New-York daily tribune., 1862-04-17
Nrw.yORK nAU.Y TRIRIINE:
y. poNELL 0l,sm.. Ky.l alll es.ed DE Sena,e,

M, POWELL Dem, KY asi1ieeed ne Sena,e,
re.iey na st great length the legal objections TO tbs
Cunfseation bill, eoniepoing 1Sas wss s,,l .,
,nt;onal and English jursis in support Of the po.
400, lat il deprived man OF his pro, ,erty by legv.
liatiye enaciments, without due preess of law as
nrovided by the Constitution Of the United States.
He stated that no coniscation had been ADOPTED by
any nation for seven centuriss
| Nr. TRUMBULL (Re%, III inquired il the SEN
stor did not know that the Colonies of this country
passed laws foreiiing the property Of disloyasts.
/ Mr.. POWELL replied that he was aware that
some OF them had done So but that course led to the
very clause in the Federal Constitution providing
/ that under this Government no one should be de-
prived of his property rithon due process Of io,c.
| Mr.. TRUMBULL said he only desired TO show
| that there mistake In the Senator's remark
that there had been confscation for centu-
4 ries.
I Mr.. POWELL quoted from Wheaton, one Of the
great writers on law as bis authority for the state
Il ment lie had mede He then proceeded to denOunce
/ the coniscation bill inhuman, stripping women
aud children of their means of existence, and causing
personal suffering The section particularly refer
ring to slaves assailed the Constitutional guarantees
respecting Slavery in the States. 1t insidi-
one attempt 10 do what they wOnld not directly. He
would prefer that they march up to the great work
specify and free all the slaves at once. 1t would he
more manly than the manner proposed by the bill.
lie regarded the colonization canse az Of no account
whatever Everyone knew that the negro when
freed woud remain inst where he had been left, un-
Icss eonpulsOrily removed ind 1t was only intended
TO get votes that could not otherwise be obtained IL
. wonld he hard to make Southern man believe iha'
Interference with Slavery not intended in spite
of general declarations, when they had
passed resolution to induce States to
cpation had abolished Slavery In this Distrl,f,
had repealed disqualification OF color for carrying
the mails and had adopted an article Of war prohib
itug q ore in military service from delivering fugi.
, tive slaves. There was y great complaint if one
ngro was returned 10 bis mater; but toe military
might take of hundreds, and there was complaint,
| though they may be taken IRON loyal masters
Under the bill, any Lieutenant or petty magistrate
WAS empowered TO lake possession of oil the property
of 6.OOG 900 Of people. No Dictator OF Rome ever
had such power. He loved The Cnion but he loved
il for its constitutional liberty What was TO him,
or others who loved liberty, al empire, ocean
I bounded, comprising the whole continent, without
the Constitution of the Republic, bich endowed
them with It's privileges and was the shield of their
fighis. Mr.. Powell denied the powers clsimed for
& Q Executive under the war powsr, By which the
will Of the President rather than the Constitution
became law, and uuder which Congress m ght
be yifited as was Parliament by Cromwell
aud as the French Corps Legirlatif was by
Napoleon. The danger OF the excess OF this as
sumption Of the war power was strikingly shown in
the course Of the military commander, Gen. Haleck,
who in spite of the Cons tuition OF that State, de-
tiuipg The qualifications Of vOterf had imposed by
military order other requirements 10 the recent cleo
ton. The manner u which Gen. Ilalleck hac levied
contributions upon the inhabitants was alluded 10,
which il IL could be douo in place, could be done
10 another, and rights, property and Liberty over
\ thrown everywhere. lie commented at some length
on gn,ia law and its rule and argued against IT, and
derounced as i'll gal and unconstitutional the arrests
that have been made.
On motion OF Mr.. WILSON rep, Mass, the bill
was posi poned uni Ffid-y at 2.
Tire Presidents special Message, signing the bill
for tie abolition OF Slavery IN tbs District Of Coluui-
bia was then read.
! 4 messacc from the House, announcing the death
of Representative Cooper Of Pennsylvania was re.
ceived ard read.
Mr. WILMOT rep, Pa. delivered brief tribute
70 the deceased aud offered the customary resolu-
/ tons Of coincidence, whereupon the Senate ad-
/ i.llrrn l.n