The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-02-05
~H1RrY-NIETH CONGRESS.
FIRsTsEssIoN.
1svu.rrLMoNpAY, JAruARY 80.

a.ta,t "a .nu b;li for the organization of uniform
aa at;onaJ militia throughout the country. Is PED;
vides. among other thngs, 1or enIoiiln 2S .,
ahIe % bodied Citizens, and those who have
the;r ;ntcntion of becoming such, between twenSy
md forty-fvc, in all the States and Territories,
anv number or the whole of whom may be called
on: by the President in case OF foreign war or IN
sur-cction, to servo for six years or during the
al district shall have at least one organized reg-
mcut of militia, and that the work OF organizing
the entire force shall be managed by o War De-
partmcnt Bureau to be created. The bill was re-
ferrcd to the Military Committee. Petitions were
presented for equalization of soldiers bountles,
and for abolition of all color distinctions. The
petition of the Colorado Congressional delegation,
dsking admission, was also presented.
Resolutions were adopted appropriating ten
thousand dollars TO pay the Reconstruction Com
mittec's expenses, calling on the PRESIDENT Ior
General Sherman's report OF observation in the
South, and directing the Postal Committee to re-
port on the propricty of the Postofice Depart
ment assuming control of the telegraph lines
along the principal mail routes The Judiciary
Committee submitted o report declaring Hon
John P. Stockton entitled to the contested New
Jersey scat in the Senate, which was ordered to
be printed. A resolution to print five thousand
copies of the report OF the Internal Revenue Com
mission was introduced and referred. The re-
mainder of the session WAS occupied in o con-
tinuation of the debate on the bill to guarantee
the civil rights Of the freedmen, the qaestlon
being or an amendment offered by Mr. Irumoui,
declaring the negroes entitled to al the rights
OF citizenship. Several ocnators spoAe, ou' Ho
vote wuS taken o.
Horse OF nEsENTAT1vEs-JAEUAL. &c.
In the House of Representatives messages were
received from the President furnishing lnforma-
ton relative to the surrender of the rebel corsalr
Shenandoah, and tho enlistment of one hundred
dnys, troops Bills were introduced and rcferrc
for the better organization of the navy and for a
shin canal to connect the Mississippi and Lake
Michigan. resolution to extend the courtesy OF
seats on tic floor to pe members elect from Arkan,
sas defeated, and one to PRINT twenty tnousaha
copies of the Secretary Of the Interiors report
of the manufactures Of the country was adopted.
The Deficiency Appropriation bill for the current
year was reported from tho Appropriations Com-
mittee and mado the special order for next Tues
day in Committee of the Whole. The Reconstruc-
tiCn Committees proposed constitutional amend
mcnt to regulate taxation and Congressional rep
rescntation was again taken up, and, alter some
debate Mr.. Stevens withdrew his demand Tor q
vote on its adop,ion and expressed the hope that
it would be scMt hack to tho committee without
Instructions which disposition uf it was agreed to
by the House o..
tee until otherwise ordered, to reject all claims
presented to them Of citizens of the lately rebel
hous States for damages inflicted by the army or
navy in the suppression of the rebellion, was,
after discussion, adopted. resolution was also
adopted instructing the Reconstruction Commit
zee TO VI SuOihiIlib6 w VIZ
State Legislatures for adoption, proposed COM
pact which iisstfect provides that no State shall
ever secedc from tho Union; that the negroes
shall have the samo rights before the courts and
the Same privileges and protection for acquiring
and holding property as the whites, and that no
debt contracted to aid the rebellion shall ever be
paid The Senate bill to enlarge tho powers OF the
Freedmans Bureau was taken up and considered
for short time. An effort was mado by the
members of the House to hold the first evening
session of this Congress; but at the hour for as
sembling, halfpast seven o'clock in the evening,
there was such u slim attendance that those pre-
sent agreed to adjourn without transactlng any
business.
SENATE-JANUAnY 81.
In the Senate to-day still another petition to al
low negroes to vote was presented by Mr.. SUMNER,
and Mr.. LANE. OF Kansas, presented one from Ia
dies of that State asking the same privilege for
white women bill regulating the exercise OF
the elective franchise in the District OF Coumola
mittec It recognizes no color distinction Ill vot-
ers requires, among other things, q residence OF
one wear and registration two months before being
allowed to vote, and the payment OF one dollar
poll tax. bill granting million acres Of public
land to mining college in Nevada was also intro
duced. The joint resolution OF thanks TO VICE
Admiral Farragut, his officers and men, was adopt
ed unanimously.
Five Thousand copies OF the report of the Reve- |
nue Commission, recommending important amend |
nents to the revenue laws, were ordered to be
printed A motion was made, but, after some dis |
CUSTOM denied, to reconsider the vote by when
the bill extending the time for withdrawal OF
goods from public warehouses was passed. The |
discussion of the bill to guarantee the freedmen
in their civil rights was then resumed
from the previous day, and continued up to the
adjournment, without vote beng taken, except
on three or four proposed amendments all Of
which were defeated. Several Senator'S spoke,
tho debate being principally on the question
whether negroes citizens, the affirmative being
by the Republicans, and tho negative
by the Democrats.
House OF REPREsENTATIvEs-JAN. 81.
The question in relation to the Constitutional
Amendment was taken up and discussed. Mr..
Schenck proposed to apportion representatives ac-
cording to number of male citizens OF tho United
States over twentyonc years ago who arc voters,
in the proportion of oGe representative for each
one hundred and twenty-five thousand voters re-
yardless of tho effect upon New York, where half
Tho foreign population haye never been fr2uchlscd;
upon Missouri, where half the natives have been
lisfranchiscd for rebellion, and upon Massachu-
setts, where half the population can never bo
on account OF sex. Schcnck's amend
ment was voted down at the first opportunity, and
Thad, proposition passed by the requisite two
thirds vote
Pending the question, Mr.. Stevens made an i'm
pressive. remarkable and somewhat ACRIMONIOUS
speech of forty minutes duration III defence OF
the practice OF amending the econstituton:--"ITue
we lad been informed by the high authority Of
pundit ut the other end OF the avenue that no
amendments were needed, but we disagree with
him." He found fault generally with the botched
work turned out by the fathers who framed our
Constitution, and invoked God to forbid that hc
should ever adopt the sentiments of Raymond
and "the man at the other end of the avenue
against repairing it. referring to the Associated
Press despatch, purporting to give the Presidents
views topics NOW before the Horse, Stevens IN
imadrer,ed on the Presidents conduct with great
severity, and said-'Such conduct on the part Of
q British king I. few years ago would have cost
that king his head"
Mr. Ingersoll, Of Illinois, q Republican, wanted
to know Thad's authority for crcditing tho author
ship of the press dispatch to the President, when
the sarcastic old Radical replied that he really |
cnnd not liYulJr ANY of the secrets hetMccn the |