Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1866-03-06

the United STATES zen %6s 1900
After a preliminary dabaie the Senate
i proceeded to the consideration of the
following concurrent resolution:
Resolred, By the House of REPRESENT.
Gtires 1.-THE Senate concurriDg), That in
order to close agitation upon q question
which seems likely to disturb the action
of the Government, as well as to quiet
the uncertainty which is agitating the
minds of the people of the eleven States
which have been declared to be in insur-
rection, no Senator or Representative
shall be admitted into either branch Of
Congress from any of said States until
Congress shall have declared such State
entitled to such representation.
III. MIR. Fessenden then addressed the
Senate, and from his speech We make the
following selections:
Nj. Fessenden-The resolution, II will
be perceived, is nothing more nor less
than legislative, assertion g by both
Houses Of Congress, that they will not
proceed to act upon the credentials Of
members from any Of the States which
lately constituted, the so-called Confed-
crate States, until they have previously
passed law applicable to the condition
of the States themselves. This, If you
will allow me to say 80, 10 in exact &C.
cordance with what Congress has indi-
Gated as it's intention heretofore. It was
indicated in the last Congress, and it
was indicated in resolution which
came directly from sthe Committee on
Judiciary, of which the honorable Sena-
tor from Maryland, Mr.. johnson, was q
Z concurrence, not as applicable to all the
States, but as applicable to one of the
States, It is before me in q few words,
and will read il. At the close of the
report that was made to the Senate on
Z the 18th of February, to accompany
joint resolution 8, No. lit, on the sub
lect Of the credentials of members claim.
ing seAts from Louisiana, the last para
graph, which will read, is.
The persons in possession of the To-
cal authorities Of Louisiana having re,
belled against the authority Of the Uni.
ted States, and her inhabitants having
been declared to be 10 Q state of insur-
rection, in pursuance of law passed
blythe two houses of Congress, your com
.gmittee deem it improper for this body to
admit to seats Senators from Louisiana,
till by some joint action Of both Houses
there shall be some recognition of an
existing State Government, acting in
harmony with the Government of the
United States and recogniziDg its au
thority"
Now, there is the principle laid down
insso many words, and agreed to, as
understand, specifically by the honorable
Senator from Maryland, whose authority
we all acknowledge, that inasmnch al
the State of Louisiana had been declar
ed to be in state of rebellion, and in
tercourse with it had been suspended by
q law of Congress, therefore. Congress
conld not properly admit menab ers from
that State, except in pursuance of a law
of Congress provided for her peculiar
condition. do not pretend to repeat
the exact language
z. How does it happen, then, that when
similar resolution is proposed, one sp-
plicable to other States that have been
Z precisely in the like condition, there
seems to be so much sensativeness in
the minds of gentlemens How can't
be accounted for that what was thought
to be 30 proper and applicable to the
State of Louisiana, should be soimproper
as applicable to other Statesf It is for
3 the gentlemen to answer. p 20
Mr.. Fessenden then read some ex-
tracts from the President stump speech
of Thursday, and, commenting thereon,
2 said: twill be noticed, Mr.. Presid emit,
that in the extract that has been read,
there are very serious charges made.
One 10 that there is an effort being made
to concentrate all power in few, and
that that power is lodged in the hands
of sort of central committee, and the
words which immediately follow furnish
sufficient indication of what the Presi-
dent meant. * Let me read
"a that resolution and state its history, for
it Is very singular that he should charge
that all the authority of deciding upon
the credentials of members of the House
OF Representatives and the Senate has
been taken from the House and Senate
and referred to this committee. There
solution, as il came from the House OF
Representatives originally, was in these
o words. VI 49, 49,
That a joint committee of fifteen
members shall be appointed, nine Of
whom shall be members of the House
and six members Of the Senate. who
shall inquire into the condition of the
States which formed the so-called Con
federate States of America, and reuor,
whether they, OF any of them, are emit
tied to be represented in either House
of Congress.
.s2-a And then followed the words which ]
will now read:
WI With leave to report at any time. b,
bill OF otherwise, and until such repof
shall nave been made and finally actes
on by Congress, no member shailbe re
ceived into, either House from any O
the said so-called Confederate States
and all papers relating to the represent
alton OF said States shall be referred t.
the said committee without debate"
That was the original resolution
When it came to be considered in tn
Senate it was not deemed very, desirs
BILE ct that time to interfere with thos
questions which might be said to belon
to either House, and the last part of tn
resolution was stricken ont, so that th
resolution as it actually passed stood
this way: WI -
"That a Joint committee Of iftee
s. members shall be appointed, nine
b whom shall be members Of the Houl
and six members of the Senate, wi