Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-04-07
Associated Press Report.
From Washington.
Message.

message.
President johnson has sent message to
Congress, recommending g modification of
the test oath, passed in 1862.
The Senate galleries are again densely
filled to-day to witness the proceedings on
the Message of the President vetoing the
Civil Rights Bill.
Senator Wright, of New Jersey, appeared
and took his seat in the Senate this fore
noon. %
Senator Dixon, of Connecticut, at 1:3O had
not arrived.
The Posts Washington special says: Sec
retary McCulloch and Post Master General
Dennison have sent communication to the
Senate asking for modification of the test
oath for office holders. Several persons
now hold places who cannot take the oath
and therefore no salaries are paid to them.
Civil Rights Bill Passed by the Senate.
The Senate has passed the Civil Rights
bill over the Presidents veto by vote of
80 yeas TO Is nays.
Communication Transmitted.
The President transmitted a eommunica-
tion from the Secretary Of the Treasury and
Post Master General addressed to him by
those officers, suggesting a modification OF
the oath of officers presented by the act OF
Congress, approved July I'd, 1862.
He fully concurs in their accommodations
and as the subject pertains to the efficient
administration of the revenue and postal
laws in the Southern States, he earnestly
commends to the early consideration of
Congress the letter of the Secretary of the
Treasury. He confirms the names of the
Collectors of Internal Revenue, Assessors,
Assistant Assessors. Collectors and Survey
ors of Customs, &c, appointed since the
- ., l.1ng
States, who have not been able to take liter
ally the oath of office prescribed by the act
approved July I'd, 1862. Besides these Of
ficers, a considerable number, per-
haps the larger proportion of those
holding subordinate positions in the
Revenue departments have also been un-
able to comply with the requirements of the
statute, and as q consequence they have
served without compensation, as accounts
could not be audited by the accounting Off
GERS of the Government. Many of these
officers have performed very important
duties with fidelity, and not few must be
in great distress by reason of inability.
When the appointments wereimade, it was
found it would be difficult to find compet-
ent officers in many southern revenue dis
tricts who could take the oath referred To-,
but so important did it seem to the Presi-
dent and the Cabinet for the purpose of
equalizing public burdens, that the revenue
system should be established throughout
recently rebellious states with as little de-
lay as practicable, and that the unpleasant
duty of collecting taxes from exhausted and
lately rebellious people should be performed
by her own citizens; that the Secretary of
the Treasury did not hesitate to recommend
for appointment and to appoint men whose
present loyalty would not be questioned,
but who might either willingly or unwil-
lingly, during the progress of the rebellion,
been so connected with the insurgent States
and confederate government as to be una
BILE to to take the oath of Office. This was
not done from any disposition to disregard
law but with the honest purpose of collect
ing the revenues with as little trouble to
tax payers as possible. The country was in
peculiar condition. The rebellion had
come to sudden close; all resistance to
the authority of the United States had
ceased and some seven millions of people
in state of utter disorganization were left
without any civil government whatever
and without even an adequate
military protection against an
archy and violence under these eircum-
stances, as it was clearly the duty
of the executive to proceed at once to cstab-
lish Federal authority and civil governmept
IN Iueoe CldteSs 50 II etcllo 70 Ue Necessity
! to carry into effect the revenue laws of the
general government. As the country was
passing from a state OF war to a state Of
peace and the-emergency seemed to be too
pressing to admit of delay, until the meet
ing of Congress, it was thought the test
oath might, in view of the great objects to
be attained, in some cases be dispensed
with, or rather that persons might be per
mitted to hold revenue Offices who could
take it only in a qualified form. No one
could have regretted more than the Presi-
dent and the members of the Cobinet
| the necessity which existed for
this course, but there seemed to
be no alternative, and it was eonfden-
TALLY hoped that under the circumstances
of the case it would he1-ARFf RFfs,ved~by Con-
gress. Among those Whssr as'nes are pre-
sented 10 the President q S.rresaTv has no
reason to suppose the 81. % 10 can