Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1866-12-05
TENNESSEE LEGISLATURE,


sweTed to their names.
Fhe Speaker announced quoram present and
the minutes Of the Last meeting we're read and
approved.
On motion Of Mr.. Senter the rules we're sus-
pended and Senate bill No. 453, 10 amend the in
tcrnal Improvement law was taken 40 and
passed on third reading. -
9TH Speaker presented. t.ytlon from the
Chamber Of Commerce Of Memphis, asking for a
repeal Of the two per cent tax IN merchandise.
On motion Of Mr.. Smith. the subject matter Of
the petition was referred. TO the Committee on
Finance and W avs and Means, and the SAME was
transmitted 10 the House.
Mr.. Nelson presented Senate joint resolution
No. 8, which was read and referred to the Com
mittee on Federal Relations. The resolution is
as follows ...s
Memorial Of the Legislature Of Tennessee, pray
ing for the payment Of debt due the loyal
people of Tennessee, growing cut Of the recent
rebellion. as.H H-
To the Honorable the Senate and House Of
Representatives of the United States in Con gTess
assembled: The Legislative Assembly of Ten
nessee respectfully submit the following memo
rial:
Your memorialists cannot adequately express
| the warm emotions of than ktulness with which
! they and the people Of Tennessee generally
halted the arrival of peace and protection that
| the loyal heroes Of America, and sustained by
your munihcence and power. RepOsing once
more in peaceful security under our country's
| flag, we feel renewed courage and hope IN the
adoption of those measures which are necessary
10 our internal peace and general prosperity.
With high considerations Of cordial gratitude
we derive announcement, from what you have
already done, to lay before you the following
brief exhibition of the great wants Of this State,
and ask for them your generous and liberal con-
| sideration: Tie great demand and momentous
| interest of this State to which we would invite
your attention, we respectfully represent to your
| honorable body, that the loyal citizens of Ten
| nessee have undergone perfect wreck and
| bankruptcy by reason of the rayages Of war,
| during the late rebellion. In the first instance
we we're subjected to the iron rule Of conscrip-
| ton and imprisonment. Second, Punishment
| from our homes and families, leaving everything
| that was sacred to US in the hands of the nerc-
| less foe. And while thus making sacrifices and
precarious entertainments for the salvation of
| cur eOuntry's banner, we were advised and en-
| couraeed that we should be fully paid for our
| losses on account of the war. The debt, how
| ever, contracted in the prosecution of the late
rebellion remains, to aigreat degree, uncancelled.
And while your memOrlalIst would thus repre-
sent unto your honorable body and make you
| fully acquainted with all the circumstances
| under which the debt was contracted, you will
doubtless concur with US IN the opinion and con-
vietiOn that it should be speedily liquidated.
| The debt, it should be remembered, is d1e to
many private citizens of the country, as well as
| the soldier, who are as general thing, IN lin
| tied circumstances and many of them feel sensi-
| bly, the need of their dues, having nObly come
forth in the hour Of need, and having made great
personal and peeuBiary sacrifices in the public
cause. And large number of those claims are
left in an informal condition from the fact that
| they had their horses, cattle, sheep, hogs and
forage taken by raiding armies both By day and
night and the owners failed to obtain the neces-
| sary vouchers and memorandum receipts
| from the proper efieers. These claims due the
many hundreds of our Tennessee loyal
citizens are for services rendered, and materials
| furnished, many of whom, by so doing were left
| in suffering condition. Men left families, de-
| pending on their daily labor for subsistence;
| farmers turned their horses loose from their
pOughs in the furroW and furnished them to
the army for transportation. They have waited
nearly five years and received, as yet, no remu-
nearation for their property. IourimemOralist
| respectly, but firmly, conceive that the eXpen-
ses Of the war should be borne by the nation at
| large, that it was a war fought in self defense
for the United States by the loyal people of Ten
| nessee: The time has come when men who
| spent their time, money and property in theprOs
ecution of the late war should he remunerated.
| The State of Tennessee Is too week to do it and
meet the decands made upon her resources by
| her growing interests. On our peoples
behalf we would earnertly pray you to
| make such provisions and appropriations
as will secure to, them their, does as speedi-
| ly as they shall be properly authenticated.
Your memOrialists would further represent that
| they are confidently assured that they do no
| more than either the universal opinion Of Ameri
| can citizens here when they say they believe
| that the United States Government is sOlemnly
| bound, not only by constitutional obligation,
or of honor, but of virtual contract with the
loyal citizens OF Tennessee, which substance they
| give for the maintenance of cur national flag
and for the protection of the lives, rights and
| liberties of the American people. Believing
| then as we do, that simple Justice demands in
behalf of the people here, at the hand of the
General Government, payment as above and
being confidently assured that that Government
| which we are ever proud to call our OVID, will
never SO far forget the respect due to her own
character to say nothing of the claims of hui
manity as TO refuse a simple act Of justice TO an
enterprising and self-deyOted few Of her own CT
tizens.
To conclude, your memorialist respectfully
but firmly pray your honorable body, at your
present session, to appropriate and provide for
the claimants brought to your notice in the fore
going memorial, and on such Other matters as
our Representatives in Congress may bring be-
fore you honorable body, you Will perform acts
of appropriate duty, and your memorialist will
Resolved, by the General Assembly Of the
State of Tennessee, That our Senators in Con-
gress oe instructed, and our Representatives re-
quested, TO their efforts and influence for the
passage of law that will effect the earliest pos
sbe payment of loyal claims in the State of
Tennessee, as set forth and prayed for in the
Be it further enacted, That the Governor Of
this State be requested to forward TO each Of
| our members in Congress q copy of the foregoing
preamble and resolution.
The Com asittee on Internal improvements re-
ported in favor of the passage Of House bill No.
| 500 and Senate bill No. IA.
The Committee on Finance and Ways and
Means submitted the following report:
The Committee on Finance and WAYS and
Means to whom was referred the memorial of
lNe hundred clLiLeus the C-dLes asking lOE tue
| establishment Of more ample provision for the
destitute orphan population of the State, report
the same 10 the Senate, with the bill, no. 400
| and recommend its passage.
Your committee would be false to their own
sympathies and their sense of duty TO the desti-
! tute orphans Of the State, whose number has
been greatly increased by the events of the past
| four years, to withhold this report.
| The orphans are truly the children Of the
State and everywhere, all over the State their
| hands are implOrngy lifted, reckoning the Lee
! gislature to-day to sympathize with them in
| their loneliness and helpless and exposed con-
| dtion.
| In the past Tenncssee has erected monuments
to its benehcent legislation in its asylum for the
| lunatic its schools for deaf, dumb and blind.
| These institutions are the pride Of the State
| they provide literally for the unfortunate and
| helpless and your committee would therefore
| urge on the Senate the absolute necessity of
| giving expression to the sympathy they feel for
| the orphan who, left all alone, needs and hepe-
fully looks to the exercise of the parental care Of
| the State Government, that they shall not de-
| pend on the cold charity Of the world for sup
| port and guidance.
| The orphan needs moral and intellectual in
| structiOn, and his future usefulness and charae-
ter, and relations to society and the state greatly
| depend on the liberal legislation in his behalf
| Give to the orphan home; assume the Just
| obligations Of directing the development Of his
religious and intellectual character and improve
| ment. and you will wipe away his tears, give
| JOY to his heart, and cause him TO feel unmeas-
| ured gratitude for the liberality and wisdom Of