Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-02-24
8Y BENJAMIN F. DILL.

death and hung by direct approval Of the
President himself. Was it unconstitu-
| ti0nal to do by virtue Of a law of Con
| gress what is being done every day win,
! out one? In this connection he referred
! TO several orders affecting persons and
property in Southern States. lie re,
/ viewed the objection that the act would
| establish permanent rank Of public al,
ministration, having greatly enlarged
/ powers. He denied that its establish
ment or that its powers are greatly en-
| larVed. He proceeded 10 show the rela-
| tive degree OF power c0nfided to the two
bills, and the misapprehension under
which he presumed the President had Ia
! bored. He declared that not the fortieth
part of the four millions had ever received
aids from the Bureau, and he quoted
| from Gen. Howard's report 10 show that
but %, 200 negroes had been aided and
&, 900 whites, and that the number was
constantly decreasing. He alluded TO
the testimony Of General Fisk, Assistant
Commissioner for Tennessee, showing
that less than two hundred orphan chill
dren and aged persons were the only ne
groes receiving aid, and that Of the twen-
tv-five thousand persons fed,
seventeen thousand five hundred
were whites. The effect Of the Bu-
reau he asserted was 10 decrease the
cost of supporting both freedmen and
refugees. 1t had invariably had this
effect. In reply 10 the suggestion Of the
President that while freedmen should be
protected it should be through the civil
power of the Courts. He referred to the
enactments OF the Legislature Of Missis-
sippi. which prohibited holding or leas-
ing of land by freedmen, and in other
respects infringingon theirnatural rights.
In some localities they were not permitted
10 hire themselves out without the con-
sent of their former masters.
In considering the last objection, sb-
sence Of the representatives Of the States
affected by its provisions he held that il
was valid; that Congress had no right to
pass a law levyiug direct taxes upon
those States; no right TO declare those
States in rebellion, or pass law 10
blockade their ports. In conclusion, he
said be thought he was acting in har-
monv with the views Of the President in
his efforts in perfecting this bill; that it
was not only necessary to carry out the
very provisions of that Constitution, but,
without it, the freedmen would be tyran-
nized over and enslaved.
The question being called for, the Chair
announced that it was, "Shall the bill
pass. the Presidents objections notwith-
standing" Upon which was required by
the Constitution twO-thirds vote. The
vote was as follows:
lcpS-Messrs. Anthony, Brown,
Chandler, Clark, Conness, Cragin, Cress-
well, Fessenden, Foster Grimes, Hen
derson, Howard, Howe, KirkwOOd, Lane
Of Indiana, Lane of Kansas, Nye, Pol
lard, POmeroy, Ramsay, Morrill,, Sher-
man, Spr8gue, Sumner, Trumbull, Wade, |
Williams, Wilson and Nates-30.
NdVs-BucEslew, Conan, Davis, Dixon, I
Doolittle, Guthrie, Hendricks, johnson, /
NlcDougal, Morgan, Nesmith, Norton, /
Riddle, Salisbury, Stewart, Stockton, 4
Van Wrinkle and Willey-lS
Abseut-FoOte and Wright.
The Chair announced that the number |
voting in the affirmative being less than /
.wo-thirds, the bill had failed.
This announcement was greeted with /
loud Kisses from the colored gallery, and 4
mingled applause and Kisses from other /
parts of the galleries. The chair ordered /
the galleries to be cleared, which was /
done, and the Senate at o'clock ad-
OUrned.