The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1865-09-12
TREATY WITH THE APACHE INDIANS.
THE NEXT CONGRESS.

THE NEXT CONGRESS-.
We take the following article from the Now Or
leans Times, of a recent date, and though there
arc opinions expressed which may not be justified
by results, still there points in it which will be
Of interest:
The question of the admission of Representa-
tlves in Congress from States lately in rebellion
is assuming considerable Importance, and is lcnd-
TO the sonry and ID Gd
numerical strength of the parties in the next
House, the admission or rejection Of Representa-
tives from the lately rehe0us States will make no
material difference, because even if every district
in the South were represented, and the Southern
members were TO unite with the Democrats in tho
House, the Republicans would still be in majori-
ty of about twenty votes The chief point in the
discussion therefore, relates not to tho control of
the House by one political party or another, but
has reference only to the manner and the proba-
bity of securing for the South the admission of
it's Representatives. Many Republicans contend
received from any State heretofore declared in re-
bcllion against the United States, until by IN act
or joint resolution Of Congress- approved by the
ti6ns, such State shall have been first declared to
have organized a just local government, republ-
can in forn1 and to be entitled to representation
III the respective Houses Of Congress-"
This is the language Of an amendment proposed
by Mr.. Wilson, Representative from Iowa, to the
reconstruction bill which was under debate last
February; and this is the conclusion TO which the
Judiciary Committee in the United States Senate
arrived i'll reporting ON the case of the two Sell
ators elected from Louisiana last year. Indeed
Judge Trumbull the chairman Of tho committee,
and speaking for the committee, so stated in his
report. and offered q ress'ution recognizing tho
new Constitution and Government of Louisiana
preparatory to the admission of her Senator's
This report WAS presented and ordered to be
printed on the 18th of February last, md on the
4th of March Congress adjourned without voting
on the question On the other hand, many mon in
the South contend thai no such resolution of Con-
gress is necessary; that tho State never having
q net Of 6p,iu
sion is requisite; that Senator's and Representa-
tives from the South must be admitted to all the
| simple presentation Of their credentials. 1t is
contended that the Clerk of the House has no dis
cretion in the matter of making the list and call
ing the names OF members elected to tho next
House; that he cannot disregard or reject the
Representatives from the Southern Statcs that
he must call their names as well as those from tho
most loyal States, and give them voice in the or
fcers.
is decided differently by different persons, and per-
haps public curiosity would be better setistied by
knowing ,ohat the Clerk ,oiQ do. To answer this
question as far as We are able we have, with much
care, directed our Investigations into the most au
thentic sources at our command. Our conclusion
is, that the Clerk will not read the names of tho
members from States lately in insurreotion. Now
for onr reasons
The Clerk, Edward Mcpherson, was himself q
member Of the Thirty-si1th and Thirty-seyenth
sylvania, and as such he acted throughout with
the Radical members. He was an active member
Of the Committee on Military Affairs and has
bellion." His votes in the House show that he was
opposed to the admission OF Southern men,
Flanders and Hahn, from Louisiana. in y TebraaTY "
1858, the vote stood ninety-two yeas, forty -four
nays. Mr.. Mcpherson voted nay In order to
arisen and been fully and lengthily argued in the
Louisiana case, relative to the powers Of Military
Governors to order and conduct elections, and tho
l ,lfnr kok., b.
were introduced, one by Mr.. Maynard, providing
for future Congressional elections in Tennessee,
by m Hahn for the in
one being added to the other as an amen dment-
by a vote OF one hundred and four yeas to twenty
seven nays. Mr.. McPherson voted in favor Of
these bills. This subject was under discussion in
the Senate when that body adjourned, and did not
| reach final vote.
political complexion Of the next House Of Repre-
sentatives would be doubtful. This, and the know
ledge that Mr.. Emerson Etheridge, the then Clerk,
epaton policy VS & Tr. Lincoln, was M getting g % him
into disfavor with the Republicans, and led the
latter tS fear the course Mr Etheriage might pnr-
Congress. The Republicans, who were becoming
very much prejudiesd against the Clerk, feared
that the latter might, i the chances were fayora
representatives from the South at the organiza-
ton OF the next Congress-, to secure his re-elec-
9n as Clerk and give the organization to his
regulate his duties. The Democrats we're, also
afraid Of some "tricks" which might be played
against their interests by the Clerk, and conse-
guentiy aided the Republicans in passing the bill.
Indeed, so well did the Republicans manage this
business, that they had the bill ostensibIy pre-
pared through the Committee on Elections, and
offered in the House by Democratic member of
the committee. The bin passed the House and
Senate without debate, and received the sigma
ture OF the President, all in great haste, and on
| the some day, March Sd, 1865. ~
| It reads thus: fw
"Be it enacted, etc.-That before the first meeting
Of the next Congress, and OF every subsequent
Congress, the Clerk OF the next preceding House
sentatives elect, and place thereon the names oi
all PERSONS and OF such persons only, whose ore-
dentiais show that they were regularly elected in
lively, or the laws Of tile United Statesp - !;
The terms regularly elected in accordance with
stood tQ exclude elections ordered by military OF