The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-02-02
Congress.


We have nothing of particular interest
from Congress. We give the following from
the correspondence of the New York Iri-
6une in relation to the action of the House on
Mr.. Stevens bill:
The consideration ofMr. Stevens enabling
act occupied the rest of the days session,
and this important measure was at last dis
posed Of Julian of Indiana, Cullom of Hi
nois, and Scoffield of Pennsylvania, made
speeches in favor of Mr.. Steyenss plan,
which, together with other facts, led Mr.
Stevens to hope that the bill might pass
without going to the Reconstruction Com
mittee. When the debate had finished,
Bingham demanded the previous question
on a motion to recommit the bill to the Re
construction Committee. This gave rise to
good deal of maneuyering and activity
among the friend and opponents of the bill.
Bingham and Conkling were looked upon as
the leaders of the Republicans in favor Of
recommitting, while Stevens, backed by
Boutwell,, Shellabarger, and Morrill,, was
considered the champion of the immediate
passage of the bill. Bingham, in his re-
marks, expressed himself as satisfied with the
Constitutional Amendment, while Conkling
did not commit himself. Boutwell, was will
ling to have the bill go to a select commit
|
tee. During the debate, which was very
spicy and interesting, Stevens denounced
| Bingham in very severe terms, telling him
| lie did not want his COUNSEL nor advice, nei-
ther did he recognize his authority to speak
| for the people, and, in fact he would not be-
lieve word he said. For this language the
J Speaker called Mr. Stevens to order, and
| thus put stop to an interesting family
quarrel. During the debate between the
leaders. active canvassing was going on be-
tween the Republican members, many being
at loss to know how to vote. The Ste
vens men put forth the statement that the
reference of the bill to the Reconstruction
Committee was the same rs killing it entirely.
A large number, however, whose radicalism
cannot be doubted, thought otherwise, and
consequently voted for the reference After
| a half an hours canvassing, the crisis was
reached by Bingham demanding the main
question on his motion to refer. AS soon as
he did this the Democrats moved to adjourn
which was voted down, and then Bingham
again demanded a vote, when Stevens, see
ing defeat ahead, moved to adjourn but the
Democrats voted with the Bingham party
and the motion was lost. The vote was
then taken, and the bill was recommitted by
So Yeas to So Nays, all the Democrats vo
ting in the Affirmative. The whole number Of
Republicans in the House is 13S. Of thi:
number As voted y rccommit the bill, 6;
voted against recommittin9. while 90 were
absent and did not vote. The vote by which
the bill was recenlmitted to the Committee
on Reconstruction demonstrated two things
that it was the sense of the House that thu
bill needed amendment, and that the bes
place in which to amend it was the Recon
, struction Committee Room, and not tn
. floor of the House. The XNX1Xth Con
gress had done nothing more solcmnly
more deliberately, and more carefully THAI
to organize that Committee. The Uniol
party throughout the North and West wen
into the last canvass upon the report of tina
Committee and It's recommendations |
carried the country upon them. The persona
of the Committee and its fitness for the dis
, charge of the great trust committed to
l we're Endorsed by the people at the poll:
after a discussion more thorough and genera
. than any in the history of our politics. TIL
endeavor to take from this committee tn
: perfection of this legislation, contemplate
t by Mr. Stevens's bill, was sufficient reasol
of defeat the motion. It would have bee
impossible to have made the necessary chan
: ges in the bill in such an arena of parliamen
e tary license and disorder as the House is
a with the unlimited right ofmotions to amen
o and to substitute, quite as impossible as t
frame Tariff bill in Committee of til
Whole instead of having it done by the Way
: and Means Committee, This is the signiff
h day seemingly in opposition to the bill.