Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-01-23
TUESDAY MORNING, JANUARY %, 1865.

alSo, 10 senator fTOm massachusetts that he
would resist as well as he could any he be-
heyed to be violation of the fundamental law of the
nation.
Mr.. Wilson again replied to Mr. Cowan.
Mr. Guthrie argued against the COnstituti0nality
OF the law and the absolute power it conferred upon
the officers of the Bureau. He said that one of the
agents OF the Bureau at Covington KY, had said if
the former owners of slaves did notsupport the freed
men and women and the children, he would seize
their property and confiscate it.
INV VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT.
The vote was then taken on the amendment offered
by MI Cowan restricting the operations of the Bu-
reau to the States lately in rebellion, and resulted as
follows :-Ayes-MeSSr Buckalew, CoWan, Davis
Guthrie, Hendricks, johnson, McDougal Nesmith,
Riddle, SALISBURY and Stockton H.. Nays-Messrs.
Anthony, Brown Chandler, Clark Conness, Cragin,
Cresswe, Fessenden. Foot, Foster, Grimes, Hender-
son, Howard, Howe. Lane of Indiana. Lane of Kan
sey, sherman, Sprague, Stewart. Summer, Trumbull
Van Winkle, Wade Wiley Williams, Wilson and
Yates. 33.
So the amendment was rejected
Mr., Davis offered an amendment to the End Section
restricting the Bureau from having military support:
Mr.. Fessenden offered an amendment to the 2nd
Section providing for the protection by military aid
of the officers of The Bureau I'm the exercise of the
duties authorized ormposed upon them BY this Act,
or the act to which 1t is SUPPLEMENT- which was
agreed to.
the second Section Of the bill; which rejected.
Mr.. Irumbull offered amendment to the 4th
Section adding Alabama and Louisiana to the States
to set apart nnoccuped public lands as homesteads
for the refugees; which was agreed to.
Without dsposiDg oftbe bill, on motion the Senate
went into executive session. and at its conclusion adj
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
The Speaker stated that the regular order was the
call OF the States for bills and joint resolutions.
BILLS TO REGULATE SUFFRAGE.
Mr.. Jenckes, of Rhode Island, introduced bill to
regulate suffrage and elections in the District of CO.
lumbia. Referred
THE NAvY-BoUNTIEs TO VOLUNTEERS.
Mr.. Rice. of Massachusetts, introduced bill for
the regulation of the appointment of Rear Admiral
off 70
the regular navy. Referred.
Mr.. Broomal, of Pennsylvania, introduced bill
to establish naval depot OF the Delaware river in
Pennsylvania. Referred.
Mr.. Culver of Pennsylvania offered bill grant
ing pension of eight dollars per month to officers and
on-commissioned officers and widows of such officers
qn reduced circumstances) from April l, 1864. Re-
ferred.
Mr.. Culver also offered a bill granting bounties to
volunteers who entered the army in 1861 and 1862
Referred
THE OATH OF OFFICE
Mr.. Frck, of Ohio, introduced bill to prescribe
the oath of office 1t provides for the repeal of the
test oath of July @ 1862 and requires that every
son appointed or elected to Office under the Govern
mentsshal take the following oath Il 3, do
soemnly swear (or affirm that to the best of my
Constitution of the United States against all enemies
foreign and domestic; that will bear true faith and
allegiance to the laws; that take this obligation
freely and without mental reservation or purpose Of
evasion and that will well and faithfully discharge
ter so help me God IT The bill was referred.
bounty land to officers and soldiers of the army re-
ferred.
the admission Of Colorado into the Union State.
Referred.
TAX on CIGARS.
Mr.. Miller, of Pennsylvania, offered a resolution
which was agreed to. instructing the Committee on
Manufactures to inquire into the expediency of re-
porting bill graduating the tax on cigars.
RESOLUTION OF INQUIRY.
Mr., Smith, of Kentucky. offered resolution that
the President be requested to communicate any cor
and Juarez. President of the Republic of Mexico,
congratulating him his efforts to establish gov
ernment there. Agreed to.
Mr. Stevens, Of Pennsylvania, offered preamble
and resolution rccting in effect that as several per
hold official positions by consent of persons high
in office without having taken the test oath that the
Committee the Judiciary be instructed to inauire
what legislation is needed in that respect. Agreed to-
PAYMENT OF OUR MEN WHILE IMPRISONED.
Mr.. Donnelly, Of Minnesota, introduced n bill to
provide Tor the payment of officers and men of the
army who, by confinement in rebel prisons or other
Wlse were prevented from being mustered into SER
vice for some time after their appointment, Re-
ferred.
DEPRECIATION OF PRESENTS.
Mr.. Niback, of Indiana offered series of resolu-
tons declaring that the act of President johnson, in
declining to accept the present of horses and carriages
from citizens Of New York, should be commended by
this House as prudent and patriotic; and further,
that the House dsapprove of the practice of officers of
the Government receiving presents from their subor
dlnates. motion to lay on the table did not pre-
vail. ear ~, nays l2b; and they went over under
the rule.
Mr.. schenck, of Ohio said that when the resou-
tons came up again, he should offer amendment,
that members of Congress should show like spirit.
and decline to receive free fares street railroads
and other railroads. Laughterl
EXPEDIENCY OF REDUCING DUTY ON TEA, SUGAR, ETC.
Mr.. johnson, of Pa, introduced a resolution in
structing the Ways and Means Committee to inquire
into the expcdiency of reducing the duty on tea SUI
gar, coffee, pepper and salt. Agreed to.
PROPOSED LOAN TO MEXICO.
MT. Stevens offered a resolution that the Committee
Foreign Affairs instructed innTira iItn ba
nropraty of the United States granting loan on
proper security to the Republic of Mexico to enable
government upon her soil. Mr.. Stevens said he de-
sired to exp lain this resolution, but the Speaker sta
ting that debate was not in order under the rules he
Mr. Clark. of Ohio, offered resolution, nstructing
the Ways and Means Committee to inquire into the
expedlency OF reducing the internal revenue tax on
tobacco. Agreed to.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION.
Mr. j. L. Thomas, of Maryland, rose to personal
tinlore Sum- that he absent from the House when
the vote taken the bill to regulate suffrage in
sired to shIrk some responsibility unless it was ex
planned. He intended to shrk no responsiblity but
goulG inform the House that he was called on that
day by two communications to go to Annapolis on
that then pending here. lie voted to postpone the
suffrage bill to lay it on the table and to recommit
it. and he thought that was a sufficient test Of his
views in opposition to it, but he could not remain in
napos train Had he been able to remain, he added,
that he Shoul3 have voted against the bill.
ON TRIALS OF LEADERS IN THE LATE REBELLION.
Mr. Williams, of Pa, submitted the following reso-
lutons which were referred to the committee on the
judiciary:
ResolUed, That upon the evidence before this ma
ton of the starvation and butchery of its soldiers as
prisoners of war IN the hands of the late so-caled
Confederate Government and other violations of the
humane usages OF nations in that behalf with the
presumed connlyance of the Executive Head of that
government and the Commander-in Chief of its ar
mics IN the field it has become the duty of the PreS
pretended functionares and all other officers of that
government, civil and military, who believed to
have either authorized or been consenting thereto
before military Commission for violation of the
laws of war, and in of the conviction of any of
hem to execute the sentences of such tribunals by
infllctlng such punishments as may be adjudged by
them appropriate to the Office.
ResotDed, That under the special circumstances of
the case the arraignment of any Of the leaders of
the rebellion for the crime of treason, before any of
the judicial tribunals of the country, besides being
OF questionable propriety in itself after long
maintenance of the belligerent relation, would be
attended with no valuable practical results from the
constitutional necessity of trial within the rebel
Hous districts, where the peers of the delinquent
will be none other than the partners Of his guilt.
Mr.. Ashley, of Ohio offered series of resolutions
proposing q Constitutional amendment regulating
the mode of eectng President by the electors of the
States. Referred.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION.
Mr.. Stevens, from the Joint Committee on Recon-
structiOn, reported the following, proposing an
amendment to the Constitution of the United States:
ResotUcf, BY the Senate and House of Representa-
tyes etc. tWo-thrdS of both Houses concurring that
the following article be submitted to the Legislatures
of the several States amendment to the Consti
tuition. which when ratified by three e-fourhs of said
Legislatures shall be valid, viz Article-Represen-
tation and direct taxation shall be apportioned
among the several States which may be included
within this Union, according TO their respective num-
bers, counting the whole number of persons in each
State. excluding Indians not taxed; provided that
whenever the elective franchise shall be denied or
abridged in any State account of color all
persons of such race or color shall be excluded from
the basis of representation.
The amendment having been read,
Mr. Stevens said that he desired to say word upon
it, although he did not want to make a speech, but
upon it. There twenty-five State Legisla-
lures in session, and some of them might adjourn
very soon and it thus very desirable to act early
upon the amendmeht
He would say that it proposed to change the rep
resentaton IN Congress the present Federal basis
but did not deny to any State the right of the elective
franchise though it did say to those States that if
they cut of part Of their popuIationthe foreign
born, for lnstance-by refusing them vote, they
should not in that event be counted the basis Of
representation. He desired the immediate consider
alton of the amendment, and hoped to take vote
before the went down. He willing that there
members of the Joint Committee.
Mr. Randall, of Pa, said it was here proposed to
change the whole policy Of the government in the
twinkling of eye, and he asked that it might be
laid over for consideration. The House at least
should have time To fully understand ali It's bearings
Mr. W ilsOn, of Iowa, said that as he couRl catch
the words from hearing the amendment read it was
very simi ar. if not identical, with a proposition
about to be reported by him from the Committee on