Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-06-01

introduced In the Senate, yesterday, to amend
the national currency act. The resolution OF
the reconstruction committee from the House,
as amended BY the republican caucus, was then
taken up, and after debate the substitute Tor
the third section was adopted by yeas go
nays To- -- ----- --- -
The House concurred 10 the Senate's amend
ments to the bill to regulate commercial inter
course between the several States, so that it
has finally passed both houses The bill! to
construct the Cleveland and Mahoning railroad
from Youngstown, Ohio, 10 Pitisburg, Pa,
was taken up and passed, as was also the bill
for the completion of a railroad from Cuu,her'
land, Md, to Pittsburg, Pa, known as the
Connellsvie railroad. The Senate's amend
ments to the supplementary pension bill were
concurred In, and it now awaits the PRESIDENT s
| signature. -
Both houses unanimously adopted resolutions
testifying therespect OF Congress Tor the mem
ory and public services of Lieut.. Gen Scott,
and appointing a joint committee Of seven
members Of the Senate and nine of the House.
together with the presiding officers OF each
| braoch, to attend his funeral, at West Point.
| AS further mark of respect, both house ad-
| journed over until Monday next. 4.!H
Mr.. Reverdy johnson, in reply to a letter
from Mr.. Hogan, Of Missouri, concerning the
Missouri Test Oath Case, recently before the
Supreme Court OF the y. S., says:
1.-The main question in the cases of Garcsche
and Cummings, to which you refer, was,
whether theiest-oath required by the constltu-
ton of Missouri was constitutional. On the
IF II aSSOclafp.
David Dudley sField, of New York, and my
self, maintained thatit was not, because OF the
provision in the tenth section in the first article
of the Constitution of the i. S., that no State
shall pass any bill Of attainder or Tex post
facto law" To this conclusion a majority OF
| The court came as was we'll known few days
before the close of the term. 1t was also
known, certainly was known to me, that the
failure 10 announce the decision was not be-
cause any one OF the Judges constituting the
majority then douhted upon the question, put
I suppose that it was mainly owlog to the tact
that the Judge selected to deliver the opinlon
had not time before the close OF the term to pre-
pare such a one as the Importance and gravity
of the question required. That this VIII be
done DUNG the recess, and that it will be de-
liyered at the next terri have no doubt And
| cannot forbear to add that, when it will he
done, the cause of constitutional liberty and
religious freedom will be secured against all at
tempts 10 strike at either, that may be made IN
periods of temporary excitement ana o.
iivion of the rights Of the citizen and the true
interests OF the country. 81. t-.G 1#f
In the Senate yesterday Mr.. .Doo!ittle aliu-
ded to some remarks made By Mr. Trumbull
in regard to Offices, land the remark attributed TO
the Assistant Postmaster General, that no man
should eat the bread and butter of the Presi
dent who did not support bis policy, and denied
the statement ........-,-
Mr.. Howe said he had mentioned in debate
here that the Assistant Postmaster General had
| uttered the remark ascribed TO him. end he
now asked his colleague what authority he had
| TOR denying it. --.-
! Mir. Do9iittle said the Assistant Postmaster
General had Informed him Mr. d. that the
statement was totally without foundation.
Mr.. Howe said he had seen that official on
the evening of the day he Mr., e. had spoken
of the matter in the Senate, land that gentleman
had made 10 allusion to the circumstance, but
on his return to his boarding house he found a.
note from him asking his authority for the state
ment. To this he MIR. H. had replied that
his authority was the member of the House
from the Fifth District Of Wisconsin, and since
then he had heard nothing more about IT,
Mr.. Doolittle said he had no desire to discuss
these personal matters any further.
The FREEDMEN BUREAU.--Tbe House Of
Representatives has passed the bill for extend
ing the operations of this establishment for three
years. The National Intelligencer has some
sharp comments on the subject. It says:
''The haste with which they went to work,
extending it's duration for three years longer,
| indicates the apprehensions entertained that 1t
may he suddenly abolished altogether. Every
| imaginable agency has been employed to hol.
ster up the institution, to hide its hideousness,
and to excuse its lamentablc deficiencies but
all the efforts of it's advocates are insufficient
| TO suppress its noisome odor It has begun to
stink in the nostrils of the people Of the North
as we'll as of the South. 1t has come to be
regarded with suspicion even by the negroes
themselves 1t is believed by the masses Of
| the loyal States to be nothing more nor less
than an engine Of oppression to the freedmen;
| source of discord between the races IN the
South, and useful only as a refuge for hundreds
of unsclupulous treasury pap-suckcrs, Whc can
find no other means Of living upon the Gov
eminent '''
I1eau CenIic = duieS -DIeFclS lnduc q nPECCh
to the Fenians and others in Philadelphia last
night After his speech he requested that
questions might be asked him, wbereupon
gentleman on the platform asked thefolow-
ing whether you, James Stevens, are nota
British agent, employed for the purpose of
destroying the influence of American Irshmen
in rescuipg their native country from the thral
dom of English government" The proposer sta
ted that be merely offered these questions in or
der that direct and unequivcal answer might be
made by Mr.. Stephens,to correct the suspicious
regarding him, made by the newspapers Of the
country and the people generally. No answer
was made however, an the questioner was
hustled off the stage Mr. Stevens called upon
Irisbmen to rush to the rescue of their coun
try Questions were asked by the audience as
to the disposal Of funds which had already been
contribut ed-the reasons for his escape from