Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-08-26

1
Observation-Disclosures W. Bliss, Of
summit; Joseph Smith, of CuyahOga; John
?. Morse, ofLake.
secretaries-Roland D. Noble, of Guy
ahoga; b. C. Gray, of Lake, and c. a.
of Summit.
With the exception of Perry, Concord,
Orange and strongsville, the delegations
were full.
The COmmitteeOn resolutions, (apPOinted |
by the Chair,) consisted of Messrs. Joseph
Pool, of Cuyahoga; N. ". Goodhue, Of
Summit, and W. W. Neviaon, of Lake.
The nominotion of Judge spalding for
re- election to Congress, was made by aoc.a-
nation, amid much enthusiasm.
A Committee consisting of Judge Bishop
and Messrs. Beebe and Johnson, was IN
strueted to wait upon the Judge, and INFORM
him of his nomination. an
lie soon appeared and addressed the Con-
ventionss follows:
SPEECH OF HON. 3 P. sRhDISS.
VI, President aud GeatlemeH--
I should BE- wanting in sensibiIity, If did
not feel grateful for this marked expression
Of YOUR confidence and esteem.
The position Of d member Of Congress
ought ever TO be reckOned among the high
est objects Of a reasonable mans ambition
A denomination, by 50 intelligent con
stituency as that OF the Eighteenth Congress
ional district, IN times like these, should
hazzagarded as O signal distinction
say in times Ike these, Tor when l
look upon the dreadful commissions o. the
nation and reflect upon the uncertainty
that waits upon the movements Of heets
and armies, aad the still greater unsertain-
~ that attends the administration Of our
civil policy, l am ept, in canvassing for
councillors, to inquire, " Who Is sufficient
for these things?"
In rendering 70 you my thanks. gentle
men, tor the very agreeable manner IL
which YOU have executed your trust, and
| IN giving to you, and through you, to the
electors Df the district, assurances Of NY
/ most assidious devotion TO their interests,
deem it not improper to advert, in brief
terms, to such portions of the legislative
acts Of the 3sth Congress, during its FRS.
sess on, ss were initiated by, or received
he effective support of your immediate
representative. May hope to be pardoned
the frequent use Of the personal Pronoun, ,,
as my statement cannot well be made with
out it.
In the first place I took my seat in Con
yress with a fixed determination 4' to clean
The statute book" SO far as my influence
.ould effect it, "of all existing supports Of
slavery" hence, very early introduced
bill to repeal the Fugitive Slave" laws OF
20 and so, which, with slight modiics
ton in Committee, afterwards passed both
! Houses aud received the approval of the
President.
voted for the bill, which became law,
lbolishing the Coast-wise Slave trade-and
or the bill which removed forever, as
trust, the odious disability that sealed the
lips Of colored witnesses in Federal
Courts.
Ivoted with other delegates from Ohio, for
the bill that had passed the Senate by the
Constitutional majority giving to the States
the glorious opportunity of inscribing upon
our Governmental Charter an entire pro-
nibition of SLAVERY.
This benefcent measure was more than
defeated by the fifteen opposition votes
from one State, that crept into Congress
through the remissness OF our electors in
1862.
voted to give to all our soldiers in the
armies, fighting for the life Of the nation,
the same measure Of pay, be they black or
white. l did this with q feeling akin to
the Fifth Of England when, on the eve Of
the bate of Agincourt, he is made by the
& great poet" to say:
"For he to day, that sheds his blood With me,
" Shall be my brother be he Hs'er 50 riLs,
"a This day siau gentle he condition."
By consent Of the Committee on Revolu-
tionary Pensions, 1 reported bill to the
House, placing the soldiers Of 1912 on the
same footing, as to pensions, with soldiers
Of the Revolution. This bill was continued
with the unfinished business, until the
next session OF Congress.
Atm instance, Select Committee was
appointed to take into consideration the
subject of General Bankrupt Law.
After devoting much time to the subject,
that committee reported bill, which is
now before Congress, and which has been
printed and largely distributed for the con
sideration of the people.
In my judgment, wise and judicious
bankrupt law, guarding with equal fidelity
the rights of debtor and creditor, IS q
great desideratum in our American juris-
prudencS,
Tne pressing necessity for such measure
is more Immediately felt, however, in the
large commercial cities.
l approach the subject with no personal
or private interest 30 move me, and shall
be governed in my action by just regard
10 the sense of my constituents and the
wants Of the whole country.
Conscious that no appropriations had
been made, for a series of years, TO the river
and harbor improvements in the Western
States, and being informed that some Of
them in our immediate vicinity were fast
going to decay very early in the late ses-
sion, took steps 10 induce legislation by
o ngress, making specific appropriations of
money to repair the hGrbors upon our lakes.
The Committee on Commerce of the
House Of Representatives, readily &C
knowledged the justice of my claim, but
at the same time, insisted that such a legis-
iatiye enactment would involve the sub
traction Of too large an amount Of money
from the military defenceS Of the nation,
and utterly refused to report bill in that
shape.
Finally by dint of perseverance, and
with the friendly aid OF the member of
Congress from the 0swego district, in the
State OF New York, l prevailed with the
Committee TO report bill, drafted by my
self and introduced by Mr.. Littlejohn, ap-
propriating two hundred and fifty thous-
ana dollars for the repairs Of harbors on
the Lakes, aud one hundred thousand
dollars for the repairs Of haTbors on sea
coast, to be expended under the direction
OF the Secretary Of War, This bill was
passed into law, and I have recently
been informed that competent officer Of
Engineers has been detailed by the SEQ
retary 10 attend to the hsr0ors Of Lakes
Erie and Michigan.
Feeling deep interest In the establish
ment Of Navy Yard and Naval Depot ct
Cleveland, 1 brought the subject before
tbs gaval Committee, Of which was a
momber, SOON after the commencement Of
IT," session.
Ivy so eInd h at a majority Of the
Committee were impressed with the idea
that sG1sisting treating, made by the
United States and Great Britlan in 1917,
regulating the Naval force upon the Lakes,
Preiuded the establishment Of q Navy Yard