The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-12-11
Proceedings of Congress
WAsHINGToN, December 6, 1862.
HOITSE

Walker were appointed to fill vacancies
on the committee Of Private Land
Claims. The other standing commit
tees remain as heretofore.
The Speaker appointed the following
gentlemen as a special committee to
investigate the charges derogatory to
the standing Of Representative Ashley
as published in The Toledo Blade and
other papers, viz: Blake, Of Indiana;
Noel, Of Missouri; Casey, of Kentucky;
Haight. of New York.
! Vickliffe introduced a bill for the
protection and relief Of loyal citizens,
whose property and slaves have been
taken, seized, and distracted by Off
GERS of the army of the United States
Referred to the judiciary Committee.
Other business Of minor importance
was transacted, when Steavens offer,
ed series of resolutions referring
various parts Of Presidents mes
sageto appropriate committees. Rich
ardson severely criticised the message
saying that most of it was about the
negro and nothing about the bravery
Of our soldiers. Adjourned.
SENATE Davis offered a joint res
olution, proposing certain amendments
to the:constitution, to alter the mode
of electing President and Vice PRESS
dent be elected in the following man.
ner:
Each State may, within thirty days
next before that, appointed for election
of President, in any mode adopted by
the State, nominate to Congress one
candidate; and on the first Monday of
February next before the expiration of
each Presidential term, the two Houses
Congress shall meet togather as a con-
lvention, in the Hall of the House of
Representatives and all the candidates
nominated by the States within the
proceeding thirty days not exceeding
one from each State, whose nomina-
ton shall have been authenticated to
Congress shall be before said convection
as Candidates for Presidency, and there
upon Said convention shall proceed,
under the supervision Of the presiding
officers of the two Houses, to vote by
open ballot from among said candi>
dates for President; and, when any
one shall have received a number Of
votes equal to all the numbers elected
and appointed by both Houses of Con-
gress, he shall be declared, by the
President of the Senate, to be elected
President of the United States. In all
cases where balloting shall have con-
tinued in this mode through five days
and no election shall have been effec
ted on the sixth day, it shall be resum-
ed, and after each ballot the officers
presiding shall drop the candidate
who has received the smallest number
of votes on two or more candidates
who have received an equal number
of votes and less than all the others.
and The balloting shall be 80 contin-
ned among the remaining candidates
until one shall receive the majority
aforesaid, and thereuponthe President
of the Senate shall announce him to be
cleo ed President of the United States.
The convention shall then proceed
in the same manner from among the
remaining candidates to elect Vice
President OF the. united States. Wben~
ever it may occur in the voting for
President or Vice President, that ell
the candidates but two have been
dropped balloting between them, may
1T necessary, to make an election cons
tinuc two days longer; and. if then, 20
candidate shall have received the re-
4ulred number of votes, the officers
presiding over the convention shall
report the state of facts to the Supreme
Court OF the United States, and it shah
thereupon pronounce which of the two
candidates shall fill the office.
The resolution was ordered to be
printed. The executive session then
adjourned.
WAsHiNGToS Dec. 8. 1862
AogsE. The reply of Secretary
Stanton states that no information on
the subject is iii possession of the War
Department.
Sherman presented petition in ia
vor Of general bankrupt act.
Dir, Anthony, from the committee on
printing, reported bill to the bonds
Of the superintendent of printing.
NJ. Hale introduced bill to abolish
the. grade of medical officers in the
ssrvjce of the United States.
M. Conway said he did not re-
gard the proposition OF the President
as having received the assent required
by the constitution. Western Vir-
glnia was not lawful state. He be-
lieved it was the intention Of the
President to encourage state organs
cations in all the seeded states: but
placing the assumption of the states
in the hands Of q few individuals ap>
pointed by the President was fragrant
and unconstitutional, the scheme5 was
revolutionary and ought to be exposed
to the reprobation of every loyal cit
izen.
Brown, of Va. replied, arguing the
the erection of the State of Western
Virginia. The provision of the consti-
tuition in regard to the admission or
erection ofnew States had been CONS
piled with. Precedents, he in>
sisted, suppc"ted the new State organ
ization.
Mallory said: understand that
more than half of the Counties of Vir<
ginia were not represented in the
Wheeling Legislature.
Blair, of Virginia, asked. Were
not I'll the Counties invited?
Brown; All were expressly invited.
Mallory: Although they were invited
were not some of them so completely
within the control of a foreign gov
ernmeut that they could not send rep
resentatiyes to the Legislature.
Brown: | cannot say whether the
people were under intimidation or not. |
1t IS sufficient to say that they were
invited to come. If they staid away
1T was then fault, not ours. If thew