Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-01-30
DIR. scett's Oath Of Allegiance I'm
the House. m


In the Ohio House Of Representatives, on
Wednesday, January 9th, the majority Of
the Judiciary committee reported back DR..
Scorr's bill, prescribing anhdditional oath
of Office to be administered to persons elect
ed or appointed to office under the Consti-
tuition and laws of Ohio,n and recommend
cd its passage. The oath prescribed by it
is as follows: s ~ -
,,,-, Of ~. in theccuntyy Of, and State
tarily borne arms against the United States since
hnve been citizon thereof; that have voluntarily
given no mid. countenance. counsel, OF encourage-
ment TO persons engaged in armed hostility thereto;
that have neither sought accepted nor attcmpt-
ed 70 exercise tho functions Of any oice whatever
under any authority or pretended authority In hos
tlity to the United Sates that have not yielded
voluntary support to any pretended government, au
thority, power, or constitution within the United
States hostile or inimical therefor that will bear
United States, and defend j. agains. all enemies,
foreign and domestic; that | take this Obligation
freely, without any mental reservation purpose Of
evasion; sohelp me God.
Some Of the Republican members having
claimed, pending the consideration of the
bill, that the Administration was the Gov
ernment Mr.. DREsEL proposed an amend
ment to provide against swearing alle-
glance to the Administration. Thisamend-
ment was promptly voted down by the ma
jority-the Democrats voting for it. Mr..
BEER proposed an amendment, that who
ever takes the oath shall swear that he has
not violated the Constitution of the United
States. This was also voted down by the
Republican members. Mr.. GUNsAULUs
(Republican) proposed to amend the oath
so as to require the officer to swear, that b,
has never left the State to avoid the draft
and Mr.. MAYO wanted to add-"and that h,
never intends to-" Both these amendment;
were voted down by the majority-th,
Democrats voting for them.
Mr.. PUTNAM proposed this amendmenttc
the oath: ,r
have never engaged in forcibly resisting the exc
cution Of any Of tho laws Of the United States. o.
advised encouraged any such forcible resistance.
The Republicans also voted this amend
ment down.
Mr.. BLOOM wanted to amend the bill, b.
adding this paragraph:
Provided, nothing contained in this act shall be
construed to require any person to swear allegiance
10 the Administration of tho Government, aud tha,
tho word Goyernmont Of the United States wherever
il occurs In this act shall be understood to mean the
Constitution Of the United States, and the laws pass
ell in pursuance thereof.
Tie majority promptly voted this down,
also.
Mr.. DREsEL proposed the following amend
ment, which shared the same fate that the
rest did-voted for by the Democrats and
voted down by the Asolitionists:
That have not been member Of. nor given aid.
counsel or encouragement 10 any secret political So
ciety or league hostile TO the spirit Of Republic
can Institutions that have not countenanced nor
will Thereafter countenancc. but will oppose with all
- Sss,e Coastitut who noe ever a" be suty iis Of such
violation; that never have been, am not now, and
never hereafter shall be, directly indirectly,
gagged or interested in any contract enterprise. cxpe
diion speculation or other device, to defruud the
General Government or to appropriate and nisapply
for unlawful and improper purposes, the money Of
the people.
DIR. FIELDING offered the following
amendment which was also voted down
by the Aboitionists: 49,
Nor have sanctioned, encouraged or lustlned oe-
cessioa of several States, nor Of single State, o,
part of State, nor an unconstitutional dismember-
ment thereof. lr..hH
After the bill had been forced through the
House under the application of the gag
DIR. FIELDING moved that the title be, "AD
act to encourage Perjury"
The record that the Republican members
made upon this bill and the amendments
that were offered, will trouble them here
after. We purpose to recur to 1t again.