The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-01-31
CONGRESSIONAL.
WAsHrNGToN, Jan. 80

| ing the payment OF Sl0,0UU, or so much
thereof as is necessary, to defray the ex,
penses of the joint committee on Recon.
struction
Mr.. Harris presented the petition Of
men in the Signal corps asking to be
discharged from service, which was re-
ferred to the Military committee
Mr. Trnmbull, from the Judiciary
committee, reported a resolution that
John P Stockton is entitled to seat in
the Senate as Senator from New Jersey
which was ordered to be printed. a..
Mr.. Wilson introduced bill proyid-
ing for the national defence by the es-
tablishment of an active volunteer mill
tia throughout the United States OF all
able-bodied citizens between the ages OF
| twenty and thirty, to be enrolled with
exceptions similar to those in relation
to drafted men during the rebellion. The
Bureau of Militia is authorized as well
as 'Adjutant Generals. In each State
there shall be one active regiment of in
fantry in each congressional district,
Territory and District of Columbia, of
citizens between twenty-one and thirty
FIVE years of age, to be enrolled for six
years or during the war, if any should
be declared within that period AEof-
fcers in The States to be appointed by
the Governor and in the District by the
President, and as usual be selected from
persons who have been examined by
Military Board appointed By the same
authorities. Regimental Commanders
appoint their own non-commissioned Of
fcers. The last section provides that
the President may order the whole or
any part of the volunteer militia into
the service of the United States, during
insurrection, rebellion, foreign war, or
opposition to the laws too strong for
civil authorities to overcome, or upon ap-
prehension of either; and any member
who shall fail to appear without Talid
excuse may be tried by Court Martial for
desertion. The bill was referred to the
Military Committee.
Mr.. Dixon called up the bill for stamps
and stamped envelopes on credit After
some discussion on this subject the
morning hour expired and the chairman
announced that the bill to protect ell
persons iE the United States in the en-
ioyment of their civil rights and to ful-
nish the means of tlleir vindication, was
before the Senate. The question was
upon the adoption of Trumbull's amend
ment to insert after the second clause
the words; THAT all persons of African
descent born in this country are hereby
declared citizens of the United States.
Mr.. Salisbury called for t lie yeas and
nays
Mr. Van Wrinkle spoke against the
amendment He did not think it wise
or constitutional to adopt it.
Dir. Trumbull withdrew the amend
ment above stated and offered in lieu OF
it the following: That ali persons born
in the United States not, subject to any
foreign power, are hereby declared to be
citizens Of the United States without
any distinction of race or color.
Mr. Guthrie, of Kentucky, inquired If
Mr.. Trumbull intended to naturalize In
dians.
Mr.. Ttumbull said We deal with In
diaus by treaty, and not by law, unless
in reference to those who are incorpora
ted into the United States, and are sub
ject to taxation
Mr.. Cowan, or Pennsylvania, called at
tention to the fact that this amendment
would naturalize great number of Chi
nese children in California.
Mr.. Trumbull said the children Of Chi
uese parents, born in this country were
citizens; if this were not true, then there
were many counties in Virginia so inhab
tied by Germans that there mnst he very
few citizens in them.
Mr. Lane said there were Indians IN
Kansas who owned lands but were not
citizens.
Considerable discussion cnsued he.
tween Mr. Lane and others
Mr. Howard then stated that when the
constitutional amendment was before
the Judiciary committee he was mem
Der of that committee and the second
clause of the amendment he knew to be
indicted for precisely the kind of legis
lation now before the Senate. He denied
that any part of the amendment was to
relieve slaves from compulsory service
Such was not the construction
intended by the friends of
the amendment nor by the
bar of the United States. nor by the lib
erty loving people of the United States
without law Of this kind he said the
people of the southern states would have
right TO eSpatrlate the lTeeu negro or
compel him TO labor for whatever his
master might choose to pay.
Mr. Lane of Kansas, offered IN amend
ment to the amendment of Mr. Trambull
to insert after the works foreign power
the words "or tribunal authority
Mr. johnson said the amendment of
Mr. Trumbull proposed to define citizen
ship. Nobody was more willing than he
to admit that such a definition was de
sirable.. The Dred Scott decision how
ever had decided that persons ofAfrican
descent whether born in the United
States or not, should be Africans under
the Constitution, and that decision had
not been set aside The bill, he said
would effect not only colored but white
persons, as under it no State could dis
tinguish between the citizens born in
their own State or those born ia another
State or country.
Senate then adjourned
HOUSE The House By a majority of