The SPEAKER. The Chairis requested bv the president and officers of the Christian commission to tender their th nlrs to this House for the use of this Hall on their 4 anniver sary occasions. MEMORIAL OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN., today had been selected for services to commemoiate the life and death of Abraham Lincoln, late POTUS, in accordance with the following concurrent resolutions reported from the select JtCommee appointedoto consider and report by what token of respect and affection it may be proper for the Congress of the U.S. to express the deep sensibilit of the nation to the event of the decease of their late President, Abraham Lincoln, and adopted unanimously by the 2 Houses of Congress: Whereas the melancholy event of the violent and agie death of Abraham Lincoln. late POTUS, having occurred during the recesl of Consreu and the 2 Housessharing in the son 1366. 799 oral grief and desiring to manifest their sensibility upon the occasionof the public bereavement: Therefore. Be it resolved lag the Senate(, the hoRep concurring) That the 2 Houses of Conizrcss will assemble in the Hall of the HoRep, on Monday. The 12th dayof February next, that beinghis anniversary birthday. at the hour of 12 meridian and that. in the presence of the two Houses there assembled, an address upon the life and character of Abraham Lincoln, late POTUS be pronounced by Hon. dwiu Stanton, and that the President of the Senatepro mirror: and the Speaker of the HoRep here nestedto invite the POTUS, the heada of the several Depts, the Judges of the Supreme Court, the representatives of foreign Governments nearthis Government, and such OmLQloSf the Army and Navy as have received the thanks of Congress who may then beatthe seat of Government. to be presenton the occasion. Abife, That the POTUS be requested to transmitneopy of these resolutions to Mrs. lincoln, and to assure her of the profound sympathy of the 2 Housesof Congress for or deep personal aflliction and of the irsmcsre condolence for the late national bereavement. The Speakers desk, and the desk of the Clerk of the ease, which was to be occupied by the motor of the da, were draped in mourning. lhe SPEAk PR laid be ore the House the followtng letter from the SecyState: Dept of State, WASHlKGTON, February 12. 1866. SH}: make my aekpowledizment for the honor of the invitation which. in execution of a concurrent resolution of the Senate and HoRep, yon have transmitted me to attend the exer e SESlltllOllOr of the memoryof the late POTUS, Abraham Lincoln is with sincere regret that I lind the state of my health is such as to forbid my attendanceupon those very intercstin national ceremonies. have the onor to by sir, your very obedient WILLIAM H. snwsnn. Hon. Sennrnnn comfax, Speakerof the hoRep. At 12 oclock and ten minutes p. m., the members of the Senate, following their president protempore and their Secretary, and preceded by their SergeantatArms, entered the Hall of the HoRep and occupied the seats reserved for them on the right and left of the main aisle. The President Protemporeoccu ied the Speakers chair, the S caker of the case sit tin at his left. The chaplains of the Senate flll of the House were seated on the right and left of the Presiding Officers of their respective H Houses. Shortly afterward the POTUS, with the members of his Cabinet, entered the Holland occupied seats, the president in front of the Speakers table, and his Cabinet immediately on his right. Immediately after the entrance of the president, the Chief Justice and the Associate Jas tices of the SCOTUS entered the Hall and occupied seats next to the President, on the right of the Speakers table. The others present were seate as follows: The Heads of Depts, with the Diplo matic Corps, next to the President, on the left of the Speakers table; o core of the Army and Navy, who, by name, have received the thanks of Congress, next to the Supreme Court, on the right of the Speakers table; Asst Heads of Depts, Governors of States and Territories, and the Mayors of Washington and Georgetown, directly in the rear of the Heads of depts; The Chief Justice on Judges of the Court of Claims and the CliiefJustice and Associate Justiees of the Supreme Court of the DistCol, directly in the rear of the Supreme Court; The Heads of Bureaus in the Depts, directly in the rear of the officers of the Army and Navy; Representatives on either side of the Hall, in the rear of those invited, 4 rows of seats on either side of the main aisles being reserved for Senators; The Orator of the day, Hon. George Ban croft, at the table of the Clerk of the House; The Chairmen of the JtCom of Ar Mr. Stanton having declined, thMommittee selected Hon. George aneroft to pronounce the address. rangements, at the right and left of the crater, and next to them the SecyS and the Clerk of the House; The other officers of the Senate and of the House, on the floor at the right and the left of the Speakers platform. When order was restored, at 12 oclock and 20 minutes). m., the Marine band, atationed in the vestibule, played appropriate irges. At 12 oclock and 30 minutes the 2 Houses were called to order by the President protem ore of the Senate. Rev. Mr. Bovsros, Cha lain of the HoRep, offered the following prayer: illfllgilty God, Thou who dost inhabit eter nity, while we appear but for a little moment and then vanish awa, we adore Thy eternal name. Almighty God), wonderful in power, full of majesty art Then, and before Thee all earth ly distinctions vanish into nothing. We come into Thy presence today, O God, Simply as men, fallen men, condemned alike by Thylaw, and rightful] cut off through sin from all commu nion with God. Butthrough Thy infinite goodness a new and living way of access has been o ened through Thy Son, consecrated by His by good. We present ourselves in that better name, and plead Thy promises of pardon and acceptance, through faith in Him. We are reminded, O God, by the imposing solemnities of this scene, oft at hour when the nation heard, and shuddered at the hearing of it, that Abraham Lincoln was deadwas murdered and we bow afresh submissively unto Him who ordered for the nation that solemn hour; we bow ourselves unto the blow that fell on this whole people in the very hour of their triumph and hushed all their shouts of victory to the voiceless silence of woe. O God, we feel that the shadow of that death has not passed away from the national heart as this solemn gathering testifies full well. Tet we know that the gloom that falls on our hearts from this drapery of woe is gilded by the glory of a great triumph, and by the light of the memory of the illustrious dead. Still, O God, may we all of us learn thesolemn lesson which Thou dost intend to convey unto us.” Be ye also ready, for ye know not the day nor the hour when the Son of Man cometh.” “The Lord ave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” We worship Thee as the God of our fathers. Thou didst mark out a path for them over the trackless seas, and didst bring them to these shores, bearing with them the seeds of a great dominion. We thank Thee that Thou didst so protect it and cherish it that it spread itself rapidly outward and over the breadth of a continent, bearing with it Christian freedom, churches, schools, intelligence, and all the blessings of a Christian civilization. We thank Thee, O God, that the power of Thy love in its unfolding was a resistless one, because backed by Thy eternal counsels and by Thy Almighty power and because the might of God was in it we have seen it in its progress sweeping all obstacles away, crushing great systems and great parties, reforinin public opinion, and advancing to the contro of a continent and we bless Thee, O God, that in every hour of its peril heretofore Thoughast raised up for it heroic defenders. We thank Thee, O defender of Israel, that when treason was hatching its plot and massing its armies. then, o God of our fathers, llon who didst of old bring David from the shccpfolds didst also bring one from the humble cabin of the pioneer to become the chieftain of this great people in their hour of danger, to shield them from disaster, and lead them to final triumph. We thank Thee that Thou didst give us an honest man; a man simplehearted, luring as a child, and yet of rugged strength, who wanted only culture and discipline; and that discipline Thou didst grant unto him through stern public trial, through bitter domestic sorrow, through the wonderful loadings of Thy providence, until the mere politician was overshadowed by the nobler growth of his moral and spiritual nature; until he came, as we believe, into communion with Christ; until he saw that our cause would prosperonly byjustice; and then, inspired by lhcc, he uttered those words of power that changed 3 million slaves intomen the one act that has made his name illustrious forever. We thank Thee, O God, that he did not die until he was assured of victory, until he had received all honor that earth could bestow; and then we believe Thou didst give him a martyrs crown. We thank Thee, O God, that we have this hope for our illustrious dead. We have great reason to bless Thee that the enduring strength of our institutions was such that they suffered no perceptible shock, even by the death of such a man, and at such a time and we thank Thee that Thou didst provide for us in that hour one who was strong enough to receive, and to bear steadily, the weight of Government and we beseech Thee, O God, to give him strength and wisdom, so that he may work out this great problem to its solemn solution, and by universal freedom and equal right and equal law bind this whole people into one inse arable nation. We thank hee, O God, that the representatives of the nation have seen fit to come together toda, and sit for awhile in the shadow of Abraham Lincolns grave. O God, may they reconseerate themselves to the principles and to the work which have caused him to be remembered and honored thus and then, when that great work is accomplished, a disinthralled and regenerated land wi 1be the fitting monument both for him and for them. We beseech Thee, O God, to remember with a special mercy the POTUS, and “togrant him the wisdom and strength which he needs for the solemn responsibilities of his position. God grant that he may so live that a nations sorrow shall be expressed when God shall call him, as he will all of us, home. We pray Thee to bless all his Cabinet advisers. Bless, we beseech Thee, the legislators of the land. Remember the officers of the Army and of the Navy, illustrious as Thoughast made them, through whose courage and skill the great triumph was won. Remember our soldiers and sailors. Bless the whole peole. Bless those who are struggling yet onwar to a perfect manhood. Remember those eminent men, the honored representatives of foreign Powers, who have come here to testify with us their res net for one who was honored abroad as well as at home. Remember their sovereigns, and the Governments that they represent: We thank Thee, O God, that they on we are all at peace. May that peace continue until the nations shall learn war no more and remember, o God, thatbereaved woman, sitting in the desolation of her widowliood today and bless the family in its sore bereavement; may the allbe comforted by the thought how much the and honored still. Remember, o God, the distinguished orator on this occasion. We pray Theo that Then wilt give him to utter words of power and truth today, that shall make adeep and due impression on the heart and the mind of the nation. May we, o God, all of us so live that when we have finished our course here, it may be with exceeding joy, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; to whom, with the the ther, and the Holy Spirit, we ascribe all praise and honor, now and forever. Amen.