the committee of the House did not concur, but introduced a provision cutting it down to ten, which it seems to me is entirely inadequate. One word further. I want to ask the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. THAYER] if he will accept an amendment by me as a substitute for his. The number of officers of high rank in all the departments, Quartermaster General's, Ordnance, Subsistence, and every; where else, has been very much more increased than in the Adjutant General's department. In almost every instance an adjutant general, either brigadier or major general, is the chief of staff. An adjutant general on a staff, where there is no chief of staff by that name, has as much employment as a chief of staff. And if there should be a difference in rank it cer tainly should be in favor of rather than against the adjutant generals. I think, therefore, that without increasing the number of officers in this department there should be a change in their grades and rank, and I propose, if the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. THAYER] will accept the amendment, that the section shall be made to read as follows: drop out of the service. The office will be Now, I am quite sure, that the chairman of the Now, I do say-and I beg the members of That the Adjutant General's department shall hereafter consist of the same number of officers now authorized by law, and their rank shall be as follows, namely, one adjutant general, with the rank, pay, and emoluments of a brigadier general; four assistant adjutant generals, with the rank, pay, and emol I hope the amendment of the gentleman from Maine, Mr. BLAINE,] which has been uments of colonels of cavalry: five assistant adjutant accepted by the gentleman from Pennsylvania, with the rank, pay, and of lieutenant colonels; and ten assistant adjutant generals, with the rank, pay, and emoluments of majors. [Mr. THAYER,] will prevail, because I think it Mr. SCHENCK. Mr. Speaker, perhaps it All that that does is to change the rank of three majors to that of two colonels and one lieutenant colonel, and that will give an opportunity for such meritorious officers as Major Vincent and others, who have done very valuable duty during the war, to have some chance of promotion. It does not increase the number of officers; it only changes the grade of three of the officers in the department. I hope the gentleman will accept this as a substitute for what he has himself offered. Mr. THAYER. I will accept the amendment if the gentleman will strike out the words "number of;" so that it will read : That the Adjutant General's department of the Army shall hereafter consist of the officers now authorized by law, &c. Mr. BLAINE. Very well; I will do that. I mean no trick about this matter. Mr. THAYER. I did not suspect the gentleman of that, and I now accept his amendment, as modified, in lieu of my own. Mr. WOODBRIDGE. Mr. Speaker, we are told by members of the Committee on Military Affairs that this change in the name and rank of the officers in the Adjutant General's department came to them on the recommendation of the Quartermaster General. Now, if it came from the Quartermaster General, as I have no doubt it did, from the gentleman's statement, he has certainly been guilty of great weakness, or else, certainly, of doing great injustice to his corps. And if the provisions of this bill are adhered to, when the time comes, I shall move that the rank of quartermaster general, which General Meigs has very well for his own purposes kept in the bill, shall be reduced to that of chief quartermaster. If we are to have nothing but quartermasters, then the man at the head of the department should be chief quartermaster. But I am sure the House do not want to do injustice, and that when they see what the operation of this bill will be, in law, they will not sustain it. Here we have seventeen officers in the Adjutant General's department who have passed the best part of their lives there, and nobody has ever found fault with the way in which they have discharged the duties of their important offices. They have been there during the better portion of their lives. There is no accusation against them; no charge. They were commissioned as what? As assistant adjutant generals; and if this bill passes those men will, in spite of their services in that department and in the Army, under their commissions as adjutant generals, by the law that committee, and suppose that no one understood me as intending any. Now, all I have further to say on that general Mr. THAYER. Does the gentleman from Mr. SCHENCK. So far as the gentleman said we meant any covert attack upon these officers, I do refer to him. Mr. THAYER. I said nothing of the kind. Mr. SCHENCK. I so understood the gentleman. If the tenor of his remarks was not to that effect, then what I have said has no application to him. Mr. THAYER. I certainly intended to make no reflection upon the committee in anything || that I said. I simply argued that the result of the section which they report in their bill was to commit an act of the most gross injustice, But I trust that no one supposed for a moment that I intended to charge the Committee on Military Affairs with a deliberate design to do injustice. Of course every one understands that they fell into this error inadvertently. I intended to cast no imputation upon Mr. SCHENCK. If the gentleman had no such intention, then my remarks are not in the slightest degree applicable to him. I misunderstood him, perhaps, in supposing that he did impute to the committee a design thus indirectly to get men out of office. But we have been charged more than once in the course of the debate on former days, if not to-day, with being exceedingly cunning and sinister in our designs. If we have not been so charged, then my remarks fall to the ground. If we have been so charged, then that is the only reply I have to make. Now, in reference to this particular matter, I am not certain but what in point of law the gentleman is right, and that this provision as it now stands would vacate some of these commissions. And when my attention was called to it, after we had adopted this different nomenclature for these officers, under the circumstances stated by the gentleman from Maine, [Mr. BLAINE,] I myself prepared an amendment to obviate any such difficulty, and to prevent any such conclusions against these officers. My amendment was written specially with ref erence to the Adjutant General's department, as I promised it should be, because my conver sation was with one connected with that de partment, who spoke of this as the probable effect of this provision. And I intended, should the House agree with the committee in simplifying these titles (otherwise it would be unnecessary) to move a similar amendment in reference to any other department in which the titles have been changed. I will read the amendment which I have prepared to come in at the end of this section as a proviso: Provided, That nothing in this section shall be construed to vacate the commission of any officer now commissioned as assistant adjutant general, but only to change the title to adjutant, leaving the same officer in the same position he held when bearing the former title. || Now, I repeat, this change of title is a matter of taste and propriety, more than anything else; and therefore, if the House should disagree with the committee, I shall not feel disposed to complain. My colleague on the com mittee has stated how this change originatedthat the Quartermaster General himself, in the course of a discussion of all the various matters pertaining to his department, adverted to the lumbering titles which attach to the officers of that department as well as other bureaus or staff departments. Any gentleman who considers for a moment what those titles are can satisfy himself whether the complaint of the Quartermaster General is well founded. We have a large number of officers-these seventeen who have been spoken of—who are called assistant adjutant generals. They are connected with the Adjutant General's department. We thought it would simplify the matter to provide that, in this great department, where the adjutancy of the Army is concentrated, the subordinate officers should be called "adjutants" simply, while we provide for two assistants of the Adjutant General, who retain the title of assistant adjutant general. 66 So also, in the quartermaster's department, we thought that, instead of having a large number of officers signing themselves Deputy Quartermaster General" and Assistant Quartermaster General," it would simplify the mat. ter to have a Quartermaster General, with two or three assistant quartermaster generals, to take his place in his absence or upon an emergency, and to call the rest simply "quartermasters,' some to rank as lieutenant colonels, some as majors, and some as captains. 66 The system of having these numerous officers with these cumbrous titles sometimes leads to confusion. I recollect an instance that occurred a good many years ago when the title of Deputy Quartermaster General" had perhaps been recently adopted in the Army. A rather fancy gentleman who held that position, but whose occupation before he went into the Army had been very different, was fond of attaching to ment we have made a like provision in regard to them. We do not believe that men educated for four years at West Point, at the Government expense, should be selected for the purpose of inspecting crackers and buying beef. This is the general effect of the kind of legislation this committee propose, and it is for the House to say whether they will sustain us in that line of legislation or not. I do not believe the Adjutant General's department should be increased. The SPEAKER. The gentleman's time has expired. his name upon every hotel register the letters "D. Q. M. G," after which, on one occasion, a mischievous fellow following him wrote as the explanation or translation, "Damned quickmade general!" [Laughter.] Now, if I can avoid it, I want no more of these D. Q. M. G.'s," "A. Q. M. G.'s," "A. Q. M.'s," and "A. A. G.'s." Now when we have an opportunity, upon a general reorganization of the Army, I think it would be better, without legislating anybody out or anybody in, (for this bill is made with reference to the Army establishment, and not to persons, however gentlemen may mistake it in that respect,) to simplify names as well as other things, so far as we can, taking care that in doing so no injustice shall be done. If this idea should prevail, gentlemen will find me ready to meet them more than half way in the effort to provide against any such consequences as they apprehend. Now, sir, one word more before I close. I am not surprised at the warmth which is manifested whenever a finger is laid upon one of these bureaus or staff departments. It is a difficulty which we have encountered whenever there has been any attempt at legislation upon the subject of the Army, and which is every day increasing, that while our legislation is generally satisfactory to the line officers, the men in the field, the men,at the front, the men who do the hard work out-of-doors, we are surrounded by gentlemen just as good, just as industrious, just as laborious, who, however, being situated here at the center, are ready to watch our proceedings, and unless we take care to refrain from doing anything which shall interfere in any way with their prerogatives or their convenience or their comfort, we have the whole of them using their influence against us. And these gentlemen exercise very deservedly a great deal of influence. There are stationed in and about this city in the various Departments and bureaus, some hundreds of officers, each one of whom has his official, his personal, his social, his moral influence, which we all feel. I know a vast number of them, having, perhaps, as large a circle of acquaintance (and very pleasant acquaintance) among them as almost anybody else. But I declare here now that this sort of social and official and personal influence shall not, if I can help it, influence me in reference to the legislation which I may deem best for the general interests of the whole country. In regard to these bureaus, let me say, former legislation has tended to attract men to Washington. I prefer the tendency of this bill and such other measures of reform as the Committee on Military Affairs desire to propose, which will have rather a centrifugal than a centripetal influence upon these gentlemen. I admit they must many of them be here, and are highly useful in being here, but at the same time I say a great many of them under this influence, or by our legislation which has stolen upon us, degree by degree, are here occupying places in these bureaus, not exactly the place for soldiers. There are men here in this city in these various bureaus who have been content to sit at their desk while the war was going on, engaged in copying records, indorsing papers, and other kindred occupations which might as well have been done, and as well done, perhaps, by intelligent clerks. I do not wish to continue that system of influence if I can help it. I wish to reduce the number of persons employed as officers as low as possible. I wish men educated at West Point, and well educated in all that relates to military knowledge, shall not, because they have been educated at our expense and after a term of four years' service there, good engineers, good gunners, full of the knowledge of military tactics, be employed simply as clerks. There will be other features in this bill to which this same objection will be made, and I have thought it proper to say this much in advance. It will be found when we come to the subsistence department and the pay depart39TH CONG. 1ST SESS.-No. 129. PACIFIC RAILROAD. Mr. PRICE, by unanimous consent, from the Committee on the Pacific Railroad, reported back Senate bill No. 125, granting aid in the construction of a railroad and telegraph line from the town of Folsom to the town of Pla cerville, in the State of California, and moved that it be printed and recommitted. The motion was agreed to. Mr. WASHBURNE, of Illinois, moved to reconsider the vote by which the bill was recommitted; and also moved that the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table. The latter motion was agreed to. chaplains in the United States Army; which was laid on the table, and ordered to be printed. EQUALIZATION OF BOUNTIES. Mr. MILLER also presented a joint resolution of the Legislature of Pennsylvania, in relation to the equalization of bounties; which was laid upon the table, and ordered to be printed. And then, on motion of Mr. CONKLING, (at four o'clock and thirty minutes p. m.,) the House adjourned. PETITIONS, ETC. The following petitions, &c., were presented under the rule and referred to the appropriate committees: By the SPEAKER: The petition of Messrs. Osborn, Niles, Teegarden, Seymour, Hannah, Frederickson, and many others, business men of Laporte, Indiana, asking legislation in regard to inter-State insurance regulations. By Mr. BAXTER: The petition of Henry Thorp, and 52 others, of Charlotte, Vermont, asking additional duties be assessed on foreign wool. By Mr. BEAMAN: The petition of R. B. Robbins, and 321 others, citizens of Adrian, Michigan, and vicinity, praying for an equalization of bounties to volunteers. By Mr. BINGHAM: The petitions of Charles J. Tax, William Moore, John Martin, J. S. Potts, George Wirtz, and 730 others, citizens of Harrison county, Ohio, asking efficient protection to American wool. By Mr. CONKLING: The petition of S. A. Bunce, and others, as to inter-State insurance. Also, the petition of citizens of Cayuga county, New York, asking that lumber be relieved from duty. By Mr. DONNELLY: A petition from citizens of St. Paul, Minnesota, in favor of just and equal laws for the regulation of inter-State insurances. Also, a petition from citizens of Bloomington, Minnesota, in favor of an increase of the tariff upon wool. Also, a remonstrance of citizens of Hastings, Minnesota, against the obstruction of the free navigation of the Mississippi river by the construction of a bridge at Clinton. By Mr. DRIGGS: The petition of Dr. Duffield, Hon. H.P. Baldwin, and 60 others, citizens of Detroit, Michigan, for such a liberal extension of a railroad land grant to the State of Michigan as will secure the completion of a road to connect with Lake Superior. By Mr. EGGLESTON: The petition of Nancy Mason, Sally Drake, and Maxfield Huston, as heirs of Colonel William Crawford, praying for relief from Government in consequence of services rendered by Colonel Crawford against the Wyandotte tribe of Indians in 1782. By Mr. ELDRIDGE: The petition of 100 citizens of Sheboygan county, Wisconsin, for an increase of ten cents per pound and ten per cent, ad valorem on wool imported into the United States. By Mr. GARFIELD: The petition of 1,472 citizens of Trumbull county, Ohio, asking for increased protection of American wool. Also, the petition of L. M. Kirk, and 74 others, citizens of Smith township, Mahoning county, Ohio, praying for increased protection on American wool. By Mr. GRIDER: The petition of citizens of Metcalf county, Kentucky, in behalf of David Phillpot. By Mr. LONGYEAR: The remonstrance of John Thompson, and 71 others, citizens of Jackson, Michigan, against an extension of the Amboy, Lansing, and Traverse Bay railroad land grant to the company of that name. By Mr. MORRIS: The remonstrance of Hon. James C. Smith, and other eminent lawyers of Ontario county, New York, against the passage of the bill to reorganize the Federal judiciary now before the House of Representatives. Also, two petitions numerously signed by woolgrowers of Ontario county, New York, asking for an increase of duty on imported wool. Also, concurrent resolution of the Legislature of the State of New York, requesting the Senators and Representatives in Congress from the State of New York to propose and vote for a law for paying the adjudicated claims of the militia who served in the war of 1812. By Mr. PAINE: The petition of G. P. Hewitt & Son, and 22 others, firms of Milwaukee, for modification of excise tax on stoves. Also, resolutions on the subject of reconstruction of late rebel States, adopted at a meeting of citizens of Rome, Wisconsin. By Mr. PRICE: The petition of citizens of Davenport, Iowa, asking for the enactment of just and equal laws for the regulation of inter-State insurances of all kinds. By Mr. RICE, of Maine: The petition of Adams H. Merrill, and others, of Maine, asking repeal of law exacting internal tax on roofing-slates. By Mr. SCOFIELD: Joint resolutions of the Legislature of Pennsylvania, in favor of equalizing bounties to soldiers. Also, a joint resolution in favor of increasing the number of Army post chaplains. By Mr. WASHBURN, of Massachusetts: The petition of Luke Lyman, and 86 others, citizens of the Connecticut valley, in Massachusetts, dealers and growers of tobacco and manufacturers of cigars, asking that the duties on cigars be changed from the present graduated scale to one of uniform rate; and that that rate be fixed at not less than three dollars per pound and fifty per cent, ad valorem. Also, the petition of S. G. Hubbard, and 33 others, citizens of Hatfield, Massachusetts, for same pur pose. mates with the bill which I should like to have printed. I make that motion. The motion was agreed to. Also, the petition of John T. Fitch, and 25 others, citizens of Hatfield, Massachusetts, for same purpose. By Mr. WINDOM: The petition of C. R. Hughson, and 51 others, citizens of Minnesota, asking an increased duty on wool. By Mr. WRIGHT: The petition of W. A. Brintzinghoffer, and others, dealers in leaf tobacco and manufacturers of cigars, for increase of duties upon imported cigars. IN SENATE. FRIDAY, April 20, 1866. Prayer by the Chaplain, Rev. E. H. GRAY. The Journal of yesterday was read and approved. PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS. Mr. HOWE presented a memorial of the Legislature of Wisconsin, in favor of a grant of land to aid in the construction of so much of the Winnebago and Superior railroad as extends from Doty's Island to Stevens Point; which was referred to the Committee on Public Lands, and ordered to be printed. Mr. MORGAN. I present the petition of George F. Sherman, and eighteen others, weighers of the customs in the port and district of New York, soliciting an increase of compensation from $1,485, the sum they now receive, to $2,500 per annum, setting forth the reasons which, in their opinion, sustain the fairness and justice of their request. I move that it be referred to the Committee on Finance. The motion was agreed to. Mr. HENDERSON presented the petition of Andrew Branstetter, praying that a pension be granted him; which was referred to the Committee on Pensions. Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I present the memorial of miners and smelters of copper ores in two or three of the States. They state that they invested large amounts of money in the erection and conducting of their copper mines and works at a time when copper ores were free of duty, and they ask, therefore, that they should be relieved from the duty on copper ores, and for a protective duty on ingot, pig, cake, bar, or other copper of five cents per pound. They state the reasons for it as succinctly as I could state them. I move its reference to the Committee on Finance. The motion was agreed to. Mr. DOOLITTLE presented a memorial of the Legislature of Wisconsin in favor of a grant of land to aid in the construction of so much of the Winnebago and Superior railroad as extends from Doty's Island to Stevens Point; which was referred to the Committee on Public Lands, and ordered to be printed. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. Mr. NORTON, from the Committee on Claims, to whom was referred the petition of Mrs. Margaret Kaetzel, praying for an appropriation for the support of herself and family, alleging that, by reason of the death of her husband, who was killed on the 5th day of April, 1865, by the premature discharge of a cannon which was being used in firing a salute by order of the Secretary of War in honor of the capture of Richmond, she has been deprived of her support, asked to be discharged from its further consideration, and that it be referred to the Committee on Pensions; which was agreed to. Mr. WILSON from the Committee on Military Affairs and the Militia, to whom was referred a bill (S. No. 268) to prevent and punish the manufacture and use of false, forged, or counterfeited brands, stamps, dies, or stencils, asked to be discharged from its further consideration, and that it be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary; which was agreed to. Mr. WILSON. I am also directed by the same committee, to whom was referred a joint resolution (S. R. No. 67) to provide for the erection of fire-proof buildings at the Schuylkill arsenal, near Philadelphia, to report it without amendment. There are some letters and esti Mr. WILSON. I am also directed by the committee on Military Affairs and the Militia to report back the joint resolution (H. R. No. 107) for the relief of Rev. Harrison Heermance, late chaplain of one hundred and twenty-eighth regiment New York volunteers. This is a House joint resolution, and was recommitted to the committee the other day for the purpose of having a report of the facts in the case. The committee find that a report was made in the House of Representatives. I should like to have the resolution put on its passage now. I think it is right. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. It requires unanimous consent to consider the joint resolution on the day it is reported. Mr. CLARK. I ask that it may be read at large, so that we may see what it provides for, before unanimous consent is given. Mr. HOWARD. I hope we shall be allowed to get through with the reports of committees. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection being made, the joint resolution lies over under the rule. Mr. ANTHONY, from the Committee on Claims, to whom was referred the petition of William Cook, praying for compensation for the use by the Government of a lot of land owned by him in the city of Washington, being lot No. 42, in square No. 184, submitted a report accompanied by a bill (S. No. 277) for the relief of William Cook. The bill was read and passed to a second reading, and the report was ordered to be printed. Mr. CLARK, from the Committee on Claims, to whom was referred the petition of John H. Crowell, captain and assistant quartermaster of volunteers, praying that the accounting officers of the Treasury may be authorized to allow him a credit of $250 in the settlement of his accounts, reported a bill (S. No. 278) for the relief of Captain John H. Crowell, assistant quartermaster in the United States Army; which was read and passed to a second reading. Mr. HOWE, from the Committee on Claims, to whom was referred a bill (H. R. No. 347) for the relief of R. L. B. Clarke, reported it without amendment. He also, from the same committee, to whom was referred a petition of loyal citizens of Loudon county, Virginia, praying for compensation for property destroyed by fire, and for live stock taken for the use of the Army or sold for the benefit of the United States by order of General Sheridan, reported a bill (S. No. 279) for the relief of loyal citizens of Loudon county, Virginia; which was read and passed to a second reading. Mr. HOWARD. The Committee on the Pacific Railroad, to whom was referred a bill (S. No. 225) to aid in the construction of a southern branch of the Union Pacific railway and telegraph, and to secure to the Government the use of the same for postal, military, and other purposes, have had the same under consideration, and have directed me to report it back, and to ask that they be discharged from the further consideration of it, on the ground that the committee are of opinion that no further pecuniary obligations ought to be assumed by the Government to aid in the construction of branches of the Union Pacific railroad. The report was agreed to. WESTERN PACIFIC RAILROAD. Mr. HOWARD. The Committee on the Pacific Railroad, to whom was referred the joint resolution (S. R. No. 61) to extend the time for the construction of the first section of the Western Pacific railroad, have had it under consideration, and have directed me to report it back to the Senate with amendments; and they ask that it may receive the present consideration of the Senate. It is a very short joint resolution, and I hope the Senate will consent to act upon it at once. By unanimous consent, the Senate, as in RESCUE OF THE SAN FRANCISCO. Mr. WILSON. I move to take up Senate joint resolution No. 31. It will take but a few moments and it is rather important that it should be acted on promptly. The motion was agreed to; and the joint res olution (S. R. No. 31) manifesting the sense of Congress toward the officers and seamen of the vessels, and others, engaged in the rescue of the officers and soldiers of the Army, the passengers, and the officers and crew of the steamship San Francisco, from perishing with the wreck of that vessel, was considered as in Committee of the Whole. It will be a request to the President of the United States to procure three valuable gold medals, with suitable devices, one to be presented to Captain Creighton, of the ship Three Bells, of Glasgow; one to Captain Low, of the bark Kilby, of Boston; and one to Captain Stouffer, of the ship Antarctic, as testimonials of national gratitude for their gallant conduct in rescuing about five hundred Americans from the wreck of the steamship San Francisco. Mr. JOHNSON. I propose to amend the resolution by adding the following as an additional section: And be it further resolved, That a sum not exceeding $50,000 is hereby appropriated, out of any money in Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to enable the the President to reward, in such manner as he may bated violence, and he remained within sight, deem most appropriate, the officers and crews of those vessels that aided in the rescue of the survivors of said wreck, and such other persons as distinguished themselves by offices of humanity and heroism on that occasion, the reward to be proportionate to the nature of the efforts made and the merit of the services rendered so far as the same can be ascertained. The resolution proposed by the Committee on Military Affairs is one of two resolutions heretofore before the Senate and adopted by a very decided vote. The Military Committee, however, on this occasion, did not report the second of the original resolutions. The original resolutions gave first a gold medal for the services stated, and secondly, as reported by the committee of the Senate, $100,000; but the appropriation of $100,000 was amended in the Senate by being reduced to $50,000. The circumstances which, in the judgment of the Senate at that time, rendered it due to the reputation of the United States and to the aid which the parties whose names are mentioned had contributed to save the lives of the soldiers of the United States, may, perhaps, have escaped the recollection of the Senate. I will, therefore, very briefly call to the attention of the Senate now the facts as they were known to the Senate at that time and as they certainly existed. The San Francisco, a steamer of the United States, left the port of New York in the month of December 1853, with several hundred soldiers on board. It was apprehended at that time that there might be difficulty on the northwestern border; and the Government thought it advisable to have troops there. The officers carried with them their families, and the number of officers and soldiers and the families of the officers and the families of some of the soldiers constituted an aggregate of about nine hundred souls on board. The San Francisco had been out a few days when she encountered a terrific storm, and during six days of that storm before any aid was received by her there were about one hundred and seventy washed overboard. The storm continued with terrific violence during the whole of that period. While they were in that condition and expected all of them to be lost, almost every moment of time, one or two vessels hove in sight, but they refused to assist, pleading their inability to assist, believing that an attempt to render aid would be fatal to themselves, when finally the steamer Three Bells, an English steamer commanded by Captain Creighton hove in sight. The American steamer, the San Francisco, was commanded by Captain Watkins, known familiarly upon the Pacific, as the Senators from California will bear me out in saying, as Commodore Watkins, a Maryland man by birth, but one who has been following the sea all his life, and for the last fifteen or twenty years has been a citizen and resident of California. He commanded her, and notwithstanding his great skill and unflinching courage and his attempt to keep up the spirits of those who were on board, it was very evident that destruction was inevitable unless assistance was soon received. In this condition of things the Three Bells hove in sight. Distress guns were fired. As soon as the captain saw that the steamer was peril he went to her aid. His own vessel was leaking then to the extent of making about nine inches of water an hour. He was short of provisions. The moment he came within a distance to be communicated with directly, Captain Watkins-the wind being so high that it was impossible to make himself heard, either by his own voice or with the aid of the trumpet placed upon a board in large letters what the captain of the Three Bells understood to be, "We are in distress; save us; we will charter your vessel." This British captain, true to the instincts of humanity, and true, too, to the general instincts which characterize the sailor, said at once, with some surprise and some indignation, "What does the man want? Does he suppose that I am here for the purpose of chartering my vessel to make money? I am here to save all who are on board, if I can, and I will lay by your vessel as long as my own will swim." The storm continued with una The Senate, perhaps, may have forgotten, even those who heard at the time of this valuable service, the great enthusiasm which was manifested throughout all the commercial cities upon the arrival of the British vessel with a portion of the passengers of the lost vessel in New York. The others that were taken on board by one of the other vessels that came to the rescue were safely carried to Liverpool, and found their way back to this country. Captain Creighton, of the Three Bells, was feted in New York. Every demonstration of gratitude was shown him. The Senate of the United States, by a very large majority, deeming it due to him, and to the others who had contributed in saving some seven or eight hundred officers and men of the Army of the United States and their families, passed a resolu tion such as is now reported by the Committee on Military Affairs, with the other resolution which I now propose by way of amendment. I suppose many Senators may now have freshly before them, when the subject is called to their recollection, the enthusiastic joy with which the arrival of the Three Bells was received at the port of New York, and the tidings that some three or four hundred of the rescued of the ill-fated ship were on their way, perhaps in safety, to Europe. Captain Creighton was fêted all through New York by nearly all the societies engaged commercially. Every possible honor was evinced toward him. The heart of the nation gushed with gratitude for such services, and the passage in this body-it failing in the other House only for want of time-of a resolution such as is now reported by the Military Committee, with the addition which I propose now as an amendment, was hailed with grateful joy, as I well remember, by the people of the United States. It was a tribute due, not only for the humanity evinced by the parties who were engaged in the rescue, but for the daring gallantry they displayed, and the imminent risks they ran of losing their own lives in an effort to save the lives of citizens of the United States. He then launched two of his small boats, and with those two boats he got off about two or three hundred, I think, from the San Francisco. Captain Watkins then informed him that there were a great many sick, and there were women and children on board whom he was unwilling to trust in a small boat. Captain Creighton had been afraid up to that time to launch his larger boat, but he determined at all hazards to make the effort. She was launched, the sea running mountain high, all expecting to go down on both vessels, when fortunately for himself, and for the United States, and for all who were on board, he succeeded in getting on board the San Francisco every soul, sick and well, man, woman, and child. Captain Watkins was the last to leave his vessel; and they had barely got to the Three Bells and another vessel that had hove in sight in the mean time, and who aided in getting off a part of the crew, before the San Francisco went down. One of the vessels, after the Three Bells had saved some one hundred and seventy or two hundred, came to their aid and with great humanity and daring skill took some one hundred of the passengers. They were on their way to Europe, and they carried them to Europe. The Three Bells sailed for New York. She was a great many days in getting to New York. She was kept afloat by the untiring exertions of the crew, for she was making water at the rate of nine inches an hour. She was short of provisions, and she was obliged to put all on board upon short allowance; and in order to take care of those who were received on board she was compelled to throw overboard the whole of her cargo that was under deck, it being impossible to accommodate the rescued above deck, it being absolutely necessary to give them the protection which they would have by being under deck. He immediately made for New York. He was six days in reach-comparatively unimportant to the captains of ing that port. When he did reach it, he had these three vessels, and particularly the capbut a very small quantity of water; it would tain of the British vessel, whether the gratitude not have lasted another day; and he had been of the nation should be evinced in a pecuniary compelled to place the passengers and crew way or not; but he was engaged in the Amerupon an allowance, each, of two ounces of ican trade; he has always been an enthusiastic water, half a biscuit, and one ounce of bacon, admirer of the American character, and has during the whole of the six days that he was felt, as I know, an earnest solicitude for the making the port of New York. On his arrival success of the United States in the rebellion at New York, he had but fifty gallons of water; through which she has so happily and gloriand he landed in New York three hundred ously passed; and in consequence of that very rebellion he has been reduced almost to povpassengers, men, women, and children. erty, He is now here, and has been here for many months, and he seeks at the hands of Congress some valuable manifestation of their recognition of the services rendered without the slightest view at that time to any recognition of them of a pecuniary character; but now, when the recent unfortunate condition of the country has placed him in a situation of comparative want, he is willing to receive, anx ious to receive, and as I think the honor and character of the United States require that he should receive, some substantial manifestation of the gratitude which the United States owe to him as a gallant sailor, looking to no other reward at the time than that which flows from a noble action performed in the cause of humanity. He is now anxious to receive the comparative pittance which the amendment I have proposed will give him, when divided between the three who were engaged in the humane effort. Perhaps Senators do not bear in mind the scene which took place upon the arrival of the vessel at New York, and the solicitude that was felt for the fate of the vessel before the arrival of the passengers. He was fêted in New York the moment of his arrival. The Government paid for the loss of the cargo; but so signal was the service of rescuing from inevitable death some six or seven hundred soldiers of the United States, having with them many of the wives and children belonging to the men and the officers, that the Senate of the United States, upon the 6th of February, 1854, passed a resolution identical with the one now reported to the Senate by the Committee on Military Affairs, and another resolution, after reducing the amount originally named in it, identical with the resolution that I now offer to the report of the committee. As the Senate committee at that time reported the second resolution, they gave $100,000. Pending the consideration of the subject in the Senate it was reduced to $50,000; and I propose now that the Senate should adopt what the Senate adopted, then, by a vote, I think, of 27 yeas to 16 nays. The whole nation's heart gushed with gratitude for such distinguished services, and the passage of a resolution distributing $50,000, as well as a gold medal, was hailed, as member, with unmingled joy throughout every portion of the United States. re At that time, Mr. President, it was a matter As I have said, about one hundred and seventy were washed overboard before he could come to the rescue; but he, and the others who came afterward to his aid, saved some five or six hundred lives of officers and soldiers of the United States and several of the families of the officers and the soldiers; and I remember as if it were but yesterday, although I was not in the councils of the nation at that time, with what joy the passage by the Senate of the resolution, such as it will be if you adopt the amendment I have proposed, was hailed throughout the United States. It was hailed as a manifestation of national gratitude for distinguished services, rendered at the imminent peril of life, not only of himself but of his crew, and at the certain destruction of the cargo which was intrusted to his charge; and the answer that the man gave when, misunderstanding the telegraph that Captain Watkins sent him by means of the board which he held up, (a telegraph, as he supposed, indicating the opinion of Watkins that he would not lay by his vessel except on the promise of some reward,) evinced the character of the true sailor. "What does the man mean?" was his indignant reply. Substantially he said, "Here I will remain; and if it be possible I will save all on board the evidently sinking vessel or lose my own life in the effort; and he succeeded. 11 although at the time the service was rendered he had not the remotest idea of ever appealing to the gratitude of the United States for compensation for an act which he did from an impulse of pure humanity and at the risk of his life, he asks at the hands of the United States some small compensation for that peril now when the troubles in which we have been engaged and during which no one I have reason to believe more solicitously watched over us than he did-for he was always a true friend of the United States-have placed him in a condition of almost entire poverty. Now, I propose in behalf of him and of others who were engaged in the same noble and humane undertaking that we manifest our gratitude to a heroism unsurpassed; the sea was running mountain high, threatening to ingulf him and his crew, his ship leaking and making water at the rate of nine inches an hour, and he unable to keep her afloat except by the untiring exertions of himself and his crew. I ask in his behalf, and as a debt due to humanity; I ask in behalf of the officers and soldiers who were saved through his gallantry and the gallantry of two others who came to the rescue, that we shall, when we are able and he is poor, manifest our gratitude by contributing what will render, perhaps, the remainder of his days comparatively happy. The amendment was agreed to. The joint resolution was reported to the Senate as amended, and the amendment was concurred in. The book that I hold in my hand, which the honest and bold and humane sailor has kept by him from that time to this, is filled with manifestations of the nation's gratitude; and he was able to save from the elements the letter that was thrown overboard by Captain Watkins, which I will trouble the Senate by reading. It was picked up at sea: STEAMSHIP SAN FRANCISCO, January 1, 1854. DEAR CAPTAIN: We are in great distress. Do not leave us. We have already lost about one hundred and eighty of our number, washed overboard. We have United States troops on board, and the commanding officer will charter your ship. We have plenty of water and provisions on board. We now number about four hundred and twenty, all told. I find it too rough to do anything with our rafts; they are made and waiting a calm. Yours, &c., JAMES T. WATKINS, Captain. That was on the 1st of January, 1854; and this noble and humane-as all noble men are -sailor remained, at the imminent peril of his life and the lives of all those who were on board of his own ship and of the loss of his ship, alongside during the terrific storm that lasted for six days, during the whole of the six days, and he succeeded in rescuing every living soul left on board on the 1st of January; and I remember (and I recollect the proud feeling with which I received the information) the delight with which the vote given by the Senate on the occasion thrilled the public heart of the nation. Six or seven hundred soldiers of the United States destined to the furthest Territory of the United States to maintain the honor of its flag were rescued not only from imminent but certain death by the gallantry of this English captain and his noble officers and crew, and the disappointment, if disappointment was felt at all at the passage of the resolution through the Senate, was that the amount given was not the amount recommended by the committee. The committee recommended $100,000; and it was amended in the Senate by being reduced one half; and it only failed of receiving the sanction of the other House for want of time. After that, not wanting the money, this Englishman, or rather Scotchman, I believe, by birth, went upon his own way rejoicing in that which gave him satisfaction than money could at that time have given him, that he had contributed so much to save so many fellow-beings, and especially to save the soldiers and sailors of the United States and their families, and everywhere where. the tidings reached of what the Senate of the United States had done in manifestation of their gratitude for the distinguished service he had rendered the United States by saving the lives of her soldiery, it was hailed with delightful gratitude everywhere. Money then was to him of little or no account; but he has suffered now because of our trouble. His trade was with us; the rebellion through which we have so happily and gloriously passed in a great measure broke it up; he is now poor; and more The joint resolution was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, was read the third time, and passed. LAKE PORTAGE SHIP-CANAL. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. It is the duty of the Chair to call up the unfinished business of yesterday, which is House bill No. 238, the pending question being on the amendment of the Senator from Vermont, [Mr. EDMUNDS,] upon which the yeas and nays have been ordered. Mr. POMEROY. With the leave of the Senator from New Hampshire I should like to reconsider a bill that passed during the morning hour the other day, merely to make a correction. The bill was amended before in the Senate, but as it now stands there needs to be a slight correction in order that the various parts of the bill may be in harmony with each other. There will be no question about it. It will only take two or three minutes' time. Mr. CLARK. I will not object to that. The special order may be laid aside informally in order to allow the correction of a mistake in that bill. Mr. POMEROY. In the seventeenth line of the bill I move to strike out the words "hereby amended" and insert "herein referred to." We do not amend the former bill, but we recite it. The amendment was agreed to. Mr. POMEROY. I send to the Chair a substitute for the last proviso in reference to mineral lands. The amendment was read, being to strike out the words The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, was read the third time, and passed. The PRESIDENT protempore. That course will be taken, no objection being made. Mr. POMEROY. I have moved a reconsideration of the vote passing Senate bill No. 193, granting lands to the State of Michigan to aid in building a harbor and ship-canal at Portage Lake, Keweenaw Point, Lake Superior, || in said State. I now ask that the question be taken on that reconsideration. The motion to reconsider was agreed to. Mr. POMEROY. I now move to reconsider the vote ordering the bill to be engrossed for a third reading. The motion was agreed to. And provided further, That no mineral lands shall be included within this grant. And in lieu thereof to insert And provided further, That no lands designated by the United States as mineral before the passage of this act shall be included within this grant The amendment was agreed to. HOUSE BILLS REFERRED. The following bills from the House of Representatives were severally read twice by their titles, and referred as indicated below: A bill (H. R. No. 134) to regulate to terms of the United States courts in the eastern district of New York, and for other purposes-to the Committee on the Judiciary. A bill (H. R. No. 278) in amendment of the several acts relating to the organization of the Pension Office-to the Committee on Pensions. APPROVAL OF BILLS. A message from the President of the United States, by Mr. COOPER, his Secretary, announced that the President had approved and signed on the 17th instant, the following acts and joint resolutions: An act (S. No. 31) to reimburse the State of Missouri for moneys expended for the United States in enrolling, equipping, and provisioning militia forces to aid in suppressing the rebellion; An act (S. No. 229) to authorize the President of the United States to transfer a gunboat to the Government of the republic of Liberia; A joint resolution (S. R. No. 45) protesting against pardons by foreign Governments of persons convicted of infamous offenses on condition of emigration to the United States; and A joint resolution (S. R. No. 49) for the temporary relief of destitute people in the District of Columbia. And that on the 18th instant he approved and signed An act (S. No. 201) for the relief of Ann Heth, widow of William Heth, of Harrison county, Indiana; An act (S. No. 241) directing the 'nrollment of Agnes W. Laughlin, the widow of deceased soldier, as a pensioner; An act (S. No. 248) for the relief of James G. Clarke; An act (S. No. 252) granting a pension to Mrs. Sarah E. Wilson; and An act (S. No. 260) granting a pension to Mrs. Emerance Gouler. NAYS-Messrs. Anthony, Chandler, Clark, Conness, Cragin, Creswell, Foster, Grimes, Henderson, Howard, Howe, Kirkwood, Lane of Indiana, Lane of Kansas, Morgan, Nye, Pomeroy, Ramsey, Sherman, Sprague, Stewart, Sumner. Trumbull, Van Winkle, Wade. Willey, Williams, Wilson, and Yates-29. ABSENT-Messrs. Brown, Davis, Dixon, Fessenden, Harris, Morrill, Norton, Poland, Riddle, and Wright-10. So the amendment was rejected. Mr. CLARK. I think a slight amendment is needed in the fourth line of the third section, to strike out the words " as well." The amendment was agreed to. Mr. SAULSBURY. I move to strike out the fourth section of the bill. That section provides: SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That if the State court shall, notwithstanding the performance of all things required for the removal of the case to the circuit court aforesaid, proceed further in said causo or prosecution before said certificate is produced, then, in that case, all such further proceedings shall be void and of no effect; and all parties, judges, officers, and other persons, thenceforth proceeding thereunder, or by color thereof, shall be liable in damages |