The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-02-13
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T0rHE
Portland Daily Press.
xXXVIII oONGREss---First Session.
WASHINGTON. Feb. II.

present law regulating the Supreme Court as
to confine its decisions to matters of law
alone.
The Senate on motion of Mr.. Fessenden,
then took up the House deficiency bill as re-
| ported by the Senate Finance Committee with
| amendments.
The committees amendments were mostly
agreed to. They strike out all the House
| provisions for an increase OF clerical force in
the departments, and authorize the appoint
| inent in various bureaus for term not ex-
ceeding one year after the close of the rebel
lion, of about one thousand clerks. and pro-
vides for their salaries by an appropriation,
and also provides for the employment of fe-
males. Certain amendments from the Naval
Committee were concurred in. An amend
meut approprating $4,000 for deficiencies in
quartermaster's, ordnance and commissary
departments was adopted.
Various other amendments were offered,
when the Senate adjourned until tomorrow.
HOUSE.
Mr.. Washburne, of ILL.,, from the committee
on Commerce, reported the Senate bill re-es-
tablishing the principal port of entry for the
district of Champlain at Plattsburg, n. Y
Passed.
The House then proceeded to the consider
alton of the Senate enrolment bill as amend
ed by the Committee of the Whole on the
state of the Union.
Mr.. Cox, of Ohio, suggested that the bill be
laid over until Monday, in order to give fur
Their time Tor its examination, the amendments
being in such a confused state.
MIR. Schenck, of Ohio, replied that the pub
lie exigences were so pressing that he could
not give an hour. He then moved the previ-
Gus question, and explained the amendments
and substitute, concluding by an appeal to the
friends of the country to pass the bill that the
army might be recruited and the government
sustained.
Mr.. Harding, of KY, desired to address the
House.
Mr.. Garfield, of Ohio, proposed that the
gentleman Mr.. Harding) should, by general
consent, be allowed half an hour for that pur-
pose.
Mr.. Schenck objected to this proposition.
Opposition to further proceedings on the
bill was manifested, when Mr.. Rogers, of n.
j., moved to reconsider the vote by which, in
the earlier stage of the proceedings the House
had agreed to adjourn to Monday.
This motion was laid on the table by a vote
of 100 against 40.
Mr.. Harding, of Ky, moved that the House
adjourn.
No quorum voting on this motion, the ques-
ton was taken by yeas and nays, and deter
mined in the negative by II against 90.
1t was now half past four o'clock.
Mr. Clay, of KY, asked leave of absence
until Monday, but afterwards withdrew his
request.
Mr.. Wadsworth, of Ky, moved that the bill
and its amendments be laid on the table.
The motion was decided in the negative
yeas As, nays 81.
The House then proceeded to act on the
amendments to the Senate bill.
The House voted on the following House
amendments: All able bodied male persons
of African descent, between the ages of twen-
ty and forty-five years, whether citizen or not.
resident in the United States, shall be enrolled
according to the provisions OF the act TO which
this is supplement, and form part OF the ma
tional forces; and when slave of loyal cit
izen shall be drafted and mustered into the
service of the United States, his master shall
have certificate thereof, and the bounty of
800 now payable by law, shall be paid to the
person to whom such drafted person owes SER
vice or labor at the time of his muster into the
service of the United States. On freeing the
person the Secretary of War shall appoint
commissioner in each of the Slave States rep
resented in Congress, charged to award just
compensation, not exceeding $500, to each
loyal person to whom the colored volunteer
may owe service, and who may volunteer in
the service OF the United States, payable out
of communication money, on the master freeing
the slave. The amendment was agreed to-
yeas 81, nays 81.
The House having thus agreed to the COM
mittee's amendments to the bill, Mr.. Schenck
submitted a substitute which was agreed to,
and the original bill as thus amended was
passed by yeas 93, nays GO.
The bill as passed provides that the quota
of each ward of a city, town, township, pre-
cinct or election district, or county where
the same is divided into wards, towns, town
ships, precincts, or election districts, shall be
nearly as possible in proportion to the number
of men resident therein subject to draft, tax
ing into account, as far as practicable, the
number which has been previously furnished
therefrom. And in ascertaining and filling
said quota, there shall be taken into account
the number of men who have heretofore en-
tered the naval service of the United States,
and whose names are borne ON the enrolment
lists as already returned TO the office of the
Provost Marshal of the United States. Any
person enrolled under the provisions of the
enrolment act, or whom may hereafter be en-
rolled, may furnish at any time previous to
the draft an acceptable substitute who is not
liable to the draft, nor at the time in the mill
tary or naval service OF the United States,
and such person SO furnishing substitute
shall be exempt from draft during the time
for which said substitute shall be exempt from
draft, not, however, exceeding the time for
which such substitute shall have been accept
ed; but no private soldier, musician or nom
commissioned officer being actually in the
military service of the United States shall be
procured or accepted as a substitute. The
boards OF enrolment are to enrol all persons
liable to draft under the provisions of this
act and Of the enrolment act whose names
may have been omitted by the proper enroll
ing officer, all persons who shall arrive at the
age of awenty before the draft, all aliens who
shall declare their intention TO become citi-
zens, all persons discharged from the military
or naval service of the United States who
have not been in such service two years dur
ing the present war, and all persons who have
been exempted under the provisions of the
I'd section of the act of which this act is
supplement- but who are not exempted by the
provisions OF this act; and the boards of en-
rollment shall release and discharge from the
draft all persons who between the time of the
enrolment and the draft, shall have arrived at
the age of iorty-fve years, and shall strike
of the names of such persons from the en-
rollment Any person drafted into the mill
tary service of the United States may before
tile time fixed for his appearance for duty at
the draft rendezvous, furnish any acceptable
substitute, subject to such rules and regula-
tions as may be prescribed by the Secretary of
War. If such substitute is not liable to draft,
the person furnishing him shall be exempt
from draft during the time for which substi-
tute Is not liable 20 draft, not exceeding the
term Tor which he was drafted; and if such
substitute Is liable to draft, the name of the
person furnishing him shall be liable TO draft
as Filling future quotas and If any person
shall hereafter pay money for the proenration
of substitute under the provisions OF the
act to which this is an amendment such paw
ment of money shall operate only to relieve
such person from draft during the time for