The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-01-19

pointmentS snail have been auF lSeu
and consented to by The Senate. The
amendment was adopted, and the bill
passed. yeas, 80; nays, 8.
Grimes rose to a personal eXplana-
ton, and read an extract, from news
paper, charging him with endeavorlng
to influence the Finance Committee
from interested motives, and lnslnuat-
ing that it was on account of his con-
nection with the hardware business
and a cutlery shop in New York.
Grimes denounced the statement as
a gross SANDER. He was once en-
gagged in the hardware trade, but had
had no connection with it since Au-
gust 18th, 1864, and had never been
interested in cutlery firm.
johnson and Fessenden spoke on
this subject, exculpating Grimes en-
tirely from the accusation Fesseu-
den, In the course of his remarks,
spoke of the newspaper attacks made
upon Special Commissioner Wells,
and said that they were unqualifedty
false and malicious. IA 81
Pollard moved to take up the
Bankrupt Bill The motion was
agreed to, bat before proceeding to
its consideration the Senate went into
Executive, session, and soon after
adjourned. aaot)ia
HoUsE.-On motion of Epson the
Post Office Committee was instructed
to inquire into the expediency of es-
tablishing certain post roads in Michi-
gan. ai8@y
On motion of Ritter the Committee
on Agriculture was instructed to in
quire into the expediency of report
ing bill for prohibiting the Commits
sioner of Agriculture from the pur-
chase Of distribution seeds, plants,
and flowers, coming to the United
States.
The Speaker presented Executive
documents, &C., as follows:
From the Governor of Ken lucky.
announcing the rejection, by the State,
of the Constitutional Amendment.
Laid on the table.
From the Attorney General, trans
hitting all the papers relative to the.
case Of A. d. Momy, indicted in the
local courts in Vicksburg, Miss. Re-,
ferred lr8
From the Secretary of the Treasu-
ry. transmitting copies of the draw
back regulations prescribed under the
Internal Revenue law. Referred to
Committee on Ways and Means.
Also, transmitting a statement of
disbursements of the contingent fund
of various offices In his department..
After consideration of some Dis
trict Of Columbia business, and pirate
Oullender, includin@ the passage of a
Joint Resolution to pay the claim of
Fuller and Fisher, of Missouri, the
House agreed to hold an evening ses-
! sion for deliberation on the Recon
Estruction Bill % re.s. - s.i rs
Hill gave notice that he would in
troduee a bill suspending for two
years the further retirement or can
collation. of the United States Legal
Tender Treasury Notes. iG3 issr % :.
= The House then proceeded to the
consideration of Stevens Reconstruc-
ton resolution, the pending question
being on Bingham's motion to refer
it to the Joint Committee on Recon
struction.
Ponnelly spoke in favor of the BILL
He said the Government had some
right to subordinate the wishes of
rebels to the welfare of the nation
now, as it had done during the war
1t was the duty of Congress to COM
mence at the very bottom and build
upwards. Slavery having ceased. the
blacks became instanter part of the
people, and Congress should recog-
nize no attempt at reconstruction
which ignored them. Sooner or later
the American people would reach the
reconstruction of the rebel States on
a basis of impartial justice and equal
! rights; and all attempts at reconstruc-
! ton on different basis would be but
temporary and destructive, The
American people would net long toll
! crate the carnival of violence and
murder now raging in the rebel States.
Eldridge spoke in opposition to the
bill. He knew it was Of little avail to
offer any resistance to the settled de-
cree of majority of the House. But
it was sad to sit silent and see the Re
! public go to ruin, With the passage
Iof this, bill must die every yestige of
a Constitutional Government. If the
| bill itself did not proclaim, the fact,
It's author (Stevens) had boldly
claimed that it was revolutionary and
submissive, and as Stevens bill, ap-
i peared to be law to this House. But
would Congress, and would the peo-
| pie, submit to such dictation? There
was no constitutional power or au-
thority1 for this bill absolutely
none Its principles were false in
theory, and in fact, and as de-
structive of the Federal powers
as of the States. There never
was more abomihable doctrine
than that which asserted the right Oh
the Government to hold the late re-
hellinns States as connuered Territory