Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1867-01-09
Congressional Summary and
Washington News.
WAsHINGroN. D. 81, Jan. 3, %.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 3, 20.
In the Senate to-day, Mr.. Sumner Of
fered a resolution directing the Judi
ciar7 Committee to inquire if any leg
islation or constitutional amendment
is necessary to prevent the sale of per
sons into slavery as a punishment for
crime. ReVerdy johnson said that as
the Judge of one of the Maryland
Courts had already been arrested un-
der the Civil Rights bill for ordering
the sale upon which Mr.. Summers res
olution was based, it would be better to
wait and let the Court decide the mat
ter.
MI. Cresswell said that the evil com
planned of in Mr.. Summers resolution
was but the spirit of the odious black
laws of Maryland, which we're still up
on thestatute book.
Mr.. Summers resolution was adop-
ted, and another Immediately came
from the same source directing the
Military Committee 10 inquire what
legislation was necessary to prevent
the enslavement of captive Indians in
New Mexico by officers of the army in
the Territory named were. known to
hold Indians captured in war in a state
of slavery or peonage.
The bill to admit Nebraska came up
as the unfinished business, but was
postponed until Monday, owing to the
large number of Senators absent to-day.
Mr.. Edwards gave notice that he
would call up the bill to regulate the
tenure of Office tomorrow. 1t prohibits
removals without the consent of the
Senate, except for misdemeanor in Of
fee.
The bill to repeal the Presidents
amnesty power was taken up to-day,
but owing to the absence of Senators
who wished to speak on the subject, 1t
was passed over.
Nj. Howard presented a series of
Yery important amendments to a pend
ing hill on the subject of polygamy in
Utah. One section prohibits the sol
emnization of matrimony by Mormon
priests under a severe penalty, An
other renders it a penal offence for any
man to claim as his wife a woman mar
ried to him by a Mormon priest.
When the Senate adjourned, Mr..
Summers bill to prevent and punish
fraudulent representations to colored
persons for the purpose of inducing
them to emigrate to foreign countries,
was under consideration.
Several petitions from citizens of the
north west were presented to-day in
the Senate, against the contraction of
National Bank Currency, and n in
favor of its extension.
In the House, hequestion OF recon-
struction occupied the entire days ses-
sion.
Nj. Paine, of Wisconsin, introduced
a militia bill which proposes to include
all colored men in the South. Mr..
Bundy, of Ohio, presented one to organ
ize four territorial governments within
,he boundaries of Texas.
Thad. Stevens took the floor on his
oil providing territorial governments
for the Southern States, and appealed
to Congress to act on this question at
once. He denounced the recent Su-
preme Court decision as iniquities and
Infamous, and declared that it required
immediate action on the part OF Con
gress more imperative than ever.
Some significance was attached to a
point of order made by Mr.. Bingham,
of Ohio, that the rule required this
bill to 90 to the Reconstruction Com
mittee, but the Speaker said that u !