Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-07-13
CONGRESSIONAL.
SAfrRpAY, July Il.

; CONGRESSIONAL.
SATURDAY, July %.
EsNATHs--Wr Morgan presented the resStion
OF Henfy B. Carlisle e DO, OF New Yofk, who
stetsshat they imported 500 bales 6f wool.
new wool tariF bill went into eject aad ssx
the remission Of extra duties CHARGED shom un-
DEF the new BILL Ordered to lie apon ths
! Ati9:15 Mr.. Grimes moved q recess for half
an hour. saying that he understood tne Con
ference Committee on the Reconstrucuon bill
would Be ready to report at the expiration Of
At 124s the Senate was again called 70 order
The Chair laid beSofe the Senate commu-
nication from the Secretary Of the Interior In
reports. &c. on the nature, origin, aud extent
OF Indian difficulties. Which was read, and
ordered to be printed with accompanying
At $3.50 q message was received from the
President. and the Senate went into Executive
session on motion Of MIR. Anthony.
At 1:5u the doors were opened and the Sen.
ate took recess for half an hour.
On zeassembling message was received
from the House announcing me action of tn at
body on the Conference report on the Recon-
On motion Of Mr. Trumbull, the Senate bro.
ceeded to the consideration Of the conference
report.
The report having been read
Mr.. TRANQUIL said he was ready to answer
any questions in regard to the action of the
Conference Conmittee. He might explain all
the amendments, but he did not deem that
necessary. 49,
MT. Sumner could not help saying that Con.
gress had not been suficiehtly radical In this
work of Reconstruction. Three bill had been
passed. wnere one would have been sufficient
The civil governments Of the South ought to
have been swept away at once. He found that
Congress had not been sum GENTLY explicit in
the exclusion Of rebslfnfuence When recon.
would come to open the gates to rebels but not
till then. 5J til - Z =
Mr. TRANQUIL said the committee OF confer
ence had NO Jurisdiction over the subjects
named by Mr.. Sumner. It had to take the bills
of both Houses and campare them without in
Producing any hew SUBJECT. The bill as it
came rom the committee was substantially
what the Senate had agreed to. 1t had no new
features In cOrp0rated in 1t materially affecting
its character.
Mr.. Hayes asked II section nine of the House
bill had been retained.
Mr.. Trumbull said II had not
Mr.. Hayes asked what became of sections
10. II, and IL OF the House bill. -
Mr.. Trumbuil said sections ten and eleven
Mr.. Hendricks felt it his duty to cav that in
signing the report OF the committee he did not
endorse the bill. He represented the Senate,
and not his own views, in the COMMITTEES and
aimed to secure an agreement to the bill as it
passed the Senate as nearly as he could.
HoUsE.-Mr. Dawes presented resoiu tons
OF Legislature of Massachusetts. relating to
the Northern Pacific Railroad, and concerns
ing Cape Cod harbor at Proyiacstown. Laid
on the table and ordered to be- printed -
MIR. Washburne (Wls.) introduced bill 70
extend the provisions OF the homestead bill to
any public lands within the limits of any rail-
road grant In any State or Territory. Refer
red to Committee on Public Lands. sfstss
Mr.. Donnelly offered resolution for an addi-
tionalstanding committee of nine members to
be known as the Committee on Education
q n pnloc
On motion OF MIR. Pile, the Select Committee
on the treatment OF Union prisoners of war
was authorized to set at such places, and to
take testimony by such number of the Commit.
tee as it may deem proper. :.
Mr.. Munger moved to suspend the rules to
allow him TO offer resolution instructing that
nent Of rebel prisoners OF war confined in the
camps and prisons OF the =. S. Government
during the war. -
Also. as to the facts connected with the cartel
for the exchange OF prisoners, and why such
speedy exchange had not been effected. . !
Mr.. Judd asked what loyal man in the
North demanded such an Investigation He
regarded the proposition a. a reflection on the
loyal people of the country. The question as
TO the cartel had been thoroughly investigated
by the COMMITTEES on the Conduct Of the War
He did not want to give the gentleman from
Ohio an opportunity to make a hole in any
body's coat, or to get up a controversy as to
who was responsible for any delay in the ex-
change OF prisoners He hoped that the loyal
IN
any such IN vestigation.
Mr.. Mungen disclaimed any intention to re.
fleet on the loyal people OF the country and he
asked whether. if high oncer Of the Govern.
ment had given as a reason for the non.ex-
change OF prisoners that he was not going TO
exchange healthy, well. fed men for skeletons.
the 1act ought not to be investigated.
Mr.. Judd recognized In that statement de-
yelopment OF what the gentleman meant. BY
his resolution. 1t wasan attack on Union GEN
erals for partizan purposes.
Mr.. Butler stated that he had been during the
Campaign OF 1864, in charge Of the exchange OF
prisoners on behalf OF the United States Gov
eminent, and that he and all connected with
ihe North, were ready for and courted the
Mr.. Ingersoll advocated the adoption Of the
resolution, contendipg that to refuse the in yes
tigation asked would be q greater reflection
on honest Union Generals VINO had charge of
the exchange Of prisoners than to allow it.
Mr.. Logan asked Mr.. Ingersoll whether he
bad ever heard charges made against the
ment OF rebel prisoners.
Mr.. !ngersoil replied that he had read in
some rebel papers charges Of cruelty towards
their prisoners OF war. 1t had been charged
Douglas, Chicago, were not properly fed or
clothed and that large numbers Of them were
frozen TO death.
: Mr. Eldridge stated that in a con versa,ion
which he had had with Gen OnId. who had
charge Of The exchange Of prisoners on the part
of the Confederate Gov eminent, he had been
INFORMED tnat an offer was made by General
Ould to the Union officers having the mattar
in charge (6en Butler, and he thought Cen
Grant also) that he would give them twenty
thousand Union prisoners, sick and wognded.
{makfng up the number, if deficient. with
able bodied men, without any equivalent. as
the Confederate Government was unable tn
feed and take care Of them properly, and that
the offer was refused.
MT 1ngersoll resumed his argument in sum-
port OF the resolution, declaring that it WouId
be in bad taste tor the Republican majority to
order an Investigation into rebel treatment of
prisoners of war, and to refuse like in yesti
CATION into the treatment Of rebel prisoners
1t would not be either magnanimous or fair.
Mr. Eldrldge repeated the statement made tn
him by General OuId, who said that ne ex.
cused General Grant for not accepting The
offer, az, at that time, General Grant knew
that the Confederacy was a mere she'll Init
that It's refusal, when first offered some months
previously, was unjustihable and without
excuse.
Mr. Butler reminded Mr.. Eldridge that all
the correspondence on the subject had been
laid before Congress in January, 1865. In the
fall OF 1864, after the exchange OF prisoners
had been stopped, proposition was made by
the rebels to give up the sick prisoners held
by them at Savannah and Millen, Georgia
AS soon as transportation could be got the
proposition was accepted, and six STEAMBOATS,
were sent to savannah and took of over seven
thousand men. There had been some una.
voidable delay in IL consequ ent on the opera