Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-05-15

II
feet on Cox's sense Of humor. A Maine man
and Yankee lecturing on the propfiety OF in'
termeddling with other ,people's ideas and aci
The Abolition column being about to waveI
and break, old Thad. Stevens, with his club-foot
aud cross grained spite was called on to straight
en- the line. He called out, 10 reply, Judge
Thomas--the able jurist of Massachusetts,; and
: they had IL. This little Berdanism occurred %
the question of whether slaves were property
Mr.. Thomas, of Massachusetts,. ask the
gentleman from Pennsylvania whether the local
laws of the District OF Columbia made slaves
property7 Did the gentleman from Pennsylva'
mia vote TO tax them as property
Mr.. Stevens. Did ! vote to lay tax upor
slaves7 "a
Mr.. Thomas, of Massachusetts. Yes, sir.
Il Mr.. Stevens. voted TO tar every man who
held these persons TO service two dollars for ev'
! cry pelson so held. hN HA.b3
MI. Thomas, Of Massachusetts,. Did you vote
TO tax the person held TO service2
Mr. Stevens. voted to lay tax on every
man who held another TO service or labor.
Mr.. Thomas, of Massachusetts. Did you vote
to tax them as pereons2
Mr.. Stevens. | voted to lay taX OF two
dollars for each person so held.
i Mr.. Thomas, of Massachusetts,. Will the
gentleman ansWer the question whether hevoted
for II as personal taxi
Mr.. Stevens. / did not vote for IL as q poll
tax.
Mr.. Thomas, Of Massachusetts, Did you vote
for II as personal taxi !
Mr.. Stevens. do not know what the gen.
tleman means by personal tax.
Mr.. Thomas, OF Massachusetts. Then un-
derstand the chairman OF the committee of
Ways and Means to say he does not know the
meaning Of the expression personal tax or tax
on persons2
Mr.. Stevens. Well, voted for 1t In the shape
have mentioned. am very glad to have been
interrupted by the gentleman from Massachu-
sets, for received some new ideas upon the
subject that IL is well enough TO know.
Mr.. Thomas, Of Massachusetts,. A new idea
will certainly be a benediction to you. Laugh
teri
Judge Thomas then paid his attention to the
abolition leader of the House In Witherlng
way, much rellshed by the House:
Mr.. Thomas, of Massachusetts, Mr.. Speak.
er, am not to be drawn into the discussion Of
this general question. asked, as supposed
well might, a very respectful question OF the
gentleman from Pennsylvania, and met, as l
ought 70 have expected, with anything but 0
| INpiys udNo lOuk DurCINCu III tuib
| House, whenever any position taken by the
Chairman Of the committee of Ways and Means
is attacked, his usual resort is to rdcule, will
not say to manners which do not become a
gentleman, but to the semblance Of such man
ners. q ,--.t ...--rsf-. 4. ITE ~fil
| The Speaker. Such remarks are hardly In
order
Mr.. Thomas, of Massachusetts. If the
| Speaker had eeen the difficulty before, il would
have pleased me. Did the Speaker hear the
comparisons Of the gentleman from Pennsylva-
nis2
The Speaker. Gentlemen cannot indulge In
personalities, and when they are INDUCED In,
he will call members to order.
Mr.. Thomas, Of Massachusetts,. Ii the
Speaker will indicate the personality, should
be happy to hear it.
Mr.. Campbell. desire to call the attention
of the gentleman from Massachusetts to the fact
that my venerable friend Mr.. Stevensl is not
| IN his seat
Mr. Dawes. And wN1r to call the attention
Of the gentleman from Pennsylvania TO the fact
that bis colleague Just went out ss my colleague
rose to reply. Laughter.
Mr. Thomas, OF Massachusetts,. That ia not
the frat time that the gentleman from PennsJl-
vsnia has done so.
Mr.. Speaker, do not objec. to fair applica-
| tion of parliamentary rules 10 geatlemen on the
floor OF this House. | am ready to abide BY
them, and never expect TO violate them; but
| understand my rights, and sll / ask ia the
dispensation OF eqnal justice as between the
members oi this House. do not mean to be
drawn into this general discussion. / was 90
fortunate, as the gentleman from Pennsylvania
| Mr.. Stevens said, to put new idea into bis
mead. II IL was Q sound point of constitutional
Law, it was new idea In his head, daughter, ]
and it must have felt there like mouse in
strange gsFret-allogether out of place in his
head. Renewed laughter
The gentleman from Pennsy ylVania, the chair
man of the committee Of Ways and Means,
plants himself upon this distinct ground of Law,
TO which l hold him before the House and the
country: that for the taterest which man holds
in persons Commonly called slaves), call it
property, right OF service, or by what name you
please, he is liable TO be taxed ss for property,
and yet not as capitation or personal tax;
that under the Constitution Of the United States,
and under the express language Of that CoDsti.
tuition which provides that private property shall
not be taken for public use without just COM
pensation, you have the right to take that In
terest or right of service without compensation.
1t is property for taxation, but not for compen-
saton. II a sound mind can rest upon that
position, very we'll.
l may cay, Mr.. Speaker, and hope within
parliamentary rules, that for any fair, consli-
tutional argument, however honest and sincere
may be the conviction OF the person who utteTs
it., however deep may be his sense Of the value
Of the doctrine to the country, and however
strongly he may feel that, In q struggle and
crisis like this, those who are seeking to enforce
the laws must obey the laws, those who are
seeking TO maintain the Constitution must be
faithful TO the Constitution; for quiet and firm
recognition Of that fidelity to which we are
sworn; for loyalty to that supreme law upon
which depends to-day the life of the country,
the gentleman from Pennsylvania has often
nothing but coarse ridicule and antique jokes,
Not 30, in my humble judgment, are the great
issues of the hour to be solved and our solemn
duties discharged. tp >-}-f
A motion was made to adjourn, and Il was
carried, and the conservative Republicans
breathed free for while %
After the adjournment, call was read for all
the conservatives OF Congress to meet and COM
bine against this sort Of legislation. They met
on Saturday afternoon. You have, doubtless,
seen their proceedings Mr.. Crittenden was
chairman. There were present q few Republi.
cans, Border State men, and almost all the
Democrats. This is looked upon as the nucleus
Of an organization to restore the Union by kill.
ing both secession and abolition. No conserva-
tive Republicans from Ohio were present, though
II is understood that Horton and Trimble will
act with the organization. II made commit.
tee, insisting Of fifteen members, OF all 10.
calities and parties. II was not regarded as a
party movement. No one leaves or joins any
party to help 1t on. Richardson, OF Illinois,
said in hls speech that he had signed an address
to the Democracy because the conservative men
seemed backward. He would prefer to act with