, 1865-01-07
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.


SENATE.
Mr. SHERMAN, Of OAlo. from the Finance Com
asking for an increase Of pay, and asked that the
committee be discharged and the petition referred
to the Mllta5y Eonm1ttss AEreed TO-
which was passed, calling upon tic Secretary Of
the Interior for information rs to the number Of
pension agents employed by the Government
how many In each State, and under what Law em-
III. TRUMBULL called up the bill to regulate
prcceedings In criminal case6, relating especially
70 tho punishment OF the crime Of treason, which
it provides that when the o1ense charged bo
treason, and is capital oasnse, The defendant
to f{ve challenges on tria. For any Other oicnse
the United States shall be entitled to two pcremp-
tory challenges and tho defendant to ten. When
be- to M
he on Court 0es he tsa &C
Is passed to order the same to be executed in any
State prison or penftentfary In the district or
State where such courts are held, the use Of which
prisons or penltent1aries to be allowed by the
Legislature Of such :state for such purpose, and
tcncc 10 be paid by tic United States. The &C.
takes effect the- Of June. 1865.
Mr. WILSON, Of Masa., called up the bill to
re he e,
this enhjcct, Recommending that the bill do not
Ms III. Wilson moved that the biz be indefinitely
Mr TRTMBUIL was cure that the Committee
would come TO such conclusion.
Of the Committee, and hoped the Senate won1d
act on It. recommendation.
Diminishing officers who Ind been mustered out Of
the service during the past year some, he thought,
within the list three OF ioar weeks, They hsd
% ine III 1T they would Is Se mustered @ out This It's
bs put into he possession q ths President and be
IT, a4 H.. wison. did not want the fesponsbiiiSy
the bill was passed rs It came from tho House, it
ee1 e ot
by the organization Of brigades, and division Off
ccrs might be thrown ont Of the service at The ex
pi1ation Of their tine; There Was more intrigue
cited political canvass among pollticians-there
was no comparison between the rivalry
and jealousy Of army officers; ,,; md q ambitious
grcaa ought to do nothing 10 increase the means
House I'LL. When General was out of service it
Of his being unemployed-i he was out Of service
becaute he ought 10 be dismissed but II as was
frequently the case, he was ont because Of the
dent should see thas justlee 30 done his o:iccr,
ef d. country. Es # IT, Ills rule Of the
Au0et uA4 Nda auOPteQ, II W0ulQ give sHptEloEa
the power to crukh ont interiors whom they did not
ike. BY suependinr then from duty under some
prctext or other, knowing that ut the expiration
Of three months they would be dAppped from the
rolls. This power Of dismissing inferior officers
by eupcriors WIS very great and oughr to be eIer-
eised only by corps and a1my commanders In tho
field. and then only rarelY. There we're able OIL
cers not In the PUBLIC service to-day or II in tho
service, in subordinate chalacter-becausc Of q
difference OF opinion rivalry with other officers
who were once their interiors, but hare been more
fortunate thau they for couple Of years, lie did
not belteye Justice or The good Of the eerfice
would be promoted BY the passage Of the 1ow
from the House.
tee Iadrnttted incompetent officers ought to be
dismissed. lie did not think the fact Of any off.
cer being out Of employment for few weeks, vas
any evidence that he ought to be dismissed.
Alter further discussion the ayes and nays were
demorded, on motion to indefinitely postpone, re-
sultipC in ycas . :; nays, g..
Sol House the resolution Was indefinitely
iii. SHERMAN, OF Ohio, introduced a bill
lcyyine internal duties on tobacco. It provides
for J. tax q 70 cents PEI e .pot1 pound d On On
bacco known as strips and reqntfns al iooasso
crowcrs On or before the fst Of Auguat noaiJ
the Assistant Assessor OF their rcspccave dls
tr1cts Of the number of acres plnnted In tobacco
on the forfeit Of fye hundred dollars for each acre
and before Its removal when grown to give none<
to the Assistant Assessor. who Hla cause II 10 o&