Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-03-07
CONGRESSIONAL.
nEm~n
WASHINGTON. March 6

WASHINGTON, March 6.
The Senate standing committees were
announced.
Mr.. Anthony, of Rhode Island, intro.
dueed resolutions to print 10000 copies OF
| the mechanical part Of the Patent Office
report, and 1000 copies of the acts and
joint resolutions passed during the present
session.
Mr.: Bayard took the oath to support the
/ Constitution of the United States
Mr.. Bayard is now entering upon his
new term of Office.
Mr.. Sumner called up the additional ruis
Of the Senate proposed yesterday.
This rule prescribed that the loyal oath
passed in July last shall be subscribed to
by the members Of this body.
Mr.. salisbury, Of Delaware, moved that
its further consideration be postponed un-
til tomorrow.
Mr. Sumner replied that the statute re-
quired that every officer, civil, military or
naval, should take the oath before entering
upon his duty.
Mr. Salisbury said that the oath could
not now apply, because Senators had al
ready entered upon the duties of their Of
fee, hence it was utterly impossible to ad-
minister it before doing SO, and conse-
quently it was not applicable to this BODY.
Mr.. Bayard, while not rising to formally
oppose the resolution, suggested that i'm
portant questions were involved, as well as
the Constitutional power, to interfere with
the qualifications of either branch of Con-
gress.
Mr.. Davis regarded the law as fiagrant-
ly unconstitutional. It imposed q test
oath. If they had a right to administer
such an oath in one manner thew had a
right to administer it in another. The
majority Of the Senate had great aver
sion to CopPerhead Democrats, but suppose
IN three or four years these Copperhead
Democrats should obtain possession Of the
Govern nent including the Executive and
Legislative branches, and should come up
with their test oath to sustain their politi-
cal school of politics.
We're gentlemen ready to admit that
these Copperhead Democrats had the con =
stitutional power to administer such an
oath? Yet they would have as much power
TO impose their form of oath to prolnote
their party ends as the last Congress had
to pass this law. He trusted he could take
this oath with as clear a conscience as anv
man, but he held that Congress had no
power to pass law imposing such an oath.
lie proceeded to argue that it would be
setting a most mischievious precedent.
Several messages were announced from
the President.
Mr.. Harris hoped the Senate should 20
into Executive session. Debate was un-
profitable.
Mr. Sumner repeated that there was
statute Of Congress requiring the oath TO
be taken. The question was whether thew
would obey e or not To 90 into Executive
session before taking the oath was to dis
regard the law of Congress.
The Senate went into Executive session.
The President pro. tenn, Mr.. Foote, said
he was prepared to take the oath. and
called upon Mr. Foster to administer it,
which he did. It is as follows:
" solemnly swear that / have. never
Voluntarily borne arms against the United
States since l have been citizen thereof;
that l have voluntarily given no aid, eoun-
tenance, counsel, or encouragement to per
sons engaged in armed hostilities thereto:
that l have neither sought, nor accent
ed, nor attempted to exercise the func-
tions Of any Office whatever, under
any authority or pretended authority,
IN hostility to the United States that I
have not yielded a voluntary sup
port to any person, government, author
lty, power or constitution, with the United
States hostile or inimical thereto and I do
further swear that to the best of my knowl-
edge and ability, will support and defend
the Constitution of the United States
against all enemies, foreign and domestic;
that l will bear true faith and allegiance
to the samej that I take this obligation
freely, without any mental reservation or
purpose of evasion, and that 1 will well
and faithfully perform the duty I am about
to enter on, so help me God"
The President pro TEN. then directed the
names TO be called Of the Senators elected
and rejected since the passage of the law,
namely, second of July last. 1t was adj
ministered to the following named sena-
tors Messrs. BOwden, Buokalew, Morgan,
Sprague, Wright, Morrill,, Wade, Sumner
Dixon, Hicks, Chandler and Harding.
Mr.. Johnson explained that according
to his Interpretation of the Constitution,
a Senator was not a civil officer and there
fore did not fall within the limits of the
statute, and besides the act was retrospect
i've in its operations. He, however, had
not the slightest objection to take
the oath. 1t was then administered.
Mr. Hendricks, adopting the explsna-
ton Of Mr.. Johnson, also subscribed to it.
Messrs. DOOlittle and Bayard, elected
since the passage Of the law, were absent
from the Chamber, and Messrs. Ramsey
and Conness have not yet arrived in |
Washington. Adjourned.