The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-25 00:00:00

Proceedings of Congress.

In the Senate Mr. Sumner made an ineffectual at-
tempt the first day of the Session to pass the Bill that
went through the House at the last Session, establish-
ing impartial suffrage in the federal district. He
failed in this, but this is one of the things that will be
pushed till it is carried, which will probably be very
soon. Mr. Sumner has also introduced a series of
resolutions asserting the right of Congress over re-
construction, denying the right of the lately rebel-
lious States to pass upon constitutional amend-
ments, and declaring that the interference of the
President in the reconstruction business partakes of
the nature of usurpation. Mr. Wade urged to take
up the joint resolution rendering the President in-
eligible for a re-election, and spoke of the growing
danger of giving one man a long lease of power ;
but the resolution was referred to a committee with-
out action. The upper branch has adopted a reso-
lution calling on the Secretary of the Treasury for
information as to money paid out in the district
for advertising, and intended to show whether
the President has been spending money illegally ;
but has so far refused to pass the resolution calling
for information about Mexican affairs. The caucus
of Republican members of the House, last week
Saturday night, was intensely Radical in its talk, but
did not amount to anything in its action. Another
caucus, Wednesday evening of this week, was more
largely attended, and the course it is proposed to
take marked out. A bill was resolved upon instruct-
ing the clerk not to place upon the roll of a new
Congress the names of members from States not
represented in the Congress preceding, and provid-
, ing that no electoral votes shall be counted from
those States not represented in Congress ; also
another remedying the defect in the law that
may prevent any State from canvassing the votes
for elections for President and Vice- President ;
changing the time of the first meeting of each
Congress to the 4th of March, so that there will
be no interregnum, with the President left to
work his own sweet will ; and it was also resolved
that committees should investigate the New Or-
leans riots ; the collection of taxes and the sale
of abandoned and confiscated lands in the rebel
States, and other irregular proceedings at the
South. The members of Congress evidehtly feel
the effects of their recent indorsement by the people,
and do not intend to have any compromise with the
President. There is talk enough about impeach-
ment, though everybody is careful to say that he
does not intend to move impeachment for anything
the President is known to have done as yet. Mr.
Boutwell, of this State, makes the most damaging
charge against the President so far that he has
known for months where John H. Surratt has been
and failed to arrest him. Others lay the blame
upon the Secretary of War ; but as Congress is
likely to order an investigation, and Surratt has
really been arrested at last, we shall probably know
more about the case presently than we do now. It
will be seen that nearly all the action of Congress
thus far relates to reconstruction and the contest
with the President ; the great questions of internal