NIGHT SESSION.
The SPEAKER resumed at 7 1/2 oclock, and directed the roll call, which proceeded till a quorum was determined.
The SPEAKER stated the unfinished order, viz : the consideration of the bill [S. 119]--the question being, Shall it pass?
Mr. BUSKIRK stated that the bill simply accepts the congressional land grant of 30,000 acres to each Senator and Representative in Congress--(390,000 acres--) without locating the institution.
The bill passed the House--yeas 64, nays 3.
SUPREME COURT REPORTER.
Mr. BUSKIRK moved for another vote on the passage of the Supreme Court Reporter's bill [S. 101.]
The motion was agreed to.
He then proposed to amend the bill, by inserting the words "after the same is published," and striking out the copy-right clause.
The amendments were agreed to : and then the bill passed the House--yeas 68, nays 1.
TERRE HAUTE & INDIANAPOLIS RAILROAD.
On motion of Mr. BRANHAM, the bill [S. No 68.] to change the name of the Terre Haute and Richmond Railroad company: [It extends the time seven years for the company to complete their road to the Illinois line:] was taken up and (the constitutional restriction being suspended for the purpose) it was carried to the final passage without amendment--yeas 63. nays 4.
Mr. SIM submitted a resolution to allow certain assistant doorkeepers and others Of the House police one dollar a day in addition to what has been already allowed to them. It was laid on the table.
Mr. SHOAFF of Allen, submitted a resolution for an order that the Secretary of State be required to cause the enrolled act known as the dog law, to be printed and sent to the Township Trustees tor information of the duties required of them by that act.
It was adopted.
PERSONAL.
Mr. BUSKIRK rose to a privilege question. It was due to the gentleman from Wabash [Mr. Speaker Pettit] and the gentleman from Cuss, [Mr. Lasselle,] that I should make an explanation. Pending the discussion of the question with reference to the order of business in the latter part of last week, frequent allusions were made to what transpired in a Democratic caucus held about that time. Sometime Friday or Saturday, I had a conversation with the gentleman from Wabash, in which I stated to him that the caucus had not acted as stated, but that it was true, that they did pass a resolution. I did not place any limitation as to the action of the caucus. A short time afterwards the gentleman from Wabash made a speech, in which he said that the Democratic caucus had voted by resolution not to suspend the rules during the session. The gentleman from Cass rose and contradicted the statement. The gentleman from Wabash then said that he had been so informed. And I presume the gentleman was misled by my remark. I placed no limitation upon icy remark, except to say that it was a retaliatory measure. I suppose that my remark led the gentleman from Wabash into the mistake. There was apparent contradiction between these gentlemen, but I am satisfied that both intended to state the matter correctly.
Mr. DUNHAM, wished the gentleman to state, that the only action in the Democratic caucus was this : That if an illiberal course should be pursued towards us, by keeping down measures in which the minority was interested, we would retaliate simply by calling the yeas and nays.
Mr. COFFROTH. There was no resolution about it, in the caucus; but simply an understanding with reference to dilatory motions, if there was a purpose on the part of the majority to postpone measures of the minority, the only way to protect ourselves was to vote against suspensions of the order of business.
Mr. BROWN asked whether the understanding was not restricted to measures peculiarly odious to us?
Mr. DUNHAM. Without referring at all to the appropriation bills. It was simply a matter of self protection.
Mr. BUSKIRK. My only purpose was to reconcile the apparent conflict of statements between the gentleman from Wabash and the gentleman from Cass--what I regard as an act of justice to these gentlemen.
Mr. Speaker PETTIT, (Mr. Henricks ia the Chair ) I have felt confident, from the time the gentleman from Cass used the language which seemed to conflict with the language I used, that gentlemen wonld do themselves the justice to explain. It was not alone on the remark of the gentleman page: 386[View Page 386] from Monroe, [Mr. Buskirk,] that I based my statement. I heard from other gentlemen the same remark. And, as I then said, my rehearsal of the matter was not for the purpose of embarrassing any one as my informant. My information was simply of this character : that a resolution had been adopted at a Democratic meeting, by which it was determined to resist all suspensions of the rules. The sketch made by the Reporters does me injustice. I do not think that I said that the resolution went to the extent of suspending the rules during the session. But I could only infer that it was intended to operate during the whole session. I so understood it by the conversation with the gentleman from Monroe, in which I expressed my surprise that they should combine against taking up the appropriation bills which the gentleman from Jefferson [Mr. Branham.] moved to take up. And when I asked the gentleman from Monroe, he told me it was resolved as an agreement in caucus. The language of the gentleman from Cass, [Mr. Lassalle,] was that they adopted no such resolution. The House has not understood me to say that there was a resolution in writing ; but it was an agreement. I beg to say farther that when this allusion was made it was not with a view of criticising the minority ; but only to indicate the seriousness of the matter of embarrassing the public business. And my friends about me had similar information, without putting any limitation on the matter.
Mr. DUNHAM. The gentleman says he had understood that the minority were going to vote against taking up the appropriation bills. I did so vote once against taking up an appropriation bill ; but I did it at the solicitation of my Republican friend here [Mr. Rhoads,] who had his pet measure in his mind with regard to the schools. Out of sheer kindness and good neighborhood to him I did it.
Mr. LASSALLE stated that he was not correctly reported. My contradiction intended to go to the extent of denying the information of the gentleman from Wabash [Mr. Pettit,] whose statement I understood to be that the resolve not to suspend the order of business was to go to the end of the session. I did not deny the statement in toto. I excepted as to that point of it. I asserted that the Democratic caucus had not on that occasion, nor any other, resolved to refuse to suspend the rules until the close of the session. That was the only statement of the gentleman which I intended to contradict. I made that in good faith and still adhere to it. I was not permitted to go on and make a full statement.
INDIANA FEMALE COLLEGE.
On the motion of Mr. NEWCOMB, the bill [S. 181] to amend the charter of the Indianapolis Female College, was taken up, and (there being a dispensation ordered for the purpose, it was carried to the final passage--yeas 67, nays 0.
ROADS AND HIGHWAYS.
On motion by Mr. WRIGHT, the bill [S. 56,] for amendment of the act providing for the election or appointment of Supervisors of highways, was taken up,and (under a dispensation.) it was carried to the final reading.
Mr. JAMES hoped the bill would not pass. He thought it taxed the people too heavily.
Mr. WRIGHT. Where the labor is insufficient, it authorizes the supervisors to levy a tax of 10 cents on the $100 of property in the district.
The bill was rejected--yeas 10, nays 57.
COUNTY SEATS.
Mr. BROWN, from the select committee on the county seats bill [H. R. 125,] returned the same, and recommended that it be laid on the table.
FELONY.
On motion of Mr. LOCKHART the bill [S. 28,] making it a felony to poison stock, was taken up--and, (under a dispensation.) it was carried to the final reading and passed the House--yeas 66, nays 2.
NEGRO COLONIZATION AGENCY.
On motion by Mr. COFFROTH, (under a dispensation of the constitutional restriction,) the bill [S. 68,] to repeal the act establishing the free negro colonization agency, was taken up and carried to the final passage without amendment--yeas 63. nays 3.
WATER WORKS.
On motion of Mr. COX., (there being a dispensation for the purpose,) the bill [S. 178.]authorizing the construction of Water Works in cities, having special reference to the wants of the city of Evansville, was taken up and carried to the final passage--yeas 67, nays 1.
On motion of Mr. GRIFFITH, Mr. Shoaff's resolution with reference to printing the Dog law, was taken up and made a concurrent resolution, and so it was again adopted by the House.
MILITARY HISTORY.
Mr. BRANHAM submitted a resolution to the following effect:
Resolved, That the Adjutant General be requested to make out a full and complete report from papers in his office which shall embrace the name age, and death of every officer enlisted in the service of the United States during the present war, with such other information as in his judgment may be of public interest; and that 2,000 copies thereof shall be printed and bound.
It was adopted.
FORFEITED RECOGNIZANCE.
On motion of Mr. RICE, (there being a dispensation for the purpose,) the bill page: 387[View Page 387][S. 177] to subordinate the State's right? &c., (to meet the case of a person in Evansville about to be compelled to pay twice on a forfeited recognizance,) was taken up and carried to the final reading in the House--yeas 63, nays 4.
CONSOLIDATED RAILROADS.
On motion by Mr. COFFROTH the vote of yesterday on Mr. Church and Mr. Whiteside's bill [H. R. 107.] by which said bill was defeated, was reconsidered: and so it lies over.
STREET RAILWAYS.
On motion of Mr. CHAMBERS, the street Railroad bill [S. 92.] was taken up. and, (under a dispensation) it was carried to the final reading--yeas 63, nays 4.
PLANK OR GRAVEL ROAD COMPANIES.
On motion by Mr. MILLER of Tippecanoe, (there being a dispensation taken for the purpose) the bill [S. 53,] allowing county commissioners to authorise the property holders along any road to be taxed for its construction where three fifths of the persons representing the real estate within the prescribed limits shall petition therefor, and providing that the same shall be free in twenty years, on the same principle that streets are constructed--was taken up, and carried to the final reading--yeas 59, nays 8.
STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.
Mr. HAMRICK submitted a concurrent resolution for the publication of the Transactions of the Indiana State Board of Agriculture for the year 1864-2000 copies. He stated that these transactions embodied facts of great importance to the interests of agriculture.
On motion or Mr. FOULKE, the consideration of the resolution was indefinitely postponed.
SWAMP LANDS IN NEKTON AND JASPER.
On motion by Mr. GLAZEBROOK,(there being a dispensation for the purpose,) the bill [S. 181.] for the sale of certain swamp lands, under the swamp land act, was taken up and carried to the final passage--yeas 64, nays 3.
RAILROAD STOCKHOLDERS.
On motion of Mr. HIGGINS, (there being a dispensation for the purpose.) the bill [S. 114] in relation to Railroad stockholders, was taken up and carried to the final reading; but the lateness of the hour forbade action; and the motion was withdrawn.
REVISION OF THE STATUTES.
Mr. MILLER, of Tippecanoe, submitted the following:
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Indiana, That there be a committee consisting of three, two on the part of the House and one on the part of the Senate, to revise the Statutes of the State of Indiana; and that said committee be authorized to contract with Gavin and Hord, for the copyright and plates of Gavin and Hord's Revised Statutes of the State of Indiana, if, in their opinion, they can thereby make a complete revision of the Revised Statutes cheaper by purchasing said Revised Statutes and plates; and that said committee shall meet at such place as shall be prepared for them by the State Librarian, and shall receive for their services while engaged in said Revision the sum of six dollars per day, and shall have power to employ two clerks, who shall receive five dollars per day, to be paid out of the appropriation for the expenses of this Legislature and it shall be their duty to report said Revision at the next meeting of the Legislature of the State of Indiana whether Special or Regular.
Pending which--at 12:20 A. M, Sunday,
On motion by Mr. CHAMBERS, the House adjourned till Monday morning at nine o'clock.
