The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-03-15
Tho Debate on the Bill for the Relief
of the Southern People.
Mr. WOOD and Mr.. WILLIAMS op-

reach.
Mr.. KELLEY also advocated the mea-
sure as one which would say TO the poor
n,ople OF the South that while the Govern
men, would restrain those who had done
them wrong, they themselves should not
snfcr from want If the Government could
relieve them.
Mr.. BANKS offered an amendment, set
ting aside $4,000 Of the amount for the
distribution Of seeds among the destitute
people Of the South by the commissioner
Of the Frcedmen's Bureau.
Mr.. MILLER moved to amend that
amendment 10y making the amount $4,000,
and spoke in support of it.
Mr.. CHAMBER denounced the mea-
sure as being designed not to aid the poor
people of the South, but 10 keep up the
Frccdmen'S Bureau. He characterized 1t
as a black wolf in sleeps clothing, and as
purely political measure, conceived in
no good spirit.
Mr.. BOYER trusted the bill would pass
promptly, and 10y q large vote. He refer
rcd 10 the vote by the British Parliament,
twenty years ago, of fifty millions of dol
lars for the relief Of the starving people Of
Ireland while here it was proposed to APP
uropgiatc only one tiftieth part of that
amount for the reliefuf the starving people
Of the South. II gentlemen on his side of
tie House objected 10 the Freedmen's Bu-
rcau aS means of distribution, it should
be recollected that that was the best avail
able means at hand for that purpose.
If more money were required, he would
vote it. IfthiS measure were not passed,
he did not wish 10 hear any more reso-
buttons of sympathy for the people of Ire
land from the gentleman from New York
Mr.. WOoBl cor anybody else. In reply to
a question from Mr.. WooD, he declared
that the analogy between the people of
Ireland and the people of the South was
complete. Both were suffering under po-
Utica, persecution as well as under mate
rial necessities. He had not expected to
hear any opposition TO the bill from his
own side OF the House. He had thought
il was sort Of test question to see whether
the minority Of the House had not under
gone complete cS>iGcation Of the heart.
Mr.. BUTLER offered substitute, which
was 10 strike out all after the enacting
words aud inScrta provision appropriating
one million dollars, to be expended under
the direction OF the Secretary Of War in
relieving the widows and children of Union
soldiers starved TO death in the rebel prisons
Of An3crsouviIle, Salisbury, Libby, Millen,
and Belle Isle.
He DECLARED that he believed in the
priaciple OF being Just before being gene
T0us, aud that until the Government was |
able to make some provision for those to
whom his substitute alluded, he was not
FIR putting his hand into the pocket of the
y..th nrla 10 ha
generous 10 the untaXed South. He had
supplied for many months, in New Orleans,
food to the starving wives and children OF
rebel soldiers: but in order TO do so be
had not drawn dollar from the Govern
mrut, but had taxed the rich of the South
10 feed the poor of the South, and he was
sill willing 10 go as far as the iarthest in |
that direction.
In opposing this measure he referred to
the recent appropriation by the Mississippi |
legislature Of $4,000 for the defence of
jefferson Davis in q trial that would never |
take place.
Nj. BOYER asked Mr.. BUTLER whether |
he thought that reason for denying aid
to starving women and children.
Aff. BUTLER replied that Government
could only deal with people as communi- |
tie~, not as individuals.
Mr.. BOYER pat the question in another
way: whether the poor people of Georgia
should bee made TO suffer ON account of the
political action of Mississippi.
Mr.. BUTLER replied, by no means
adding that il Mississippi had been alone
in such manifestations he would be con-
ten, to deprive that State of any benefits
under the bill. The ladies Of Texas had
recently sold a large quantity of Coincide
rate uniforms; aud what had they done
with the proceeds? Had they devoted
them To- relieve the poor in their midst !
NJ. bGt they had sent the amount as an
endowment to the college over which Ge-
neral Rpnert L. Lee presided. He had
also noticed the present of pair of game
chickens 10 Robert L. Lee, and thought 1t
would have been better to have boiled
them for some of the starving children
about whom gentlemen appeared so anx-
ioa>. ILaughter.l He wished to let the
people ct the South know that so long as
they followed the men who had led them
10 destruction, destruction could only be
tie result; that they should repudiate
their old leaders, and 10y course OF legs
ation which would divide the land among
all the people obtain relief.
Mr.. LOGAN opposed the measure, re-
grdiug it as nothing more than a SIDE
dodge toward pensioning the one-armed
and one-legged rebel soldiers, and the
widows of rebel soldiers. Ii Congress was
10 be converted into a charitable institu-
ton to give support TO class OF people
who would not support themselves, IL
might expect TO he called upon to appro-
pirate a million dollars every month; and
even that would not be sufficient. If
charity was TO be dispensed by the Govern
ment. let il not be confined TO one portion
Of the country. Let not Congress be urged
10 put its hands into the treasury for the
purpose of fostering treason in the south
ern States, for thai was really all that this
measure meant, although not so intended
by the Commissioner of the Freedmen's
Bureau.
Mr.. BINGHAM had hoped that this bill
would not have met any opposition In the
House, particularly on the Republican side
Of il. He trusted that so long as reason
held a place in his brain he should never
forget that education and charity were, at
last, the chief defence of nation. 1t was
enough for him TO know that within the
jurisdiction Of the common Government of
this country there were men and women
and children starving and lifting up their
skinny fingers and haggard faces asking for
leave 10 eat Of the crumbs that fell from
the well.supplied tables of the North.
"Tcll il not in Gath, publish 1t not In the
streets of Askalon," that an American Con-
gress viii permit sixty thousand men, wo.
men, and children TO perish for want OF oreau
within the limits Of its jurisdiction. If