The Portland daily press., 1867-07-04
XLth OONaREsS-Extra Session.
WASHINGTON, July 8.


SENATE.
The Senate met at l. O'clock, lTe
MIR. Sumner asked leave to enter protes
against the resolution calling Congress togeth
er, asserting to so far rs it provides for an ad
Journment in the absence of quorum it is un
constitutional. He saw quorum present, bu
did not wish the resolution to be taken as q
precedent for the future. - b..
The roll was then called and thirty-four Sen
ators reported. -a
The Secretary was instructed to inform the
House that quorum Of the Senate was pres.
snt.
At 1926 P. NJ. the Clerk of the House in.
formed the Senate that quorum of the House
was present. ..l4 w.. ~.
Mr.. Sumner offered two petitions. u =.
Mr.. Fessenden objected to the introduction
nected with the subject for which it was wei
known Congress met
Alter debate the petitions We're ordered to
be lald on tho table for the present.
Mr.. wilson offered bill in addition to the
several reconstruction acts 1t consists of two
sections. The first yaeates ali civil offices with
ID thirty days, and authorlzes the commanding
general TO retain the present ineumbe nts, make
new appointments or order elections. The
second authorizes the Board OF Registration
10 refuse to register persons applying whom
they may have Just grounds to believe are seek
ing to eVade the requirements of the law and
10 strike from the roll within twenty days, per-
sons registered and afterwards proved disaual-
Mr.. Sumner offered a bill for universal suf-
frage, same as last session. by 80 .fii-h 2 az
MI. Drake, by unanimous consent, intro
duced bill, which was read, passed to a Sec
ond reading and ordered to be printed. 1t is
entitled a bill further to provide for the oov-
ernrnent of rebel States 1t enac that on
- day of -, 1867, the provisional Gov.
ernments then existing in the lately rebel
states shall be set aside as far as shall then be
administered by legislative, executive, judicial
Intf mn e
said States, and all such offices shall on that
day be vacated and shall not hereafter be ad-
ministered by virtue of the authority or power
conferred by any such State prior to that day /;
provided, this section shall not include the mu-
nicipal officers Of such county, district, parish,
township, city, town or village, but all officers
OF this description in any of said States NAV at
any time after the passage OF this act be re-
moved from office by the orders or authority OF
the military commanders of the district The
bill further provides that the commanding
general In each military district shall appoint
suitable person to fill each of the offices in
amy OF the States III his district made vacant
by this act and that the time for the compile
tion of registration in the rebel States NAV be
extended by the commanding general to any
day prior to the Nth dav OF November 1867
etc. The last of 18th section is as follows:-
That no constitution adopted by the said rebel
States shall entitle such State to representa-
ton in The Congress of the United States un-
less it provides that all elections by the people
in such State shall forever be by ballot. and
declare that such States shall ever remain a
member of the American Union, that every
citizen OF such State owes paramount allegi,
ance to the United States, and that no law or
ordinance OF such State in submission in con-
travention OF the authority of the United
States can have any binding force. ' la
Mr.. Edmunds, by unanimous consent,
brought in bill in explanation OF the recon-
struction, act. 1t declares the true intent and
meaning of the same to be that tho military au.
thority of the United States in the rebel States
is paramount to any civil government existing
therein, and makes all such civil governments
subordinate to the military authority, and pro-
hibits them from interfering in any way
with the exercise of such authority. The
commander OF any district shall have the pow
er, subject to the approval Of the General of
The armies of the United States, whenever in
the opinion of such commander the proper adj
mlnistration of said acts shall require to sus-
pond or remove from Office or from the per-
torrance OF official duties and exercise of Off
cial powers, any officers or person holding any
office or performing any duties under any pow
er by election, appointment or authority deriv-
ed from or granted by or claimed under the
State government thereof, whether regular or
provisional; it is made the duty of the Presi-
dent to detail for service and to employ a SUI
fcient military force 10 secure at all times the
complete and effectual execution Of this act,
and the act of which this is explanatory, etc.,
and the last section reads that the acts by Off
GERS of the army already done in removing il,
said districts, persons exercising the functions
OF civil offices and appointing in their stead
are hereby ratified, confirmed and legalized.
Mr. Frelinghuysen also offered supplement-
tary bill.
Mr.. Howard offered a resolution calling on
the President for copies of all orders, instruc-
lions, etc., issued to military officers under the
reconstruction acts, and all CORE spondenee
between himself and such commanders also
copies of all orders issued by such command
ers in carrying out the reconstruction acts !;
also that he inform the Senate what progress
has been made in the matter of registration
under said acts, and whether the sum OF money
heretofore appropriated tor carrying them out
is sufficient -s4 io5 ..u
Messrs. Drake and Edmunds offered bills on
reconstruction, which were tabled.
A committee was appointed to wait on the
port the Senate adjourned until Friday