The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-01-25
CONGRESSIONAL
WASHINGTON Ian >

| Will lu0 tudt LILO Wuttt
shall be struck from her Constitution
Mr.. Brown presented similar peti
ton on the same subject 8
Mr. Brown also presented a petition
asking for the extension of the right O.
suffrage to women. rE
Mr.. Wilson offered resolution for al
amendment to the Constitution prohibit
ing payment for slaves, or any othel
debt contracted in behalf of the rebel
lion. Referred to the Judiciary Com
mittee.
Mr.. Samuel. Kirwood was sworn il
as Senator from Iowa until March 3
1867.
The bill to enlarge the powers of the
Freedmen's Bureau was taken up.
Mr.. McDougal spoke against the
measure.
Mr.. Wilson, of Massachusetts,, offered
joint resolution proposing as an
amendment to the constitution of the
| United States, a provision that no pay
ment shall ever be made by the United
States or any State, for or on any account
Of emancipation Of any slave or slaves;
for or on account of any debt contracted
or incurred in aid OF the rebellion. Re-
ferred to the Judiciary committee.
Mr.. Dixon, of Connecticut, offered a
resolution, which was agreed to, to in
struct the committee on Judiciary to in
q uire what legislation is necessary for
the protection of loyal citizens whose
property, real or personal, has been con-
tiscated by the so-called Confederate
Government, and the restoration of such
property to its legal owners, and report
by bill or otherwise.
The Senate then adjourned
HOUSE-The House resumed the con-
sideration ofthe proposed amendment to
the constitution.
Mr.. Lawrence, of Ohio, moved to re-
commit the resolution with instructions
to report that direct taxes be apportion-
ed according to property, and represen-
tatiOn fixed on the basis of'adult male
voters, who shall be citizens of the
United States He explained his posi-
ton. The present mode fapportioning
direct taxes and representation was un-
Just, and although the result of cOmplo-
mise, it was wrong in principle, and un-
equal in its practical result: by his
amendment they would make voters In
each State precisely equal. The amend.
ment did not design to interfere with
the right of any State to say who shall
or who shall not vote. The original ba-
sis of representation on three-hiths OF
the slaves Of the South having ceased,
the mode itself should now pass away.
Place not tax on labor, but on property,
which is the true basis of taxation.
Mr. Shallabarger, of Ohio, opposed the
resolution because it contemplates, and
in effect authorizes the States to wholly
disfrauchse an entire race of people, and
that, too, whether that race be white or
black, Saxon, Celt OF Caucasian, with
ont regard to the proportion Of the en-
tire population of States.
MI Shellabarger supported Mr.. Law
rence's amendment, and opposed the res
olutiOn OF the committee on RecOnstruc-
tiOn.
Messrs. Elliot and Pike also secerally
opposed the resolution reported from
the committee on Reconstruction.
Mr.. Banks said that the basis ofrepre-
sentation having been in effect stricken
out by the anti-slavery constitutional
amendment, the question.w was whether
the House should re-established it.
Mr.. Shellabarger further opposed the
resolution and advocated the amendment
of Mr.. Lawrence.
Mr.. Wilson offered an amendment to
Mr.. Lawrence's instructions, that repre-
sentaton and direct taxes should be ap
portioned among the several States
which may be included in the Union ac-
cording 70 their respective numbers,
counting the whole number OF persons
in each State, including Indians, and the
elective franchise shall not be denied or
abridged in any State on account OF race
or color He said he could not give to
the resolution reported from the com
mittee on reconstruction his support, be-
cause it implied that a State has right
to disfranchise large mass OF ITS cltl-
zens Another objection to the resolu-
ton was. it enabled a State, by making
the right to vote depend upon property
qualification, to exclude large class OF
men of both races and State might leg
islate in such a way as to convert itself
from a re public to an oligarchy
Mr Schenck moved the following
amendment TO Mr.. Lawrence'S instruc-
tions: Representative shall be appor.
toned among the several States which
NAV be included within this Union. ac-
cording to the number OF male citizens
over twenty years OF age having the
qualifications for electors for the numer-
ous branches of the State Legislature
Congress at their first session after the
ratification of the amendment by the
required number Of States, SHALL provide
bv law Tor the actual enumeration OF
such voters and such actual enumera-
ton shall be separately made in gener-
al census of the population OF all the
States within every subsequent term OF
ten Years. in such manner rs Congress
NAV by law direct The number of rep
resentativcs shall not exceed one for ev-
cry hundred thousand OF population. but
each State shall have at least one repre-
sentative.
Mr.. Pike. ofMaine. opposed the reso-
lutlOn.
Mr.. Kelley, of Pennsylvania, said that
on the 10th of January he took occasion
to point out slight error in the consti-
tutional law into which the President
seemed to have fallen. The principle
which he had asserted at that time hav-
ing been controverted by the gentleman
from Iowa, (Kisson). he (kelley) now pro-
ceeded TO establish it. He read from de
bates on the adoption of the constitu-
iion by Mr.. Madison, saying the necessi-
tv of a general government suppose that
the State legislatures will. sometimes
fail or refuse to consult the common in