The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-12-12

l 90 fufther, and say, we have won IL for all the
States OF the Union. Before the Atm OF March,
isSsbetore thie Admin istration shali oiose--Iex-
pect the negroes in all the States will be clothed
Win the the rsgHS m ~ OF M eInIage & nave not 'h"'
Mr.. HENDRICKS, of Indiana, asked Mr.. Will
SON why, If this subject had been decided 3y tne
last elections the consideration Of this Dill wes
discontinued during the last session, af'er Dill
had passed the Houstl
Mr.. WILSON said the reason was that ~ was
found there was strength enough IN tne oeha,9
to pnes II over the Presidents veto, ana IL was WEI
known the President would have vetoed ~ since
then the voice of the people had been eApresseu'
and was now unequiyocaI. =, ..,, ,Ao.o ,uoro
Mr.. johnson, of Maryland, eaid there were
many reasons why the right of suffrage had never
been generally extended to women IL had not
only never been asked for by women, but ne be-
Heyyed n wouid be rejected. There was another
reason why they should not be allowed TO vote. Ii
thew participated in elections they must be part
Of he militia. Mr. johnson read portion of
letter from John Adams, in which the writer OPP
posed female Suffrage, and gives his reasons foT ms
amendment contended that women should have
the right of suffrage for their own protection
He (Mr. Johnson) always supposed that the duty
Of protection to ladies belonged TO their husbands
and brothers. Ladies had never complained that
they had not sufficient protection Some such COM
plants had been made by q few, but they were
such as were very properly denomlnated strong-
minded women. Ladies were not anxious 10 par
ticipate in election broils and political excite
Mr.. COWAN asked If the presence Of ladies at
the polls would not tend to preserve orderl
Mr.. JOHNSON said IL would not. The kind OF
men who created such disturbances were not to be
deferred from it by the presence of ladies. Aside
from all delicacy, what right had woman to vote
when the right was denied to boy until he was
2l, although he was put into the militia at 1877
Mr.. WADE resumed the floor in advocacy OF
the amendment. He spoke of the necessity of fe-
male suffrage to enable women to protect them
selves bv the enactment of just laws.
Mr.. FRELINGHUYSEN alluding to remark
from Mr.. johnson, that women voted in New
Jersey, said that in certain local elections they did
at one time, but not at present He would say fur
ther, that the women of New Jersey did not want
TO vote. Nine hundred and ninety nine out of
every thousand women of America wanted no
vote, but that they now exercised through their
influence upon men. Their mission was higher
and holier. He could see no connection between
the two cases of women and negroes.
Pending the consideration of Mr.. Cowan's
amen dment, on motion Of Mr., DOOLITTLE, the
Senate adjourned.
House of Representatives.
MI. LAWRENCE, of Ohio, from Judiciary Com
mittee, reported bill to repeal certain parts of the
act of April 30 1890, for the punishment of certain
crimes against the United States. 1t repeals so
much of the act as provides that no person shall be
prosecuted tried or punished tor treason, other
capital offence, except the indictment therefor shall
be1ound by grand Jury within three years next
ted. And 1t provides that persons guilty of trea-
SON. or other capital offences, may at any time be
indicted, tried and punished therefor.
Mr.. LAWRENCE, of Pennsylvania, explained
and advocated the provisions of the bill.
Mr.. SHELLABARGER, Of Ohio, inquired
whether the bill would allow the trial OF persons
whose trial was now barred by the act OF 1907
Mr.. LAWRENCE replied in the negative.
Where the crime was already barred no act could
revive the right to prosecute
bill imposed any limitation whateverl
Mr. LAWRENCE said IL did not.
Mr.. SPALDING asked whether it would not
lie better to simply extend the time for prosecu-
Mr. LAWRENCE thought not. There was no
limitation in murder cases in Ohio; State whose
jurisprudence had been illustrated by his dstin-
Mr OONKLING, of New York, asked whether
the whole purpose of the bill would not be accom-
plished by repeating the statute of limitation and
whether it was worth while to attempt to do in
this bill what was known to be unconstitut ional,
namely, to revive offence which is in truth out
lawed. If the offence was dead, any law that
Mr.. LAWRENCE of Ohio, said that if this bill
did not pass, all the early treason OF Jefferson Davis
and those who co-operated with him would be en-
trey exempt from punishment He was willing
to 60 to the verge of the Constitution for the pur-
pose of Furnishing the early treason OF those who
inaugurated the rebellion
Mr.. STEVENS, of Pennsylvania, said-1 have
always looked upon bills that have evidently been
prepared for the purpose OF ascertaining how we
tba law nndeT wSicb the crime was Committed
with great distrust l do not believe that 1t be-
comes this nation do not believe that II is safe
for to undertake 10 pass laws by which we can
punish men, however guilty, who could not be
punished under the laws under which the crime
was committed. Oan we now alter the, Constitution
so to change the place of trial OF traitors, and
say that the venue may be changed and that they
shall be tried by Jurors summoned from another
bailiwickl The Constitution and our laws pro-
vide very carefully that especially treason cases
to be tried in the place where the overt act is
committed, or district previously ascertained,
by law and by jury from that bailiwicR. ANY
law that processes to change that IN any OF It's
features, looks to me much like attempting
case OF judicial murder that have been always
afraid to touch it,. am aware that II the traitors
Of the south We're to be tried under our existing
Constitution and law, not one of them could ever
be convicted. should never attempt to try them
for treason. l should try them as belligerents
under the laws of nations and under the laws OF
war.
memberships is what you would do if you
were the Administration"
Mr. STEVENS-I am speaking of what would
do when get into the Administration (Laugh-
ter.) l know that any attempt to try them for
treason would be failure, although would not
discourage the attempt But / mention this to
show that am fully sensible that none of them
under our present Constitution and laws can ever
man OF them run unpublished forever than make
law by which they could be punished I think
our government would endanger its future exist
ence and its character for justice before the world
think that the British government suffered more
from the murder of Lord Russell, although it was
the execution of the sentence OF court, than it
would have suffered by the escape OF forty trail
tors. / think this government had better be care
full how IL tampers either with the crime or the re-
medy' for II Is better to Ioreg3 remedy Tor me the
dc Sc, and partly as political offence, than to at
tempt now TO pass laws lest malefactors may es-
This processes to be a bill to make indefinite the
time of prosecution for one OF those offences which,
of all others, should be quoted by lapse of time.
engaged, not only in treason but in rebellion that
there must be some quieting law. And there ought
to be, in my Judgment for IL does not follow that
every traitor escapes who is not prosecuted within
three years from the time of the offence,
The statute of limitations nowhere runs IN any
case, except it is possible to enforce the remedy
1t only runs from the time when IL is possible TO
enforce IL. For instance, Benjamin. is in Europe.
So is Slidell. do not suppose anybody would
say that while Benjamin was absent beyond the
seas the statute of limitation would run. 1t only
runs nom the time when he may be prosecuted
nqng rs mot S Whether eth nat be SO or not
unued. IT was continuing otfense, and that Of