Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-12-06
XXXIXth Congressional Session.
WASHINGTON, Dec. S,
SENATE

was adopted:
ResoIsed That the joint committee on Retrench
meat be instructed TO make inquiry as to the powe
of the President TO restore Operty oeDfscate(
under laws of the United States to its Original
owner. or such power exists to what extent it car
be rightfully exercised under existing laws; alse
to make inquiry into the power Of the Secretary o.
the Treasury del yer to private claimants, wthGu
erty seized by tho United States as captured Of
abandoned during the late rebellion. and report b.
House bill to repeal the section of an act of 1862
which gives the President power to declare genera
4 amnesty, was taken up.
Il Mr.. TRU MBULL moved the reference Of the bill
to- the committee on the Judiciary,
nd Mr, HASDLER hoped It would not be referred
The act before us simply to take away the
| he possesses under the Constitution.
The House by its very decided vote Of lo7 to 3t
suspended the rules and passed that bill during the
first half hour Of the session. If he bad the power
under the Constitution to pardon before conviction
II took itaway from him. he believed every Sena.
tor understood it; lie would ask the yeas aud nays
| MIR. D0OLITTLE did not rise to debate the ques-
ton. but simply to correct an error in the report a
yesterdays proceedings in the morning papers. The
reporters made him appear as advocating the bill
under discussion and opposing It's reference TINS
| attributing to him remarks made by his colleague
more BY THE REPoRTER.-The mistake was moi
in the New York Associated Press reports. but in
that Of the United States and European News Assoc
citation.
Mr.. GRIMES said he did not know what necessity
there was for passing the bill in such hot haste. The
Senator from Michigan could not suppose that il
would have good effect upon the country to pass such
measure in it of tomPer, as it must be supposed
to pass at this early Tage Of the session.
Mr.. CHANDLER said it was notorious fact az
notorious the records Of the court Of law in this
district that Pardons had been for sale around this
vii lIshOw this. Any Senator who desires that dis
graceful business TO go on of course desires that this
clause shall remain. Any Senator who desires to
daair tha nf Ia n
matter of public record, matter that every man
kno Us who has read the newspapers or reads the
records of the courts, for have it from Of the
judges Of this District hat this is the fact. No ma
ton was ever so disgraced as this is by such act
Mr.. DIXON said he had no intention when he
came to the Senate this morning OF entering into
any debate this question, but just as he entered
the Senate chamber the Senator from Michigan rose
and took it upon himself to say here from his own
the courts of the District, imparting, therefore,
absolute verify that pardons granted by the Presi-
dent of the United States were Tor sale n the city
charge has BEEN made in the Senate OF the nited
States by so distinguished Senator, he thought
should refer the bill to the Judiciary committee,
that the matter might be Investigated that the
Senate should not go forward in hot haste and
against I0 the President ' OF the United States -
acharge if true he would not say, rendered the
President liable to impeachment, but still very
grave CHARGE indeed. lie Dlxon) would take it
upon himself. in his capacity as o Senator, here in
bis place. to utterly deny the charge, and say it was
totally unfounded. The Senator from Michigan
had been most grossly misinforme1. He (Dixon)
id not think it proper that such charge should go
out against the President without some attempt at
reply. lie was not prepared to go fully into the dis
cussiOn of the bill before the Senate nor to state
before the Senate the real facts out Of which this
charge ogainst the President had grown, but he
could not sit in his seat and hear such charge
without denying it in toto, so that his denial might
go to the country with the assertion OF the Senator
| from from hiiiiGch,,gSaann', ,gSan', mn i, A. ~ IT,
was established before court of this District. My
information was derived from one of the judges oil
the court before which the case in which it was
brought out was tried but there being general de-
sire here to have the bill referred will withdraw
the call for the yeas and nays and let it CO. The
bill was referred according to Mr.. TrumbulPs mo-
| tion.
! Mr.. SUMNER offered the following resolution, o
I which he gave notice yesterday:
ResOLUed, 1st. That in the want Of reconstruction
it is important that no false step shall be taken in
terpnsing obstacles or delay, but that by careful
| provisions we should make haste to complete thu
work. so that the unity Of the Republic shall bt
secured on permanent foundations, and fraterna
relations shall once more be established among al
| the people thereof.
I'd. That this end can be accomplished only BY
following the guiding principles Of our institution
was formed. and that any neglect forsetfulness o
those guiding principles must postpone the estab
lishment OF union justice, domestic tranquility, thu
general welfare and the blessings Of liberty, which
| are the declared object of the Constitution. anC
therefore must be the essential object of reconsruc
Sd. That this work Of reconstruction mustbe con
| Quoted Congress and under its constant super
vision; that under the Constitution Congress is sol
emnly bound to assume the responsibility, and tha
in the performance of this duty it must see tina
everywhere throughout the rebel communities 10y
ernments are fashioned according to the require
| ments Of christian common wealth. SO that order
tranquility. education and human rights shall pre-
1 vail within their borders.
l 4th. That in determining what is q republican
form Of government Congress must follow implicitly
the definition supplied by the Declaration of Inde-
pendence, and in the practical application of this
definition it rests. after excluding dsloyal persons
take care that new governments are founded on the
two fundamental truths therein contained first
that all men equal in rights, and second, that all
just governments stand only on the consent Of the
5th. That all proceedings with view to recon
struction originating in executive power are in the
nature of usurpation that this usurpstion becomes
especially offensive when it sets aside the funda-
mental truths Of our institutions that it is shock ing
TO common sense when 1t undertakes tO derive new
governments from that hostile population which has
Just been engaged in armed rebellion, and that all
governments having such origin are necessarily ie-
9Th That it is the duty of Congress to proceed
with the work Of reconstruction, and to this end il
must assume jurisdiction OF the States lately in re-
beon, except as far as that Jurisdiction may have
been already renounced, and IL must recognize only
the loyal States, or those States having loyal and
valid Legislatures as entitled to representation in
l - N~--~NaNN
| tOnal amendments.
| Mr.. SUMNER said-I see no chance for peace in
suming jurisdiction, over that whole region. Tne
resolutions declare briefly the duty Of Congress in
that regard, and assign reasons therefor. have no
purpose now to discuss them. but hold in my hand
letter which | received yesterday from friend Of
| our cause in Texas which is So important in its
statements and so direct in its bear ngs the ques
| tions raised by these resolutions that with the in
dulgence Of the Senate will read briefly from it.
Mr.. SUMNER read the letter, withholding the
| signature. Ho said it was written in Texas on Nov.
10th, and came to him yesterda ltstates that the
really loyal men OF Texas concur in stating that the
frstlmOve by the Republican party at the approach
ling session of Congress should be the passage # an
| act abolishing the sham State Governments that
have been set up in the South without authority of
law, declaring all their acts. except far on re-
vision may be confirmed by com mpetent authority, to
have been null and void from the beginning; The
letter then details what the writer states to be the
| conditions Of affairs in Texas.
| The resolutions were ordered to be printed.
| The joint resolution for the appointment of two
managers for the Soldiers and Sailors Asylum Of
| Washington, d. c., was passed.
1 On motion OF Mr.. WADE, the bill for the admis-
sion Of Nebraska was referred to the committee on
| Mr.. WADE moved to take up the joint resolution
proposing to amend the Constitution By making tho
President ineligible for reelection. The resolution
was referred It cd that in case Of the death of
President and he shall not be eligible for reelection
| after the close Of the term. 49, q stiI-st
Mr.. MORRILL, moved that the bill for universal
gave notice that he should call for action on it
The Senate took up and concuIred in the House
on Reconstruction. ''
Adjourned.
Il. HOUSE. .8,A'l5i
2pMr. WILLIAMS called up his motion to recon-
slider the vote by which House bill, for the regula
/ = asvnkss Aaka