Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-02-14
SENATE.


Mr.. Morgan, Of N. Y, presented the Gre
dentials of Mr.. Lewis E. Parsons, senator
elect from Alabama. Mr.. Morgan said: As
the State of Alabama is one of the States
that during the period of four years has been
an rebellion against the U. S., and as Con-
gress has not determined whether the pO-
litieal condition of that State is such as to
entitle the State TO representation in the
Senate, 1 do not expect Gov. Parsons will
be requested to come forward and a the
oath at this time, and l will ask that his
credentials be received and laid upon the
table TO await the further action Of the Sen
ate. 1t was SO ordered.
Several petitions for an equalization Of
bounty and an increase of duty on inspected
goods, were presented and referred.
Several petitions for equal civil and sspo-
liticai rights were ofieeed and referred.
Mr.. WADE, of O., offered the petition of
the colCted soldiers, asking the right of suf-
frage.
Mr.. SALISBURY, of Del, wished to ask
a question The Senate and the country
were very familiar with this word eolored,
as applied to the negro race. He would like
to know what authority there was for the
use of that word. The only place he had
ever seen it in history SO applied was in the
history of st. Domingo, where it was used to
denote mulattoes.
Mr.. FESSENDEN, from the Committee
on Reconstruction, reported a joint resolu-
ton to amend the constitution with an adj
ditional article, as follows:
Congress shall nave power to make all
laws necessary and proper to secure to the
citizens of each State the privileges and i'm
munities of citizens of the several States,
and equal protection in the rights of life,
liberty and property. The resolution was
ordered printed.
Mr.. BROWN offered a resolution which
was adopted, instrueting the Committee on
Commerce to enquire what legislation is
necessary to protect the lives of passengers
in western steamboats, from the dangers in
cident to the explosion of tubular boilers.
Mr.. MORGAN called up the bill to extend
the hour for Withdrawing goods from public
stores and warehouses, on which Mr..
Sprague's motion for reconsideration was
pending.
MI. SPRAGUE spoke against the bill as
calculated to injuriously effect home man.
ufacturers by enabling importers to sell
goods cheaper than they could be manu-
featured in this country. He said he had
heard a great deal about the profits of maui
faotGrers. The happiest time of his life, he
said, was when he saw the New England
system of industry made the system Of the
country. He would like to see the Western
and Middle States enjoy the strength Of the
New England system.
After further debate, in which Messrs.
Sherman, Morrill,, Hendricks and Clark
participated, the further consideration of
the subject postponed till tomorrow.
Mr.. WILSON reported a bill to fix the
military peace establishment of the United
States.
Mr.. MORRILL, called up the Joint reso-
fnffnn 70 armand the To1-AsAnA.1- IL
subject of representation.
Mr.. SUMNER offered an amendment to
insert the following words at the close Of the
original proposition, " and they shall be ex-
empt from taxation of all kinds" so as to
make the amendment provide that those
who are excluded from the right of suffrage
on account of color or race shall be exempt
from taxation.
Mr.. HENDERSON addressed the Senate
at length in favor of the amendment offered
by him recently, prohibiting any State from
withdrawing the elective franchise on ac-
count Of color. He said the President in his
speech TO the Virginia delegation had said
he regarded what was known as the radical
party as the great danger to this country.
He had earnestly and honestly supported
the Presidenl and his administration since
his accession TO the Executive chair. His
object was to restore if possible at the
earliest practicable moment the union of
these States. He desired to do so now.
On the 2Ith ofFebrusry last he advocated
the admission of Louisiana and Arkansas.
He believed Mr.. Lincoln had a right to do
what he did for the reorganization of those
States. The war was then existing and it
was our purpose to restore the Union as rap
idly as possible, and it was thought that the
rebellion ought TO be suppressed in part by
HAnuO nan Srofn
did not participate in these State organiza-
tons. They strongly opposed them The
men who participated in the reorganization
of Ar ansas and Louisiana were Union men.
Referring to the amnesty proclamation of
Mr.. johnson he denied the right of the
President to grant amnesty to rebels, except
on the conditions prescribed by the act of
July, 1862, which requires that an oath
must be taken before amnesty can be grant
ed.
He denied the right Of the rest to prescribe
qualifications of voters as he had done in
that proclamation. He believed State
governments in the South must be reorga-
nized before there could be a perfect union
of the States, but if the State governments
were turned back TO the men who had been
in rebellion was 1t not reasonable to expect
they would rebel again? He would ask the
Senate if Congress could not pass an act de-
priving tae late rebels of their right Of citi-
zenship Notwithstanding the Presidents
amnesty. If Congress had power to do that
it ought to be done. The men who went
into rebellion ought to be disfranchised and
prevented from taking part in the work of
reorganization. He read from the address
Of the Virginia Delegation to the President
and remarked that it was signed by a man
named Baldwin among others.
Mr.. WILSON asked if that was not the
Baldwin who was member of the rebel Con-
gress and who nominated Gen. Lee for Gov
ernor Of Virginia.
Mr.. HENDERSON understood it was.
Mr.. SUMNER inquired If that was the