New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-05-09
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
TIE TAX BILL. o,..
After the reading of the journal, Mr. GARFIELD ono
moved TO postpone the special order beng the cons
smctioD until the tax bill shall be disposed Of lie sald
it would be national calamity to nave TIE 'aA o'n "e'
layed. ,..,,;
xod he made of IT, lie had idea that the discussion OF
the constitutional amendment would occupy two or three
days and the purpose OF the COMMITTEE 10
the other acted on until 1t was seen VIVA,
disposition the Senate would make Of the CONSTITUTIONAL
amendment. -
Mr.. LIZ BLOND Ohio called for the yeas aud nays on
Mr.. Garfelds motion, saying that ne waheu 10 see NJ
in favor OF giving the negro the preference over INC
important interests OF the country. p,
The vote taken and resulted rs follows; Yeas, oi J;
Nays, 3; SO the motion was lost.
THE MERCHANTS BANK FAILURE.
Mr. WAsHBuRyE I'LL offered a resolution, which was
adopted directing the Committee on Banking TO examine
into all the facts and circumstances connected WIN 'e "
cent failure of the Merchants National Bank OF "ashns
ton and other banks and to report to the House the
Of Government money deposited in such banks, ana ny
whom, the of their failure and also what iurhe
legislation is necessary IN relation To the Naoai DAM
10 protect the public and the Government with power 70
send for persons and papers and TO examine Witnesses u
der oath.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF FIFTEEN.
The House then proceeded TO the consideration OF Inc
special order being the joint resolution reported by the
Reconstruction Committee, proposing an amendment 70
the Constt tuition of the United States.
ne bale wis Oltntu hNS "
port of the Joint resolution Mr.. Stevens said that the
before the House fell far short Of bis wishes
but he believed that it was all That could be obtained ID
the present state Of public opinion Not only congress
but the several States were 70 be consulted On careful
survey Of the whole ground the COMMITTEE dd not be-
cve that - Of the loyal States could be induced 10 ra
any proposition stringent than this. lie repeated
10 States" for lie utterly regulated and seorned the
idea that any State not actually the Union was TO be
counted the question Of ra'heaton IT was absurd 20
suppose that any than hrecourihs of the States
which proposed the amendment were required to make n
valid Believing then that this the best proposition
that could be made efeetual he steyensl accepted H.
Referring the other constitutional amendment passed III
the House this and which waited IN the Senate
he said il slaughtered by "a puerie and pedantic
nition." Its death produced by self-righieous Re
pubcans and unrightsous Copperheads had post
poned perhaps for ages the salvation OF the colored race
Bat would not DO for those Who had for ~ years fought
the beasts at Ephesus 10 be frightened at the fgs of
modern caiamounts. Heaven forbid that the Southern
States any Of them shall be represented in Congress un
iii fun Monuments of freedom built-full, high and
firm Against the will Of Congress the southern States
had been absent for four bloody years Against the VIII OF
Congress they must not come back until Congress Is ready
to receive them He believed that this Congress would
not approach the fun of justice until every full
grown in the late Rebel States was provided with
homestead the land where he had been held as slave
Forty Of land and hut would be Of more value To
Lin than the night 10 vote Unless Congress gave them
that measure of Justice IL should receive the censure Of
mankind and the of Heaven. In conclusion, Mr.
stevens In order 10 have Contro of the b entered mo
ton 10 rccommit II.
Mr. BLAINE Me- called the attention of Mr. Stevens
and Of the House 10 objection 10 the third section Of
the amendment, which he deemed serious, II not fat al
That section provided that until the 18th Of July, 1870 all
persons who voluntarily adhered to the late instruction
giving 1t aid and comfort shall be excluded from the right
TO vote for Representatives in Congress and for electors
for President and Vice President OF the United States II
appeared TO him that that violation OF good faith IN
reference to that large class OF people in the South who
came within the terms OF the Amnesty Proclamation of
President johnson and who thereby restored to all
their civil rights He asked Mr.. Stevens for an explains
ton on that point.
Mr. SrEyHSs admitted that the pardon extnguished the
crme-after pardon there WAS no such crime IN the ind
yidual. Those rho (aIy pdrdoaed dad not come
r,fhia the operation Of the third sec,'on.
Mr. BLAINE understood then, the gentleman nom Penn
sylyana say that those who within the terms Of
the Proclamation OF Amnesty would not be considered as
having voluntarily adhered to the late Instruction
Mr. STEVENS assimated their condition to that of per-
con convicted felony and thereby rendered incompetent
testify but who pardoned and If his testimony were
challenged could thereby produce his pardon aud thereby
Mr. BLAINE suggested that if that was the proper
s,rucon be given the section il should be amended
that there could be no question about its construction
and he should at the proper time move an amendment TO
that effect.
Mr. FINcK Ohio spoke in opposition to the measure.
He was opposed TO making any amendment to the Const
tuition He denied the authority Of any members Of States
TO combine together TO exclude other States from their
constitutional representation and to say to the States
excluded that they shall only exercise the right TO repre-
sentatiOn certain terms and conditions. The whole
scheme was revolutionary and most shallow pretense for
excluding the votes Of the eleven Southern States in the
next Presidential election He hoped the people Of those
States would rally around the wise and just policy OF
Andrew johnson. This measure was dangerous to the
safety Of the Union 1t would proract an unfortunate
contest without promising any beneficial result to the
MI GAaYnLp (OhioI stated that he was pleased with
almost everything in the proposed amendment. He
GREETED that the situation OF the country had not been
found such as to justify the presentation OF the plain,
answerable proposition that every adult citizen of the
United States, unconvicted Of crime, should have the
right OF suffrage put into his handsfo he believed that
the right to vote, not one of the natural rights of all
men, wss necessary for the protection Of those natural
rights He believed in the golden sentence of John
Stuart Mill that "the ballot is put into the hands Of
not much to enable them 10 govern Others 10 pro-
tect themselves from mis-government" He regarded
suffrage the shield the sword the spear and the whole
panopy that best BELTS for his defense III the
great social organization to which he belongs He was III
favor OF the hrst second and fourth sections Of the pro-
posed amendment, bat fully satisfied with tie
third section which the gentleman from Maine Blaine
had shown to be at least susceptible of misconsimcton
Mr.. STEVENS explained that whereas pardon wiped out
the crime and its punishment, there was difference be-
tween punishment for crime aud the Withholding oi
privilege. Pardon conferred other advantage than re-
lief from punishment.
Mr. GARFIELD without going into that point, expressed
his opinion that the third section was the only proposition
the amendment not bottomed clearly and plainly upon
principle II those who had participated IN Rebellion were
unfit to be allowed TO vote on the LIST Of January, 1870
would they be 1t to vote in the July following There
sufficient reason for that and it would be said
everywhere that IL purely piece OF political manage
ment in reference to the Presidential election. There
also practical objections to IT, Ii ninecnhs of the peo
pie were to be DISTINGUISHED for four years. how was that
Ia be carried out only by having the military forces of the
United States at every Fall In eleven States in the Union
He did not think IT, therefore wise prudent, both for
practical reasons and for the OF construction,
suggested by Mr. Blaine that the third section should
stand part of the amendment and he should TO
amend by striking out the third section.
The SPEAKER stated that pending the motion 10 recon-
nit, no amendment could be offered
MI GARFIELD would then move to amend the motion to