Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-12-12
congressional Matters and
washington News.

was taken on 1t.
. An attempt to pass Mr.. Chandeliers reso-
luton, calling for information on Mexican
affairs, was defeated.
MIR. Sumner gave notice of a series of
n radical resolutions declaring the territori-
al condition of the Southern States, deny
Y ing their right to pass upon the Constitu-
tonal Amendment, and asserting the en-
tire control of Congress on the subject of
reconstruction.
The session Of the Senate was very brief,
. lasting only three quarters of an hour.
' The House to-day revived the Joint
! Committee on Reconstruction of last ses-
! sion, with Thad. Stevens as chairman on
the part of the House. The committee is
10 have the same general power as hereto
fore.
A resolution introduced by Mr.. Went
worth, of Illinois, declaring that the tenn
per of the South and the elections in the
North, justified Congress in insisting on
the adoption of the Constitutional Amend
ment, was passed by a strict party vote
only t~hlrty-one members voting to lay 1t
on the table. 1t was passed without de-
bate.
| Perhaps the most significant vote of the
three hours session to day was the passage
of a resolution instructing the Committee
5 on Territories to inquire into the expedi
ency of reporting bills to establish terrific
? rial governments for the States lately IN
rebellion
Mr.. Boutwell, stated in personal expla-
nation in the House to-day that he had
been misunderstood in the caucus that he
stated that the Executive was at fault in
not causing the arrest of John Surratt.-
He was not prepared to say this, until the
AGe..,1 - --.-1l e - hn Z
so. All that he did say was that the Gov
eminent knew of Surratt's being in the
papal army eight months ago.
A caucus of Senators was he'd this
morning for the purpose of taking steps to
reorganize the standing Committees. b (
Is a matter which the Senate, contrary to
the custom of the House, regulates in that
way. 1t was informally decided 20 put
Senator Doolittle out OF the Craftsmanship
on Indian affairs, and take Senator Cowan /
from his place at the head of Committee ]
on Patents. The indication also pointed
to the early displacement of Senator Eos ;
ter as President pro tenn. of the Senate s
and the substitution of Wade. L
The Committee on Ways and Means q
viii do nothing about the tariff until the j
Senate acts on the hi pending IN that g
body. t
December 5,-SENATE.-Mr. Wade in. &
troduced a bill for the admission of the
State of Nebraska. Bill was read second 1
time and laid on the table for the time be-
ing. The House bill to repeal the confsca
ton and amnesty section of the act of 1862,
was discussed, Mr.. Chandler asserting that
women of questionable character had
hawked pardons about the city. Dickson,
of Conn, contradicted the statement, but .
was not at liberty to give the facts now }
He and Trumbull favored referring the y
bill to the Judiciary Committee. Mr.. =
Trumbull said he did not wish, however, v
to be regarded as opposed to the bill. The =
bill was referred. A resolution in regard Ii
to reconstruction and the duty of Congress .
in regard thereto, introduced by Mr.. Sum- y
ner, was laid over. The Committee on =
Reconstruction, appointed last session, is p
continued. u
In the House, Mr.. Williams, of Penn, Il
moved to reconsider the bill regulating
appointments to Office, reported by him at
session. He said the power of removal
did not rIghtfHlly belong alone to the
President, under the Constitution. The NJ
bill aimed at is a great vice in the admin
of the government. 1t was never
intended to give the President the kingly
power to remove other officers of the gov
at his own will. That power eI
be restricted by law, and if the =:
President refused to obey, then he should u.
be removed. Mr.. W. said he did not wish "
10 press the bill to a passage at that time, :;
and moved that the previous question on r
he motion be reconsidered. Mr.. Schenck N
the bill would be referred to the =
.oint committee on re~trenchment- There 20
we're pending five or six bills on this ques- p,
and the committee intended to select -
from them the essentially good, hoping to W.
an acceptable bill. Various amend y
were proposed, and the bill made T.
special order for tomorrow. A bill was "a
allowing defendants criminal ii
cases, on jury trials, eSceptcapital offences, Id
to only tour peremptory challenges. no
The Senate Pension bill was reported. fin
It provides that the President may estab- No
pension agencies wherever the conve- in
of pensioners may require it, agents IN
to hold Office four years. 1t was moved ~
to amend so as to have but three agencies "a
in each State. 1t was referred to a COM on
mittee. 70,
Dec. 6-SEHATE.-Mr. Trumbull, from 10
the Judiciary Committee, reported favora- 7.
oly on the House Dill taxing away the di
power from the President, and -
requested that it might be taken up imme- 90,
Mr.. Hendricks objected, and the -,
lies over under the rule. Mr.. Wade la
called up the bill introduced at the last ~
providing for the selection of petit on
and grand jurors in Utah Territory, which ~
was ordered to be printed. Mr.. Poland 70
gave notice that on Monday next he AZ
would call up the bankrupt bill. Mr.. 10,
Wilson said that next week he would call 49,
up the bill to disband and prohibit militia NJ
organizations in all the rebel States. The az
Senate then adjourned until Monday. In 81
the House, a resolution was passed for on
the appointment OF a committee of =,
three to investigate the circumstance con- a
nected with the murder of three Union coI
soldiers in South Carolina, in October, al,
1860. A resolution was passed calling on h.,
the Postmaster General fo- information as -
to The names of postmasters who had been or
removed since the last session of Congress, tb
and the reasons for their removal. A bill -
was introduced granting a pension of IS 20
per month to all soldiers of the war of AZ,
1872 who had not given aid and comfort -,
to the rebellion. a resolution was passed NJ
calling Oh the Secretary of War for the r
names Of enrolled and drafted persons who 70
had failed to report to the proper authori- m,
ties. ASSelect Committee was appointed NJ
to proceed to New Orleans to make In "a
qulry in relation to the riots in that CITY L.
IN July and August. The Judiciary Com NJ,
mlttee was instructed to INQUIRE into the II
.propriety of having martial law proclaim an
ed IN various counties in rebel States where ~
Union men have been murdered and laws A,
not enforced against assassins. n
In the Republican caucus, Wednesday
night, Mr.. Sehenek offered a resolution
declaring that no gentleman could honora-
bly, and consistently act as a member of
the Union party ard with the Union
member of Congress who adhered to the th
address of the Philad elphia Convention in 70
August last. The r~erviution wasdntended q
to expei Mr.. Raymond, who wrote the in
address referred to, and declares that he 81
still adheres 10 it. A motion TO Law the Sc
resolution on the labs was agreed to, and h
Mr.. Raymond retained his seat. A con- n,
siderable amount of work for the session ri
was agreed upon, the most important n
items Of which were the passage of a bill "
to exclude from the electoral college all d