The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-01-07
CONGRE ssIoNAL.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6.

#t WASHINGTON, Jan. o.
SENATE.-Mr. Sherman, from the Fl
nance Committee, reported back the pc.
tition of army officers asking for increase
of pay, and asked that the committee be
discharged and the petition referred to
the Military Committee. Agreed to.
Mr. Trumbull offered resolution
which was passed, calling upon the Sec
retary of the Interior for information as
to the number of pension agents employ
ed by the Government, how many in
each State, under what law employed
&c.
HoUsF-Mr. Kasson introduced bill,
which was referred to the committee on
Ways and Means, to promote the diffu-
sion of knowledge by the suspension OF
duties on imported paper
The resolution rendering a vote OF
thanks to General Sherman and his sffi-
GERS and men was passed.
: The House proceeded to the considera-
tion of the great joint resolution chang
ing the Constitution so as to abolish
slavery throughout the country.
Mr. Ashley made speech against slave,
~, and argued at length to show that
the trainers of the Constitution could not
be guilty of making an instrument deny
ing any part Of our people the just pos
session of liberty and happiness. Slavery
was the cause of the present war.
Mr.. Orth earnestly advocated the Con-
stitutional amendment, looking upon
slavery as the deadliest enemy of the Re
public.
Mr.. Schofield advocated the amend
ment, saying that the people i'll the re-
cent Presidential election had decided in
favor of a general emancipation of the
slaves
p The House passed the Senate bill re-
pealing SO much of the act incorporating
the Smithsonian Institute as requires
two of the Regents to be appointed from
members of the National Institute, the
latter having ceased to exist.
Mr. Samuel Mclean, delegate from the
new territory of Montana, appeared, was
qualified and took his seat.
Mr. Schenck, from the committee Oh
Military Affairs, reported back the fol-
lowing Joint resolution, which was unan-
imously adopted:
Resolred, That the thanks of the people
and Congress of the United States are
due and are hereby rendered to Major
GeneralSherman and through him to the
officers and army under his command,
for their gallantry and good conduct in
their march from Chattanooga to Allan
ia, and their march through Georgia to
Savannah, and the occupation of the lat
ter city, and that the President cause a
COPY of this to be forwarded to General
Sherman.
Mr.. Kasson offered resolution, which
was agreed to, that the committee on
Ways and Means consider the expediency
of providing for Commission Of mem
bers Of the Senate and House, with leave
to sit during the vacation OF Congress,
to examine and report on a system Of
taxation bearing equally on the property
and industry of the country, and the best
means of providing for maintaining the
ditans shtlses Sssif issre Of ti1s'
p6yeis Z .,ersf stnsr 1naI said Commission
report by bill or otherwise at the COM
mencement of the 39th Congress.
Mr.. Kasson introduced bill for the
promotion of knowledge by the suppress
ion of duties on imported paper. The
bill was referred to the committee on
Ways and Means.
Mr.. Wilson introduced bill providing
for term of the judicial district OF Ar
kansas, which was referred to the COM
mittee on judiciary.
On motion of Mr. Wilson, resolution
was adopted instructing the committee
on Rules to enquire into the expediency
of creating two additional standing
committees one on Internal Revenue and
the other on the national currency. and
also into the expcdiency of standing
instead of special committee on the
Pacific railroad.
The House then proceeded to the con-
sideration of the Senate joint resolution
having in view the amendment of the
Constitution to abolish slavery through
out the country.
Mr.. Ashley, of Ohio, endorsed the words
of President Lincoln, namely: IF slav-
ery is not wrong, then nothing is wrong.
The proposition whether this universal
wrong should be considered OF abolished
was now before the House. If slavery
had never been known in the United
States, and any member shonld intro,
duee a measure to enslave any portion OF
people, he would be looked upon as an
enemy of humanity He did not believe
such a measure could receive a single
vote in this House Yet it was known
votes had been cast here to keep in slav.
cry men who, under the laws of God and
nature, are as much entitled to freedom
as white persons. The trainers of the
Constitution were not guilty of making
aninstrument which could be interpreted
to deprive any one of justice, liberty and
happiness. II for the last thirty years
statesmen had ruled the country, If they
had been men who had not defended and
made concessions to slavery, this wal
would not have resulted He argued
that Congress had the constitutions
right to make the amendment, and h'
anticipated most favorable result from
such legislation. .
Mr.. Orth spoke Of the duty and desti
nv of the American people. The feeling
exhibited throughout the struggle, anc
the recent election proves our ability auc
willingness to serve the nation. The re-
bellion must be subjugated without re
gard to cost or sacrifice.
Destruction Of Powder and Torpe
he a no nj