The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-01-22
CONGRE


CONGRESS.
NJansI4 = La the House a bill was introduced
and referred to the Committee on Ways and
Means, to repeal so much Of the Internal Rev,
enne Act as imposes tax on unmanufactured
cotton. - eg
Loan, of Missouri, delivered speech on Kel-
SOS resolution to impeach the President, In
which be made the usual charges of asurpaiion,
&c., INDUCED in by Radical orators.
Cook, of Illinois, reported from the Commit
tee on the j Judiciary bill amending that por-
ton of the law, approved July "a, 1864, which
authorized the Secretary of War to appoint
Commissioners ia each Of the loyal Slave States
to award compensation to- owners Of colored
volunteers, so as to suspend the powers and
compensation Of said Commissioners, The bill
was passed. -, - z-e.
3 Jan. l5-In the Senate the Chair laid before
the Senatera com uuuication from the Governor
OF South Carolina, transmitting the certificate
of election of James 3 Campbell. Laid on the
table. ;..7 rs =, s,as1 - a.. ---.,.. .-
Mr. Howard called up the resolution, hereto
fore introduced by him, instructing the commit
tee on Foreign Affairs to ipquire into the pre-.
sc Mt relations between France, Mexico and the
United States, as to the possibility of the with
drawal Of French troops and the ability of Maxi
milan to maintain himself, Sc. He said that
our trade aud commerce had been SO much in
jurea by the war, that the country wanted to
know its exact status. The dignity and inter-
est of this nation require that the government
should take such measures as will secure the
immediate restoration of peace and the re-essab-
lishment of the Republican government.
The House took up the bill for the admission
of Nebraska. The Senate had inserted a con-
dtion to admission, that the word "white,' in
the Nebraska Constitution, should not .discrm-
mate against citizens account of race or color.
Mr. Boutwell, moved to amend, substituting as
condition precedent, that the Nebraska Legis-
iature should give suffrage to all without dis
tlnction of color or race. During the debate,
Mr. Davis of New York, desired to K now if Con-
gress had the right to impose conditions upon a
new State and to enforce those conditions, with.
out the consent Of the people. Mr. Farosworth
said Congress clearly had that right. 1t was
simply granting territory charter to become
State, and there was as much authority to i'm
pose condition as to impose condition on
territory, while it was territory. Mr Wise Of
Kentucky. and others, opposed the bill, when it
was passed, with Ruutwell's amendment, Yeas
lQ3, Nays So. .l s.. .... ...
The bill for the admission of Colorado with
similar conditions precedent, passed By vote of
80 to So.
Jan. 16-In the Senate, Mr. Sumner pre-
sented eleven petitions from North Corolina ne
groes, favoring Stevens BILL The Bill for the
admission Of Nebraska and Colorado, with the
House amendment, passed by vote of 80 to II,
and now goes to the President.
In the House, the Judiciary Committee was
instructed to report 10 writng::w hat legislation is
necessary to enable three fourths of the repre-
sented States to ratify constitutional amend
ments. - e. .-..s
MIR Stevens enabling act was discussed. Mr.
Payne opposed the second section of the bill,
which recognizes the present State governments,
which he denounced as piroticql.
Mr. Bincham's speech against the bill occu-
pied an hour and a quarter. lie said that the
bill, instead Of being of reconstruction, was
one Of destructon-nstead of restoration it was
for disupion and perpetual dismenoerment
lie showed the absurdry Of denying that the
rebel States were States, by showing that Con-
gress, the Courts and the Executive had recog-
nized them He knew that they had ridged
the land with graves, and that 400, 900 citizens
had fallen martyrs for the country and the Con-
sttution; but it was in view of such great trans
gressions that the proposed universal amnesty
rose to the sublime and challenged para lle in
history. He protested against the bill as for
egn to the spirit and purposes Of the Consttu-
tional amendment lie closed by moving to
refer the bill to the Committee on reconstruct
ton. Dir Dawson spoke 10 opposition to the
bill-denouncog it.
HORSE FLEsu-During the dark days of the
war it was sometimes said that our Con deliberate
boys were reduced to the extremity Of eating
mule meat, such was the scarcity of other food,
| and We have heard some who survived those
days of peril and hardship, III recounting their
experience, relate how they revolted at the idea,
but the following would show that in France
different taste prevals:-"The taste for horse
flesh" says La France, sis decidedly on the ill.,
crease in Paris There are at present in the
| capital seven 5utcheries for the sale of that
commodity, and which dispose of about forty
thousand pounds weight per week. The annual
consumption may, therefore, be estimated at
oEe thousand tons, or more than ten times the
quantity of meat distributed to the poor 10 the
| twenty bureaux de bienfaisance."
A TERRIBLE AFFAIR The Jail at Kingstree
S. c. was totally destroyed by fire on Monday
night 18th. We-learn that the fire had gained so
much Roadway before it was discovered, that its
progress could not be arrested. One white man
only was in the jail, at the time. and he escaped,
but twenty-five Of the negro prisoners (nineteen
males and three females) persisted in the flames.
Their shrieks and screams, as they We're gradual
ly shut off from all hope of escape, were srken-
~, l., a..