Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-07-21
XXXIXth' Congress
WASHINGTON, July 20.


and protect the national cemeteries, whic
was recommitted, and ordered to be prin
ed.
Mr.. BANKS, on leave, introduced joiI
resolution to give the building recently o,
cupied for the purposes of q fair in aid
the Home for Orphans of Soldiers and Sal
ors, for the purpose of holding an addition;
telr, together with all materials, &c, whic
was read three times aud passed.
Il Mr.. PRICE, from the Committee on th
Pacific Railroad, reported bill 10 authoriz
the issue of certain bonds in denomination
greater than one thousand dollars, whicl
was read twice and passed.
The House proceeded to the consideration
Of the joint resolution for the admission o
Tennessee.
Mr.. BINGHAM Withdrew his demand fo
the previous question and modified his sub
stitutc so as to read "a joint resolution
declaring Tennessee again entitled to Ssna
tors and Representatives in Congress-
| WHEREAS, The State of Tennessee has, il
| good faith, ratified the article ofthe amend
| ment TO the constitution of the United
States, proposed by the Thirty ninth Con-
gress 10 the Legislatures of the several
states, and has also shown to the satisfac
ton Of Congress by a proper spirit of
obedience in the body of her people to re-
turn 10 her due allegiance to the govern
ment, laws and authority of the United
States; therefore, be it
ReS0LUed, By the Senate and House Of
Representatives of the United States OF
America, &c, that the State of Tennessee is
hereby restored to her former proper prac-
tical relation to the Union, and is again
entitled to be represented by Senators and
Representatives in Congress, duly elected
and qualified upon their taking the oath of
office required by existing laws.
Mr.. BINGHAM renewed the call for the
previous question.
Mr.. BOUTWELL, desired to offer the iol-
lowing as a substitute for Mr.. Bingham's S
resolution
When Tennessee shallihave ratified the
amendment to the constitution proposed to
the Legislatures of-the sey eral; States by
tho Sgth Congress, and shall have establish
ed an equal and just system of suffrage for
all the male citizens within its jurisdiction
who are not less than 81 years OF age, SEN
ators and Representatives from such State,
if found duly elected and qualified may after
having taken the required oath OF Office, be
admitted into Congress as such. Provided
nothing in this section contained shall be
construed 50 as to require the disfranchise-
ment of any loyal person who IS now enil-
a
Mr.. BINGHAM declined to let the amend
ment be offered.
Mr.. WARD desired TO offer an amendment
adding to that offered by Mr.. Bingham,
provision that the United States do hereby
recognize the government of the State Of
Tennessee inaugurated under and by the
Convention which assem- bled on the 9Th
day of January, 1865, at the city of Nash
vile, as the legitimate government OF said
State entitled iG the guarantees and other
rights of State government under the con
sututiOn.
Mr.. BINGHAM declined to let the
amendment be offered. and insisted on the
previous question, which was seconded, and
the resolution WIS ORDER to be engrOssed
aud read the third time.
sa|ss~'s - ~ fNSESf
the third time.
The House got into some confusion about
the preamble, which finally resolved itself
into mot on to reconsider the vote by
which the preamble was ordered to be en-
crossed and resd the third time, which mo-
ton was laid on the table by vote Of los
to 29.
Mr.. LEBLOND addressed the Speaker as
if or a question of order, and commenced
to say that 8 portion of the members on his
side of the House desired to, vote for the
resolution, but could not vote for the pre-
amble.
He was interrupted by calls to order, and
was informed By the Speaker that if he had
a question of order he must state it.
Mr.. LEBLOND resuming his remarks,
amid loud calls to order, said that as the
House would have to vote on the resolution
and preamble together, some members Cd
his side would vote against the whole
thing.
the SPEAKER stated that there was no
precedent known to the oldest member
where after bill had been ordered To be
engrossed and the question occurred on its
possage, part of il could be passed and
part rejected. That was utterly impossible
The time TO vote for or against preamble
was on the ordering to be engrOssed.
The previous question having been
seconded on the passage of the joint resolu-
tion, Mr.. BINGHAM rose TO close the de-
bate, but yielded half an hour to Mr.. BOUT
WELL, who proceeded to address the House
against the joint resolution.
Mr.. BOUTWELL, said that after most
careful reflections through taunts and Jeers
he was still as deeply convinced as ever, OF
the unwhOlesOme and dangerous nature OF
this proceeding. He demanded a system
Of impartial suffrage to the colOred people
of Tennessee first, and then to the colOred
people Of the whole reyolted rebellious Sec
ton o the country. His objection to this
measure was fundamental. 1t was that the
government of Tennessee was not in fact
Republican government He asked the
House to consider the condition of Tennes-
see with zoe, 900 able bodied male citizens.
Its governing power placed in the hands OF
less than 10000 Of them by the Constitution
of Tennessee, more than half of the white
sTsaf-a rNsntaH anh md
eighty thousand male cOlOred citizens
The history of the country was full Of
warnings to politicians and patriots,
but it might be asked, were those
states TO be forever excluded? By
no means. He stated why he should vote
against the joint resolution. He would have
Welded his objection to it if he had seen
shadow Of hope coming from the State Of
Tennessee itself He found, on examining
the constitution of Tennessee, that the vOt-
ing power was confined exclusively to the
white population. His second objection was
that Tennessee would be admitted under the
Joint resolution with the same representa-
tives that she was entitled to before the war,
whereas she should only have the members
now which she would be entitled to under
the constitutional amendment.
Mr. BINGHAM closed the debate. He
anv gentleman supposed to intend well to
his country should take the position taken
by the gentleman from Massachusetts
Mr.. BOUTWELL, stated that his objection
was that the colored people were dis
frauehised.
Mr.. BINGHAM replied that Mr.. Bout
we'll had spoken Of the white voters Of
Tennessee as "a minority and he claimed
that 90 600 voters under the new ConstItu-
ton and laws represented 440, 600 of its white
popuIation, which was as 2 to l Of its black
population. The gentlman from Massa-
chusetts had agreed that Tennessee could
not be admitted because she had not ex-
tended the elective franchise 10 her black
citizens On that principle, why not ex-
clude Missouri which disfranchised her
blacks and rebels?
Mr. FINCH interrupted 10 say that he
attached no consequence to the act Of The
Tennessee Legislature. He did not believe
| it to be an expression Of her people. -sr
Mr.. BINGHAM hoped his colleague
would excuse him from yielding further
There was no member on this floor who had
any right to assume for himself higher OF
greater measure Of patriotism than was Y
be attributed TO every loyal leading man in
| Tennessee represented in this movement
If Tennessee was not republican in iormi
neither was New York nor Ohio; II she wa
not entitled TO representation, neither wa
| Massachusetts nor Indiana What then re-
| manned to be done but TO declare that N a.
much as Tennessee had ratified in gooc
| faith the Constitutional amendment, anC
| given evidence to satisfy Congress Of the re
turn of her people to their allegiance, she
is entitled 10 representation?
The House proceeded to vote on the pas
sage of the Joint resolution During th'