Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-12-13
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.

and policy accordingly.
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
The thirty. ninth Congress assembled IN
its second and last session, on Monday, the
Sd instant. Scarcely had the preliminary
duties of organizing for business been COM
pleted, before the cloven foot manifested its
ubiquitous presence SUMNER moved to
take up his old hobby-the bill to establish
negro suffrage in the District Of Columbia
which after some discussion, was decided
not in order. A resolution was also intro
duced asking the President to communicate
to the Senate, what action had been taken
by the French Government, in compliance
with the demands relating to Mexico.
The message of the President, printed in
full on our outside pages, was then pre-
sented
In the House, bill was introduced pro-
vidiug that every subsequent Congress
should meet at noon on the 4tb of March
of each year. This bill looks to the estab
lishment of a permanent Congress, whose
object will be 10 hold in check the appoint.
ing prerogative of the President. As
part and parcel of this proceeding, STEVENS
introduced bill to regulate removals FROM
Office. 1t provides against removals while
the Senate is In session and as this body
is by the previous bill to be in perpetual
session, no removals whatever can be made
without its consent.
Bills to create department of Internal
Revenue; to authorize the Secretary of the
Treasury to sell, at auction, two millions of
gold per week ; to regulate the mode Of
proceedings in trials of impeachment, we're
introduced and referred. Elliott asked
leave to introduce bill to repeal the Act of
1862, granting power to the Executive to
extend pardon and amnesty to persons en-.
gagged in the late rebellion On motion, the
rules were suspended, by vote of Ill to
20, and the bill read
In the Senate, Sumner gave notice that
he would introduce resolutions declaring
the power of Congress on the subject of re
construction, and the right to exclude the
late rebelious States from Congressional
representation, and from voting on the con-
stitutional amendments.
Chandler moved, but the Senate refused,
to take rp the House bill to amend the act
of 1862, so as to take away the power of
the President to grant amnesty.
Wentworth introduced resolution, which
was adopted, insisting upon the adoption Of
the constitutional amendment before the
House will consider the propriety of Civ
ing Southern States representation in Con-
gress.
A resolution was adopted, directing in
quiry as to the expediency of repeating the
cotton tax.
The House Committee on the judiciary
have reported, against repeating so much Of
the coniscatioD act as prohibits the forfeiture
of the real estate of deIiuquents beyond
the term of their natuaral lives. They say
that to forfeit altogether the property of
those engaged in the late rebellion would
be the enactment of an er post fdcto law
within the meaning of the Constitution, by
annexation to crime already committed, an
additional punishment
The standing committees 10 the Senate
were announced on the 5th. Sumner re.
mains as Chairman of Foreign Affairs; Will
son, Chairman of Military Affairs; Grimes,
Chairman Of Naval Affairs Wade, Chair.
man of Committee on Territories. The
three friends of the President, Messrs. Doo-
little, Dixon and Cowan, have been de-
prived of the craftsmanship Of the Commit
tees, respectively, of Indian Affairs, Post
Office and Patents No Committees are now
headed by the friends of the Administration.
Mr.. Williams offered a resolution in
structing the Committee on Retrenchment
to inaure to what extent the President has
right to restore colfscated property under
the laws of the United States, aud if such
laws exist, to what extent they can be execu.
ted, &c. Adopted.
Mr. Trumbull moved to take up the Bill
to repeal the Presidents amnesty power,
and to refer it to the Committee on the Ju-
dietary.
This gave rise to debate, al the conclu.
sion of which the Bill was referred
Mr.. Sumner offered the resolutions on re-
construction, of which he gave notice. They
assert the right of Congress over the subject
of reconstruction, and deny the right of the
lately rebellious States to pass upon the
constitutional amendments. The resolutions
were read and ordered to be printed.
In the House, Mr.. Williams, of Penusyl-
vania, called up the Bill Of last session for
the regulation of appointments to, aud re-
movals from Office, and addressed the House
in advocacy of the Bill.
The House Bill repeating the pardoniug
power Of the President, was taken up.