The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-12-14
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.


now confined as a Eenian in a British
Jail. The petitioner states that he
was in New York city when the Of
fence for which he was tried was COM
mitted. Referred to Committee on
Foreign Relations.
Sumner presented a petition from
delegates claiming to, represent 30, 900
colored KeHtucky soldiers, asking for
an equalization of bounties
Cragin, from the Committee on
Territories, reported bill to regulate
the selection of grand and petit jurors
in Utah and for other purposes. 1t
forbids polygamy. and makes issue
therefrOm> illegitimate. establishes
election laws, and repeals the law ex-
empting the Church of Latter Day
Saints from taxation Cragin gave
notice that he would call the bill up
at an early day.
Sherman called up bill exempting
from internal tax, raw cotton grown
after. this year. Sherman advocated
the necessity ofimmediate action.
Morrill,. of Vermont, thought it
great mistake to act upon the subject
at the present time. The whole sub
ject of taxation should be taken up at
once. In his opinion, it would be
far better to abolish the tax on cot
ton.
johnson thought the bill should
apply to the present crop, and gave
notice of an amendment to that effect
Pomeroy was satisfied that North
ern men would not go down to make
cotton with this tax on it, and if they
did not go, he did not know how any
could be made. He was anxious
to have the tax removed, but thought
it should not apply to the present
crop, as it was no longer in the hands
of the producers. The bill WIS then
postponed.
Wilson called up the House bill
securing to the families of soldiers
the bounties to which they are enti-
said, would accomplish the object
desired.
Edmonds sid the amendments
provided that if soldier died, and
his wife and children died, the bounty
should go to the next heirs. This
was going rather too far and he
moved to amend by providing that it
shall only exteBd to the wife and
children. The amendment was agreed
to, and the bill then passed.
On motion, DoOlittle's resolution
Ct refusal to adjourn from December
10th to January 9th was seconded,
and the House resolution passed.
Morrill's Legal Tender Bill was
again taken up and discussed by Ger
bett, of Oregon, who read a long
speech in opposition to the bill, and
closed by moving to refer it to the
Committee on Finance, together with
the bill heretofore introduced by him
to provide tor the issue of gold notes
to take the place of legal tenders, and
to facilitate the resumption of specie
payments. Agreed to.
The Senate went into Executive
session, and subsequently adjourned
till Monday.
HOUSE.-Kerr offered a resolu-
ton instructing the Committee on
Ways and Means to inquire into the
expediency of amending the Internal
Revenue Law, so as to exempt from
the payment of stamp duty all official
bonds executed to or for the use of
religious, charitable, or benevolent
societies. Adopted.
The Speaker presented a letter
from the Clerk of the House, stating
that he had prepared and deposited
in the House Library a digested index
of the reports of the House Com
mittees, from 1889 to the close of the
last Congress, comparing with SINH
lar index from the foundation of the
Government till 1889, for which no
appropriation was required.
On motion of Farnsworth, the
House went into a committee on the
whole, with Farnsworth in the Chair,
for general debate.
Woodward made brief argument
on the law of impeachment, urging
that the word misdemeanor, as used
In the Constitution, means, not a vio-
lation of law, but misconduct In Of
| fee, knowingly done to prejudice the
public or individuals.
Garfield inquired whetler the
President was not defended - some
law defining what constituted mis-
demeanor, or was he at the mercy Of
two thirds of the Senate, who might
! declare him guilty of misdemeanor in
office without regard to common law
or common sense.
Woodward held that every officer
of the Government held his Office
subject to the impeaching power, and
remarked that there was much more
danger of corrupt officials remaining
unimpeached than there was of men
who had been faithful in Office being
impeached. The Committee arose,