The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-03-07

Prcstdes,t's Message IN Answer to a Resof"-
--- tiot of Congress.
ETE3 WASHINGTON. March 6.
The following message was received to-day
by the House.
TO the House of Representatives: /.
Y In answer to resolution OF the House OF
REPRESENTATIVES. of the 18th of January last,
requesting information in regard to the pro-
visional governments of certain States, l trans
NIT report from the Secretary of State, to
whom the resolution was referred.
! (Signed) ANDREW JOHNSON.
WASHINGTON, D. c., March 6.
To THE PRESIDENT" The Secretary of
State to whom was referred the resolution Of
the House of Representatives on the 18th of
January last, requesting the President, if not
deemed by him incompatible with the public
interests, to communicate to the House copies
of all messages, proclamations and other doc-
uments issued by the Provisional Governors
of any State that may have been proclaimed
at any time to be in rebellion, of all acts, Or
dinances, resolutions and proceedings OF con-
ventions, or Vi Legislatures held in such
States under the authority or at the call of
said Provisional Governors, of all the returns
of elections for members of such conventions
and Legislatures, together with the qualifca-
tons required for voters at such elections,
and for members when elected, together with
such other information concerning the public
action of such States, tending to throw light
upon their political condition, as may be in
his possession and to communicate further cop
les of all proclamations issued by the PresI-
dent or his immediate predecessor, relating to
the subject, whether issued by him directly, or
through the Secretary of State, and the papers
accompanying the same, has the honor to
state that copy or original of all the volumi-
nous papers called for by the resolution have
been, with the reports from this Department,
of this date, been laid before the President to
enable him to answer similar resolution of
the Senate. 4}oQf{ VI - 30 AAA'
As these papers will undoubtedly be printed
for the use OF the Senate, it is presumed to be
unnecessary to have another copy made to
enable the President to answer the resolution
of the House of Representatives. d
/ Respectfully submitted. ~
(Signed) A3 s4a w. II. SEWARD De
In similar communication sent to the Sem
ate, Mr.. Seward says: ,-itr..e5l
sit will appear that all the persons appoint
ed Provisional Governors were required to
take the oath prescribed by Congress except
WV. Holden, appointed Provisional Cover
nor OF North Carolina. The commission of
| tl1O ICqAICAuCuto Uulo CcbcU Wdo CutiCAy cS-
cidental He, however, took the amnesty oath
prescribed by the Presidents proclamation of
May 20, 1895. There is no record in this De-
partment of oaths which were taken by the
several Provisional Governors" ~ b27-t
In supplementary report to the President,
Mr.. Seward says: auss5. t,. .5;is,l
p"It now appears that the foregoing report
was prepared in the Office on the 22d Of Janu-
airy, by the Acting Secretary of State, William
loI. =.
to the fact that it was held for revision by the
undersigned, secretary Seward but neither
the preparation of the report nor the passage
of the first resolution of the Senate became
known to the Secretary of State until they
were brought to his knowledge after the pas
sage OF the Senate's second resolution" i
The papers accompanying the Presidents
message, embrace dispatches, proclamations
| and communications, many of them hereto
fore published, relative to the restoration of
the government Of North Carolina, from May
/ 20, 1865, to January IS, 1866; Of Mississippi
| from January IL, 1865 to December 4, 1865,
| Constitutional amendment by the Mississippi
Legislature; of Georgia, from October 17th
1865. to Dec. %, 1865; of Texas, from Dec O.
| 1885, from Provisional Governor Hamilton
promising to lay before the Legislature the
| Constitutional amendment prohibiting slave
ry; of Alabama, from June 21st, to Dec. Goth
1865; of South Carolina, from July 21st, to
Dec. 18th, 1865; of Florida, from July 14th to
Dec. 10th, 1855. 4Ta7at -an
| Among the South Carolina dispatches is one
of Nov. 9th, from Secretary Seward to Gov
Perry, declaring that the President is not sat
isfied with the action of the Convention and
the Legislature, and that adequate ordinances
were necessary declaring all sur1ectionary
action unlawful and void, and an objection to
the last clause of the Constitutional amend
ment was querelous, and that an acceptance
OF the amendment was necessary to restora-
ton. =
| On Nov. 9th tie Secretary tcleeraphed
| again that the early adoption Of the amend
ment was deemed important bv the President,
who regretted that neither the Convention or
Legislature had pronounced the State obliga-
tons for the rebel debt null and void, anu that
the State seemed to decline the acceptance of
the amendment to the United States Consti-
tuition.
On Nov. goth the Secretary again urges the
Presidents request to repudiate the rebel debt.
On the same day Gov. Perry declared that
the State had passed the Constitutional amend
ment, and hoped the doors of Congress would
| be open to the members from South Carolina
| On Noy.27th he telegraphs that the Con.
vention has adjourned, and therefore could
take no action relative to the rebel debts. "a
| On Dec. 10th, Gov. Perry announces that
the Government of South Carolina is COM
plete and the people loyal, and asks a fulfill
ment of the promise to Withdraw the United
States troops. - IaA011AU
| -aio] yraai-y From Mepseo.s -
| 8. .aa' 49,. 'sa i, NEW YORK, Masch5.