The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-03-20


which, after short discussion. passed.
The Speaker laid before the House
the disagreement of the Senate to the
House Amendment, supplemental to
the Reconstruction Bill.
The House refused to re6ede, and
ON motion, Wilson, Of Iowa, insisted
and asked for Committee Of Confer
ence.
The Speaker appointed Wilson,. of
Iowa, Boutwell,, and Marshall, com
mittee on the part of the House.
Stevens called up the motion to re-
consider the vote by which the bill
introduced by him on the 18th of
March, was referred to Committee of
the Whole House, being a bill to
confscate all public lands in the
lately rebel States, and confscate and
condemn all such property belonging
to the belligerent enemy, as is declar-
ed coniscated by the act of July 18th,
1862.
Stevens proceeded to address the
House at length in support of the
bill. He had not read more than a
few passages of his speech when it
become painfully evident, that from
the weak condition of his health, he
could not make himself heard by the
House. He, therefore, requested
Mcpherson, Clerk of the House, to
read bis speech for him, which Nc
Pherson thereupon proceeded to do
from the clerk desk. The; reading
occupied about an hour and a quar-
ter.
Chandler obtained the floor, but
yielded to Stevens, who moved that
the bill be postponed until the second
Tuesday in December next, which
was agreed to.
The House then went into Com
mittee of the Whole, and proceeded
to the consideration of the Senate
bill appropriating S1,000,000 for the
relief of destitute people in the South.
Butler proposed to offer substitute
for his substitute offered last week,
by providing that the several District
Commanders, under the act of March
2, shall have power to assess and col
lect by military power, rateably on
all persons within their districts own
ing more than 160 acres of land, or
who have an income of more than
$500 per year, such sums as such COM
manders may deem necessary to relieve
the destitution and pauperism of the
white people there.
The Chairman informed Butler that
he had no right to modify his first
substitute by substituting another for
it, but Butler not desiring to have
both pending, withdrew the latter,
whereupon Schenck offered it as an
amendment to the substitute.
Woodbridge made an eloquent ap-
peal to the Committee in favor of the
bill. In conclusion he moved that the
Committee rise and report the bill
and amendments to the House. Mo
ton rejected. - E/ - "a .
A long debate ensued on the merits
of the bill, but without reaching any
conclusion. -. -.
The Committee rose to receive the
message from the Senate.
A variety of motions to suspend
the rules to get in bills and resolu-
tions. were made and rejected while
the House was waiting to receive the
action of the Senate on the report of
the Conference Committee on the
Supplementary Reconstruction bill.
The Speaker laid before the House
the message from the Senate announce
ing that it had agreed to the
report of the Conference Committee
on the Supplementary Reconstruct
ton bill. Thereupon Wilson, of
Iowa, from said committee, made
similar report
After brief discussion the Con-
ference Committees report was agreed
to, and the bill goes to the President.
The House then adjourned. "a