The Van Buren press., 1866-02-10
From Washington-Ths Scene OF the
Passage Of the Negro Suffrage Bill IN
tha District of Columbia.
Correspondence Of the Cincinnati Enquirer
WASHINGTON, Jan. II, 1866.


the House were the most intensely inter
estins of the session, thus far Mr.. VIII
son. of Iowa, who, as Chairman of the
judiciary Committee, had the Dill IN
charge. gave notice on the l'th that he
would press a vote on it on the succeed
ing day at o'clock.
When the hour for voting arrived, eve
ry member was in his seat, ami Mir. bout
well, of Massachusetts, was speaking in
its favor. When he finished, Mr.. Wilson
closed the debate with very few remarks
and offered the bll-simOn-pure, unadul-
terated, unadorned and unqualified negro
suffrage in the District.
The first vote was on motion to table
which came from the Democratic side OF
the House
The motion was Of course negatived
by an almost strict party vote-l23 to
46 The next vote was to postpone TIL
the second Tuesday in Marcll-which
came from the Radicals
The extreme Radicals voted against
this; and they, with the conservatives de-
feated the time servers, and weak kneed,
who wished to avoid the issue.
The extremes of conservatism and de
structiveness- They who took the negro
+" straight" and those who didn't indulge
united aginst the mean men who want
ed sugar in theirn," such as the nerve
less Raymond, who, on q previous occa-
sion, promised the President he would
move the reference Of the credentials of
the Tennessee delegations to the Com
mittee on elections; and then, out of def
erence to the majority, dropped them into
that yawning grave OF justice, the Com
mittee on Reconstruction.
The vote stood thirty -four to one hun
dred and thirty four
Then Mr.. Wilson moved his amend
ments sugar coating the pill for Raymond
IL Co.
These amendments proposed an indef-
mite property qualification, proved by as
sessment; all education qualification
equally uncertain, because it requiredvo-
ters to be able to read the Constitution Of
the United States-an amendment in the
hands of it's present keepers as variable
as the clouds ut sunset.
Then came the final vote on the main
question, and here the parties divided
again, some few of what was known as
the Union party voting with the Conser-
yatives. kcnt,ich, voted in solid col
,,mn against it. farquar, Hill and Still
well of Indiana, voted against it, with
VOORHEES,, Kerr and Niblack.
Kuykendall, of Illinois, voted against
it. Fihck and lie Blond, consistent to
themselves, were the only Ohio votes re-
corded against it Hubbard had . myste
riously misappeared;" this morning he
came in with scariiied throat; bnt
doubtless his throat felt better than many
others in that house.
TO day one member aceosted another
thus; Good morning, Brandagee; do
you feel better this morning =
=" Not much" with the falling intlec-
ton on the last word Brandagee is from
Connecticut, and he, with his colleagues,
simply misrcpresented their constituents.
When Raymond answered aye" there
was a general murmur throughout the
House, and Spalding sung out, You've
got Raymond, have you?' Whercto a
reasonable man replied, 1--WE only rented
him."
When Anderson, of Missouri, voted
"no," Hogan said, God bless you, An
derson, old boy; you're right-vou and
l will 90 home with locked arms"
When the result was announced, a
burst Of applause arose from the pit, and
communicated itself so uproarionsly to
the family circle as to cause an nvolunta-
rily glance upward, and 10. black faces
were shining, chalky eyes were cleaning,
and teeth were fairly glistening, while,
here and there appeared a white face, like
unto one of your pepper and salt Cincin-
natl snow-storms. The " smiling, smil-
ing," amiable little Speaker, forgettul of
the legends in the gallery, declaring it his
duty to clear the galleries on the slight
est manifestations of applause or disap-
probation" mildly rebuked the members
Of the House. But the rebukc was al
most lost for the members were mo-
wing en- masse to the doors without wait
ing for regular adjournment.
Before this letter is published this bill
will probably have been passed by the
Senate, though two thirds majority is
doubtful there. The President will assu-
redly veto it. But if there are two
thirds for it in the Senate, what nice
little ten-mile political model garden this
will be whore thnv will nynnrimnnt with