The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-02-24
by TELEGRAPH.
TO THE DAILY PRESS.
Saturday Morning, February "a, 1866.
xxx CoNGREss---First Session.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 25.

d . r ..I
The petition of DIR. Evans, recommending
strict quarantine to prevent the spread OF
cholera, was referred to the Committee on
Commerce h.
Several petitions were presented and re-
ferred. sasuaI5
A bill was introduced to continue the pres
ent Freedmen'S Bureau two years longer
Referred to the Military Committee. "a
A resolution was adopted asking intorma-
ton in regard to the feasibility of establishing
telegraph lines in connection with the mail
routes, for the tranmission of Government and
private business.
The Constitutional amendment on the sub
ject OF representation was then taken up.
Mr. Nye was entitled to the floor, but gave
way to Mr.. Fessenden, who moved to take up
the House concurrent resolution, providing that
no Senator or Representative from lately re-
bellious State, shall be recognized in either
House until the State is declared by Congress
entitled to representation. | ~" b.
Mr. Sherman appealed to the Senate to de-
lay action on the resolution for a few days,
till the present excited feelings are somewhat
abated. We ought not to postpone the bust
ness of Congress for the purpose of getting
into political wrangle with the President,
which was broad enough without bringing in
this additional controversy. ts- 4.
Mr. Fessenden said he was not aware that
there had been an effort to get up political
wrange with the President. He certainly
had no disposition to do so. No man had
heard him speak of the President except in
terms OF respect, and he was not sensible of
any excitement to prevent his speaking on the
question. He was not carried away by pas
sion. He had reflected and was prepared to
express his opinion on the great question:
The sooner the question comes up the better.
Ii the President is right in his assumption
that we have nothing to say in the matter, we
ought to admit these men at once if they come
with the proper credentials. 1t is unbecoming
in us officially to assume powers we do not
possess. 1t we are placing ourselves in the
way OF the reconstruction of this Union by
assuming authority to extend the time and
Keep men from their proper seats in the body,
we ought to know it, On the contrary, if we
have something to say about it, it is proper we
should say it before the country before we pre-
coed to act upon the Constitutional amend
ment before this body, and which is intimate
ly involved in the very question now under
consideration. 7tasa- 'A
Mr.. Sherman again urged delay. The SEN
ator from Maine says he is not excited. Prob
ably he is not, but the public mind is excited,
and words used In debate to-day cannot be u
tered with that deliberate care that this sub
ject deserves. This delay can do no HARM
it may do good. isa II >
After further debate between Messrs Howe
and Fessenden Mr.. Doolittle rose to correct a
statement made by these gentlemen. He said
he understood them to say in substance that
the President seemed to deny to Congress the
right to judge not only the qualifications and
election of members but upon the right of rep
resentation on the part of the States or Dis
tricts in the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives. Hei (Doolittle) did not infer any
such thing from the language of the President
: MIR. Doolittle was proceeding with his re-
marks when he was called to order by Mr.
lTrumbull, who made the point that Senator
opposed to taking up resolution had 10 right
to discuss the merits Of that resolution. The
Chair sustained the point OF order. The res
olution was taken up-26 to II. y Q
Yeas-Anthony, Brown, Chandler, Clark
ConneSs, Crogan, Creswell, Fessenden, Foster
Grimes, Harris, Howard, Howe, Kirkwood
Lane of Indiana. Morrill,, Nye, Pollard, Pom
esroy, Sumner, TrumbuH, Wade, Wiley, Will
liams, Wilson. "a, s.-.. - s.. ... ''''.''
: Mays Buckalew, Cowan, Davis, Dixon
Doolittle, Guthrie, Hendricks, johnson, Lane
of Kansas, McDougalt, Morgan, Nesmith, Nor
ton, Riddle, Salisbury, Sherman, Stewart
Stockton, Van Wrinkle. ansf sr'a
Mr.. Fessenden spoke in favor of the resolu.
ton. He sent to the Secretary's desk the fol-
lowing extract from the speech made by the
President Of tn e United States. "We find
that in fact, by an irresponsible central direc-
tory, nearly all the powers of the Government
are assumed, Without even consulting the leg
islatiye or executive departments of the Gov
eminent. Yes, and by a resolution reported
by committee upon whom all the Legislative
power of the Government has been conferred
hat no saI,
authorizes and empowers each branch of the
legislative departments to be the judges of The
election and qualification of its own members,
has been virtually taken away from these de-
partments, and conferred upon a committee
who must report before they can act under
the Constitution, and allow members duly
elected to take their Seats" -t-
MIR. Fessenden read another short paragraph
from the speech. Says the President:
.lJ"1 am free to say, as your Executive, that
am not prepared to take any such position.
said in the Senate, in the very inception oil
the rebellion, that the States had no power to
go out. That question has been settled, and
l cannot turn around now and give the lie d.
rect to all 1 have professed to have done in the
last five years. l can do no such thing. say
that when they comply with the Constitution,
when they have given sufficient evidence Of
their loyalty, and that they can be trustee, :
when they yield obedience to the law, say
extend to them the right hand of fellowship,
and let peace and union be restored.'
Mr.. Fessenden-S0 say L SO say all. When
they do that there will be no objection to theiI
representation. r---
MIR. Sumner-There is no difference on that
question. as4 Fa
Mr.. Fessenden-And the President himself.
instead OF saying anything different from US,
says that whenever they have complied with
these conditions then they ought to be admit
ted. I''i'
Mr.. Fessenden continued, advocating the
right of Congress to inquire whether the con-
ditions named by the President had been COM
piled with. The Special Committee was Or
ganized for the purpose of making these in
quiries. He stated this that the country might
know what all this noise was about with ref
erence to the appointment of this Committee.
Is this Committee, he asked, anything more
than the servant of Congress. Is any other
Committee, joint or special, anything more
than the servant OF Congress? Can it set up
its will against the will Of the body which con-
stituted it? We are appointed for the special
purpose OF making inquiries, and reporting to
Congress the result OF our inquiries, and for
what reason? Simply that neither branch,
acting without information, might take course
upou WHICH lie Otuef bF;lllcn M1gnC utIler, ana
thus bring about collision between the two
bodies. that constitute Congress. Now under
these circumstances is it quite fair to designate
the central Committee of fifteen as a power
assuming to Judge and decide questions which
do not belong to it.? Is it quite fair TO desig-
nate it as central power, sitting here with a
view to get up government of few against
the government of the many9 IeannQt pn-
derstapd the language of the President in any
other way.
If any gentleman can propose any other
construction for it, 1 would like him to do it..
am unwilling to rest under any such impu-
tation Now, sir, if the Executive = and 1
mean to speak of the President respectfully
bebause 1, entertain respect for him-if the
President has any idea that all these matters,
these several powers which he has suggested
are preliminary to the admission of Senators
and Representatives, the question arises who
is to exercise that power Of judgment? Does
it not belong to us if Senator presents HIM
self here, to ascertain whether these condi-
tions have been complied with, OF does it be-
long 10 himf That brings me to the ccnsid-
Grafton of the veto message. 8f 2 IL,
= will say sir, with regard to that message