Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-12-19
CONGRESSIONAL.
xxvvIIth CoNaREss-secsnd Session.


sEsirs-Yesterday, after the close Of our re-
Resolutions insIucting the Committee on Mil.
itary Affairs 20 consider whether any legislation
the condition and management Of the hospitals
Of the army, and directing the Secretary OF War
to furnish the Senate with copy Of the procla-
nation OF Brigadier Gen. w. Phelps to the
the Senate whether said proclamation w's made
by order Of the Secretary Of War, or with his
knowledge or consent, and by what authority said
proclamation was made, were adopted.
Mr. Drolittle introduced a bill In relation to
the collection oftaxes ininsurrectonary districts;
referred.
TThis bill provides that when. by reason Of re-
bellion, the collection Of revenue 10 obstructed,
In any State, or district, the lands therein shall
be charged with the dir ct tax, and, IL the tax
he not paid said lands shall become vested in the
United States. Commissioners are to be appoint
ed In each insurrectionary State, with salary Of
S3 900 each, to determine what lands or lots be-
long to rebels, and what to loyal citizens. The
commissioners may lease said lands till the re-
bellion shall be put down.
The resolution of Mr.. Sumner directing the
Committee on Military Affairs to consider the ex-
pediency of providing, by additional legislation,
that the ma tional armies shall not be employed
In the surrender Of fuR tive slaves was taken up.
Mr. Sumner said his special object now was to
call attention to this subject near at home. Brig
adler General Stone, the well. known commander
at Ball's Bluff, had added to his achievement
there by engaging ably and actively In the work
Of sur,endering fugitive slaves Gen. Stone had
seen nt 70 impose this vile and unconstitutional
duty on Massachusetts troops, and the Governor
Of that State had complained to the Secretary Of
War at this outrage. Two German panies In
one Massachusetts regiment enlisted with the DOS
tive understanding that they should not be put
to any such discreditable and unconstitutional
| service. They complained Of II, and 50 did the
German population thtoug bout the country The
abuse must be arrested.
Mr.. Cowan thought the mischief 80 much com.
planned Of everywhere resulted from the fact that
every General who was sent into Tebellious dis
tricts began by issuing proclamations rs to what
he was going to do in every contingency. There
was hardly one Of these proclamations that was
not mischievous. II Ii was satisfactory to the
people Of the North, Ii was sure to be obnoxious
the people Of the South, or to the people Of the
Border states, whom il was desirable to concil-
late. One of the great mistakes made by the
phianthropists Of our day was that they com.
inenced upon negro premises and arrived at pu.
ritanical conclusion: still Congress had nothing
TO do with such subjects, and their discussion
here was only mschievous and irritating.
The resolution was agreed to.
The resolution introduced by Mr. Latham in
relation to passports from California was adopted
HousE Yesterday, after our report closed
The Homestead bill was discussed at length,
and postponed until the frst Menday In Februa.
A bill appropriatlng 81 ,OOO, 900 for gunboats on
the western rivers was passed; also a bill pro-
viding for the payment of invalid and other pen
sions Of the United States for the wear ending
Goth June, 1868, excluding, however, all persons
who have taken up arms against the United
states; also bill to pay certain accepted volun-
teers actually employed In the military service In
the Department Of Missouri; also resolution in.
structing the Committee on Naval Affairs to in.
quire into the abuses connected with the system
OF suffers In the army, and as to the policy OF
abolishing or regulating that system in manner
consistent with the interests Of the army.
Adjourned.