Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-02-24
nittee of Reconstruction was doing. or proposed to

mitee of Reconstruction was doing. or proposed to
do; he would not at present speak.
Mr.. 4. referred to the arguments of the Senator
from Maryland concerning the rights of the States;
Did the Senator know that we had just passed
the, cOnqueror obtained over the conquered? He
held in his hand book which treated freely of this
matter.
Mr.. Johnson-What is the book?
Mr.. Fessenden Vatte it is book accessibl to the
Senator very easily. All writers admit that in a civil
war, where the conquered parties have been acknow
lodged as beligerents the conquerors the
where the war is between two separate powers. He
spoke at length this subject According to the law
may forfeit its status, and tbs Government may i'm
pose punishment, and prevent it from TesrDing its
place The theory that once STATE s .SH always KS
States were dead. but they were not as the other
ft TSs; bad never been officially informed that any
of these States had formed Eonstituton., .
Mr. Cowan-You won't let US raise the question.
Let these gentlemen come here and present tneir
credentials and we will show you Constitution.
Mr.. Fessenden-Tbat is nothing. Iney may come
here and the Senator from Pennsylvania will pu,,
Constitution out of his pocket but that is not what
want. They had not been in session ninety days,
and yet they called upon to admit the Southern
representatives, and all this time the President still
kept the writ of habeas corpus suspended and con-
tinucd martial law in force. This struck him as n
singular state of affairs. He thought they should
have tine but the Senator from Pennsylvania insists
Mr UoWan, dnterruptingl was not willing that
the Senator's speech should 60 before the country
States said such thing but and still
say it. that these credentials should be enquired into
and we should decide whether they are entitled to
admission.
Mr.. Fessenden-Well. is that not question for
Congress to decide?
Mr.. Doolittle-Yes for each House separately. that
is the only point of difference between US.
Mr.. Fessenden-I think the Senator will find there
| are many other points upon which we differ.
Mr.. Doolittle-I referred to this question.
Mr.. Fessenden eontnued-He thought for the good
of the country that these Senators and Representa-
tives should be admitted it could be done
with show of safety to ourselves and the Govern
ment.
On motion of Mr. Grimes. it was resolved that when
| On motion of Mr., Wilson, the Senate then went
into Executive Session, and at its conclusion ed
:" HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
&ir. Cobb, Of Wisconsin, on leaYe introduced
joint resolution from the Legislature Of Wisconsin,
relating to the Improvement of the navigation tIs
rapids of the Mississippi river
REIMBURSEMENT TO LOYAL STATES.
On motion of Mr.. Blaine, of Maine. five thousand
copies of the bill and report to reimburse the loyal
States for debts incurred during the war; were ordered
CONTESTED ELECTION CASE.
The House then assumed as the special order. the
consideration of the contested election Of the
| Seventh Indiana district-Washburne against Voor
Mr.. Marshall, of Illinois, addressed the House in
favor of the minority report of the Committee on
1
The contestant, Mr. Washbprns, vas then allowed
to address the House hour IN favor of his claims to
the seat. During his remarks he sent to the desk
newspaper to be read containing letters addressed to
Mr.. Voorhees, in which he sinvolved In the purchase
of firearms
Mr. Voorhees, interrupting the contestant, said that
| whoever stated that he was engaged in PURCHASING
he belonged to any secret political organization stated
what the he mr. W knew to be false, and what the
contestant, who made the charge, knewt bs untrue
| He answered that cGlumny before the people OF
Indiana It was old, STALE political slander. that
| had been sinking in the gutter and had been be-
meath the contempt of every one but the gentleman
| who had brought it before this House.
Mr.. Voorhees, then addressed the House in reply in
behalf of his claims to the seat He alluded to the
action of the Committee on Elections in this case
and intmated that on the first decision of the case
| by the Committee, all but one member of the Com
mittee. who was the chairman, voted that he (Mr
| after, the Committee reversed their action and de-
clared him not entitled to the seat In view ofthis
he did not know but that it was in order to refer the
case back the Committee to play the rubber to
if the Committee could come to the same conclusion
| Mr.. Dawes chairman of the committee; said he
was not present when the case decided in CON-
| Mr. VOORHEES, said he would ask the chairman it,
after three days argument the committee with the
single exception of the gentleman did not vote that
| he Voorhees, was entitled to the seat here?
Mr.. Dawes replied that he did not propose to yo-
late the rules of the House by revealing the proceed
ings of the COMMITTEE,
| Mr.. NOorheeS sent to the clerks desk the Clncln-
natl Con'merciat which stated the case before the
Committee Mr.. V. had related it-viz: that it had
decided in his favor almost unanimously and then,
with no apparent reason, had reversed that decision.
He asked Mr.. Dawes to affirm deny that statement.
Mr.. Dawes said that he understood that twas tele-
graphed all over the country and was probably in
| tended to manufacture public sentiment.
MIR. Voorhees-But the gentleman will not say that
| what is not stated in that paragraph is not true.
Mr.. Voorhees, then continued with his argument
and contended that fraud had been proven in his
case and that the testimony taken by the contestant
was sworn to before person incompetent to admin
lister oath. He believed that he be deprived
of his seat here just because the majority had the
| power to effect it.
The Committee should avow their first action de-
priving him of the seat or give the reasons for the
second course in denying it to him He had differed
and he had not shrun from any discharge of his
duty. The gentleman from Pennsyl ylvani ia (Mr. Ste
| vens) had declared in the Pennsylvania contested
case that one vote here in view of future events
| would be of Importance. He characterized that
declaration the most monstrous doctrine that had
ever been made in deliberative body 1t tlooked to
two-thrds vote here to counteract the fast falling
vetoes that stopped the unconstitutional legislation
Mr.. Dawes, of Massachusetts, then closed the de-
| bate on behalf of the majority of the Committee
During his speech the House suspended the rules and
sent for the record of the Committee in the case
Mr. D. said that their action in this did not diff
fer at all from other cases before them (The record
| was here produced, from which it appeared that
| there was no record of vote in Committee giving
Mr.. voorhees, the seat. On February l, when such a
| that the case was oonsidered)
| Mr.. VOORHEES, stated that the clerk had neglected
| to enter it on the journal of the Committee.
Mr.. Shellabarger, of Ohio as member of the Conn
| mittee, said that vote taken in the which
resulted in favor of Mr.. Voorhees, but it was under
stood that it not to be the final vote in the
| Mr.. Dawes then concluded his argument and con-
tended that the fraudulent votes in behalf of Voor
hees were clearly proven. and gave Mr., Washburne
the legal majority. The House then decided by
vote Of yeas 28, nays Sc. that Mr.. VOORHEES, not
entitled to the seat occupied by him. and by yeas ST.
nays sc, that Mr.. Henry L. Washburne was entitled
| to the seat. Several members voted that neither
| were entitled to it. MIR. Washburne appeared and
took the oath and his seat.
| BILLS INTRODUCED.
| Mr.. Stevens, of Pa, introduced bill to define
particularly the tenure of civil officers. Refer
| red to the Judiciary Committee.
| Mr.. Morrill,, from the Committee on Ways and
| Means, reported bil which passed, exempting
the Gettysburg National Monument Association from
internal taxation import duty on any materials
| used in constructing the monument.
Mr. Ingersoll, of ILL.,, leave, introduced hill
to incorporate the National Life and Accidental In
| surance Company.
| The House then adjourned until tomorrow.
i