Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-02-03
FRom WASHINGTON.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 81.
The Joint Committee on Reconstrue-
ton this morning held an important
meeting, during which it was agreed that
the constitutional amendment proposing
a new basis of representation should be
so modified as to strike out the words
relative to levying direct taxes so that
the objection heretofore urged In the
House that under the amendment
as it originally stood there would be
taxation without representation, would
be removed. This was almost unani-
mOusly agreed TO in COMMITTEES, and was
reported TO the House by Mr.. Stevens
this afternoon, when after an hours
speech by him, the previous question was
ordered, and the amensment was passed
by the required two-thirds vote, being.
one hundred and tweDty-six to forty.
The following is a correct copy Of the
amendment as it passed:
Pesoiusd. bu ne SeaGLc and House Of Rep-esea-
fnfVss Gf Hc United STATES Of AHtcr1ca IN CoHCress
assembled. fgo-thirds ~ bon Houses o0Hcurria0.
/ Legislatures Of the several states as an Amend
ment 20 the Constitution OF the United States,
which, when ratified by three-fourths OF The
said legislatures, shall be valid as part OF said
Constitution, Wis:
ARTICLE. Representation shall be appor-
i TONED among the several States which may be
included within this Union according to their
respective numbers. consisting Of the whole
number OF persons in each state, excluding
Indians, not taxed: provided that wherever
the elective franchise shall be denied or
/ abridged in any State on account Of race or
! color al persons uerein OF sueh race OF cotof
shal be excluded from the basis OF representa-
ton.
The Republicans who voted against the
| amendment are as follows Baldwin, Of
Mass. Elliott, OF Mass. Hale, Of n. VI
Jencks, Of T.; Noel, of Mo-; Phelps,
! Of Nd. Randall, of KY. Raymond, Of
y. y. Rousseau, Of Ky, and Wheeling,
! Of ". Va.
Mr.. Stevens speech to-day was sever
on the President for the late manifesto Of
his views through the Associated Press,
and also very bitter on MI. RAJ mOnd.
The House Committee on Commerce
to-day reported adversely 70 making st.
Louis a port of entry. No reasons are
held forth bv the committee.
The House Ways and Means Commit
tee had before them to-day the PROPOSE
ton Of Canadian officials to extend the
time for the repeal Of the Reciprocity
treaty. The committee believe that Con-
gress would reject such a proposition,
and, owing to the short time in which to
try it, they are averse 20 reporting in
favor Of il.
The Committee on Elections have not
decided the case of WashbUrne against
VOORHEES,, of the Ninth Indiana District.
They have, however, decided in favor of
T~rowbridge, the sitting member from
Detroit District, of Mich, and against
Baldwin, Dem, who was the contestant.
1t is learned from a high Radical ource
thai the Reconstruction Committee VIII
speedily consider the following PROPOSE
tons which are now before them in the
shape of amendments 10 the ConstitU-
ton:
First. To empower Congress to lay an
export duty.
second. To make National and State
laws apply TO all men, without regard to
color.
Third. To prohibit the payment of the
rebel debt.
After these amendments are disposed,
tits proposed todeclare, first, thatitis
pedient TO provide Territorial Govern
ment for Southern States, until Congress
shall see proper to pass enabling acts,
preparatory 10 the forming OF new Con
stitutiOus to re-enter the Union; which
Constitutions must be declared by
Congress to be republican Black Repub-
lican7 in form. Second, that so long as
doubts exist of the validity Of the acts OF
the President for reorganization Of late
rebel States, Congress ought TO ratlfy
them, but not before said states have
legally ratified the constitutional amend
ment a~bOiishing slavery, and have aboI-
ished all distinctions Of color and ace in
respect 10 all civil and religious rights
Ii is proposed further by the amend
meut TO the Constitution that the South
ern States shall give the ballot TO the fol-
lowing classes Of colored persons: First.
All males who have been in the army.
Second. All who can read and write.
Third. All who own two hundred dollars
worth Of property.
It is proposed that by amendment to
the Constitution il shall be ordained that
secession Of States or resistance of its
people to the United States laws cannot
take place under the Constitution. Each
Of the late insuigent States 10 ratify the
above is a part Of the schedule, which
Mr.. Raymond, in his speech, declared
ought to be known to the House before
they voted on the amendment, which
passed the House to-day.
The question Of taxing Savings Banks
viii be argued in the Supreme Court this
week. If the Court decides that the
taxation is lawful, according to the deci-
sion of the Commissioner of Internal
Revenue, those institutions Will ask for
a special law exempting them from taxa
ton.
The House Military Committee at their
meeting to-day decidedly favored placing
the regular army on a basis of fifty thou
sand men as the maximum number.
Mr.. Moorehead, of Pennsylvania, will
soon introduce resolution that the Com
mittee on Commerce be requested TO in
quire into the expediency Of establishing (
by law a National Board Of Trade.
Few pardOns were granted to-day, Gen.
J. S. Preston Of South Carolina, Of the
late rebel army, was parioned; also four
others from South Carolina Of the twenty
thousand dollar class.
The L~ateHigeHccT denies on authority
the story that Mr.. Davis is about to be |
tried by a Military Commission. 1t says
there Is no foundation whatever for it
beyond the expressed desire of a MEN,
Der of the Cabinet and Of g. late Major
General
Gems. Grant, Sherman, Meade and
Thomas, had a protracted consultation
to-day.