The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-02-28
BY TELEGRAPH.
sg FOR AFTERNOON DISPATCHES
SEE SECOND PAGE.
MIDNIGHT REPORT.
xxxIx CONGREss---FIRsT SESSION

h L IL IN 1'I1 ItLT oJh l..
xxxIx CONGREss---FIRsT SESSION.
WASHINGTON, Feb 81.
SENATE
! Mr.. Wilson reported from the Committee
the Militia Bill. with Amendments, many
1 OF them of minor importance, one of them
! which strikes out drunkards and vagabonds
/ from the exempted persons; another includes
the executive and judicial officers Of the
States and territories as among the exempt,
but the States are not allowed to make ex-
emptions. The companies may consist of
fifty to one hundred priyates, in addition to
officers. The oath of non participation in
the rebellion is stricken out. new section
is added, authorizing the commanding Gen.
eral of the armies of the United States to
| cause inspections to be made from time to
/ time, both of the militia and the officers Of
the Adjatant General atn
Mr. Howe introduced bill TO sell the un-
sold lots of the Fort Howard military reserva-
ton, in Brook county, by giving two months
/ notice by advertisement that it will be sold
| for cash. Referred to Committee on Public
! Lands
! Mr.. Howe introduced q bill granting lands
to make up the deficiencies of former grants
in aid Of the Lomah and Lake St. Crox and
! the ST. Croix and Lake Superior railroads
Mr.. Pollard introduced bill to amend an
act Of March Sd, 1855, relative to land boun-
ties for military service, which provides that,
in the case of the death Of any such person,
who would be entitled to such bounty if living,
his widow may apply for and receive the
bounty, or child or children, if there is no
widow, and she can marry without invslidiug
her claim, if she first makes her application.
4.
which was adopted:
Whereas, The Senate on the 5th Of Janua-
ry, 1866, adopted resolution, in the follow.
ing terms:
Resolved, That the President Of the Uni
ted States if, in his opinion, not incompatible
with the public interest, be requested to fur
nish to the Senate copies of all papers or
proclamations designating certain persons as
Provisional Governors of States and an ac
count of the salary, if auv. they may have
been allowed; the oaths, if any, they may have
taken before entering upon their duties, and
if they did not take the oath prescribed by
Congress for officers of the United States
then why did they not take the same; also
copies of any communications in his posses
sion from such persons 10 any convention or
legislative assembly in their respective States:
also copies of any constitutional articles or
States. SO far as the same affects the preseut
condition of such States and the rights OF
persons therein. And whereas, no answer
has yet been received BY the Senate for The
information called, which is deemed 50 IN.
portant; therefore
| Resolved, That the President Of the United
States, ii In his opinion il is not ineom ratible
! with the public interes, he requested "a fur
nlsh 10 the Senate the information called for
in the foregoing resolution.
! Sumner presented petition for equal
/ rights and republican form Of Government
( in the South, which Was referred 10 the special
committee of -.
Morgan introduced bill 10 exempt from,
+ taxation, by State or municipal authorizes,
! lands granted TO colleges for educational pur.
poses, which was referred to the committee
/ on finance.
/ Mr.. Wilson, from the Military Committee,
reported the resolution of thanks to the of
GERS, soldiers, and seamen OF the Uuited
! States, recently introduced by him. which
was considered by unanimous consent. and
| passed
Mr. Davis, of Kentucky, asked to call up
| the resolution recently offered by him ftr the
! appointment of committee TO investigate
| frauds by agents of the cotton bureau
Mr.. Davis caused to be- read letter from
former provost marshal at Wateseo, aiieg
! ing that enormous frauds were committed
| by departmentcomnfander in the South.
| Mr.. Conness, of California, interrupted the
reading OF the communication to object TO it
as censure upon officers ofthe Government,
the reading of which. as part Of proceedings
of the Senate, might be taken as an endorse.
ment Of the statement. \ vote was taken.
| and the Senate decided To listen to the read
| ing.
Mr.. Conness objected to an irresponsible
| party, like the author of the letter, being per-
mitted to come here and make stump speech
| against officers of the Government He
wanted that the letter and Mr.. Davis resolu-
| tou be referred to the committee on military
affairs.
The morning hour expired, and the con
current resolution that no Senator or Repre-
sentative be received in either House from
any of the late rebellious States until such
States shall have been declared entitled TO
the representation, was taken up.
Mr.. Dixon, of Conn.,, took the floor, com.
meneing his speech with an allusion to the
argument OF Fessendeu, Trumbull, and Sher-
man. He did not think ii was much for
Fessenden to say as he did in his last speech.
| that he thought the President would not be
untrue to his country. That was not much
to be said of a man with such a record of pa
triotsn and devotion to his country. But
there were circumstances TO be taken into
consideration. When this was said. the Pre-
! sident was being denounced in the other
House, and in the Senate.
Mr.. Wade has spoken in very severe terms
concerning him. He believed that the only
means of changing the country was by the
policy adopted by the President, and believed
4 that he was willing to overlook differences oi
detail which might exist between him and the
President, as to the carrying out of this
policy.
i He did not believe there was anv principles
involved in the Freedmen Bureau bill, and
in voting for it in the first place, he did not
commit himself in any way, except as a
friend of the freedmen, which he still was.
The policy which the President was now pur
i suing was the policy which he Mr.. Dixon,
had advocated since the commencement O
the war. He voted for the ireedmen's bill
though he thought it objectionable in many
respects. He was not OF those who believed
that because man was conservative he
ought, therefore, to hate the negroes. HI
was willing to vote money as freely for blacl
men as for whites, and SO were the constitu
ents he represented. He would never ash
whether suffering man was white or black
1t was enough for him to know that ther,
was suffering and that there were human be
ings who suffered.
He did not believe the President woulc
have vetoed the bill on account of the objec
ton contained in the last part of the message
, but that he had been prompted to do so b.
fifteen other objections to the billitself, whicl
were ably set forth in the message.
II Mr.. Fessenden interrupting said, that tn
clear inference from the veto message was
J that the Senate had nothing to do in the cas-