preference over general appropriation bills; but, notwithstanding such special order, the House or Committee of the Whole may proceed to the consideration of such appropriation bills; which amendment was agreed to." Mr. Andrew Johnson moved further to amend the said resolution, by adding thereto the following: "And there shall be added to the standing committees of this House a committee to be called the Committee on the Smithsonian Institution." And thereupon, Mr. McIlvaine moved the previous question, which was seconded; and the main question was ordered and put; and the said resolution, as amended on motion of Mr. Vinton, was agreed to by the House. The Speaker laid before the House sundry communications, viz: I. The annual report from the Secretary of the Treasury on the state of the finances; which was referred to the Committee of Ways and Means, and ordered to be printed. On motion of Mr. McKay, Ordered, That ten thousand copies extra of the said report be printed. II. A letter from the Secretary of the Navy, transmitting, in compliance with the act approved on the first of May, 1820, a statement from the Second Comptroller of the Treasury of the appropriations for the naval service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1848; which letter and statement were laid upon the table and ordered to be printed. III. A letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting a communication from the Commissioner of the General Land Office, in compliance with a resolution of the House of the 31st of July, 1848; which were laid upon the table, and ordered to be printed. IV. A report from the Clerk of the House of Representatives in relation to the resolution of the House of the 7th of August last, transmitting a statement of the books furnished in compliance with said resolution; which report was subsequently referred to the Committee on Printing, and ordered to be printed, together with the correspondence relating thereto. Mr. Pollock offered the following resolution, which was read; and debate arising thereon, it was laid over under the rule, viz: Resolved, That House bill (No. 468) entitled "A bill to set apart and sell to Asa Whitney, of New York, a portion of the public lands, to enable him to construct a railroad from Lake Michigan to the Pacific ocean," be made the special order of the day for the first Tuesday in January next, and continue from day to day until disposed of. Mr. Butler offered the following resolution, which was read, and laid upon the table one day under the rule, viz: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, required to furnish this House with a statement of the amount of iron imported under the tariff act of 1846, and the amount of revenue received on the same, specifying particularly the amount of each kind of iron imported, and the duties paid on each kind. Also, a similar statement of the amount of iron of all kinds imported annually under the tariff act of 1842, and the amount of revenue received on such importations. Mr. Smart offered the following resolution, which was read and laid over one day under the rule, viz: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Navy be requested to communicate to this House the number and places of birth of all persons employed in the naval and marine service on the gulf and Pacific coasts during the war with Mexico; and also, that the Secretary of War be requested to communicate to this House the whole number of regular troops engaged in the late war with Mexico, and the States in which they were enlisted, and any other facts in the possession of the War Department, showing the number of regular troops engaged in said war, from each State in the Union. In pursuance of previous notice, Mr. Nicoll asked, obtained leave,. and introduced a bill (No. 652) to amend an act entitled "An act making appropriations for the civil and diplomatic expenses of the government for the year ending the 30th of June, 1849, and for other purposes," approved August 12, 1848; which bill was read a first and second time, and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. On motion of Mr. Greeley, Resolved, That the Clerk of this House, under the supervision and with the approval of the Committee on Accounts, be, and he hereby is, instructed to ascertain and determine what sums are justly due to the witnesses, respectively, in the contested election of Monroe versus Jackson, and also the commissioner who took their testimony, and the officer or officers by whom they were summoned; and, when ascertained, to pay the same out of the contingent-fund. On motion of Mr. Hunt, Resolved, That the Committee on Commerce be directed to inquire whether any, and what alterations ought to be made in the regulations of the Treasury Department, in relation to the storage of goods in public warehouses at New York and other ports of entry. On motion of Mr. Murphy, Resolved, That it be referred to the Committee on Commerce to inquite into the expediency of erecting a light-house on Governor's island, in New York harbor, and improving Buttermilk channel. On motion of Mr. Conger, Resolved, That Thomas Garner have leave to withdraw his pafrom the files of the House. pers On motion of Mr. Duer, Resolved, That the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds be instructed to inquire into the expediency of causing the triangular pieces of ground formed by the intersection of the streets of the city of Washington with Pennsylvania avenue, to be enclosed and planted with trees and shrubbery. On motion of Mr. White, Ordered, That the papers in the case of Doctor Dirk Van Ingen be referred to the Committee on Revolutionary Claims. Mr. White offered the following resolution, which was read and laid on the table one day under the rule, viz: Resolved, That the Secretary of War cause an estimate of the value of the public property, including the soil on Governor's island, in the harbor of New York, to be made, and report the same to this House at the earliest practicable period, with a view of ceding the said island, and so much of the public property as cannot be moved, to the city of New York. Mr. Slingerland offered the following resolution, which was read; and debate arising thereon, it was laid over under the rule, viz: Resolved, That John B. Fry, who acted as clerk in the office of. the Sergeant-at-arms, at the last session of Congress, be paid by the Clerk of this House the same amount of extra compensation as was allowed to the assistant clerks in the Clerk's office. Mr. Tallmadge offered the following resolution, which was read;" and debate arising thereon, it was laid over under the rule, viz: Resolved, That bill (H. R. No. 396) entitled "A bill to establish a branch mint of the United States in the city of New York, be taken from the general orders, and made the special order for Monday next. On motion of Mr. Lord, Resolved, That the Committee on Commerce be instructed to inquire into the expediency of erecting a light-house on that part of Gardiner's island, in Long island sound, known as Gardiner's point. On motion of Mr. Newell, Resolved, That the Committee on Commerce be instructed to inquire into the expediency of making an appropriation to provide means for the better preservation of life and property from shipwreck on the coast of New Jersey, between Little Egg harbor and Cape May, and that they report by bill or otherwise. On motion of Mr. William T. Lawrence, Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be directed to inquire into the propriety of recommending to the States of this Union to so alter or amend the constitution of the United States, that in all elections of President and Vice President which may be had after the year 1850, the persons in each State entitled to vote for members of the most numerous branch of the Legislature of the State, shall (on the Tuesday next after the first Monday of November preceding the time when the term of the persons, at the time holding the offices of President and Vice President shall expire,) assemble at places designated for holding the polls for such elections, and there vote for one person for President, and one ther person for Vice President; after which, the number of votes given for President, and the number of votes given for Vice President, shall be counted; and the number given for each person for the offices, respectively, shall be counted, and returns made of the whole to officers authorized to receive the same; and the number of votes given to each person for President shall be estimated as such a proportion of the vote of the State (equal to the number of Senators and Representatives in the Congress of the United States to which the State is entitled) as the said votes bear to the whole number of votes given within the State for President. The tike rule to be observed in regard to the votes given for Vice President. And returns shall be made from all the States on or before the day of December, at Washington, to officers authorized to receive the same, of the votes given and so estimated, who shall examine the same, and ascertain the correctness thereof; and any person receiving a majority of all the votes (so estimated) given in all the States for President, (the total number of the votes given in each State being counted as so many votes as the said State shall be entitled to Senators and Representatives in Congress of the United States,) shall be President. And the person receiving a majority. of all the votes for Vice President, (estimated in like manner,) shall be Vice President. But if no person shall receive a majority of the votes (thus estimated) for Vice President, then the Senate, on or after the fourth day of March next ensuing, shall select, from the persons having the three highest number of votes so estimated, one to be Vice President; and if no person shall receive a majority of all the votes so estimated, given for President, then the President shall be selected out of those who have received the five highest number of votes for President, (so estimated,) as follows: Each State shall be divided into the same number of districts as the said State shall be entitled to representatives in the Congress of the United States; and the persons who were entitled to vote for President, shall have at the same time voted for one person as a district elector, and two other persons as State electors; and the one who shall receive within the district the largest number of votes as district elector, and the two who shall have received within the State the largest number of votes for State electors, shall be electors for the State; and on notice given them that no President has been elected by the people, the electors shall assemble within their own States, at a place designated, and on the day of -; and if the whole of the electors of the State be not assembled by - o'clock of that day, those assembled shall proceed, by vote, to fill up their number; and on the next day, at the same place, shall proceed to vote for a person for President, each elector voting for one of the persons who received one of the five highest numbers of votes given for President. A return of all the votes given in all the States by the electors thus assembled, shall be made at the seat of government of the United States, to officers authorized to receive and examine the same; and, if neither of the persons so voted for shall have a majority of all the votes so given by the electors of all the States, then from the two having the highest numbers of the electoral vote of the House of Representatives, shall select one as President; but in thus selecting one for President, each State shall have one vote. Mr. Eckert offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means be instructed to inquire into the expediency of reporting a tariff bill based upon the principles of the tariff of 1842. Mr. Kaufman moved the previous question, which was seconded; and the main question was ordered and put, viz: Will the House agree to the said resolution? And decided in the affirmative, Nays..... f Yeas... .. 96 93 The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are, Mr. Amos Abbott George Ashmun Esbon Blackmar Daniel Duncan Garnett Duncan Thomas O. Edwards Alexander Evans John W. Farrelly David Fisher John Freedley Mr. John P. Gaines John Gayle Artemas Hale William T. Lawrence Charles S. Morehead William A. Newell Mr. David Outlaw John Van Dyke Mr. James H. Johnson |