The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-02-24
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
WAsH1NdToN, Feb. %, 1866.


.4af.s SENATE.
Mr.. Ramsey, of Minnesota, presented
the petition of DIR. Evans, of Colorado,
recommending strict quarantine as
presentation of the spread of the chol,
era in this country, which was relerreu
to the Committee on Commerce.
:. Mr.. Fessenden presented petl1Ii .9l
for reduction of the tax on agrlcuiiIu. u
raj implements, which was re4etieu ~
Mr.. Cowan presented a petition ask
jn1 that an amendment to the constltu-
tion be adopted to prevent any St sI
from making any dlstlnctIoh u l.,, tn
yri0bts of naturalized cttlzens, Whlch
was referred to the judiciary Commit
tee. 81
Mr.. Wilson introduced bill to con-
tinue in force the present freedmen's
bureau for two wears longer, which was
referred to the Military Committee.
Mr. Pomeroy, of Kansas, introduced
a bill to reimburse the State OF kansas
for expenses incurred IN equlPplnntg anu
calling out the militia to repel the in
yasion of that State and Missouri,
which was referred to the Committee on
Military Affairs. @s3e
The contested election case of WASH
burne VS.. Voorhees,, of the eth Indiana
District, was taken up,
Mr.. Marshall, of Illinois, sustained
the minority report at length.
Mr.. Dixon, from the committee on
post-offices and post roads reported the
resolution calling upon the Postmaster
General to lay before the Senate all the
Information in his possession regarding
the feasibility and usefulness OF estaD-
fishing telegraph line IN connectlon
with the mail routes for the transmits
sion of government ana private .puSf
ness.
Mr. Brown spoke at some length on
the subject; favoring the establishment
of government telegraph lines. on the
ground that it would establish UNI
form rate of telegraphing MS now e1 3;
lists in the Post Office, and that ~ M4 I'Ilt
break up the present monopoly whlch
now controls the dissemination of news
through the public press, and that II
would enable q better report of Con-
pressional proceedings than now goes
abroad, to be sent from Washington
The resolution was adopted.
Pending the consideration OF the Dill
the morning honr expired, and the
amendment to the constitution on the
subject of representation was taken uF
HOUSE.
Mr.. Ward, of New York, presented
the Joint resolutions of the Legislature
OF New York, urging legislation calcu-
lated to improve the navigation of the
great lakes, and recommending n grant
Of public land to aid the construction
of The Portage Lake and and Lake Su-
perior Ship Cannl. Referred to the
committee on Commerce.
Mr.. Cobb, of Wisconsin, on leave,
introduced Joint resolution from the
Legislature of Wisconsin, relating to
the Improvement of the navigation OF
the rapids of the Mississippi river. he
ferred to the Committee on Commerce.
Mr.. Washburne was then allowed to
m HnnIa m fa VnF of his claims
to seat. During his remarks he sent
to the desk newspaper from which the
clerk read letters signed j. w. WALES,
addressed to Daniel w. voorhees,, re-
Iating to the vote of firearms in 1865
Mr.. voorhees,, interrupung, said that
whoever stated that he was engaged in
purchasing firearms either for loyal or
disloyal purposes, or that he belonged
to any secret political organization,
stated what he knew to be false and
what the gentleman who made the
charge knew to be untrue. lie had
answered that calumny to the people of
Indiana.
Mr.. Davis rose to n point of order,
which the Speaker sustained, that nei-
Their the contestant nor hesitting mem
Der were speaking on the merits of the.
case.
House for an hour in support of his
claims.
Mr.. VOORHEES, sent to the clerks desk
an extract from the Washington cor
respondence ofthe Cincinnati CONNER.
ciaf, purporting to give the action OF
the committee on elections, which says
that the committee decided with but
one dissenting voice, that Mr.. voorhees,
was entitled to his seat. &.
Mr.. Ingersoll, of Ill, moved to sus-
pend the rules SO far as to allow the
committee to produce their record. II
this committee had reversed their de-
cision of the case without having heard
the additional argument, as the sitting
member charged, he should like to hear
The Speaker said it required the
unanimous consent to suspend the
rules. ..-.s=z-
Mr.. Banks, of Mass, objected, he
said, on parliamentary ground, and not
on the merits of the question. No
member could get up here and say what
TRANSFERRED in the committee. on dis
cussion not reported by 1t and not be-
fore the House. ~ 55 -
Mr.. VOORHEES, then proceeded with
his argument and commended that the
fraud had been proved in the vote
given him and that the testimony taken
by the contestant was sworn to before
person incompetent to administer
oaths outside of the city of Terre Haute,
Ind. In conclusion he said that he was
to be deprived of the seat here because
the majority had the power to do it.
The committee should avow their first
action giving him his seat or give the
reason for their second action depriving
him of 1t.
Mr.. Dawes then closed the debate on
behalf of the majority report. During
his speech the House suspended the
rules and sent for the record ofthe COM
mittee in the case. He stated that the
committee did nothing in the case diff
ferent from what they had done In
many other cases before them. The re-
cord was here produced, from Which 1t
appeared TINT there is no record of a
vote favor of the sitting member on
February LIST, when such vote is sta
ted to have been taken.
Mr.. Shellabarger, member of the
committee, said that vote was taken
which declared that the sitting member,
Mr.. Voorhees,, was entitled to his seat,
butt was understood that 1t was not to
be final vote.
Mr.. Davis resumed his argument and
contended that the fraudulent votes In
Mr.. Voorhees, behalf were clearly
proven, and deprived him OF the legal
majority. 4,see3
The House then voted by % yeas
against 90 nays that Mr.. voorhees, was
not entitled to his seat, and by 81 yeas
against SO nays that Mr.. WashburnG
voted that neither was entitled to it.
Mr.. Stevens introduced billtosecurt
the speedy construction of the southern
branch of the Pacific railroad and tele'
graph. It was referred to the Select
Committee on that subject.
Adjourned.
ST. LOUIS, Feb, 23.-Both Houses o
the Missouri Legislature passed the fol
lowing resolutions under a suspension
of the rules: