Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-07-05
CONGRESSIONAL.
FRIDAY. July S.

SENATE .-Messrs. Patterson. OF Ne VI II amp.
shire, ard Van Wlnkle. Of West Virginia, alb
sent on w ednrsday. appeared in their seas
Alter PRAYER by the Chs PLATA. aui the Seaa
ing of the Journal of Wednesday, Mr.. An.
thoIy, from the committee TO wait aeon ,e
President and intsrm him OF the presence of
quorum in each House. reported thar the COM
mittee had performed its duty. aud had been
informed by the President that he had no COM
mn, ia ion t. make.
M, Anthony offered the folio wing resoIu-
ton: -
ResoI,ed, That the business of this session
eGoutu oe confined 70 removing the obstruc.
lions y hieh have been or are likely to be placed
in the way Of the fair execution OF tna acts OF
reconstruction heretofore adopted by Ton xress.
TO giving to said acts the scope intended bv
Congress- when the same were passed; and
that further legislation at this session on the
subject OF racons,ruction, or on other sub.
jects, is not ex pedent. 81
MIR. FeeseDden suggested that thu word
ssshould' had better he stricken ont.
Mr.. Sumner as keu if the Sen ater desired to
press the adoption of that re- solution 10. day
Mr.. Anthony said ne desired its present con
sheraton.
Mr.. Sumner said he would not object to Its
present cons alteration. because he would not
needlessly throw any barriers in its way, but
at The proper time ne would have somethin q
to Say on it.
The Chair.-The question is on agreeing to
the resolution.
mr. Sumner.-Refore resolution so omen To
Critics m, so doubtful in point of ordar, and
so plainly contrary TO the spirit of the Consfi-
tuition. is brought under consideration think
the Senator who brings It forward should en- .
Tighten Us with regard TO it's object aud the
reasons in justification of so extraordinary a
proposition appeal to my friend 10 be good
enough 10 let US know his reasons for such a
proposition
Mr. Anthony supposed the reason was 90
apparent that no explanation was necessary.
Al the first session of the 4pth Congress a res.
olution was passed which contsn plated a ses-
n II haA So,,o tr>r,
sentatives, acting upon their 11Iyidual iudg
meht. should come here in sufficient nu fnbers
10 form quorum; and in the event a quorum
WAS not presen'. both Houses should ff1an adj :
iourn without delay. quorum would nos
have assembled had it not been evident that
some amendment was necessary TO the recon :.
strnction bill. He (Antheny) did NOT state this
as an op Mon OF hts own. but as an actual fact.
which he>had learned IN convers alton with
Senators He believed Congress was here in
obedience to the public sentiment. Public SEN
timent demanded that there should be session
to pass an amendatory reconstruction bill, to
make that bill precisely wha. Congress iu-
tended IT should be- and not what it had been
construed by the Attorney General, Whether
mat CONSTRUCTION was perfectly fair. or mere.
ly technical, he {An'hoDy} not being a law
yer, would not say; bur he would say thai it
was not the construction which Congress in
tended. The same purpose which REQUIRES
Congress to meet for this purpose, requires
thai 1t should con fine itself to that business.
MIR. Sumner said be was unable TO learn
reason for the passage Of such a resolution
He offered as substitute fox that resolution
the following:
Ifcso7red. That the Senate Sill proceed under
it's rules TO the dispatch OF the pnblic business
requiring its attention; and to this end all ne
titicns and bills will he referred for consider.
alton to the appropriate committees, wlthont
Undertaking in advance to limit the action of
Congress To any special subject and deny
hearing on all other subjects
MIR. sumner proceened TO address the Senate
at length upon this resolution. He commended
that there We're several i'm portant so bjects de-
handing attention. First, there were the In
dian difficulties, which required great attrn-
ton. Then there were two very important
trea'ies-oDe with South America and one with
Russia. which had recently been concluded,
and which required appropriations OF money
to carry them into execution.
Mr. Anthony said the Senate conId not orr.
glnste an appropriation bill, and the House
had adopted a resolution not to consider any
thing but reconstruction measures.
Mr.. Sumner said the Senate could originate
such bill a. wonld be required in this case
1t bad often done So but more i'm purtant tn an
any other subject was the hill for universal
suffrage. des,e ned especially to protect the
freedmen in Mary land and Kentucky
Mr. Pomeroy did not believe it Would he
wise TO pass Mr.. Antbony's resolution. al :.
though he was not in favor OF entering into
general legislation. II was no, known what
emergency might arise " bile Congress was in
session.
MT Yates desired 10 say that he did not wish
his vote IN favor of Mr.. Anthony's resolution
TO he construed as indicating opposition to nm .
iversal suffrage or other necessary legislation
but be did rot think it would be we'll to pro.
coed with that uhject now. Congress met for
particular object, and he was in favor OF
cenfining Its attention to it at the present
session.
Mr.. Wilson SAID he this morning called upon
he Selrt tary of War, and In conversation
with :Ea! officer learned that there would be
no necessity whatever for legislation designed
to affect the War Department, except a single
natter. which the Secretary would send in on
Monday. and that was an appropriation to
carry ont the reconstruction act in the south.
ern States.
Mr. Sumner again took the floor in opposi.
ton TO Mr.. AnthoDy's resolution. He urged
the passage OF the suffrage bill to carry equal
rights into Maryland, Kentucky, CONNECTICUT,
Pennsylvania, and Ohio and all other States
1t was useless to assert that there was repub-
lican form OF government where suffrage was
denied 10 men on account OF color
Mr.. Ross. while agreeing with the general
proposition that nothing not absolutely neces.
.ary should be ia ken mp, was opposed to Mr.
Anthony's resolution because ne believed il
necessary that some legislature should be in i.
aagnrated to qnPli the Indian dis turoances in
the West. A great many things were required
to be done to suppress Indian hostilities.
which could not be done without the concur
renee of Congress.
MIR. Upton spoke,of the necessity for legis,a
ton to put an end to the frontier disturbances.
Ii he could control the Legislation OF Congress-
to-day, he wonld prevent any army OFF, GERS
from going west of the Missouri river: he
would offer premium for savage liz dian
Ecalps. and he would authorize the formation
OF volunteer force on the frontier
Mr.. Wilson was sorry to hear Mr. linton
speaking OF offering a premium for Indian
scalps. He d. not believe snch language lit
to be used in this christian country. 1t created
the impression that the wrongs were not ali
committed by the Indians. He repeated that
the Secretary OF War had informed him thai
no ieRislationi on the subject of the Indians
was necessary
Mr.. Upton resumed the noor in deruncia-
ton of the atrocities OF the Indians on the
frontier, and again hoped there would be a re.
ward offered tor Indian ecalps.
Mr.. Pomeroy moved that the further coasid .
GRAFTON of this subject be postponed, TO enable
the Senate 70 take up the resolution of thank Ks
to Gen. Sheridan just passed by the House.
Mr.. SHmner said il Mr.. Anthouy's resolu
ton was passed the Senate could not act non
the resolution Of thanks to Gen. Sheridan.
Mr.. onkling -That resolution refers only
to legislative business. '
Mr. Sumner-This il legislative business
Mr.. Grimes said Mr.. Authony's resoln ton
would not prevent the Senate FROM acting upon
business coming here from the House. It onIv
referred to such as originated in the Senate
As to the resolution Of thanks, he thought Gen.
Sheridan would appreciate 1t more highly n
Z vryoa Plu anefA