National Republican (Washington City

Congress Saturday

In the senate on Saturday Mr. Cockrell introduced a resolution, which was adopted, calling on the secretary of the treasury for a statement of the buildings rented by the United States in the District of Columbia.

On motion of Mr. Hampton the bill appropriating $5,000 to complete the survey of the battle-field of Gettysburg on the plan of Colonel John B. Bachelder was taken up and passed.

The senate by a direct vote decided that the rules should be construed to terminate the morning hour at 1:30 p. m., notwithstanding the hour of meeting has been made an hour earlier.

The bill to regulate the use of water in the District of Columbia was taken up, and its discussion occupied the time of the senate until 1:30 p. m., when the resolution of Mr. Morgan to provide a rule for counting the electoral vote came up as the unfinished business.

Mr. Morgan then addressed the senate at length in support of his resolution, after which the senate went into executive session, and soon after adjourned.

Mr. Teller will speak at 1:30 to-day in reply to Mr. Morgan.

In the house Mr. Blount made an effort to dispense with the morning hour and proceed to the consideration of the sundry civil appropriation bill, but the chair, Mr. Carlisle (speaker pro tem.), ruled that as the house had ordered this day's session, under a suspension of the rules, for the consideration of business from the committee on public buildings and grounds, the motion could not be entertained.

Mr. Cook moved to go into committee of the whole on the reports from the committee on public buildings and grounds. This met with considerable opposition, and a disposition to filibuster was manifested, but after two yea and nay votes the house decided to go into committee of the whole, Mr. Burrows in the chair.

After some general discussion Mr. Bragg moved that the committee rise, on which those who opposed the consideration of bills for public buildings refrained from voting, leaving the committee without a quorum.

The chair ruled that less than a quorum could refuse to rise, and that the point of order could not be made until a question arose on which a quorum was required.

Mr. Bragg appealed from the decision of the chair, and again the opposition refrained from voting, showing no quorum.

This being a question requiring a quorum the roll was called and the committee rose and reported the absentees of the house.

A quorum having appeared on the call of the roll, the house went into committee of the whole again, only to go through the same performance, and rose again, and after fruitless efforts to go on with other business, at 3:45 p. m. adjourned.

As usual on such occasions, most of the time was consumed in discussion of points of order under the new rules of the house.