Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-05-02
From tho Washington special 10 the Cincinnati
Gazette. April 3o.l -

[From tho Washington special to the Vinclnnau
Gazette, April 30.1 -,
The ecOnsaructI ion COlnhAinteeIS
Tile following is % concise and snccinct
record OF the proceedings OF the Joint COM
mittee on ReccnstrAction, at their meeting
on saturday evening on the adoption OF the
report to-day submitted by them to'Con-
Rfess.
AT the opening of the session of that day,
Senator Grimes urged the necessity of def
mite and conclusive action, and declared
his determination TO insist on the adoption
Of a report before an adjournment was had.
A general discussion of an hours dura-
ton followed, at the end of which the basis
of the report was laid by the adoption, ON
Senator Williams motion, and by the unan-
imOns vote of the Republican men,
bers of the committee, of the second Sec
ton of the proposed constitutional amend
ment, viz: That establishing the basis oil
representation, which was before the com
mittee as an independent amendment, hay
ing been moved In the Senate by both Mr.
Grimes and MIR. Sumner. 40 u b9.V
Mr.. Boutwell, then proposed the fourth
section of the amendment, Wiz That re-
lating TO the payment of the rebel debt
and to compensation for emaDcipate0 slaves,
and this, after some discussion, was also
adopted. +io s'.grTr-. .1.I ..,.
The third section, viz: That disfranchis-
ing rebels until 1870, was next proposed,
advocated by Messrs. Boutwell, aud Conk-
ling, and rejected. The first sentence OF the
first section, viz, that declaring that no
State shall make any law abridging the
privilege and immunlties OF the ,citi-
zens of theUnited States, which is taken
from the Dale Owen proposition, was then
moved and adopted after which, on Mr..
Bingham's motion, tile rest OF that section
was adopted ls.s ri ggfU ,sHa.I.l er .#
A motion was then made to reconsider
the vote by which the third section was re-
jeeted. This was carried, and the ques-
tion as 1t low stands was, after debate,
adopted by a vote OF s to 7-three Demo-
crats and four Republicans voting against
it. The fifth section, giving Congress pow
er to enforce the article by appropriate Leg
islatioD, was then added, and the constitu-
tional amendment was declared complete.
This matter being settled, General Harris,
in obedience to the Instructions or eX-
pressed opinion of the New York delega-
tion's caucus, moved that the acts provid-
ing for the restoration of the rebel
States to their political rights, and
declaring certain persons ineligible to of
flee under the. Government of the United
States, be adopted. They were offered as
one bill, but motion was at once made and
seconded to consider them as two separate
propositions. Mr.. Boutwell, proposed a sub
sttute for the passage of the enabling act.
AS it now stands it provides that Tennessee
and Arkansas alone should be admitted at
present, and then only after the enactment
of laws putting whites and blacks on, an
equality with respect to suffrage. This was
rejected very decisively. Mr.. Grimes then
brought forward the second section of the
enabling act, viz: That suspending the
collection of the direct tax for ten years,
which was, after considerable opposition,
adopted. The bill declaring certain persons
ineligible to Office, was adopted without
material change or amendment. The only
proposed modification was to include mem-
bers of the rebel Congress in the list OF ill.,
eligible persons. This caused much dis
cussion, Mr.. Grimes specially taking ground
against it, and finally rejected on the ground
that among the class of ex-rebel officials
were some of the best men in the South.
The session of the committee occupied
nearly five hours, and the report was finally
adopted by the unanimous vote of the
twelve Union members of the committee.
A general consultation among members of
Congress to-day shows great unanimty of
opinion regarding the main points OF tue
cOmmittees report. Almost the ouly mark
ed objection is to the clause requiring the
amendments proposed to first become d
part of the Constitution before any State
lately in rebellion can be admitted. 1t is
understood that Senators Trumbull, Wade
and Wilson, Speaker COlfaX and Mr.. Bing-
ham, desire some modification of that Sec
tion, provided it can be had without risk
ing the final defeat of the amendment.
Senator Fessenden is questioning whether
an exception cannot be made in the case of
Tennessee, at least, so as to admit her upon
the ratification of the proposed amend
ment. The general features of the plan
win carry strength inbOth Houses. "A cal
culation has been made on the basis of the
canvass and Presidential vote of 1862 OF
the operation of the proposed change in
the basis Of representation of the rebel
States. According to it Alabama will lose
3, Arkansas none, Florida none, Georgia g.
Louisiana 2, Mississippi 8, North Car
olina 3, South Carolira 4, Tennes-
see 3, Texas none and Virginia 8 mem
bers, or a total loss of %. If they
exclude male citizens above -twenty-one
years of age from the right of suffrage
in the loyal border States the loss would
be, in Missouri l, Maryland l, and Ken
tucky2. The increase of the colored pop
ulation since 1860, may bring this aggre-
gate loss of twenty-seven in the slavehold-
ing States up to thirty, the number esti.
mated by the Reconstruction committee.