Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-03-05
Fortieth oongress---Fiirst. Session.
VI n ."|TI N ="
WAsHINGToN, March 4, 1867.
SENATE --.. t,5-...

| ..,t sa1 - WASHINGTON, March &, 1857.
SENATE. 1i. njz..t8
The Senate was called to order at 1920
O'Clock by Mr.. WADE, President pro tenn.
After prayer by the Chaplain, the first
business in order was decided the quafifi-
cation of new Senator's They were sworn
in. ;,54I.E.efr riiuFL 'fJ -uiTIh b. : sEag -. r
Mr.. TRUMBULL presented the creden-
tials of the Senators from Nebraska. John
M. Thayer and 7. w. Tipton were sworn in
as the Senators from Nebraska. gaa 29itpe
On motion of Mr.TRUMBULL, the Sem
ate proceeded to classify the Senators from
Nebraska. Mr.. Thayer drew class No.i2,
and goes out in 1871; Mr.. Upton drew class
No. 1, going out in 1869. [Huf g. 7i-ui9
1t was ordered that the hour of meeting
of the Senate be II 2o'clock. iU .-ju sss :
| On motion of Mr.. -TRUMBULL, a COM
mittee, consisting Of Messrs. Trumbun and
Buekalew, were appointed to wait upon
the President and inquire if he had any
communication to make. gtizl9Yib 5Ea7e'
The Senate ordered the Secretary of the
Senate TO inform the House that the Senate
was ready to proceed with business. 6ie31t
On motion of Mr.. TRUMBULL, the
Senate then, at o'clock, adjourned. 1sg
Hs,E --..t.- HOUSE. .ss.s-.a 90 as-
After the confusion had subsided Mr..
Mcpherson, Clerk of the House Of the 39th
Congress. called the roll. moi a1sr. asi
Mr.. WILSON,, of Iowa, having moved
to proceed to the election of Speaker, f-ri,E
Mr.. BROOKS arose, and after a speech
in which he denounced the organization of
the House in the absence of seventeen
States as a revolutionary proceeding, pre-
sented a written protest against it ON the
part of the minority. H" Esi'r .7a0a
| The protest was not received, and the
House proceeded to the election of Speaker.
| Mr.. Colfax was elected. On taking the
| chair he spoke as follows: 1920, as n - ..
| GENTLEMEN Elected for the third time
to this responsible and trying position,
appreciate more than ever before the ina
heritance of the trust, and realize more
than when entering on its efficient duty,
| the absolute necessity of your confidence
and support. Nor do over-rate the grav-
| ity of our position as Americans and legis-
lators. The years have never drop
/ ped their sands on mortal issue so
/ vast and grand as ours to-day. A
nation decimated by the conflict of
| fraternal strife; land desolated by de-
structive marches of hostile armies; a peo-
pie with fruits of prolonged wars ripened
into harvest of hearts dead with the bull
let, as hearts heavy with bereavements and
broken with anguish, look anxiously from
North and South alike, and by that light
should we walk. 1t is to guide our steps
by the justice of God and the rights of men.
1t is to Danish all malice and revenge, and
/
anchor our legislation on what the
great commoner of England, John
Bright, declares to be the simple but SUBJ
| lime principle onsWhich great national
questions should be settled, the basis OF
eternal rights, 1t is to write on our BAN
ners these words, that will shine brighter
than the stars which gem the ornament
Liberty, Loyalty, and Law" 1t is so to
make history that posterity shall rise up
and call us blessed. The Congress which
has just passed away has written a record
| that will be long remembered by the poor
and triendless whom it did not forget
Misrepresented or misunderstood by, those
who denounced them as enemies; harshly
and unjustifiedly criticised by some who
| should have been its friends, it proved it.
! self to have been more faithful to human
| progress and liberty than any of its
| predecessors. 1 The outraged and op-
pressed found in these Congressional
halls champions and friends. Its key note
of policy was protection to down-trodden.
1t failed not before the mightiest, nor neg
| lected the obscurest 1t lifted the slave
whom the nation, had freed to the full
statute of manhood. - 1t placed on our
statute books the Civil Rights bill as our
i national Magma Charta. Prouder than all
enactments that honor the American code,
and in all the region where Civil Govern
4 ment had been destroyed by vanQuished
/ rebellion, it declared, as a guarantee of de-
| fense to the, weakest, that the freeman's
| hands should WELD the freeman's ballot.
| 1t proclaimed that there could be no
safe or legal reconstruction on a foun-
dation of unrepentant treason and dis
10y yalty. Fortunate it will be for
us if when we surrender these
seals to our successors, we can point to a
record which will show on our history's
page like that of the Congress which has
| Just expired. Thrice fortunate if, when we
| leave this capital. our whole national struc-
ture shall be permanently restored, resting
on the sure foundation stones of loyalty,
unity, liberty and right. With such con-
victions of duty come to this Chair to ad-
minister your rules, but not as partisan.
| Pledging you in return an inf1eXible inn
partiality, which shall be proven by my
deeds, and invoking on your deliberations
the favor of Him who holds the destinies of
nations in the palm of His hand, am now
ready to take the oath Of Office prescribed
| by law.
/ The Speaker was solemnly sworn into of
flee by Mr.. Dawes, the member having the
longest continued service, and then the
Speaker proceeded to administer the oath
| to members by States. a.
| The House, by resolution, elected Edward
Mcpherson clerk. o.. s-.,..-
|, The SPEAKER announced that the
president had signed the bill in reference
to Wool and Woolens; also, the Army APP
llpriation bill, with protest. The Presl-
dentas impssapp on the same SuhiecE WAS