Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1866-02-14
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
WAsHfNsroN, Monday, Feb. 5, 1866.

CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
WASHINGTON, Monday, Feb. s. 1866.
In the Senate, to-day, Mr.. Sumner, oc,
cupied about three hours in what may well
be termed the great speech OF his lfe. lie
was about half through when the Senate ad-
journed to go into executive session, ana ne
will conclude Tomorrow.
In the House the day has been occupied
by discussion of the Freedmen Bill, Mesrs.
srs. Grinnell, Mckee, Eliot and others max
ING sneeehes' TIE speech of Mr.. Mckee
was particularly severe upon his Kentucky
colleagues. and the opponents of this bill
generally, whom he averred seemed to OPP
pose everything but disloyalty. MIR. Mckee
has been a prisoner at AndersonvIlle, and
wears no bogus loyalty.
General Sherman was in the gallery Of the
Senate during the delivery OF MIR. Sumner S
speech. He leaves tonight for his post,
the convention for which he and other Gen
erals were summoned here having ended its
| consideration of the various military meas
ures before Congress.
WASHINGTON, Tuesday, Feb 6, 1866
In the Senate. petitions for universal suf-
| frage, and from citizens of Ohio for a re-
duction Of the tax on agricultural imple-
ments, were presented and referred. Mr..
| Sumner, from the Committee on Foreign
| Relations, reported bill to appoint di-
plomatic representative to the Dominican
Republic. A resolution was adopted to in
quire into the expediency of paying loyal
citizens of rebellious States for quartermas-
ter's stores taken by the army. The joint
resolution for the Amendment of the Con-
stitution was taken up. Mr.. Doolittle Of
fered a substitute basing representation up
on the number of electors qualified by State
laws to choose members of the popular
branch of the legislatures, and apportion-
ing direct taxes according to their value of
real and personal property.
| In the House, the Freedmen's Bureau
bill was taken up. The amendment offered
| by Mr.. Smith to exempt Kentucky from
the operation of the act was rejected by "a
to 81. The substitute of Mr. Stevens, re-
| tanning most of the original bill but author
| iZing the President to set apart 5000, 900
acres of land to be assigned in 40-acre par
GELS to freedmen and loyal refugees, and
| confirming to the freedmen permanently
| their possessions of the lands held under
Sherman's order, was rejected Yeas 81.
The bill reported from the Committee on
Freedmen's Affairs as a substitute for the
Senate bill, restricts the operation of the
law to those States within which the habeas
corpus was suspended Feb. l; reduces sal
aries; defines the term destitute so as to
limit the number of those to whom relief
shall be extended provides for exchange of
lands by consent of the occupants of the for
mer; and directs the purchase of lands for
on of asylums and schools In this form,
the bill was passed by l36 to 33.
WASHINGTON, Wednesday, Feb 7, 1866.
In the Senate, Mr.. Fessenden delivered a
speech in vindication of the Constitutional
Amendment reported by the Committee of
Fifteen. Like all OF MIR. Fessenden's S utter
ances, the speech was full of keen points
and strong arguments. Mr.. Fessenden
seized upon. the weak point of Mr.. Sum
ner' resolutions with great energy, paying,
manner In which Mr.. Sumner had stated
and defended the great principles of repub-
lican government. Mr.. Fessendens speech
was listened to with great attention. 1t
conveyed the impression that the Constitu-
tlonal Amendment was very far from being
incapable OF improvement, and there is
much earnest private discussion about it a.
mong the Republican Senators. They,
however, seem generally to think that eth
er this or similar amendment ought to be
passed.
The Naval Appropriation bill came up,
and the Sl,500,000 appropriated for the
Brooklyn yard, was cut down at least two
thirds. The temper of the House to insist
upon the most rigid economy in public ex-
penditures was unmistakably evinced 1t
is believed, however, that many items strick-
en- out will hereafter be reconsidered and
passed, as necessary to preserve the Gov
ernment property.
WAsHINGToN, Thursday, Feb. 8, 1866.
Mr.. Howe presented a petition from citi-
zens of Wisconsin that Congress will so leg
1slate as to prevent the shedding of inno-
cent blood at the South and protect loyal
men, both black and white, in the Rebel
States. 1t was referred to the Committee
on Reconstruction. The prayer is for
practical measure which every days evi-
dence shows to be essential
The Hon. Henry S. Lane of Indiana
not reckoned heretofore Radical-delivered
in the Senate forcible speech on the pend |
ing Constitutional Amendment, denying |
that the present Government of North |
Carolina is Republican; declaring the prop
ositlon to admit Rebel States at present to |
be monstrous; avowing his opinion that |
emancipated slaves were at least as fit to |
vote as the Rebels; proposing that a period |
should be fixed that both might enjoy the |
elective franchise; asserting it to be the du-
ty of Congress and not of the President to
settle plan for reconstruction, and insist
ing that no reconstruction was prudently
possible till amendments to the Constitution
had been perfected, black men admitted to
ciyi! rights, and the Freedmen's Bureau
bill in operation.
The Freedmen's Bureau bill was reported
in the Senate from the Judiciary Commit
tee, with the recommendation that the Sem