Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1866-03-14

consisted of foriy-DIne members, including
one from Virginia. By resolution adopt
ed BY the Senate quorum OF the body for
the transaction of business was declared to
be majority ofthe members from adhering
States, in other words, majority of mem
bers elected and admitted 10 seats
Memberships from insurgent States vas
wholly excluded from the computation.-
twenty-five members, therefore, constit1.
ted quorum for the transaction OF business
aud thirteen constituted a majority OF that
quorum. In oihes words, it wan possible
case iha, law should be enacted by The
twelve eastern votes with a single vote add.
ed TO them fiom all the rest of The Union
So nearly had fhe East approached COM
pleie control in ths body.
Nevada has since been Admitted into the
| Union, and is rBpresen,sd here by Two Sem
aiors. quorum under ibe resolution Just
mentioned is therefore at present twenty.
six. If Colorado should be admitted as a
FS,ate and her Senators 10 sests here, she quo
rum would be twenty seven; bui whether
Colorado be admitted or rot, the aumber Of
votes required TO constitute majority OF
! the quorum under The existing resolution
would be barely fourteen, requiring, to Sc
| cure il, bet TWO voles 10 be added 10 the
vote OF the Easl !; and yet the whole popu-
aliou of the East is less han one seventh
of The population OF ihe Siates represented
here
II would require much more time than IS
L .l,.
lion Tor The task Than possess, 10 describe
the effect upon The leg islaiion OF the coun-
Try of the predominance Of the East Bot
will mention TWO subjects which clearly
illustrate IL,
F.rs, The fishing boun,ier, or donations
OF money from the Treasury of tie United
States 10 men along our northeastern coast,
engaged in the fisheries Of the ocean. This
money is beslowed under preien.e oil en-
| coursgnging the training and making of
seamen /; and the annual expenditure for
the purpose amounts 10 three or four hun
dred thousand dollars. The whole amount
| heretofore expended exceeds twenty-five
millions dollars This is The most ques-
tionsbie OF all our appropriations of public
money, and it would long since have been
s,opped-'he laws authorizing ii swept from
the statute book! the disbursement Eer5
made in any other section OF The counlry
| except The East The enormous political
power Of Hisi section has maintained these
| bounties in existsnce, ana was found sefti-
cieut to maintnin them even during the se-
! veresi financial pressure OF the war.
Take, next, the ihisd section of the sup
plemeniory conscription act of July 4, 1864,
by which tie agents of States were author.
ICED 10 go into The southern country and
| procure enlistments ot men, white or black,
to 6il their quotas under the CONSUMPTION
laws 1t was material TO The Eas; to retain
her Iaborers at home TO m mainlain her 10 dus.
trial interests and general prosperity, not
wilhslandng The war
Accompanying This measure was another
for lbe payment of liberal bounties BY the
United States, 10 meet the oullays OF which,
the celebrated special Ave per cent income
tax was imposed. I need not teci:e the
the proceedings upon these measures-Ihe
debates and votes connected With their pas.
sage. The East iriumphed throughout
Voted down or repuIsed upon more than
one occasion, she rallied her strength, and
by persistence secured her objects.
We were cooly informed upon one ueca.
sion lha. if we did not assent 10 one Of
these propositions, ihe Massachusetts m en-
bers in the House had Determined to de.
feat, and would defeat, the whole Of an
important public bill in which it was con-
tanned. OF course, the poin, was conceded
and perfect harmony reigned over lhe con-
GLIDING hours OF great session.
Very sciive and energetic efforts 10 OBJ
taring recruits in ohef States OF the North,
negro recruits in the South, and foreign en-
ieran;s, enabled The East TO fl her quotas
without exhaus,ing her lsOoring population
at home, in consequence Of which, in. con-
neciion with The expansion OF the currency
secured by hef votes, the dividends OF her
manufacturing companies became spieu@
did, aud her profits in furnishing Govern
neni supplies immense.
Her recruitment of southern negroes 10
fill her quotas was checked the following
year by lhe repeal of the section suthorz
ing il, upon a motion submitted by me.
There was a prolonged contest over the
question Of repeal, bul for once there was
sufficient force rallied TO overcome the
eastern interest. One fact shown in the
dsbals may be again mentioned. No sooue er
had the news been flashed North by tele-
graph that General Sherman had captured
Savannah, than agents were despatched By
Governor Andrew, of Massachusetts, 10 en-
lisl all The negroes that could be obtained al
that point. Having dcne this, be applied