Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1862-06-06
eaattbman & State Juurnal.
BY E.. p. WALTON.
MONTPELIER, JUNE 6, 1862.
FROM WASHINGTON.
BY r. p. WALTON.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

eueg VI 1Wo sustained the Dill OF ITS commit
tee (being Senator Collamer's bill with
amendments,) by majority so large as to
warrant expectation of its passage in that
body. 1t was forced to give way for the tax
bill, however; the opposing Senators to a
man voting to postpone. Then the debate
proceeded in the House, and every day and
three evenings were given to this topic alone,
commencing on Tuesday Of last week, and
closing with the evening o. Sats DAY. To-
day the previous question operated, and the
sitting has been spent in voting. There we're
two bills pending. both from the select COM
mittee Of the House. One am was a con-
fscation bill, applicable to rebel property,
which is to be seized, sequestered and con-
demned by proceedings IN rem in prize courts,
that is the bill attempted to avoid trial by
jury The other (472) was an emancipation
bill; and it was simply decaratory that the
slaves of rebels shall be free. 1t provided no
process. no proceedings in court Of any kind
and no record, and furnished no security to
guard the freed persons from future enslave-
ment. In fact, the only thing in it which
promised to be of much practical value. was
section which required every claimant to a
fugitive slave to prove loyalty. To these
we're several amendments, but none affecting
the principle of the bills, except one, which
was the scheme of the select committee Of
the Senate, with important amendments. The
Senate scheme embraced emancipation and
con6scation in one bill, which was equal in
scope with both House bills /; and the radical
difference in principle was that it couformed
to the constitutional requirement that no per-
son shall be deprived Of life, liberty or prop
erty without due process of law. 1t preserv-
ed jury trial when the person can be found
and the slaves and property Of those who re-
fuse to appear for tIial were to be forfeited
for appearance. The important additions
to this were borrowed from Mr.. Morrlls
amendment and they were that persons
emancipated shall never be enslaved again
that the court shall give to every person a
certificate Of freedom to protect such person,
and all descendants, from slavery forever, and
be punished kidnapper. Mr. Walton on
Friday proposed this as a substitute for bill
All, and on Saturday again for bill 472 1t
turned out this morning that this substitute
was excluded from All by the operation Of
the previous question, being in the third de-
gree. Mr.. Morrill, offered to accent it in
place Of his own amendment; but this offer
could not be accepted without unanimous con-
sent, and it was cut off by a stubborn object
or. All the other amendments were then voted
down. and bill All was passed by IA maiori-
;y. As vote on the Senate scheme had been
excluded, the effect was to compel all who
preferred the Senate bill to vote for bill All,
or else stand on the record in a false position,
as opponents Of confscation and the House
bill was actually passed by the votes of those
who prefer the Senate bill. Then came bill
472 and Walton's amendment was in order
All that part Of it relating to confscation had
been superseded by the passage Of bill All,
and most Of the friends Of the amendment
had already voted for that bill The result,
Of course, was that many of its friends felt
themselves precluded from supporting it by
the previous vote, which they had given up
on compulsion, aud it was rejected by a large
majority Thus the Senate scheme did not
have a rial at all. Had the House rejected
bill AL, the friends of the Senate scheme
could have done, the latter would in all prob
ability have passed, since in that case the
question must simply have been Senate scheme
or nothing. The truth is that the Republi-
cans were divided between the two schemes,
the Democrats and Slave State men generally
voted steadily against all propositions, (on
the miserable principle OF getting the Repub-
lcans to damage themselves as much as pos
sible,) and neither scheme could have ma
jority on its own merits. and the Republicans
had to yield their differences. They saved
the oonfscation BILL but the emancipation was
defeated by majority. The result is that
everybody is TO some extent dissatisfied, and
the days work is reckoned as the worst Of
the session. Our own delegation endeavored
to get the best bills they could but as they
we're determined to do whatever they could to
mark their estimation Of the rebellion and of
its source, they voted as a unit for both bills,
and also for most of the amendments. The
best thing OF the day was the passage of
bill, with only 8 dissenting votes, to reward
the slaves who recently transferred steamer
from the rebels at Charleston to the United
States feet. These slaves receive prize mon
ey as freemen.
So much for con6scation. Now for confu-
sion Though that term is not napplicabe
to the days doings in the House, use it in
reference to yesterdays events. You may
well guess that the news from Banks's com
mand produced a profound sensation here.
| hardly dare tell you how distressing it was
to those who comprehend the dangers of the
present crisis. 1t is nothing surprising that
a large force compels small one to retreat.
1t would have been comparatively light
thing had the little army Of Banks been en-
trely cut to pieces, instead of saved by
mastery retreat. But the fact that his ban
ishment from Virginia was permitted is Of