Mr. KIRKWOOD. Yes, sir; until the lat of January the oath remains as it has been; that is, the person availing himself of the law must swear that he has not borne arms against the Government of the U.S.; but on the 1st of January that requirement ceases and any man can then enter the public lands.Mr. STEWART. I will state that my principal reason for making the inquiry was that the effect of this bill, as originally passed by the HoRep, was to withdraw from public sale and from preemption the lands in several southern States, and to permit them to be entered only under the homestead law, which law prevented anyone who had borne arms against the Government of the U.S. from entering the public lands. In this shape it prevented such persons from either buying public lands or entering them. consequent ywe regarded it as a matter of considerable importance that the bill should be so modified that the rebels might go upon the public lands and get to work. I re ret that the repeal of that clause does not ta 'e effect imme iately, so that they may enter the public lands in the West at once. Agreat many have removed into the western country, and I am anxious that they shall raise their own potatoes and corn, and feed themselves, because I believe that any person who is worthy to live should be permitted to support himself, and not be a pauper; but as by this report the existing restriction upon raising their own proviSions is not to be continued, and they are not to remain a change upon the country as paupers after the 1st ofJanunry next, I have no objection to the adoption of the report. As lun derstood it at 1st, I thought the committee of conference had stricken out our provision, so as to prevent them from going on the public lands altogether. The report was concurred in. HOUSE BILL REFERRED. The bill (H.R.No. 674) to establish additional offices for the assay of gold and silver, and for other purposes, was read twice by its title and referred to the ComFinance. PERSONAL EXPLANATION.