The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-12-14


Mr.. sCOFIELD, OF Pennsylvania, moved to
strike out the paragraph approprating s25OOOO for
the State Department, and requested Information
sboutit He had heard it said that il was to in
duce Surratt to come TO this country and receive
his pardon, as there were no pardon agencies es-
'ablshsd in Europe. (Leughterl -,,.,-
MIR. STEVENS said that he had himself been
indisposed at first TO recommend that item to the
Appropriation Committee He had therefore re-
quested Mr.. Seward, who is young man, (laugh-
teT) to call upon him and give him the necessary
information, and Mr. Seward had done so. lie
would say to gentlemen that they had talked about
anything except business, and Mr.. Seward had
CT tnvinced him that the appropriation was neces-
saTy and proper. II comprised various matters
The government had large suits pending in Eu-
rope, principally in England aud France, to re-
cover properly which had belonged to the con-
federate government, and these suits were very
expensive. The aggregate amount in volved was
over twenty millions, and IL was supposed tnat
very large proportion of that amount would be
recovered. The expenses in tracking Surratt all
over Europe were large, and the S ate Department
have to pay the additional expenses of the govern
ment vessel that was conveying Surratt to this
country. Then the State Department paid the ex-
penses of the reception of Queen Emma In this
country and of her return TO Honolulu. 1t also
had to pay the expenses of the recent expedition to
Mexico.
Mr. SCOFIELD expressed himself satisfied with
the explanation. He had not known but that some
part OF the appropriation might have been intended
to pay the expenses of the Presidential party
swinging around the circle.
Mr. STEVENS assured him that NO part of the
appropriation would be applied to that purpose,
although he understood there were some unpaid
bills in connection with that trip.
MIR SCOFIELD then Withdrew his motion
:. The Committee rose and reported the bill to the
House.
The amendment made on Mr.. Washburne's
motion in Committee, striking out an appropria-
ton OF Sl7O,0U0 for work in public improvement of
Washington Oity was taken up, and gave rise to
considerable discussion, The amendment was
agreed to, and the Appropriation was struck out.
The bill was then passed.
1t makes among other appropriations the follow
ing Public printing SsU,OOOi paper for same,
Si5O,OO0; facilitating communication between the
Atlantic and Pacific States by electric telegraph,
100000 contingent expenses of foreign Intercourse,
S25OCO6. The bill also increases the pay of the ad-
ditonal police force fty per cent from the first OF
Novem Der, 1866.
The House then went into Committee of the
Whole, Mr.. Ashley, of Ohio, in the chair, on the
Presidents annual message.
Mr.. Wentworth, of Illinois, was entitled to the
floor, but being temporarily absent,
Mr.. WARD, of New York, addressed the Com
mitee, stating that the sublime verdict of the
people at the recent election not to be misun-
derstood. 1t admonished the President that his
policy of making war upon Congress, of galvaniz-
ing into life the rebellion by ensating in power its
leaders in the form of pretended State govern
ments in the SOUTH had turned out simply to be a
monstrous engine of fraud and oppression. The
Presidents extraordinary of the pardoning
power, his removing from Office Scared and
MANNED Union soldiers and putting in their places
the of his will with view to sap the in
dependence OF Congress and debauch the people;
his sustaining the murder OF NewOrleans patriots,
and, in short, nearly the whole OF his acts, Of
hcial and unofficial, from his fourth of March pre-
sentation to his "gyrations round the circle, had
been repudated and rebuked by the people, to
WulCu ne so COuuueuuy dppedleu5 Oy luOIe Lndh
half a million majority.
Congress was also admonished that the people
would insist to the last upon the adoption of the
! constitutional amendment recently submitted to
| the States, and in no event should that be aban-
| doned. Congress must go OH and complete the
| great work that God and the people had commit
ted to their charge and the illegal State govern
ments OF the south must be rejected. Congress had
ample power under the Constitution to empower
the people of the south, who had deem deprived by
the rebellion of all civil government, irrespectI
of race or color, to reorganiZe their State govern
ments. Congress should do this, and should au-
thorize all male citizens, not disqualified by trea-
SON or other crime, except those who had held office
under the rebel usurpation, who had been gue-
las murderers or leaders in the rebellion, to vote.
| Sunroge should be secured to all loyal men, so
that they protect themsel yes with the ballot
they protected the government with the bullet, and
oil who he been rebels should be disq ualiied
| from holding office. The rebel leaders, instead of
| demanding seats in Congress, should be suffering
from The pressure OF hemp, and no political fran
| chses or power should be given to any of them.
| The Union men an d freedmen at the south should
be protected at all hazards, even If in accomplish
ing hat purpose every traitor should perish. 1t
was Tor Congress to build anew the temple of the
republic, upon the eternal principles of justice and
equal rights, that the nation should stand firm
and enduring as the everlasting hills.
| The committee rose, and the House at $40 ad-
journed.