Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-12-26
Congressional Summary and
Washington News.

Nothing of importance was done in
the Senate to-day. Most of the time
was taken up in rambling discussions
in regard to the bill to repeal the am
nesty power of the President, and the
bill to admit Nebraska.
Mr.. Wade gave notice that he would
tomorrow move to rescind the concur
rent resolution for the. holiday recess.
1t is feared by some that if both Houses
adjourn on Thursday, the District suf
frage bill will be lost under the clause
of the seventh section, that article OF
the Constitution. which says:
eff any bill shall not be returned by
the President within ten days (Sun-
days excepted after Il. shall have been
presented to him, the same shall be-
come law in like manner as if he had
signed it, unless Congress by their ad.
journment prevent its return, in which
case IL shall not become a law"
The result feared in the event of ad-
iournment may be avoided by direct
ing the Secretary of the Senate to
withhold the bill until after the recess,
or to send it to the President at such a
time that the ten days shall not expire
after the recess. 1t was signed by the
President pro ten, Of the Senate and
and Speaker of the House to-day.
HoUsE.-Mr. Baker presented a res
olution, on which the voting was very
spirited, instructing the Banking Com
mittee to report bill prohibiting the
further withdrawal from circulation of
legal tender notes. This was tabled by
8S to 5S, and is the est test vote had
in the House on the question of con-
tracing the currency.
The House then took up the South
ern States, and the Judiciary Commit
tee was instructed to inquire into the
truth of an advertisement in a Mary
land paper, where a colored man was
to be sold into slavery for some crime.
Mr.. Stevens said that under that
clause of the Constitutional Amend
ment which prohibited slavery or in
voluntary servitude except as a pun
ishment for crime, several Southern
States had made laws selling colored
men into slavery for crimes of which
they had been convicted. The same
resolution investigating the case allu-
ded to directs an inquiry as to wheth-
er the President has enforced the Civ
il Rights law.
Quite a sensation was caused by the
introduction of a resolution by Mr..
Ashley, of Ohio, for the appointment
of Select Committee of seven to in
quire if any officer of the Govern
ment has attempted to subVert the
same by any crime or misdemeanor.-
As this squinted towards impeachment,
a vote was taken on suspending the
rules to allow the resolution to be re-
ceived, and the rules were not suspen-
ded, two thirds not voting in favor of
it-8S to 40. The Republicans voting
against it were: Ames, Dawes, Defrees,
Dunning, Dodd, jerks, Maynard,
Raymond, Spalding, Starr. and War
ner.
Memorials were presented in the
House to-day from eighty-two citizens
of Michigan, three hundred and forty
nine from Iowa, and six from Alabama,
giving fourteen reasons for impeaching
the President. The petitions were re-
ferred.
In the Consular Appropriation bill,
reported to-day, no provision was made
for the salary of Minister Harvey, at
Portugal. 1t was stricken out also last
session, because of certain structures
made on Congress in letter written
by Harvey to Secretary Seward.
Congress was memorialized to day to
disband the militia of the State of
North Carolina.
The army is making quite a pressure
for an increase of pay, and for the COM
mutation of rations.
The Ways and Means Committee had
a long conference to-day on the bill
regulating the sale of gold, but post
poned final action in the matter until
January. The Committee seemed in
clined to favor some kind of bill, and
thought that the Secretary ought to
get rid of at least forty millions of the
gold, which he had now in the Treasu-
~.
Mr.. Stevens did not introduce the
North Carolina Reconstruction Bill as
his own measure, but stated at the
time that he presented it by request of
others. The restriction of suffrage by
a property qualification proposed in the
bill is not favored by him.
Owing to the underlined status of
Mexican matters, the House Commit
tee on Foreign Affairs contemplate
doing nothing at present. At their
meeting this morning, they reported a
resolution relating to South American
matters, which the House subsequent
ly passed.
The Navy Department has not heard
from Admiral Goldsborough relative to
the embarkation of SurTatt, but ex-