanler, Fox, Getz, Golladay, Grover, Haight, Hotchkiss, Humphrey, Thomas L. Jones, Kerr, Knott, Marshall, Niblack, Phelps, Pruyn, Randall, Ross, Sitgreaves, Spalding, Stone, Taber, Tift, Van Auken, Wood, Woodward, Young-34. Hunter, Ingersoll, Johnson, Judd, Julian, Kellogg, Kel- | the resolution was agreed to-yeas 128, nays 34, sey, Kitchen, Koontz, William Lawrence, Lincoln, not voting 60. Loughridge, Marvin, Maynard, McCarthy, McKee, Mercur, Miller, Moore, Moorhead, Mullins, Myers, Newcomb, Niblack, Norris, O'Neill, Orth, Paine, Perham, Pettis, Pierce, Pike, Pile, Plants, Poland, Polsley, Price, Prince, Randall, Raum, Robinson, Roots, Sawyer, Schenck, Scofield, Shanks, Shellabarger, Sitgreaves, Smith, Starkweather, Stevens, Stokes, Stover, Thomas, Tift, John Trimble, Lawrence S. Trimble, Upson, Van Aernam, Van Auken, Burt Van Horn, Vidal, Ward, Henry D. Washburn, William B. Washburn, Welker, Whittemore, Thomas Williams, William Williams, James F. Wilson, John T. Wilson, Windom -116. Removal of Disabilities. IN SENATE. 1868, December 9-Pending the bill to relieve from disabilities Franklin J. Moses, of South Carolina Mr. GARRETT DAVIS moved to add the words, "and all other citizens of the State of South Carolina." Which was disagreed to-yeas 9, nays 44, as follow : The preamble was then agreed to-yeas 135, nays 34, not voting 53. The NAYS were: Messrs. Archer, Barnes, Beck, Boyer, Brooks, Burr, Chanler, Fox, Getz, Glossbrenner, Golladay, Grover, Haight, Hotchkiss, Richard D. Hubbard, Humphrey, Thomas L. Jones, Kerr, Knott, Marshall, Niblack, Phelps, Pruyn, Randall, Robinson, Ross, Sitgreaves, Stone, Taber, Tift, Van Auken, Wood, Woodward, Young-34. The Committee made no report. Counting the Electoral Vote. IN SENATE. 1869, February 6-Mr. Edmunds submitted this concurrent resolution: Whereas the question whether the State of Georgia has become and is entitled to repreYEAS-Messrs. Bayard, Davis, Dixon, Doolittle, Ferry, sentation in the two houses of Congress is now McCreery, Norton, Patterson of Tennessee, Saulsbury-9. pending and undetermined; and whereas by the NAYS-Messrs. Anthony, Cameron, Cattell, Chandler, joint resolution of Congress passed July 20, Cole, Conkling, Conness, Corbett, Cragin, Drake, Ed-1868, entitled "A resolution excluding from the munds, Fessenden, Fowler, Frelinghuysen, Grimes, Harlan, Harris, Howe, Kellogg, Morgan, Morrill of Maine, Morrill of Vermont, Nye, Osborn, Patterson of New Hampshire, Pomeroy, Ramsey, Rice, Robertson, Sherman, Spencer, Stewart, Sumner, Thayer, Tipton, Trumbull, Van Winkle, Wade, Warner, Welch, Willey, Williams, Wilson, Yates-44. [No general disability bill was passed at either the third session of the Fortieth Congress or the first session of the Forty-First.] The Representation of Georgia. IN HOUSE. 1869, January 28-Mr. Paine, from the Committee on Reconstruction, reported the following preamble and resolution: electoral college votes of States lately in rebellion which shall not have been reorganized," it was provided that no electoral votes from any of the States lately in rebellion should be received or counted for President or Vice President of the United States until, among other things, such State should have become entitled to representation in Congress, pursuant to acts of Congress in that behalf: therefore, Resolved by the Senate, (the House of Representatives concurring.) That on the assembling of the two houses on the second Wednesday of February, 1869, for the counting of the electoral votes for President and Vice President, as provided by law and the joint rules, if the counting or omitting to count the electoral votes, if any, which may be presented, as of the State of Georgia, shall not essentially change the result, in that case they shall be reported by the President of the Senate in the following manner: the votes presented as of the State of Georgia to be counted, the result would be for for President of the United States, if not counted, for the United States, Were votes; for President of votes; but in either is elected President of the United States; and in the same manner for Vice President. Whereas it is provided by the reconstruction act, passed March 2, 1867, that until the people of the lately rebellious States shall be by law admitted to representation in Congress, any civil government which may exist therein shall be deemed provisional only, and that no persons shall be eligible to office in such provisional governments who are disqualified for office by the fourteenth amendment of the Constitution of the United States; and whereas it is reported that the legislature of Georgia has expelled the col-case ored members thereof, and admitted to their seats white men who received minorities of votes at the polls, and that members of said legislature who had been elected thereto by the votes of colored men joined in such action, and that twenty-seven disqualified white men hold seats in said legislature in violation of the fourteenth amendment of the Constitution and of the reconstruction acts of Congress; and whereas Senators from Georgia have not yet been admitted to the Senate of the United States: therefore, Resolved, That the Committee on Reconstruction be ordered to inquire and report whether any, and if any, what, further action ought to be taken during the Fortieth Congress respecting the representation of Georgia in this House. Under the operation of the previous question, February 8-It was adopted-yeas 34, nays 11, as follow: YEAS-Messrs. Abbott, Anthony, Cameron, Cattell, Cole, Conkling, Corbett, Cragin, Drake, Edmunds, of Maine, Morrill of Vermont, Morton, Nye, Pool, RamFrelinghuysen, Howard, McDonald, Morgan, Morrill sey, Rice, Robertson, Ross, Sherman, Stewart, Sumner, Thayer, Tipton, Warner, Welch, Willey, Williams, Wilson, Yates-34. NAYS-Messrs. Buckalew, Davis, Fowler, Hendricks, McCreery, Norton, Patterson of Tennessee, Saulsbury, Trumbull, Vickers, Whyte—11. IN HOUSE. February 8-The rules were suspended-yeas 97, nays 18, not voting 107-so as to enable the House to take up this resolution. The vote was as follows: Buckley, Benjamin F. Butler, Cake, Callis, Reader W. YEAS-Messrs. Allison, Ames, Banks, Beaman, Beatty, | Banks, Benton, Blackburn, Boles, Boutwell, Bowen, Washburn. Welker, Whittemore, William Williams, James F. Wilson, John T. Wilson, Windom-97. Niblack, Phelps, Randall, Ross, Taber, Van Auken, Van The resolution was then taken up, and con curred in. PROCEEDINGS UNDER THIS RESOLUTION. On Wednesday, February 10, the two houses met in the Hall of the House for the purpose of opening and counting the votes for President and Vice President. The President of the Senate then proceeded to open the certificates of the electors of the several States, authorized to be represented in the electoral college for President and Vice President. Upon the certificate of the electors of Louisiana | being read Mr. Mullins objected to the counting of the vote of Louisiana, upon the ground that no valid election of electors had been held in said State. The SENATE withdrew, and voted That the votes of the electors of the State of Louisiana be counted-yeas 51, nays 7, as follow: YEAS-Messrs. Abbott, Anthony, Buckalew, Cameron, Cattell, Cole, Conkling, Conness, Corbett, Cragin, Davis, Dixon, Doolittle, Drake, Edmunds, Ferry, Fessenden, Fowler, Frelinghuysen, Grimes, Harlan, Harris, Hendricks, Howe, Kellogg, McCreery, McDonald, Morgan, Morrill of Vermont, Osborn, Patterson of New Hampshire, Patterson of Tennessee, Pool, Ramsey, Rice, Ross, Tipton, Trumbull, Van Winkle, Vickers, Warner, Whyte, Willey, Williams, Yates-51. Saulsbury, Sawyer, Sherman, Spencer, Sprague, Stewart, NAYS-Messrs. Chandler, Howard, Nye, Robertson, Sumner, Thayer, Wilson-7. The HOUSE voted to count the vote of Louisi The SENATE returned, and the vote of Louisiana was then counted. The certificates of all the States except Georgia having been read, and that of Georgia having been read, Mr. Benjamin F. Butler submitted the following objection to counting the vote of Georgia: First. I object, under the joint rule, that the vote of the State of Georgia for President and Vice President ought not to be counted, and object to the counting thereof because, among other things, the vote of the electors in the electoral college was not given on the first Wednesday of December, as required by law, and no excuse or justification for the omission of such legal duty is set forth in the certificate of the action of the electors. Second. Because, at the date of the election of said electors, the State of Georgia had not been admitted to representation as a State in Congress since the rebellion of her people, or become entitled thereto. Third. That at said date said State of Georgia had not fulfilled, in due form, all the requirements of the Constitution and laws of the United States known as the "reconstruction acts," so as to entitle said State of Georgia to be represented as a State in the Union in the electoral vote of the several States in the choice of President and Vice-President. Fourth. That the election pretended to have been held in the State of Georgia, on the first Tuesday of November last past, was not a free, just, equal, and fair election, but the people of the State were deprived of their just rights therein by force and fraud. The SENATE withdrew; and voted That, under the special order of the two Houses respecting the electoral votes from the State of Georgia, the objections made to the counting of the electors for the State of Georgia are not in ana-yeas 137 nays 63, not voting 22, as follow: Kellogg, McCreery, Morrill of Maine, Morrill of Vermont, Morton, Patterson of New Hampshire, Patterson of Tennessee, Ross, Saulsbury, Sawyer, Sherman, Sprague, Stewart, Tipton, Vickers, Whyte, Williams-31. NAYS-Messrs. Cameron, Chandler, Cole, Conkling, Drake, Ferry, Fessenden, Harlan, Harris, Howe, McDonald, Morgan, Nye, Pool, Ramsey, Rice, Robertson, Spencer, Sumner, Thayer, Trumbull, Van Winkle, Wade, Warner, Willey, Yates-26. all, Buckland, Burr, Roderick R. Butler, Cary, Chanler, YEAS-Messrs. Abbott, Anthony, Buckalew, Cattell, Churchill, Coburn, Cullom, Delano, Deweese, Dickey, Conness, Corbett, Cragin, Davis, Dixon, Doolittle, EdDixon, Dockery, Dodge, Eggleston, Eldridge, Farns-munds, Fowler, Frelinghuysen, Grimes, Hendricks, worth, Ferriss, Ferry, Garfield, Getz, Glossbrenner, Golladay, Gove, Gravely, Grover, Haight, Halsey, Hawkins, Heaton, Higby, Hill, Holman, Hooper, Hopkins, Hotchkiss, Asahel W. Hubbard, Humphrey, Ingersoll, Jenckes, Johnson, Alexander H. Jones, Thomas L. Jones, Judd, Kelley, Kellogg, Kerr, Ketcham, Kitchen, Knott, Koontz, Laflin, Lash, George V. Lawrence, William Lawrence, Lincoln, Logan, Loughridge, Mallory, Marshall, Marvin, McCarthy, McCormick, McCullough, Miller, Moore, Moorhead, Mungen, Newcomb, Niblack, Nicholson, Norris, Nunn, Peters, Phelps, Pike, Pile, Plants, Poland, Polsley, Price, Pruyn, Randall, Raum, Robertson, Ross, Sawyer, Schenck, Scofield, Selye, Shellabarger, Sitgreaves, Smith, Spalding, Starkweather, Stewart, Stokes, Stone, Taber, Taffe, Taylor, Thomas, Tift, John Trimble, Trowbridge, Twichell, Van Auken, Burt Van Horn, Van Trump, Ellihu B. Washburne, William B. Washburn, Welker, James F. Wilson, John T. Wilson, Windom, Wood, Woodbridge, Woodward, Young-137. NAYS-Messrs. Delos R. Ashley, James M. Ashley, For law governing this point, see Political Manual for 1868, p. 119, or Hand Book of Politics for 1868, p. 397. Mr. Howard offered this resolution : Resolved, That the electoral vote of Georgia ought not to be counted. Which, being entertained as in order, was disagreed to-yeas 25, nays 34, as follow: YEAS-Messrs. Abbott, Cameron, Chandler, Cole, Conkling, Drake, Harlan, Harris, Howard, Howe, Kellogg, McDonald, Nye, Osborn, Ramsey, Rice, Robertson, Sawyer, Spencer, Stewart, Sumner, Thayer, Wade, Wilson, Yates-25. NAYS-Buckalew, Conness, Corbett, Cragin, Davis, Dixon, Doolittle, Edmunds, Ferry, Fessenden, Fowler, March 16-The HOUSE passed it-yeas 111, The House voted on the question, Shall the vote of Georgia be counted? Yeas 41, nays 150, (not voting 31,) as follow: YEAS-Messrs Axtell, Baker, Barnes, Barnum, Beck, Boyer, Brooks, Burr, Cary, Chanler, Eldridge, Farnsworth, Getz, Glossbrenner, Golladay, Grover, Haight, Hawkins, Holman, Hotchkiss, Humphrey, Johnson. T. L. Jones, Kerr, Knott, Marshall, McCormick, Mungen, Nicholson, Phelps, Pruyn, Randall, Ross. Sitgreaves, Taber, Tift, Van Auken, Van Trump, Wood, Woodward, Young-41. NAYS-Messrs. Allison, D. R. Ashley, J. M. Ashley, Baldwin, Banks, Beaman, Beatty, Benjamin, Benton, Bingham, Blaine, Blair, Boles, Boutwell, Bowen, Boyden, Bromwell, Broomall, Buckland, Buckley, Benj. F. Butler, Roderick R. Butler, Cake, Callis, Churchill, Reader W. Clarke, Sidney Clarke, Clift, Cobb, Coburn, Corley, Covode, Cullom, Dawes, Deweese, Dickey, Dixon, Dodge, Donnelly, Driggs, Eckley, Edwards, Eggleston, Ela, Thomas D. Eliot, James T. Elliott, Ferriss, Ferry, Fields, French, Garfield, Goss, Gove, Gravely, Halsey, Hamilton, Harding, Haughey, Heaton, Higby, Hill, Hooper, Hopkins, Chester D. Hubbard, Hulburd, Hunter, Ingersoll, Jenckes, Alexander H. Jones, Judd, Julian, Kelley, Kellogg, Kelsey, Ketcham, Kitchen, Koontz, Laflin, Lash, George V. Lawrence, William Lawrence, Lincoln, Loan, Logan, Loughridge, Mallory, Marvin, Maynard, McCarthy, McKee, Miller, Moore, Moorhead, Morrell, Mullins, Newcomb, Newsham, Norris, O'Neill, Orth, Paine, Perham, Peters, Pettis, Pierce, Pike, Pile, Plants, Poland, Polsley, Price, Prince, Raum, Robertson, Roots, Sawyer, Schenck, Scofield, Selye, Shanks, Shellabarger, Starkweather, Stevens, Stewart, Stokes, Stover, Sypher, Taffe, Taylor, Thomas, Trimble, Trowbridge, Twichell, Upson, Van Aernam, Burt Van Horn, Robert T. Van Horn, Van Wyck, Vidal, Ward, Ellihu B. Washburne, Henry D. Washburn, William B. Washburn, Welker, Whittemore, Thomas Williams, James F. Wilson, John T. Wilson, Stephen F. Wilson, Windom-150. The SENATE returned, and the vote of Georgia was counted in the manner provided by the concurrent resolution, and Ulysses S. Grant was declared duly elected President, and Schuyler Colfax Vice-President of the United States for four years, commencing on the 4th day of March, 1869. For the Further Security of Equal Rights in the District of Columbia. 1869, February 11-The Senate passed the following bill without division: FORTIETH CONGRESS, THIRD SESSION. Be it enacted, &c., That the word "white," wherever it occurs in the laws relating to the District of Columbia, or in the charter or ordinances of the cities of Washington or Georgetown, and operates as a limitation on the right of any elector of such District, or of either of the cities, to hold any office, or to be selected and to serve as a juror, be, and the same is hereby, repealed; and it shall be unlawful for any person or officer to enforce or attempt to enforce said limitation after the passage of this act. IN HOUSE. March 2-It passed, without a cail of the yeas and nays. March 3-It was presented to the President (Johnson), and "pocketed." FORTY-FIRST CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION. March 8-The SENATE passed the same bill, without a division. YEAS-Messrs. Ambler, Armstrong, Arnell, Asper, Bailey, Banks, Beaman, Beatty, Benjamin, Benton, Bingham, Blair, Boles, Boyd, Buffinton, Burdett, Benjamin F Butler. Roderick R. Butler, Cessna Churchill, Clarke, Amasa Cobb, Clinton L. Cobb, Conger. Cullom, Davis, Dawes, Deweese, Dockery, Donley, Duval, Dyer, Ela, Ferriss, Ferry, Finkelnburg, Fisher, Fitch, Garfield, Gilfillan, Hale, Heaton, Hoar, Hooper, Hopkins, Judd, Julian, Kelley, Kelsey, Ketcham, Knapp, Laflin, Hotchkiss, Ingersoll, Jenckes, Alexander H. Jones, Lash, Lawrence, Loughridge, Maynard. McCarthy, McCrary, McGrew, Mercur, Eliakim H. Moore, Jesse H. Moore, William Moore, Morrell, Morrill, Negley, O'Neill, Orth, Packard, Paine, Palmer, Peters, Phelps. Poland, Pomeroy, Prosser, Roots, Sanford, Sargent, Sawyer, Schenck, Scofield, Shanks, John A. Smith, William J. Smith, William Smyth, Stevenson, Stokes, Stoughtor Strickland, Taffe, Tanner, Tillman. Townsend, Twichell. Tyner, Upson, Van Horn, Cadwalader C. Washburn, William B. Washburn, Welker, Wheeler, Whittemore, Wilkinson, Willard, Williams, Winans-111. NAYS-Messrs. Archer, Axtell, Beck, Biggs, Bird, Brooks, Burr, Calkin, Crebs, Dickinson, Eldridge, Getz, Golladay, Haight, Haldeman, Hamill, Holman, Johnson, Thomas Jones, Knott, Marshall, Mayham, McCormick. McNeely, Moffet, Morgan, Mangen, Niblack, Potter, Reading, Reeves, Rice, Slocum, Joseph S. Smith, Stone, Strader, Swann, Sweeney, Trimble, Van Auken, Van Trump, Wells, Eugene M. Wilson, Winchester, Witcher, Wood-46. The bill was approved by President Grant, March 18, 1869. BILL TO STRENGTHEN THE PUBLIC CREDIT. Fortieth Congress. IN HOUSE. 1869, February 24-This bill passed: AN ACT to strengthen the public credit, and relating to contracts for the payment of coin. Be it enacted, &c., That in order to remove to discharge all just obligations to the public doubt as to the purpose of the Government creditors, and to settle conflicting questions and such obligations have been contracted, it is interpretations of the laws by virtue of which hereby provided and declared, that the faith of the United States is 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 any such obligation has expressly provided that the same may be paid in lawful money or other currency than gold and silver: Provided, however, That before any of said interest-bearing obligations not already due shall mature, or be paid before maturity, the obligations not bearing interest, known as United States notes. shall be made convertible into coin at the option of the holder. SEC 2. That any contract hereafter made specifically payable in coin, and the consideration of which may be a loan of coin, or a sale of property, or the rendering of labor or service of any kind, the price of which, as carried into the contract, may have been adjusted on the basis of the coin value thereof at the time of such sale or the rendering of such service or labor, shall be legal and valid, and may be enforced according to its terms; and on the trial of a suit brought for the enforcement of any such contract, proof of the real consideration may be given. Yeas 121, nays 60, (not voting 41,) as follow: YEAS-Messrs. Allison, Ames, Anderson, Arnell, Delos R. Ashley, James M. Ashley, Axtell, Baldwin, Banks, Barnes, Barnum, Beaman, Benjamin, Blackburn, Blair, Barnum, Beaman, Benjamin, Benton, Blackburn, Blaine, | Pending the passage, Mr. Niblack moved to strike out the first sec tion, which was lost-yeas 54, nays 130, (not voting 38.) as follow: YEAS-Messrs. Archer, Baker, Barnes, Beatty, Beck, weese, Donnelly, Eggleston, Ela, Eldridge, Farnsworth, Fox, Getz, Golladay, Goss, Gravely, Grover, Haight, Hawkins, Holman, Hopkins. Humphrey, Hunter, Ingersoll, Johnson, Thomas L. Jones. Kerr, Knott, Loan, Marshall, McCormick, Mungen, Niblack, Orth, Pike, Pruyn, Ross. Shanks, Stevens, Stokes. Stone, Tafle. Tift, Van Auken. Van Trump, Henry D. Washburn, John T. Wilson, Wood, Young-54. NAYS-Messrs. Allison, Ames, Anderson, Arnell, Delos R. Ashley, James M. Ashley, Axtell, Baldwin. Banks, Barnum, Beaman, Benjamin, Benton, Bingham, Blackburn, Blaine, Blair, Boutwell, Boyden, Boyer, Bromwell, Brooks, Broomall, Buckley, Cake, Chanler, Churchill, Reader W. Clarke, Sidney Clarke, Clift, Corley, Cornell, Covode, Cullom, Delano, Dickey, Dixon, Dockery, Dodge, Diggs, Eckley, Thomas D. Eliot, James T. Elliott, Ferriss, Ferry, Fields. Glossbrenner. Gove, Griswold, Halsey, Harding, Heaton, Higby, Hill, Hooper, Hotchkiss, Chester D. Hubbard, Richard D. Hubbard, Hulburd, Jenckes, Alexander H. Jones, Judd, Julian, Kelley, Kellogg, Kelsey, Ketcham, Kitchen, Koontz, Laflin, Lash, George V. Lawrence, William Lawrence, Logan, Lynch, Mallory, Marvin, Maynard, McKee, Mercur, Miller, Moore, Moorhead, Mullins, Myers, Newsham, Norris, O'Neill, Paine, Perham, Peters, Pettis, Phelps, Pierce, Pile, Plants, Poland, Pomeroy, Price, Prince, Raum, Robertson, Roots, Sawyer, Schenck, Scofield, Shellabarger, Smith, Spalding, Stark weather, Stewart, Stover, Taber, Taylor, Thomas, Trimble, Trowbridge, Twichell, Upson, Van Aernam, Burt Van Horn. Ward, Cadwalader C. Washburn. William B. Washburn, Welker, Whittemore, Thomas Williams, William Williams, James F. Wilson, Windom-130. Bowen, Burr, Roderick R. Butler, Cobb, Coburn, De Mr. Allison moved to strike out the second section. which was lost-yeas 72, nays 100, (not voting 50,) as follow: February 26-The bill was reported back from the Committee on Finance, amended so as to read as follows: AN ACT relating to the public debt. Be it enacted, &c., That in order to remove any doubt as to the purpose of the Government to discharge all just obligations to the public creditors, and to settle conflicting questions and interpretations of the laws by virtue of which such obligations have been contracted, it is hereby provided and declared, that the faith of the ment in coin, or its equivalent, of all the obliUnited States is solemnly pledged to the paygaions of the United States, except in cases where the law authorizing the issue of any such obligation has expressly provided that the same may be paid in lawful money or other currency than gold and silver. SEC. 2. That any contract hereafter made specifically payable in coin, and the consideration of which may be a loan of coin, or a sale of property, or the rendering of labor or service of any kind, the price of which, as carried into the contract, may have been adjusted on the basis of the coin value thereof at the time of such sale or the rendering of such service or labor, shall be legal and valid, and may be enforced according to its terms. February 27 Mr. Henderson moved to amend the first clause of the second section by making it read as follow: That any contract hereafter made specifically payable in coin shall be legal and valid, and may be enforced according to its terms. Which was not agreed to-yeas 10, nays 35, as follow: senden, Henderson, Pomeroy, Ross, Stewart, TrumYEAS-Messrs. Cole, Conkling, Corbett, Dixon, Fes bull-10. NAYS-Messrs. Abbott, Anthony, Cameron, Cattell, Chandler, Conness, Cragin, Davis, Doolittle, Drake, Edmunds. Ferry, Frelinghuysen, Harlan, Howe, Kellogg, Morton, Nye, Osborn, Patterson of New Hampshire, McCreery, McDonald, Morgan, Morrill of Vermont, Ramsey, Rice, Sawyer, Sherman, Sumner, Thayer, Wade, Welch, Willey, Williams, Wilson-35. Mr. Bayard moved to strike out the second section, which was not agreed to-yeas 7, nays 36, as follow: YEAS-Messrs. Chandler, Cole, Davis, Doolittle, Fowler, Howe. Wade-7. YEAS-Messrs. Allison, Baker, Beatty, Beck, Benton, NAYS-Messrs. Ames, Anderson, Archer. Arnell, Delos R. Ashley, James M. Ashley, Axtell, Baldwin, Banks, NAVS-Messrs. Abbott, Anthony, Cameron, Cattell, Conkling, Conness, Corbett, Cragin, Dixon, Drake, Edmunds, Ferry, Fessenden, Frelinghuysen, Harlan, Kellogg, McCreery, McDonald, Morgan, Morrill of Ver |