Mr. MANSUR. Well, let the amendment stand, but change the word "ten" to "eight", making $8,000, which is the actual amount the two legislatures paid for the swords.

SEVERAL MEMBERS. Oh, no. Withdraw your amendment.

Mr. MANSUR. Well, Mr. Speaker, I withdraw the amendment. Mr. TILLMAN. I now move the previous question on the bill as amended.

The previous question was ordered.

The bill as amended was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time; and being engrossed, it was accordingly read the third time.

Mr. W. C. OATES. Mr. Speaker, let us have the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were refused, one-fifth not voting in favor thereof.
The bill (H. 3796) as amended was then passed.

March 8, 1888-Senate.

Referred to Committee on Library.

March 15, 1888-Senate.

Reported by Mr. W. M. EVARTS.

April 11, 1888-Senate.
Passed.

April 19, 1888.

An act, etc.

Whereas the State of Illinois and the State of South Carolina, after the war with Mexico, each presented to the late Gen. James Shields a sword, in consideration of gallant and meritorious services rendered by him in said war; and

Whereas he has left surviving him a widow and three minor children, with but limited means of support, and said swords, though costly and valuable, can not be divided and apportioned between said children, and their value is needed for the education and support of said children: Therefore,

Be it enacted, etc., That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to purchase of said widow and children said swords, at their actual cost, not to exceed the sum of $10,000, to be paid for out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and when so purchased the same to be deposited with the other military archives of the nation, in some public place at the National Museum.

(Stat., XXV, 86.)

July 23, 1888-House.

Mr. CHARLES H. MANSUR introduced a joint resolution (H. 202; Report 3400) to construe an act passed at this session entitled "An

act to purchase of the widow and children of the late Gen. James Shields certain swords:"

Whereas the State of Illinois and the State of South Carolina, after the war with Mexico, each presented to the late Gen. James Shields a sword, in consideration of gallant and meritorious services rendered by him in said war; and

Whereas he has left surviving him a widow and three minor children, with but limited means of support, and said swords, though costly and valuable, can not be divided and apportioned between said children, and their value is needed for the education and support of said children: Therefore,

Be it enacted, etc., That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to purchase of said widow and children said swords, at their actual cost, not to exceed the sum of $10,000, to be paid for out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and when so purchased the same to be deposited with the other military archives of the nation in some public place at the National Museum. Whereas these swords were presented forty years ago; and

Whereas that presented by the State of Illinois was paid for out of the contingent fund of the governor, of which no record remains in the department of state at Springfield, Ill.; and

Whereas the archives of the State of South Carolina were burned at Columbia during the civil war, and no record remains of the amount paid for the sword presented by the State of South Carolina, and no record or authenticated evidence can be obtained; and

Whereas tradition says that the sword presented by the State of Illinois cost $3,000, and the one by the State of South Carolina $5,000: Therefore,

Resolved, etc., That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to construe the words "at their actual cost" in the above-recited act of Congress to mean the sum of $8,000.

Referred to Committee on Military Affairs.

September 4, 1888-House.

Mr. R. W. ToWNSHEND, from Committee on Military Affairs, reported favorably.

September 25, 1888-House.

Mr. C. H. MANSUR asked for consideration. Mr. C. B. KILGORE objected, and the resolution went over.

REPORT OF SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.

January 16, 1888-House.

Mr. S. S. Cox introduced a concurrent resolution to print reports of Smithsonian Institution and National Museum for the years 1886 and 1887.

Referred to Committee on Printing.

January 16, 1888-House.

Mr. S. S. Cox offered a memorial of the Smithsonian Institution as to printing reports.

Referred to Committee on Printing.

January 16, 1888-House.

Mr. POINDEXTER DUNN. I wish simply to ask a question of the chairman of the Committee on Printing. I am satisfied there is some delay in printing which is inconveniencing this House, and I wish to ask that gentleman whether the rumor I have heard is true-that the. Public Printer has alleged as a reason of the delay that large orders for printing have heretofore been made, and that he feels bound to give those prior orders precedence over the current work of Congress?

Mr. J. D. RICHARDSON. I can not answer the gentleman's question. I know that the Public Printer is engaged in the execution of previous orders.

Mr. DUNN. I do not assert that such is the fact; I have heard such a rumor, and if the Printer is exercising his discretion in that way he is perhaps in error, because, certainly, printing connected with the current business of Congress ought to take priority of everything else.

Mr. S. S. Cox. I think I can answer my friend from Arkansas [Mr. Dunn]. As a Regent of the Smithsonian Institution I had occasion to inquire the other day in relation to the Smithsonian report for the year ending June 30, 1886. It had not been printed. I found out from the Public Printer that the reason he has not been able to print the report of the Smithsonian Institution and the National Museum for the last two years is that he has been so thoroughly occupied in doing other work, including the current work of Congress. He has never neglected that current work; and by "current work" we understand bills and reports such as are necessary to assist us in the daily business of legislation. I think I can say, without any hesitation, for the Public Printer that he never for one moment neglects to assist the House in its business by performing as promptly as possible the ordinary work of his office.

Mr. RICHARDSON offered a resolution and asked its immediate consideration:

That the Committee on Printing be instructed to investigate what amount of delayed work in the shape of public documents of various kinds and of all other matter is in the Government Printing Office which was ordered printed by former laws and now remains unpublished. The committee shall report to the House what documents and other matter deemed worthless by them are now remaining, and whether, in their opinion, the laws ordering such publication may not be repealed, and shall accompany their report with a bill or joint resolution repealing all laws or sections of laws ordering the publication of documents or other matter which may in their judgment be dispensed with.

Agreed to.

January 31, 1888-House.

Mr. J. A. HIESTAND, from the Committee on Printing, submitted report (H. 207):

The Committee on Printing, to whom was referred the House reso

lution authorizing the printing of the report of the Smithsonian Institution and of the National Museum for the years ending June 30, 1886 and 1887, in two octavo volumes for each year, 16,000 extra copies of each, at a cost of $14,949, or so much thereof as may be necessary, report the same with the recommendation that the following concurrent resolution do pass:

That there be printed of the report of the Smithsonian Institution and of the National Museum for the years ending June 30, 1886 and 1887, in two octavo volumes for each year, 16,000 extra copies of each, of which 3,000 copies shall be for the use of the Senate, 6,000 copies for the use of the House of Representatives, and 7,000 copies for the use of the Smithsonian Institution.

Committed to Committee of the Whole.

July 28, 1888-House.

Passed.

October 1, 1888-Senate.

Mr. C. F. MANDERSON, from the Committee on Printing, submitted report (S. 2296), on concurrent resolution to print Smithsonian reports: The Committee on Printing, to whom was referred the above concurrent resolution, having considered the same, report it back with the recommendation that it do pass, and that there be printed, in two octavo volumes, 16,000 extra copies of each report for the years 1886 and 1887, of which 3,000 copies shall be for the use of the Senate, 6,000 copies for the use of the House, and 7,000 copies for the use of the Smithsonian Institution.

The number of copies provided for in the resolution is about the same number of copies printed in previous years, the number authorized by the Forty-eighth Congress being 17,960 copies.

The cost will be, as per the estimate of the Public Printer, about $11,000.

Passed.

December 7, 1888-House.

Mr. S. S. Cox submitted a concurrent resolution:

That there be printed of the report of the Smithsonian Institution and of the National Museum for the year ending June 30, 1888, in two octavo volumes, 16,000 extra copies, of which 3,000 copies shall be for the use of the Senate, 6,000 copies for the use of the House of Representatives, and 7,000 copies for the use of the Smithsonian Institution.

Referred to Committee on Printing.

NATIONAL ART COMMISSION.

January 18, 1888-Senate.

A bill (S. 1514) introduced by Mr G. F. HOAR.
Referred to Committee on the Library.

February 29, 1888-Senate.

Passed with amendment.

March 2, 1888-House.

Referred to Committee on the Library.

NEUMANN'S SILK FLAG.

January 31, 1888-Senate.

The President pro tempore (Mr. JOHN J. INGALLS) presented the petition of Joseph Neumann, of San Francisco, Cal., praying for the preservation of the flag made of American silk presented by him to the Government and deposited in the Smithsonian Institution. Referred to Committee on the Library.

SIR: My attention has been called to a resolution offered in the House of Representatives by Mr. Oates, February 6, 1888, and referred to the Committee on Rules, "That Rule XXXIV of the House of Representatives be so amended as to admit of the privileges of the floor to the Interstate Commerce Commissioners, the Commissioners of Agriculture, Pensions, Indian Affairs, Patents, Railroads, Education, Printing and Engraving, and the Public Printer."

I venture to suggest that the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution be also included in the list of those entitled to the privileges of the floor of the House of Representatives, and would state in this connection that this courtesy has been accorded by the Senate of the United States.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

March 26, 1888-House.

Mr. S. S. Cox submitted a resolution:

S. P. LANGLEY, Secretary.

That Rule XXXIV of the House of Representatives be amended by inserting after "foreign ministers," in line 14, "the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution." Referred to Committee on Rules.

STANLEY INDIAN PAINTINGS.

March 7, 1888-Senate.

Mr. THOMAS W. PALMER submitted a resolution:

That the Committee on the Library be, and it is hereby, directed to inquire into the propriety of purchasing from the administratrix of the late John M. Stanley the historical Indian paintings by the said John M. Stanley now in the custody of the Smithsonian Institution.