The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-01-24
BY TELEGRAPH.

| 1Y TELEGRAPH.
a. FOR AFTERNOON DISPATCHES
SEE SECOND PAGE.
MIDNIGHT REPORT.
xxx CONeREss--FmsT sEssIOH
WASHINGTON, Jan. %.
HOUSE.
The House resumed the consideration o,
the Constitutional amendment, reported yes
terday, with regard to the basis Of represen.
tAtion.
Mr.. Stephens moved the previous question
but several gentlemen having protested thai
an amendment of this importance should moi
be thus hurriedly forced through, he Withdrew
the demand.
Various gentlemen explained their view.
as to the effect of the amendment
Mr. Orth of Indiana and Mr. Sloan Of Wis.
consin freely explained the amendments they
desired to offer
Mr. Brooks of New York made few re.
marks, and caused to be read petition from
Susan B. Anthony, asking that the right oi
suffrage be given to women.
Mr.. Stephens asked Mr.. Brooks if he was
in favor of it. Mr.. Brooks replied that he
was, If negroes were to be allowed to vote, as
he preferred his own color and white women
above the negro. This vagary Of Mr.. Brooks
was greeted with loud applause from the gal.
leries, which the Speaker checked, saying he
must preserve order when either appreciation
or disapprobation were alike censurable.
sKSArE
Mr.. Sumner presented the petition of the
Pennsylvanians of this ci,y, asking for inn
partial suffrage.
Mr.. Harris presented the protest of the
citizens of ST. Lawrence county against the
renewal of the reciprocity treaty referred to
Committee on Finance.
Mr.. Conness presented the protest Of the
California Legislature against the sale Of the
mineral lands Of the United States referred
to the Committee on Public Lands
The bill to enlarge the Freedmen's Bureau
was then taken up.
Mr.. Salisbury spoke in opposition to the
measure
Mr.. Grimes of Iowa introduced bill 70
amend the Act for the relief of seamen and
others ON the books Of vessels lost or
wrecked at sea. which allows compensation
to officers of the navy and marine corps for
personal effects lost in action with the enemy,
not to exceed one month sea pay, provided
that no loss previous to April, 1861, shall be
paid. II also provides that bounty money
paid to any seamen or marines enlisted in the
army by State or the United States shall be
deducted from his prize money.
Mr.. Wilson, from the Committee on Mill
tary Affairs, reported without essential
amendment, the bill introduced by him TO re.
strict the expenses of collecting soldiers
claims against the Government.
Mr.. Sumner gave notice of the following
amendment to be made to the bill for the ad
mission of Colorado, as proviso: Provided
that this act shall not take effect except upnu
the fundamental principle that there shall be
no denial of tire elective franchise or any
other rights, on account Of color or race, but
all persons shall be equal before the law, and
the Legislature of the State by solemn
public act shall declare the assent of the State
to this fundamental condition. and shall
transmit to the President Of the United States
an authorized copy Of such assent whenever
the same shall be adopted, upon the receip,
whereof he shall by proclamation announce
the fact, whereupon without any further pro.
ceeding on the part of Congress, this Joint
Resolution shall take effect
Mr.. Dixon of Connecticut gave notice OF
an intended amendment TO the sale of postage
stamps and stamped envelopes on credit, as
follows: That whenever it shall become ex-
pedient in the opinion Of the Postmaster
General to substitute q different kind of post
age stamps from those now in use, he shall
be authorized TO modify the existing contrac,
for the manufacture of postage stamps, SO as
to allow the contractors . SUM sufficient to
cover the increased expense. if any, of man
nfacturing the stamps so substituted.
The amendment was ordered printed
Mr.. Ramsay, of Mimi, offered bill to
provide for the appointment of commissioner
to purchase a site for a Postoffice at st. Paul
The bill to enlarge the powers of the
Freedmen's Bureau was called up.
Mr.. Salisbury said be had not intended
when he eape to the Senate this session, to
participate in the debates relating to slavery
but the Senator from Illinois Mr.. Trumbull
had said the other day that there was a neces
sity in Delaware for the operations Of thi.
Bureau. Although the Freedmens Bureau
as originally established, was only intended te
last during the war, the provisions to extend
to the States in revolt, we cannot shut Qul
eyes to the fact of what an extensive Bureau
it is bound to become. One thing we know
and that Is, that hundreds OF thousands o.
the negro race have been supported out of the
Treasury Of the United States and the white
people Of this country are taxed to pay tha
expense. For the first time in the history o.
the country has the thing occurred that the
great mass of the people have been taxed tt
support in idleness class of people too lazy
and too worthless to support themselves
Look around at these galleries at any time o.
the day, and you will see the benefciaries O
this Bureau crowding them and listening tc
the debates Of this body. How many of the
honest and working white men of this country
are there who can afford to come to the Cit
of Washington and sit day after day, weel
after week and month after month, listening
to your deliberations? They cannot afford Il
do it, but under the protective care Of this
Freedmen's bureau, your galleries can bs
crowded every day with negroes, listening te
your deliberations, but doing nothing to sup
port themselves, and being supported out o
the taxes levied upon the whole Of this coun
try. The bill under consideration proposed
enlarge powers of the Freedmen's Bureau. Il
does enlarge them wonderfully. | think
can demonstrate mathematically that this bill
gives to the President OF the United States
and to those connected with the discharge o
the duties of the Bureau. the power Of spend
ing at least two hundred and fifty millions o.
dollars.
Mr.. Salisbury then reviewed the different
sections of the bill, and that it give patronage,
to q dangerous extent TO the President, q,
we'll as incur very immense expense upon the
country. 1t provided for an agent of the bu-
reau IN each county. There were 1878 coun.
ties in the United States. In every one Of
these IN agent at fifteen hundred dollars a
year, would come to two millions Eve hundred