The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1863-12-18
CONGREsSInN AL.

CONG ssION VAL.
Congress is now in good working
order. The Committees are all ap-
pointed, and the work of Legislation
is going on. James NJ. Ashley is
Chairman of the Committee on Terri.
tory.
Dec. UNDERSTANDABLE. VIII
son introduced resolution thanking
Gems Hooker and Meade Banks and
others and Mr.. Doolittle one voting
gold medal to Gen. Grant.
Mr.. LANE of Indiana introduced q
bill to amend the enrolment act so
rs to strike out the $500 commuta-
ton, and to increase the pay of the
rank and file of the army, ofwhich he
had given previous notice.
Mr.. HALE of \. H., having obtain
ed consent introduced bill more
enectually to repress the rebellion, by
prohibiting the holding in servitude
of any persons in the country, except
on contract, which was ordered to be
Iprinted.
HOUSE Mr.. DAVIS of Nd. introduc-
ed bill providing for the election of
Representatives from the States of
Tennessee and Louisiana Referred
to the Committee on Elections.
Mr.. LovEJoY of Illinois, introduced
a bill providing that all persons held
to Slavery in the States andterritories
shall be declared free; that all persons
so declared shall be protected the
same as white men now are by the
Constitution, and that any one seizing
such freed persons to reduce them
to Slavery, shall be declared guilty of
high misdemeanor, and, on conviction
lPI"isnco. Also bill ~ protect rree-
men, and to provide for furnishing
those who attempt to enslave them.
Referred to the Judiciary Committee.
Mr.. Arnold of Ill.,, introduced n
bill to aid the President in carrying
out the immediate execution of the
Emancipation Proclamation of Janu-
airy l, 1868, and prohibiting the re-
enslavemcnt of the persons designa-
ted therein. Referred to the Judici.
airy Committee.
Fernando Wood ofN. Y. submitted
the following resolution:
Whereas, The President in his Mes
sage delivered to this House on the
7th inst, in his recommendations to
the people assemble at their places of
worship 10 give shouts to God for the
recent victories, claims that the Uni
on cause has gained important and
substantial advantages, and whereas,
in view of these trtumphs, it is no
longer beneath our dignity, nor dan
gerous to our safety to evince q gen
erous magnanirnity becoming a great
and powerful people, by offering to
the insurgents an opportunity to re-
turn to the Union without imposing
upon them degrading or destructive
conditions; therefore.
Resolued, That the President be re-
quested to appoint three commission
ers, who shall be empowered to open
negotiations with the authorities at
Richmond to the end, that this bloc
dy,destructive and inhuman war shall
cease, and the Union be restored up.
on terms of equity, fraternity and
equality under the Constitution
Mr.. Washburne, of ILL.,, moved that
the resolution be laid an the table,
which was agreed to.
Dec. 18th SENATE There was a
handsome little skirmish in the SEN.
ate on ttie 18th.
Mr.. Davis of Kentucky, called up
the resolutions in relation to the ex-
change of prisoners, arguing vehe-
mently against the policy OF refusing
to EXCHANGE our suffering white sol
diers-the languishing, starving and
diseased white men, because the reb-
els refuse to exchange the negro cap
tives. He denounced at length the
policy of the Administration upon
the several points in which the negro
is affected, characterizing its position
as monstrous, and referring to the
present era as the reign of Abraham
the First He closed with an indig-
nant and earnest protest against the
refusal of the Administration to lber-
ATE thousands of starving and dying
white men for the sake of a few me-
gro. The preamble of the Constitu.
ton confers no power on the Go, ern-
ment. The President cannot raise
troops or armies, nor has the power
to originate any measures to put down
insurrection, without the consent of
Congress. 1t was the determination
OF the party in power that the war
shall continue till the next Presiden,
tial election, The war would have
been brought to close long ago; i'll
the Administration had singly and
in good faith devoted itself to the
principles announced in the Critten-
den resolution; and if commanders of
the armies had not been selected, not
because Of their opposition to Slave
'ry. m9- rras