Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1866-12-06
FROM WASHINGTON,
Congressional Proceedings.

:. withheld by the President, and not bein
signed did not become law. Ordered 1
!, lie on the table until announcement of tn
\ committee.
, Mr.. Williams introduced the following
- which was adopted:
, Resolved, That the Joint Committee Oh
: Retrenchment be instructed to make en-
= quiry as to the powers of the President t,
return property confscated under the law
Of the United States to its original owners
or, if such power exists, can it rightfully
be exercised under existing laws. Also, L
, make inquiry into the power of the Score
tary of the Treasury to deliver to privat,
claimants, without judicial proceedings
property or proceeds of property seized By
the United States as captured or abandoned
during or since the late rebellion, and re-
port by bill or otherwise.
Mr. Trumbull moved the reference OF
the bill to the Committee on Judiciary.
Mr.. Chandler hoped it would not be
referred. The act before US simply propo-
ses to take away the pardoning power from
+ the President, except such as he possesses
under the Constitution. The House by its
decided vote of 1O7 to 80 suspended the
rules and passed that bill during the first
half hour of its session. If he had the
power, under the Constitution, to pardon
before conviction it took it away from him,
he believed, after conviction. He moved
the ayes and noes on the question of refer
ence.
Mr.. Doolittle did not rise to debate the
question, but simply to correct the report
of yesterdays proceedings. In the morn
ing paper the reporter made him appear
as advocating the bill under discussion.
This was not his position.
Mr.. Chandler said it was a notorious
fact--as notorious as the record Of thecourt
of this District-that pardons had been for
! sale around this town-for sale by women.
The records of your courts will show this.
| Any Senator who desires this disgrace
| should go on, Of course, desires that this
cloak remain. Any Senator who desires
to stop it, desires the repeal of this clause.
This is a matter Of public record, matter
that every man knows who has read the
newspapers or read the records of the
courts, for l have it from one of the
Judges of this District that this is the fact.
No nation was ever so disgraced as this is
by such an act. .r- ....t - .... !
Mr.. Dixon said he had no intention
when he came into the Senate this morning
of entering into any debate of this ques- |
ton, but just as he entered the Senator from
Michigan rose and took it upon himself to |
say that it was as notorious as the records |
of the courts of the District, and therefore !
an absolute verify, that pardOns granted by |
the President of the United States were for /
sale in the city of Washington by women
of bad repute. Since that charge had been
mo- 10 IN tho e IL. I :. /
so distinguished Senator, he thought it
was very proper and becoming that the
Senate should refer the bill to the Judiciary
Committee, that the matter might be in
vestigated; that the Senate should not 90
forward in hot haste and pass such a bill
as this, with such charge against the
President-a charge which, if true, he would
not say, rendered the President liable to
impeachment but still very grave charge
indeed. He, Mr.. Dixon, would take it upon
himself in his capacity as Senator, here
in his place, to utterly deny the charge and
say 1t was totally unfounded. The Senator
from Michigan had been most grossly mis-
He, Mr.. Dixon, did not think it
proper that such a charge should 90 out
against the President, without some at
tempt at reply. He was not prepared to 90
fully into the discussion of the bill before
tire Senate, nor TO state before the Senate
The real facts out of which this CHARGE
against the Presnent had grown, buthe could
not sit his in seat and hear such A CHARGE l
without denying it in toto, so that his denial
night 60 to the country with the assertion {
If the Senator from Michigan.
Mr.. Chandler. have said that the 7
,harge was established before court of This J
District. My Information was derived from
me Of the Judges of that court before
which thecase, in which it was brought ont.
vas tried; but there being a general desire q,
lere to have the bill referred, l will with
raw the call for the yeas and nays and 8
ct it 60. --a'. Tx. i
The bill was referred according to Mr..
'rumbulls motion.
Mr.. Sumner offered the following resoIu.
ions Of which he gave notice Yesterday:
l. Resolved, That in the work of recon-
-ructiOR, it is important that 10 false stems h
hall ne taken interposing obstacles or de- !,
", but by careful provisions we should a
lake haste to complete the work, so that q,
lei unity Of the Republic, on permanent "
and fraternal relations shall u
nee more be established among all the peo- ~
le JneTeOI. IL
2. That this end be accomplished only .,
? following the guiding principles Of our
stitutions as deeared by our forefathers
hen the Republic was founded, and that
" neglect or forgetfuiness ofthese Guiding n,
'inciples must postpone the establishment in
union, justice, domestic tranquility, the X
neral welfare and the blessings of liberty, m
hich are the declared objects Of the Con- DC
tuition, and, therefore, must be essential ne
ljects of reconstruction itself. ey
Sd. That the work of reconstruction he
ust be conducted by Congress, and under m,
constant supervision, that under the 81
Congress is solemnly bound to sti
sumo the responsibility, and that in the Ia
rformance of this duty it must see that a.
erywhere throughout the rebel commu- sa,
ties loyalty is protected, and advanced pr
ale the new governments are fashioned. m,
cording TO the requirements of a Chris
IN commonwealth, so that order. tran
ility, education and human rights shall Fl
evail within their borders. m
4th. That in determining what Is re- Vi.
blican. form of government Congress pol
Ist follow implicitly the definition sup err
pl bv fhr Dacla ration of T,J,vor. 1 - z