The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-01-15
xxxvII Congress--First Session
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10

House letter from the Secretary Of War,
in which ne says he has the honor to ac-
knowledge the receipt Of the resolution adopt.
ed on the 9th inst, to the effect that the an.
swer of the department to the resolution
passed on the second day of the session is
not responsive and satisfactory to the House
requesting a further answer The Secretary
has now to state that measures have been
taken to ascertain who is responsible.
On motion ofMr. Washburne, the commu.
nication was referred to the Joint Commit.
tee on the conduct ofthe war.
On motion of Mr.. Blake, a resolution was
adopted, calling for the number of Paymas.
tiers in the army and how many are required
He remarked. there is a large number OF
Paymasters without duties to perform and
that many of them are incompetent. His
desire was that they shall be dismissed
The House resumed the consideration OF
the civil appropriation bill.
/ SENATE Several petitions were present
ed for the emancipation Of slaves.
Mr.. Browning introduced bill to provide
for the establishment Of military post a,
Quincy, I'll.
Mr.. Lane, of Kansas, rose to personal
York Herald, saying that the Senate had
been engaged in discussing the case of Mr.
Lane, and that he G4ane) desired delay and
had resigned his seat in the Senate Mr.
Lane said it was not true that he wanted de-
lay. 1t was not true that he had accepted
the Brig. Generalship rendered him. He
Iane) had no feeling against the contestant
Mr.. Stanton, except that which arose from
his attempt to declare his Gane's) seat va.
cant in four days after he took it.
Mr.. Trumbull moved to take up the re-
port fthe Judiciary Committee, that Waldo
P. johnson be expelled from the Senate.
Mr. Bayard said that the evidence in the
case satisfied him that Mr.. johnson had left
the United States and gone t.. the Confede
rate States, and he could have no hesitation
in giving his vote to expel him
Mr. Powell said that he should al o vote
for Mr.. Johnson's expulsion.
On motion of Mr.. Ten Ey:k, the resolu
ton reported back from the Judiciary Com.
mittee, that Trusten Polk be expelled from
the Senate, was taken up and the resolution
adopted. Yeas, SO nays, none.
Mr.. Trumbull offered a resolution, which
was adopted, that the Senate transmit copy
of the re solutions expellng NJ ,ssrs j ,hnson
and Polk from the Senate, to the Governor
of Missouri.
Mr.. Grimes moved to take up the bill in
regard to the administration of criminal
justice in the District of Colombia The
bill provides that per ons confined in the
District Jail prior to the last term of the
Criminal Court be set free, il no indictment
be found against them.
Mr. Powell offered as an amendment tc
except fugitive slaves. He said that the bill
as it stood would, at the end of every Crimi.
nal Court, iberate all the fugitive slaves who
happen to be there
Mr.. Grimes referred to the case of free
colored boy who was confined in the jail
thirteen months, on charge of being a run.
away, which was no eau . at all. He want
ed slch persons free.
On motion of Mr.. Pearre the bill was post
poncd until an answer could be had from
the Secretary Of the Navy, relative to the
resolution offered yesterday,
On motion of Mr. Bayard, the motion to
refer the credentials of Bcnj Stark, of Ore.
gon, was taken up. Mr.. Bayard conten lei
that it was not in accordance with the Con.
stitution to refuse to allow the s ,nitor to
take the oath of office. The qualification Of
a. Senator was left entirely to his State, and
was not in the power Of the Senate to refuse
to allow him to take the oath. The Senate
could not reject an idiot or man convicted
of crime, if he was properly sent here by HIS
State. Such a person has right to be
sworn as member of this body. Then the
Senate would have the power to punish him
as member or expell him, for sufficient
cause. He claimed that there were no pre-
sedents as regards the case, and that it
would be very dangerous precedent to es-
tablish that Of referring credentials.
Mr.. Sumner said that the Constitution
said that each House should be the Judge OF
the qualifications of its own members Does
the Senator from Delaware claim that the
Senate can not consider loyalty as quail
fcation
Mr. Sumner claimed that there were pre-
cedents. He referred to the case of Phillip
Barton, of Kentucky, in the l0tl Congress,
who was said to be in the pay of England,
and the House made his loyalty the qnes
tor Of qualigcation.
Mr.. B.yard thought that the case was not
parallel one. He referred To the words
Uttered by member of the House during
he Mexican war, when he hoped eur troops
you'd be welcomed by the Msxicans with
loody hands to hospitable graves =