Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-05-02
Congressional.
WAsHrNGTON, April 10,

The Senate then resumed the considera-
tion of the National Bank bill, and the
amendment of the Finance Committee tax
ing banks was adopted.
The currency bill was reported to the
Senate, and its further consideration was
deferred until Monday.
The Senate then adjourned.
HOUsE.-Mr. Garfield, of Ohio, intro
duced the resolution to which Mr.. AncOna,
which he (Garfield) quoted In the preamble
a remark heretofore made by Mr.. Blair, of
Missouri, to the effect that Secretary Chase
is making use of the income from abandon
ed plantations to carry out the programme
Of the Pomeroy circular, etc.
| The resolution was for q committee of in
guiry into the charges made against the
Treasury Department. The resolution was
ado tied.
Tne Speaker announced the following as
the committee: Messrs. Garfield, Wilson,
Brooks, Davis, Stuart, Fenton, Dawson,
Jencks and Steele, of New Jersey.
Mr.. Stevens, of Pennsylvania, reported
from the committee OH Ways and Means to
the Senate, amendments to the army appro-
priation bill. Among the amendments was
one which was adopted, apprOpriating $45,-
600 for the purchase of artificial limbs for
| soldiers and sailors.
The next Senate amendment was read, in
which the committee on Ways and Means
| recommended concurrence as follows |:
That colored persons mustered into the mil
itary service shall receive the same uniform,
clothing rations, medical, hospital attend
ance and emoluments as white soldiers from
and after the first of June, 1864, and any
person of color hereafter mustered into the
service shall receive bounty not exceed
| in f.l..,o 10 doh.
Mr.. Clay, of Kentucky, said that the prop
erty of his constituents had been stolen
| from the plantations; not only negroes, but
stock and everything else. The negroes who
were valuable were taken into the military
service, while the useless slaves and women
and children are supported at the expense
of the Government without O particle of
law. That the Government protected its
officers in stealing negroes, he knew to be
| true. He had suffered himself and to the
truth of this he would swear i'm Court of
Justice. He asked for nothing but what
law and Constitution gave him; and when
these rights were trampled under foot he
would raise his voice against it.
Mr.. Elliott said he understood the gentle
man from Kentucky to charge that the Gov
ernment officers had stolen negroes. Did
the gentleman say that? He had yet to
learn that any such statement rested on
the truth.
Mr.. Clay answered. do.
Mr.. Elliott denied the statement that ne
groes had been stolen by our officers.
Mr.. Clay said thousands of contrabands
were dying in camp of all diseases ever
described or imagined. They were rotting
in filth.
Mr.. Elliott said it had been his warmest
wish that the Frcedmen's Bureau should
h.N 4 4
ties.
Mr.. Clay resuming, said such mortality
was in the result of your system. You care
no more for a negro than you do for :,
horse. You are purchasing the Sc neg oes
with bounties to save white men. ny pa
tience is worn out. would rather be a
STAKEHOLDER than rObber, stealing all over
the country.
Mr.. Holman asked-Are we prepared to
place, by solemn legislation, the black SOL
diers upon the same footing with the white
soldiers? Gentlemen, you have yet this
question to meet.
Mr.. Stevens said the question was whether
all the soldiers who wear the livery of the
Union, and marched under its banner i'm
common with the army of the Union, and
who exposed themselves to battle and death
should be placed on an equality; or whether
we were to keep up an unjust distinction?
He despised such a distinction between
troops in the day of death and battle; why
should they not be paid and clothed alike?
History showed that they had fought as
gallantly and bravely rs the white men at
their side, and yet this infamous and de-
frauding distinction was to be kept up. Let
not the nation for moment sanction ii.
Let it not 20 forth as the opinion of this
body that the black and red men are not to
be treated like other men who periled their
lives in their country's defence. He admir-
ed the conduct of the 54th Massachusetts,
who refused to take the ten dollars per
month, and who marched from their own
soil with magnanimity which would do |
credit to the best men in Indiana.
Mr.. Holman offered an amendment to in |
crease the pay of soldiers to $40 per month |
after January 1st 1864, with correspond |
ing increase of pay to non-commissiOned |
officers,
Mr.. Stevens said that the amendment was
not pertinent to the pay of the regular
army. The Speaker sustained the Objec-
ton.
Mr.. Holman took an appeal from the de-
cision, when the Speaker was sustained by |
laying the appeal upon the table-yeas 95,
nays 2j.
Mr.. Schenck offered an amendment to the
equalization of pay commence on the 1st of
May instead of January. This was dis
agreed to-5S to 65.
The House then agreed to the Senate's
amendment about the equality of pay, &c
yeas 81, nays 40.
The Senate's amendments to the army ap-
preparation bill were all agreed to, includ-
ing the following: All persons of color who
have been or shall be mustered into the SER
vice of the United States, shall receive the
same uniform, clothing, arms, equipments,
camp equipage, rations, medical and hospi-
tai attendance, pay and emoluments, other
than bounty, as other soldiers in the regu-
lar or volunteer force OF the United States,
of the like arm of the service, from and af-
ter January 1st, 1864, and that every person
of color who shall hereafter be mustered in
to service shall receive the same amount of
bounty as the President shall order in the
different States or parts of States, not eX-
ceeding one hundred dollars. Any colored
person enlisted and mustered into service as
a volunteer, under the call of October 7th,
1868, for three hundred thousand men, who
was at the time of enlistment enrolled and
subject to draft in the State in which he vol
unteered, shall receive from the United
States the same amount of bounty as is paid
to white soldiers under the said call, not ex-
ceeding one hundred dollars.
All free persons of color, who have been
or may be mustered into the military SER
vice, shall, from the date of their enlist
ment, receive the same uniform, clothing,
arms, equipments, camp equipage, rations,
L.. AL. |