Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-12-20

The Committee on Banking aud Cur |
rency offered bill 10 tax National Bank |
notes, by States, at the same rates of other
monies, but no higher Referred to Com
mittee of the Whole.
Mr.. Washburn, of Wisconsin, offered
resolution asking the President for all the
papers and documents relating to the pur-
chase of the Russian America territory.
The House went into Committee OF
Whole on the state of the Union, Mr..
MAYNARD in the chair, and considered the
deficiency in the bill reported by Mr..
Peabody.
Mr.. Butler explained some items ia the
bill. He aIso said in reply to the remarks
of Mr.. Brooks, that he held in his hand
paper showing how some of the money
spent in reconstruction had been used, II
was the bill of Thomas Adams, Chief OF
Police in New Orleans, one item OF which
was as follows: For cash paid for hauling
forty-fye loads of dead and wounded from
around Mechanics Institute to the station
house, $l38, and another item for cab hire
for the Chief of Police and his aids, so that
while the dead and wounded were being
carted to the s,ation-house, hospital and
| workhouse, the Chief of Police and his aids
| we're riding in carriages. The reeonstruc-
| ton measure was proposed as a measure OF
economy, and to get rid of the standing ar
my in the South, and to put into loyal
| hands the ballot. Second, To relieve the
Southern people from such bills as the one
he had Just read, and last as the great finish
| ing up of therebellion, which had received
| the sympathy of those who had been acting
with the gentleman from New York, tMr.
| Brooks.) 1t was believed that when the
negroes of the South got the ballot, they
would be able to protect themselves. He
| had listened with utter contempt to the
| taunt that the ballot would be taken from
| them. Men might talk about that-might
| plot for it--might scheme for it, with the
| aid of all the powers of hell-but the ball
lot, once in the hands of the freedmen,
never could be taken from them. Whoever
expected such things, simply butted his
head against the wall to attempt it. He
trusted his friends on the other side would
go down and lead the army of nulliica-
ton, and they would be welcomed in way
that would make them understand that me-
groes had some attributes of men, to wit;
The knowledge of their rights, the cour-
age to maintain them and never TO yield
them.
Mr.. Gets inquired whether Mr. Butler
meant they would be welcomed with
bloody hands to hospitable graves"
/ Mr.. Butler said he did not mean that
the negro was kind person, and when
ever the gentleman shonld fall in such an
unhallowed contest, he would be kindly
cared for and that the negro, who had
fought for his country, would fight for him
self whenever he was attacked, and not
until then. 1t was said this was about to
be a war of races Why should the ne
groes try to get any higher, if, as the gen
tIeman from New York commended, they
were already on top?
Mr.. Randall would like to know the
gentleman's own plan, FOR he had seen it
intimated he had n plan to introduce the
negro voting in Pennsylvania and other
States. H
Mr. Butler declared he had no such
plan, and he never forced any thing upon
any body that was not deserved.
| Mr. Randall remarked he knew he
CButler, had not forced war on the Rebels
Mr.. Wood made some remarks which he
wound up by saying he had reasons for
the purpose of calling attention frat, to
the wrong method of appropriating money
under the pretense of deficiencies; second,
to the great cost of reconstruction measures,
then to the fact that those expenses were
yet in embryo, and that to carry out the
system of reconstruction az initiated by
Congress, it would cost the government
twenty times the amount already appro-
priated.
Mr.. Lawrence, of Ohio, offered an
amendment authorizing the State Con-
ventions in the South ito provide by taxa
ton on property for the payment of ex-
| penses on reconstruction.
Mr.. Butler claimed that the amendment
was not in order, and the chair so ruled.
The committee rose and reported back
the bill without amendment. The bill
then passed-yeas 81, nays so.