Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-05-12
XxXIXTH CONGRESS.
POST OFFICE APPROPRIATION BILL.
The Radicals and the President.
a c$zANGE FOR TIE RETHuR
The Defeat of TrumbuIi's Amendment.
YES 16---NATS as
Final Passage of the Bill.
The Defeat of TrumbuIPs Amendment.
AYES 16---NAYS as
Final Passage of the Bill.
SENATE.

SENATE.
| WASHINGTON, May H.
| PETITIONS.
Mr.. Grimes presented concurrent resolutions Of th
Meglslature OF Iowa, asking the establishment of ;
| National Bureau Of Education. Laid on the fable
On motion OF Mr.. Anthony. it was resolved thai
| wnen the Senate adjourn it be to meet on Monday
| -, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTS.
n Mr. Conness offered resolution requesting th,
SnLn SGa1lttse on Prlntng to enquire into the expe
uency OF providing for better reports of the debate
OF the Senate, and prohibiting the alteration or sup
| preston OF speeches after they delivered Mr.
| Eohness SAID he intended to make some remarks or
| over. ' - '"'
| On motion of Mr.. Grimes, the Joint resolution r.
carry into immediate effect the bill to provide for t6C
peter organization Of the pay department of the
| navy was taken up. Certain amendments were
| agreed to, and the resolution passed.
| - THE TAY ON COTTON,
| MT Doohttle presented petitions against the i'm
Posion OF Lne tax ON cotton. Referred to the Com
| mlttee on Finance.
On motion of Mr. TGB GBaS5is- GdG5E95: r: Hors.
iuton TO prevent the Introduction of choIera into
| the ports OF the United States was taken up.
Mr. Chandler asked for the reading of letter from
pr: Esden, stating that the committee which went
before the Committee on Commerce did not repre-
sent the Medical Convention, but a number of mem
bers, who met after the adjournment of the Conyen-
tion. Although majority of the Convention coin
clded with the views expressed by the committee,
they were of the opinion that they should not youn-
teer her advice to Congress, but wait until called
on TO express opinion.
| r. Mr.: Sumner said his friend from New York GJr.
ms remarks on this resolution and had professed his
lnaolIty to discover under what clause of the Cons
sltutIon congress had the power to pass it. Mr.. S..
tneh argued that ample power TO the resolution
existed IN the clause giving Congress the mower TO
regulate commerce. The power to prescribe regula-
| cised. ~' O--
Mr.. Morrill, inquired if the power of Congress did
not cease when the vessels entered the harbor and
did the passengers then not come under the surveiI
lance of the local authorities?
Mr.. Sumner said the power of Congress extended
for fha
comfort.
Mr.. Edmunds Withdrew MS amendment, and Mr..
sumner offered an amendment giving the power to
the Secretary of the Treasury, in corporation with
the Hecretaries of War and the Navy under the di-
Tectoh OF the PRESIDENT, to establish the necessary
Mr. Sumner said the resolution as proposed to be
amended would only enlarge the powers now granted
to the Secretary Of the Treasury.
Mr.. johnson claimed that there was no power TO
pass the resolution. ''' --' ''' y ~
~, PosToFFICE APPROPRIATION BILL
Inc morning hour expiring. the unfinished business
OF yesterday, being the PostOice Appropriation bill
was taken up, on which Mr.. Howard, of Michigan
Mr. Howard said the debate had taken so wide
range, that Senators seem to have become obIivnus
presiding officer having shown such iberaIity. he
lAlr: H hoped he would be pardoned if he did not
pending amendment
1t has been claimed in this chamber and out of it.
that the Pocy now carried by the President is the
pohcy OF Mr. l4Incoln, and have been told by the
Senators from Wisconsin, (lr. Doottle) and Penn
sylvanla Mr. Cowan) that his policy as applied to
the grave subject of Reconstruction is the same as
MIR Llncolns. Hem took issue with this state
men he asserted that the policy of Mr. johnson was
rs WIDE apart as the poles from the policy of Mr..
Lincoln: While Mr.. johnson claimed supreme power
Tor the Executive to dispose of this matter Mr. Lin
coin recognized the coordinate power of Congress
arrived at.
The best enunciation of the policy of Mr.. johnson
on the subject OF reconstruction is to be found in the
most solemn paper he ever signed, and that is his
message at the opening of Congress. He had read
thlS message carefully and studied it, and if there
was any thing that he understood he thought it was
that. Mr. H. here read the paragraph from the mes
sage in regard to the appointment of Provisional
| dOvernorS, a power which MIR. johnson claimed to
possess under the Constitution but which existed in
no part Of the Constitution. Under this assumed
authority the President proceeded to recognize the
repel states as states IN the Union and to make
| peace with them. Under what clause of the Con-
stltuhon 1oes the President find power to make and
proclaim peace, either with foreign nations ut
homer He has no power to make war; and neither
| has no to make peace. Congress has never given
him any authority to make peace even with the rebel
States In 1851 the President was authorized to de-
clare certain States in nsurrection, but the power
| was at an end.
Mr.. Cowan-Was there any necessity for granting
| such power to the President?
| Mr.. Howard-That is not the question; whether
there any necessity has nothing to do with If:
the question Is whether it has been DONE 1t never
mas; Congress has taken to reserve this power
to themselves The statute authorizing the President
to declare the States in insurrecton was understood
to have been drawn by one of the ablest and most
constitutional lawyers of this body the late Mr. Cola
mer OF Vermont, and he never inserted such pro-
vision.
The message of the President asserted his power to
make peace, but recognized no right the part of
Congress to prescribe any terms In fact it ignores
Congress completely, and takes as little care to refer
to it, as if there Congress- but with consum-
mate cooness asks Congress to determine the quail
hcatlons, OF its own members. read from the mes
Had the seeded States remained out for four years
without blow being struck, had they come back
peaceaby not less could have been said about their
condition. The President has assumed without
sanction of law to appoint provisional governors,
has presumed to give to those governors power to
call conventions. and finally, to cover the whole
field of State legislation and after doing all this he
cOldly says, 1T remains for you gentlemen of the
Senate and House of Representatives'-tO judge
insurrection and the subject OF their restoration to
the Gnionl To judge of anything else? No, sir, but
| bers elected to both Houses under the machinery
| put in operation by him. Here is the commission
which he hasssued to his provisional governors. He,
the PRESIDENT OF the United States of his own au-
thority, without consulting Congress- issues to each of
| these governors this commission.
ernor Holden, of North Carolina whose duty is de-
cared to be to prescribe such regulations as may be
proper to convene convention of such of the people
as loyal to the Government of the United States,
and none other; to revise the constitution of the
State as to accord with that ofthe United States &C.
| The authority conveyed by this commission was
| perfectly plenary, perfectly bOundless. lie asked
under what clause of the Constitution the President
derived this power, which he to grant to his
Who made the war? Who clothed and fed the
| army? Congress. This claim Of authority on the
part of President johnson is in my Judgment one of
the most enormous usurpations of the power of Con-
gress that was ever atempted and if Congress shall
WINK at t tn$ uSqFpaon they Sna not $tan6 up
power, he looked forward to the time when the will
of the Executive should become the law of the land
There is clause of the Constitution authorizing
the President to call Congress together whenever in
/ his Judgment the interests of the country demand
| it. Was there ever any occasion in the history of
the Government more momentous more imperative
for Congress to consult upon the eXigeuces and du-
| ties of the hour? We had just emerged from ter
| rlble war There never was time when it was
more important that UangreSs should be convened,
| and yet Mr.. johnson assumed TO himself the whole
| task of restoring what he called peace. This he
Cdr. H. regarded as gross assumption of the pow
of Congress. There is the gis of the controversy
there is the force of contention. |, Andrew john
son, the lucky decree absolutely the restoration Of
these States. &c.
As to the claims that the policy of Mr. Lincoln and
| Mr.. johnson are the same My policy" as it is
called, we find, by the light of the 22d of February
speech, to mean the mediate admission into Con-
gress of the representatives ofthese rebeious States
without delay and without security, and is based
the assumption thatit is for the Executive alone to
| decide upon the terms and time of admission.
Now he (Mr. H. asserted that Mr.. Lincoln never
| adopted any such principle, and he stood here to
vindIcate the memory of that great and gcoa nan
l from so foul aspersion. There was no such au-
thority as claimed By the present Executive As well
might the President, in case of foreign war in the
event OF success. call conyention of the people with
II
4 civil Government He did not assert that there
was no necessity for something being done, or that
those people were to be left in state of anarchy,
but the question is what power had the PRESIDENT
Is he the only to conduct the work of restoration
or does it belong to Congress-? He (Mr. H. asserted
that belonged to Congress alone. The plans Of Mr.
Lincoln and johnson were as different as light from
darkness. Secretary Seward in his Cooper Institute
| speech said these States were as much entitled to
representation as the State of New York that they
must soon be admitted and that the plan of President
johnson is destined to be successful Well take the
| issue before the country. He (Mr. h had no fears
of the result He did not know what to make of this
reference by the sword of the Executive, and the
immediate admission of those representatives here.
There is but step between such declaration and
| the using of military force to carry it out.
Mr.. II. then discussed the status of the rebelhous
States claiming that in civil there no law
but that of force The people of the rebeous States
| were conquered. as much as Canada by the British
eiie upon the terms OF peace. Not UGP Utctts; but
for Congress to carry out the wishes of the people of
the United States, and is unwilling that IN
/ reasonable time and in a secure way these States
| shall be brought back into the Union. Now is not
the time; these people regard themselves foreign
to us; they not loyal, they would tomorrow re-
| inaugurate their attempt at secession. 1t is the
bayonet that holds them. Under the policy now pur-
| sued We would have another James Buchanan elect
| ed President, and another confederacy established
| Mr.. Ii. concluded by saying that Congress should
place themselves barrier before the usurpations
| of the Executive. They should emulate the heroism
| of the three hundred Spartans of old. 10 desired
higher honor than to be asaordoe himself in such
| s. cause. Inc President had been advised to drive
them out by force and put the rebels in here A
newspaper In this city understood to speak by the
authority OF the President, had repeated this advice