The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-01-17

ner, Fessenden and others.
Cowan said the whole number of
removals by the President was 446, of
which 357 have been sent to the Sen
ate and acted upon. No man has been
removed who refrained from using
improper and disrespectful language
towards the President in the last
campaign. 81 .la -oH
Sumner could not think of sin~le
prominent officer of the Government
in his State who had not been remov-
ed for political purposes without ac-
ton. Adjourned. &
HoUsE.-Spaulding asked leave to
offer resolution that the Committee
on Judiciary report to the House their
opinion in writing respecting the ne
cessity of obtaining any further sane
ton of the Constitutional Amend
ment than three-fourths of the States
actually represented in Congress.
Fink objected, and the resolution
was not received.
On motion of Allison, the Secretary
of the Treasury was directed to fnr-
nish the House with some information
in reference to the disposal of U. 5.
Bonds, &C., as required by the Act of
April 18th, 1862, viz, the amount ex
changed, made, or money borrowed,
under it; of whom, on what terms,
amount. and character of indebted
ness, retained under it, with detailed
statement of the expense of making
such loans and exchanges.
Julian, on leave, introduced bill
to extend the provisions of the Act of
August 4th, 1864, granting the right
of way to all rail and plank roads for
term of five years. 1t was referred.
The House has considered Stevens
bill for the reconstruction of the
rebel States.
Mr.. Payne spoke at length in oppo-
sition thereto. He denounced the
present State Governments as pratt
cal Governments. which to this time,
had feasted on the souls of Andrew
johnson and the souls of his North
ern and Southern satellites, but would
henceforth rest on the soul of the
rash young gentleman from Pennsyl-
vania, Stevens. 1t would really seem
as if he-Stevens-would contend
sometime longer for the Presidential
bread and butter 81 5al zaA -tno H
Bingham opposed the measure be
cause he recognized the power OF the
people to establish guarantees and
safeguards. He believed the safety
of the people depended upon the
Incorporation into the Constitution of
the great amendment proposed by the
Reconstruction Committee That
did not prevent further Constitution
al legislation, but this bill neither
stood with the Constitutional Amend
ment, or the duty of Congress to give
due protection to the citizens of the
United States. Within the disorgan-
lied States letthe future safety of the
republic crest upon irrepealable guaran-
tees imbedded in the Constitution,
and not upon repealable legislative
acts of the insurgent States. So he
would have the lately rebellious States
go on and perform acts for the ratifi-
cation of the Constitutional Amend
ment, even if they were not regularly
organized States, and the ratification
of their acts subsequently by hCon-
gress would legalize them. As to the
Supreme Court, its powers were very
limited Its powers rested upon the
will of Congress, and could readily
be taken away. This bill was very
offensive to him if it ATTEMPTED to
restrict the right of petition, which
the Constitution expressly forbids.
It looked as though it had been
drawn by crowned despot. 1t de-
clared that all persons who were in
rebellion and had once taken an oath
to the Constitution of the United
States, were no longer citizens of the
United States, and could not become
such except through the forms of
naturalization He submitted Con-
gress had no colorado authority for
declaring, first, that million of peg
pie of this country were no longer
citizens, and, second, that they could
take no steps for organizing State
governments until Congress passed
an enabling act permitting them to do
so. In answer to a question, as to
what remedy he himself proposed. he
said he wished the measure referred
20 the Joint Committee on Recon
struction.
: Bingham also objected to other pro-
visions of the bill, one of which de- :
ciared that no person should be de-
prived of his right to vote, because
of conviction and sentence for other
crime than treason, instruction or
misprision. If treason, it was declar-
ing, in effect, that thieves, robbers,
inurderers and midnight assassins
should never be deprived of the cleo
tive franchise on account of being
convicted of such crimes; while he
was willing to assert all the rightful
powers of this Government, he would
never consent to incorporate by law in
the statutes of the nation a provision
that would deprive the people of the
right OF altering or amending their
legislation, a provision which this bill
contained. Conpress had not even