, 1863-03-07
Winchester letter reports reconnaissance
near Woodstock, where the enemy is located
in large numbers
3ST1 1CONGRESS---EXTRA SESSION


SENATE.
WASHINGTON, March s, 1861,
The Senate standing laws we're announced
Mr. ANTHONY Of Rhode Island intro.
duced resolutions to print 10000 copes Of III,
mechanical part of the Patent Office Reposts.
and 4, coo copies Of the acts and joint rcsoIn. :.
taops passed during the present session.
Constitution Of the United States. Nj. Bay
office. -
Mr. sU3INER Of Mass. called IN the addf-
tional rule Of the Senate, proposed yesterdly.
This rule prescribed that the loyal oath, pass
ca IN Jnly !ast; st.: s9an be subscribed to By the
Mr. SALISBURY Of Del. moved its fur
ther consideration be postponed until to-mor-
row.
1lr. SALISBURY said that the oath could
not nov apply, because Senators had already
entered upon the duties Of their office, hence
It was utterly impossible now to administer
not applicable to this body.
Mr.. BAfARD Of Del, willie not rising to
formally oppose tho resolution, suggested
tna1 mai important questions were involved, as
vel! as the constitutional POWER to in.erfere
With the qualifications Of either branch Of
MF. DAVIS regarded the law as aaeo.fouslv
unconstitutional. It imposed test oath. II
they had right to administer such IN oa:h
ID one manner they had 4 right to administer
It IN another. The majority Of the Senate
mad great aversion to Copperhead Demo-
crats but suppose in three or four years
these Cope crhe,d Democrats should obtain
possession Of the Government, including lhe
Executive and Legislative branches, and
should come up with their test oath to sus-
ts tain their political school Of politics.
We're gentlemen ready to admit that these
Coppcfhead Democrats had constitutional
power to administer such oath vet, they
would have as much power to impose their
form OF cath to promote their party ends as
the last Congress bad to pass this hw. HI
trusted he could tAke this oath with rs clear q
conscience as any man, but he held that Con
such IN oath. He proceeded to argue that it
would be settings most misclfeyons prcce-
dent.
Mr.. SUMNER. Of Mass, replied that the
statute required that every officer, civil, mill
tary or naval should take the oath before en-
tering upon his duties.
. Several messages we're announced from the
Mr.: HARRIS, Of n. T., hoped the Senate
would go into Executive session. Debate
WIS Improbable.
Tic President pro ten, Mr. FOoTE, said he
was prepared to fake the oath, and called upon
Mr. Foster to administer It, which he.did. It
is as follows:
Ieolcmnly swear that have never voluntarily
borne arms against the United States, eince hare
been citizen thereof that hare voluntarily given
no aid, countenance, counsel or encouragement to
persons engaged in armed hostility thereto, that
have neither sought nor accepted, nor attempted
to exercise the functions Of any office whatever.
under any authority o. pretended authority In hos
ytrlded a voluntary support Of any pretended
oheE tse tsted states es OF hosts:
OF inimical thereto. And I do further
swear that to the best Of my knowl-
e,dge t,g ana ability ! viii support and defend
enemies. foreign and domestic t;st viil bar
true faith and allegiance to tie same that take
this obligation freely, without any mental rcserya-
ton purpose OF evasion. and thst will well and
which an about to enter. 60 help nc God.
The PRESIDENT pro tenn. then directed
the names to be called Of the Senators elect.
cd or reelected since the passage Of the law,
viz, the I'd ofJuly last.
1t was administered to the following named
Senator's:
r., Messrs; poEdens Backalew, Morgan. spraguc.
Chandler, and Harding.
Mr. JOHNSON explained that according to
bis interpretation Of the Constitution Sena-
tor was not a civil officer, and therefore did
not fall within the limits OF the statute; and.
besides the act was retrospective in its opera
tlons. He, however, had not the slightest OBJ
lection to take the oath. It was then admin
istered to him.
Mr.. HENDRICKS, adopting the explana-
ton Of Mr.. Johns on, also subscribed to it.
Messrs. Doolittle and Bayard, elected since
the passage Of the law, were absent from the
chamber, and Messrs. Ramsay and Conncss
have not yet arrived in Washington.
Adjourned. --