The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-12-21
RECONSTRUCTION IN a NEW PHASE.
THAD. STEVENS LATEST PL4A
INTERESTING DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF REPREsEN
rATNES.

In the House of Representatives at Washington
| on Wednesday last, already reported by tele'
graph the bill of Mr. Stevens in relation to recon-
struction was amended and passed by yeas 1O4
nays 80. 1t alters the provision requiring ma
jority Of the registered votes TOR the new constitu
ton to 4 majority of the votes cast. The second
section provides for the election of representa-
tives st The time of the election on the constitu'
ton, who shall take their seats at the session sue
| ceeding the one at which their States are admit
ted. In this form it was passed, the third section
providing for the new ratio OF representation, hav'
ing been stricken out. We copy an abstract Of
| the debate
| Mr. Ashley, of Ohio rising TO q privileged ques.
tion, called up the motion heretofore submitted by
him to reconsider the vote whereby the bill to fa
| citatG the restoration OF the late rebel States
| was referred to the committee on reconstruction
| Nr. Ashley said he understood that the com,
mittee on reconstruction had agreed upon hlI
| embracing the feature of his bill, and he wonio
| therefore yield to Mr.. Stevens, OF pennsylvania,
! to introduce his bill.
Mr.. Bingham, of Ohio, said that was a mistake,
as his colleagues (Mr Ashey's) bill had been Vo-
| ted down in the committee.
| The vote whereby the bill was committed was
reconsidered, and the bill was before the House;
MIR. Stevens then moved to strike out all after
4
| sert the bill offered by him yesterday, and the
| terms OF which were given in the report OF that
| day.
After the bill had been read, Mr.. Stevens per-
fected the bill by according eleven Representatives
to the State OF Virginia, that State having been
omitted yesterday.
Mr.. Bingham, of Ohio moved to amend by
striking out the third section of the substitute,
which designates the number OF representatives
| for each State.
Mr.. Maynard desired to offer an amendment pro-
| vidng that the constitutional conventions OF the
Southern States shall have power to provide FOR
| temporary civil governments to exist until the
States shall have been duly admitted, and direct
| ing the military commanders to sustain such tenn
porary civil governments; and requiring such con-
ventons to enfranchise all citizens who have prov
ed loyal to the government.
Mr.. Bingham objected to the amendment, and.
as it required unanimous consent, 1t was not con-
sidered.
Mr.. Ingersoll, of Illinois, thought the bill and
amendments should be printed, and desired to SUB
NIT motion to that effect, but Mr.. Stevens dechn-
ed to yield for that purpose.
| Mr.. Ingersoll gave notice that he would move to
have the bill printed If the previous question was
not seconded.
| Mr.. Stevens said there was always some objec-
ton to everything he had heard of either on earth
or in Heaven. Here is o bill which he had sup
posed every member would be willing to vote for.
l. is of the simplest bills in the world and no
man can possibly misunderstood it. In the frst
section II simply restores tne majority pr1uClple III
the adoption of the State constitutions the second
section IMPLY empowers the people OF the South
ern States to vote for representatives in Congress
at tne same time that they vote upon the question
OF ratifying the constitutions; and when the States
are admitted these representatives shall be ent-
| tied to admission in the Congress OF the United
States.
chat is the whole of the bill, except the third
section, which the gentleman from Ohio (Alr
Bineham) proposed to strike out. That third sec
4, cipo he
clared how many representatives the States named
should be entitled to until further apportlon-
ment shall be made. This representation had
been increased, as il was believed to the number
they would be entitled to as the result of the lib
Grafton of the slaves. He could not accept the
amendment OF Mr.. Maynard, because it proposes
to substitute civil authority speedily for military
authority. He did not think the time had yet ar
rived for the substitution OF civil authority, as
there were still accounts coming. up here OF the
most atrocious robbenes and murders In the
South It was only this morning that he had re-
ceived letter from New Orleans showing terri
BILE condition of affairs there, especially since Han
cock has been in command, and he was satisfied
that an equally painful state OF affairs existed IN
| Texas and Arkansas. He was therefore opposed
to an absolute withdrawal of the military until
these outlaw States shall all be brought into the
Union.
to the first and second sections OF the bill. Tho
first section was intended to restore the majority
principle in elections and it would be remem-
bered that he had advocated this measure when
the original Reconstruction bill was under con-
sderaton. The second section might be deemed
surplusage and unnecessary, as the people have
already the power under the constitution to elect
representatives. The second section is there
fore, in aid Of the law and there need be no OBJ
lection to it but the third section is clearly vio-
ative Of the Constitution Of the United States and
of the legislation Of Congress.
The power of Congress over the apportionment
of members is very clearly defined 1t is to be
made every ten years, and he did not recognize
the right of every succeeding Congress to change
the basis of representation when once fixed. With
himself that objection would be all-suthcent and
he had therefore moved to strike out that section;
but if the House refused to strike 1t out, ne coud
not vote for the bill with that clause IN. Take the
| State OF South Carolina for instance. Under the
apportionment of 1861 that State was allowed four
representatives in Congress, and it was not the
impression then that South Carolina would IN
crease so rapidly that she could possibly be enti-
| tied to six representatives at this time. South
Carolina has not more than 500, 600 inhabitants,
and if she is entitled to six representatives then
Ohio. with her three millions Of inhabitants, should
have thirty representatives. Ii any change OF ap-
portionment is to be made, let 1t De general ana
extend to all the States.
Mr. Eldr;dge, Of Wisconsin, suggested that the
reason Ohio 7as not included was that it did not
have so many blacks.
Mr.. Bingham said that was no argument.
opposition, he would withdraw that part OF the
Dill which provided for representation from the
State at largo.
MIR. Bingham insisted that under that circum-
stance the third section was not at all necessary,
as the people now had the right to elect represen-
tatives.
Mr.. Stevens then withdrew the whole section.
Mr. Brooks, of New York. said he was glad the
| bill had aroused some opposition among repub,,
licans, for it was evident that they were fearful
of the effect out West if they passed such bill
as this. he referred to the several reconstruc-
ton acts, and contended that their whole object
was to enfranchise tho blacks and disfranchise
the whites OF the South. The object was to en-
an inferior race to rule over them. Mr.. Brooks 8
then proceeded to argue that the full.blooded
negro could never be the equal OF the Ango-Saxon
race and that nature never intended HIM TO be so.
His very anatomical formation was dlfferent from
his head to his feet. He had no hair upon his
head but wool. 1t was true no instrument had
vet been invented to weave the wool OF the negro,
but he had no doubt that it could be done. The
negro's skull is different from that OF the white
man. and difference is noted in his nose mouth,
legs feet and every part of his body He has moth
| ing to denote that he is the equal OF the Anglo
| Saxon and it was never intended by nature that
he should be called upon to cooperate in great
government, or to be considered as the brother OF
| the white man. These remarks did not apply to
the mulatto who did evince intelligence when
white blood coursed through his veins, but the
Congo negro was never intended as man and
brother Referring TO ancient history, Mr.. Brooks
mentioned the Arabs, the Turks and others, as
J nations that had been prosperous and thriving
until they admitted the negro to share in their
government and commenced with the work Of
| mlscegnation.
In continuation, Mr. Brooks referred to the his
| tory of the Mexican race, and attributed their
etfeminacy and degradation to the admixture with
colored races. This might be tho last time that
he would address a white audience upon this
floor, for it seemed to be fixed fact that negroes
were to be brought down from the gallories and
brought to seats as representatives, upon this
floor. But he gave notice that the white people OF
the North would never submit to the insult. and II
the dominant patty now blaclened these halls with
negro representatives, the Democratic party OF
the North would at the next election whiten them
eMr. Farnsworth, ofnlinois, addressed The House
in advocacy Of the bill. 80,
Mr.. Stevens replied to Mr.. Brooks, and said he
seemed to forget the language OF the Bible, winch
Groo El0OQ