New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-12-05
WASHINGTON.


WASHINGTON, Wednesday. Dec g. 1851
There was debate of about an hours duration in
the Senate to-day on the Presidents message Ii
sprang out of resolution TO print 5000 extra copies
of that document. Mr. Howard objected that the
message was dsrespectfnl to Congress- and Mr..
Sumner followed i'll few remarks, I'm which he
denounced johnson as the successor Of Davis Mr..
Wilson defended Congressional Reconstruction, and
spoke of its good results. Mr. Dixon came forward
and made a speech defending JohnsOns policy. and
pointing TO the late elections its abundant yindi
cation. The debate was not finished, when Mr..
Edmunds called mp his bill for the payment Of the
National Debt in gold, and made an hours speech in
favor of it,
In anticipation of the debate on impeachment be-
ginning to-day, the galleries of the House were
crowded from the commencement Of the days session
till the adjournment IL will be remembered
that last week, when the judiciary Com.
mttee made their reports on impeachment to-day
was set for the beginning of the consideration
of the matter. Contrary to expectation. however
impeachment was not reached. The bill reported by
Gen. Schenck from the Ways and Means Committee
repeating the cotton tax taken up immediately
after the session began, and the debate thereon
consumed the whole day-about four hours. large
number of members Of both sides of the
House spoke on this subject the point at issue being
whether the repeal of the tax should be immediate
or prospective The debate was earnest and cx.
hauStye, and showed that the temper of the House
was for immediate and continuous work. The Demo.
Gratis almost unanimous for the immediate repeal
of the tax. Two-thrds of the Republicans were foI
prospective repeal, and were solid against the init
nations made by Democrats in the debate. that the
tax originally was Illegal and unconstitutional. Mr
Schencks bill repeating the tax on all cotton grown
| a.. Ill. 1 4
| AS to 20.
Tomorrow Mr.. Boutwell, will surely obtain the
floor and will lead Off in the debate on the impeacl
ment question. He will speak at length and show
the reasons for the report of the majority of the Ju
dietary Committee on the matter.
petition, signed BY the correspondents here Of
the leading journals of the country asking for in
vestigatiOn as to who guilty in breaking faith
by publishing the Presidents Message before it was
delivered to Congress, was presented to the House
to-day by the Speaker and referred to the Judiciary
Committee.
The Ways and Means Committee had long die
! cussion to-day the currency questio vhich
lasted up to the hour of adjournment. II
| tended to resume it again in the aftern,
owing to the debate in the House on the cotton D5x
it was postponed until tomorrow. 1t is understood
that a majority of the Committee are in Of
stopping turtnef COntfhtlOn, ana OF taxing IT ID tho
Secretary of the Treasury the power of retirYg ne
100000 per month Some Of the Committee i,v-
ever are averse to interfering with the Secret3rys
operations and think that the question of cOptyao
ton with a view of coming to a specie basis. ST. Mid
be left entirely with him.
Gen. Steedman is lying dangerously ill at his room.
and at one time to-day expected that he codld
not longer live. He was stricken with apoplexy.
! The Republican members of both houses met in
caucus tonight to hear the report Of the Cor eSs
Committee ON the state of the in the South
em States, and To adopt measures 10 forward the
canvass in that section. Senator Morgan in the
chair and Mr.. Cullom of Illinois was chosen Secre-
! tary. Mr. Morgan stated the object of the meeting.
| and Senator Schenck, Chairman Of the Com
mittee, was called on for o report on the
receipts and expenditures lie showed that s4O673 -
had been expended and that S39l60 q had been col
ected and then madea detailed statement containing
valuable information in regard to the labor per-
formed and the number of documents distributed in
the South This information, he said had been col
lected through the churches and the Freed
mems Bureau the Methodist and Bap-
| fist denominations being particularly ac-
tive He estimated that the Committee would
need $40 600 next year and urged that steps he taken
10 secure the adoption of constitutions in the South
ern States by the Conventions now IN session. Judge
! Kelley made a speech, in which he stated that he
thought the Committee ought to raise $1,000 instead
| of $4,000. Mr.. Ashley, who followed, agreed
! with Mr. Kelley 10 the necessity for
| additional funds; he believed Congress ought to
repeal that portionof the reconstruction act which
requires a majority of all the registered voters TO
adopt a Constitution and thought that Congress
should also provide for the immediate removal of all
/ Rebels now IN office in the South. If the military
/ al
do so. Senator Chandler said that more
work had been accomplished with the money
already raised than he thought was possible
with SO small m amount. He would not have thought
! il possible TO have done much with 100000 and
| he believed that as much money was
/ needed could readily be raised. Senator Corbett of
Oregon and Mr.. Maynard of Tennessee followed in
remarks of similar import, and it was agreed to APP
point Committee 10 collect the necessary funds.
Gen. Grant sent to-day to the House the following
statement. showing the expenditures for the past
year of the Quartermaster-G Generals Department:
For regular supplies Of the Quartermaster's De- ,oo,
parment SoSeS
Purchase of artillery and cavalry soooo
Transportation Of the army eVO'OO
Total .sl''VV'O'
Gen Grant recommends that appropriations be im-
mediatey made for the QuaremaSter's Department
AS the available funds of the Department are nearly
| exhausted.
Among the nominations by the President to the
Senate to-day were the Hon. Edmund Cooper OF len
nessee 10 be notwithstanding OF the Treasury
Gem Noah L. Jefiries of Maryland To be Register OF
the Treasury: j. Warren Bell late OF tennessee I'D
be- Collector of Customs at Brownsville, Iexasi IL
T. Wood TO be Collector of Internal Revenue oil tho
Hid District of NewYork vice T. c. Callicott sus-
| "a IN ba
! District of Pennsylvania: Gen. j. +. Milford
! L, .n..4.n ~ tIn I'LL District of Virginia: