The Portland daily press., 1866-12-20
LATEST NEW s
BY TELEGRAPH TO THE
PORTLAND DAILY PRESS.
Thursday Morning, December 20, 1866.
xxx .UONGREsS--SECOND SESSION.

xxx CONGRESS- SECOND SESSION.
SENATE -.
yJ E1Ff1T WASHINGTON, Dec. 49,.
A resolution was adopted to print the re-
| ports of the Commissioner of Public Lands, in
foreign languages for distribution at the Paris
Exposition. #lE
Mr.. Harris, from the Judiciary Committee
reported back the House bill providing for an
| additional session of the 39th and the succeed
| ing Congress on the 4th of March, with an
| amendment to strike out the second section
and insert that no person who was a member
| of the previous Congress shall receive any
| compensation as mileage for going to or return
ing from the additional session provided for in
| the bill. . -
A resolution was adopted instructng the
Secretary Of the Interior to place to the credit
trict of Maine, $3,O1S, for public money burn
| ed during the Portland fire. W
A resolution was adopted calling upon the
| Secretary If the Interior for information as to
supplies purchased for Indians during the past
year, whether they were purchased in open
market, etc.
Mr.. Sumner offered resolution, which was
| adopted, calling upon the Secretary of State
for information as to what steps had been
| taken for the collection of products, WEIGHTS
| coins, ETC., for the Paris Exhibition.
| The bill granting land for Oregon military
| roads was referred.
| Mr.. Pomeroy offered bill to make national
bank notes legal tenders the same as treasury
notes.
| Also, to repeal the section of the bill author
| izing the appointment ofpension agents was re-
| ported, with proviso that the terms of all
others shall have expired when their success
| sors are appointed.
Mr.. Williams presented resolution to re-
| strict the immigration of the Chinese. He
said that since the first discovery of gold in
| California the Chinese in considerable num-
bers have emigrated to the Pacific coast They
came not to be citizens, not to learn to speak
our language, or profess our religion, or adopt
| Our customs, manners or habits but to be a
| people unto themselves and to maintain their
| attachment to the government under which
| they were born. He (Wiliiams) would not un-
dertake to say that any particular harm had
| yet resulted from the presence of this people
| upon the Pacific coast, but new facilities for
their immigration have recently been made,
| and no doubt they will be increased so as to
bring Chinese here in great numbers 1t was
| time for Congress to give little attention to
| the subject. Adopted.
Mr.. Ross introduced the following preamble
| and resolution: Fa4
| Whereas, the amendment to the Constitu-
| ton proposed at the first session of the 39th
| Congress, known as article IA, and submitted
| to the several States for their acceptance, not
| having been accepted by a constitutional ma
jority of the States and sections of the coun-
| try lately in rebellion. being deemed thereby
| in danger of falling into a state af anarchy by
reason of their having no systematic civil gov
ernment, therefore be it
Res0tUed, By the Senate and House of Rep
resentatives in Congress assembled, that the
Joint Committee on Reconstruction be direct
ed to inquire into the expediency of establish
ing such regulations for the government of
such districts lately in rebellion shall have
refused or may hereafter refuse to adopt said
amendment as may be found necessary for the
preservation of peace and the protection of So
ciety and the interests of the Government in
those districts Laid on the table and ordered
to be printed a. i-A etst
At one o'clock the bill to admit Nebraska
was taken up. aafE fl4ta.
Mr. Howard took the floor in favor of it. He
opposed Mr.. Browns amendment, and said
when the State was admitted she could set
aside its provisions. He expected to live to see
the day when every State in the Union would
grant the right of suffrage to colored men. He
saw no remedy but universal suffrage for the
condition of affairs that now existed in the
South. Mr. Sherman had said that Congress
had agreed that if the rebel States would rati-
fly the pending Constitutional amendment,
they would be admitted to the Union, and be
permitted to participate in the legislation of
Congress Doubtless the honorable Senator
(Sherman) said what he really believed to be
true. The same statement had often been
made, not very frequently in Congress, but in
various journals of the country. He(Howard)
would take this occasion, so far as he was con-
cerned, to contradict the fact. Congress has
never proposed it. Congress at the last ses-
sion, after the most mature deliberation, saw
fit to propose an additional article to the Con-
stttltion of the United States which, upon
being ratified by three-fourths of the States
(of course mean three fourths of the States
in the Union and not out of the Union).
Mr.. Sumner-Yes, not including the rebel
States.
Mr.. Howard-Yes; that then it should be
part of the Constitution. But neither of the
committee of fifteen, nor either House of Con-
gress, SO far as my memory serves me, has ever
: made such proposition SO that the rebel States
shall be readmitted upon the ratification by
them of this amendment
Mr.. Norton asked if the Senator had not so
argued in St. Paul speech.
Mr.. Howard said he had not, but may have
been misrepresented. He could not agree to
let them in till all had ratified it, He retorted
upon the Presidents St Louis threat of veto
ing all measures of Congress.
Mr.. johnson said there was danger to be APP
pretended of admitting too MANY new States
He opposed Mr.. Browns amendment as I'M
warranted. sAEFaA "a f4l
Mr.. Wilson moved to amen1 so as to allow
the Legislature to ratify the fundamental con-
dition concerning exclusion on account Of
color s
i Mr.. Wade in reply to Mr.. Doolittle, denied
that he had intended to say that the rebel States
could be admitted on ratification of the amend
ment. His proposition was that they were
pledged admission upon its adoption by three
fourths of the States, and adopted by the seced-
ed States upon application in loyal form.
Mr.. Wilson said that he had voted for the ad-
mission of Tennessee because she had adopted
the amendment and might have felt bound to
admit other States if they had come at that
time in the same way; but since their people
had expressed themselves, there was no law
pledging Congress to admit rebel States on the
adoption of the amendment, and he did not in
tend to vote for the admission of rebel States
now until they had secured civil and political
rights to colored persons. He intended to go to
the fnrtherest limit of constitutional power.
Mr.. Dooitte replied to Mr.. Wilson, arguing
against the theory that the Southern States.
were States for the purpose of acting upon
constitutional amendment, but were not States
for the right of representation in Congress.
Mr.. Fessenden said men pretending to act
upon constitutional affairs were not legisla-
ture until Congress saw fit to recognize them
as snch This view was set forth in the report
of the Reconstruction Committee. For him
self he did not know what he should do in
specific case. His understanding was that he
had a right to inquire whether the amendment
was adopted by loyal Legislature, which he
was bound to recognize. He was free to say
that if, from the governments OF State he saw
that it had a constitution under which it would
be safe TO admit it, he would be willing to ad-
init it. With regard to the new formation of
these States, he held that he had right to in
quire what kind of constitution they had 1t
might be a question preliminary with him,
after these States had adopted the amendment
whether they had a government which gave
them right to adopt it. He would not yield
one iota of the guarantees already insisted
upon and such further guarantees as might be
needed. He did not know that any other could
be necessary. .5a .s-|ta
Several Senators attempted to speak but
were interrupted.
Efforts were made to adjourn
Mr.. Summer taunted Mr.. Wade with haste in
the betrayal of human rights. l5s
Mr.. Wade replied. hci
Mr.. Hendricks asked that there be an agree
ment to vote on the pending bill tomorrow.
Mr.. Wade said he would be willing if it were
certain there would be quorum here to- NOR
row, and at go the Senate adjourned
b N@ ,.,-s, lf