Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-03-15
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS.

WASHINGTON, Thursday March s.
| In the United States Senate, a number
of petitions were presented and referred
The Committee on Finances was discharged
| from the further consideration of the peti
ton of the New York Union League to grant
to Mrs. Lincoln the amount of salary toI
the whole term for which her husband was
elected, as the subject has already been
acted upon. Mr.. Poland offered a resolu-
ton to amend the Constitution so as to pro
vide that no person who has been or shall
engaged in rebellion against the United
States shall exercise the elective franchise
or hold office. Referred to the Committee
on Reconstruction Mr. Henderson, of Mis-
souri,, offered resolutions declaring that the
late rebellion was a contest between free
dom and slavery that when the laws were
resisted by the attempted secession, Con
gress alone has the power to suppress the
insurrectiOn that whether )he iusurreC-
ton thus organized has been suppressed or
not is to be determined by Congress, and
not by the Executive alone that in the at
tempted secession the people Of the rebel
lious States severed their political connect
ion established by their State governments
with the Federal government that the
Union is not restored until State govern
ments in those States, republican in form,
shall have been established and recognized
by the Federal government, and that the
Committee on Reconstruction be requested
to inquire at once into the prOpriety and
eXpediency of providing by law for the re-
organiza tion and re-establishment Of State
governments in the seeding States. The
resolutions were ordered to be printed The
constitutional amendment relative to repre-
sentation was taken up and was debated
by Messrs. Morrill,, Wilson and Yates. An
Executive session was then held Ad-
journed
The House of Representatives passed the
Senate resolution approprating $4,000 to
reimburse Miss Clara Barton for money cX-
pended in the search for missing soldiers.
Mr. Boutwell,, Of the Committee on Recon-
struction, presented the views of the mi
nority, himself, and Mr.. Washburne Of Hi
nois, in regard to the admission Of Tcnnes-
see. The Secretary of War, by resolution,
was directed to furnish all orders issued by
Commissioners and Assistant Commission
ers of the Freedmen'S Bureau. The Judi
ciary Committee reported the bill to facii-
tate commercial, postal and military COM
munication among the several States. Post
poned until Tuesday next A bill providing
that the United States Supreme Court shall
hereafter consist of one Chief Justice and
eight Associate Judges was passed. The
bill restricting the fees of soldiers claim
agents fees to so was discussed and was
then recommitted. The Senate bill to pro-
I n IL, Il Il
civil rights, and furnish the means of their
vindication, was taken up and was debated
by Messrs. Broomall, Raymond, Delano, and
Kerr. The bill went over for day. 4
number of bills were introduced and were
referred. Adjourned.
WASHINGTON, Frilay March g.
In the United States Senate, Mr.. Trum-
bull offered resolution asking the Secre-
tary of War what Legislation is necessary
to fix and establish the position of the Chi
cago and Rock Island Railroad Adopted.
A number of petitions on various subjects
were presented. The bill to extend the
time for the withdrawal of goods from pub
lie stores and bonded warehouses was called
up, and made the special order for Monday.
The constitutional amendment relative to
representation then came up in order, and
was discussed at great length by Messrs
Fessenden, Yates, Sumner, Wilson, and
others A number of amendments were of
tered and rejected The original PROPOSE
tion as it came from the House, was then
voted upon and failed, yeas %, nays 22-
not two-thirds. motion to reconsider
prevailed, and the subject was postponed
till Tuesday. Adjourned till Monday
In the House Of Representatives, an
amendment to the Internal Revenue act
was passed. A bill regulating the salaries
Of Judges in the District of Columbia was
read and referred The bill to protect all
persons in the United States in their civil
rights was recommitted to the Judiciary
Committee The House then went into
Committee of the Whole on the Reciproc-
lty bill. Messrs. Bingham, Shellabarger
and Wilson discussed the matter, and the
vote resulted in sc yeas to SO nays-adopt-
ing Mr. Stevens amendment The duty on
lumber was increased by another amend
ment. On Saturday the House will sit only
as Committee Of the Whole on the Presi-
dents message. Evening sessions were
announced from this week An amend
inent to the Constitution was asked for by
Mr.. ONeill, of Pennsylvania, making rep
reSentatlOn dependent on the number of
voters, instead of on the whole population
Petitions were also presented for the fur
ther increase of duties on imports f-om
Philadelphia laboring men, and the House
then adjourned.
BsaB The eX-rebel Vice President Ste
phens has been relieved of his parole by
the President, which restricted him to the
State of Georgia, and he is about to visit
Washington. Why does jeff Davis Ian
guish i'll prison while his associates and
cabinet officers in treason are deemed prop
er Legislators for the Union?