The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-02-14
House refused, and the debate pro-

+ Bingham, while approving of the
general purpose, of; the, bill, said that
Congress could not, by direction or
indirection, make a State Govern
ment for the people of any State;
that was matter which belonged to
them. State Governments had to be
established, not by act of Congress,
but by the voluntary act of the people
themselves, He desired to give the
people that opportunity; that was the
object of his amendment. He had
thought the gentlemen who sustained
this bill were for manhood sutfrAge,
but it seemed that they were only
for manhood suffrage confined to the
minority of the peoplersin a State,
Was it not enough to clothe the
emancipated Slaves with the highest
right ever exercised by a citizen of
the republic; or had it come to this
that Congress was not only, to clothe
the emancipated slave with the cleo
tive franchise, but also to give him
the whole political power Of StateAto
make the majority nof white men his
subjects for life, and compel them to
pay the expense of administration
There was not an emancipated slaye
in America that wodld ASK Ranyo such
legislation atIthedhands oof Congress.
They only asked equal rights and
equal protection. f.. "a. .,t
ro Blaine moved to recommit the bill
to the Judiciary committee instead
of that on Reconstruction with i'm
structions to, report back Immediately.
with his Blaine 50 amendment added
as the sixth section. He, moved the
previous question which was second
ed. sti emo gol sq8dsia 30 tsil
Z Spaulding moved, as a test question,
to table the bill and amendment, in
tending however. to vote himself
against the motion. 9 The vote re-
suited yeas 80, nays 115, strictly
party vote. sTo9af ana s5v hgF hs49,
The main question was then ordered,
So against rs, Blaine's motion to re-
ferwith instructions to the Judiciary
Committee. G 1o H1m QCibG9l 9d
ir Stevens spoke in favor of the bill.
1t was not intended for a lReoonstruc-
tion Bill, but simply as a Police Bill,
to protect loyal men in the South
from anarchy murder, and rapine,
until Congress took little: more time
to the establishment Ola Government
, Question taken on Blaine's mo-
tion to refer the bill to the Judiciary
Committee with instructions to report
back, with the4 following additional
Section: e,o.;4..,r n .e,4s-y 4;
/, Sec. -. Amd be Il further enacted,
That when the constitutional amend
ment proposed as Article XIV, by
the -ThirtyEninth' Congress ishall have
become part of the GConstitutioh bf
the United States. and dgwhen any of
the late so-calIed Confederate States
shall have ratified the. ameband -eani
formed to the Constitution and laws
thereto In all respects, and when it
shall have provided by its ConstituL
ti6n thatlthe, elective franchise shall
be enjoyed equally and impagtially by,
all male citizens of, the United States
ofitwenty years old and upward,
without regard to race, color, or pre-
.Yious condition sofTserEitude, except
such as may be. distinguished for part
ticipating in the late rebellion; and
when said Constitution shall have
been submitted to the, voters, said, vo-
ters thus defined, for ratification or
rejection, and when the Constitutions;
if ratified by the popular vote. shall
have been submitted to Congress for
examination and approval, said State
shall, its constitution be approved
by Congress, be declared entitled toll
representation in Congress-, and its
Senators and Representatives. shall be
admitted ! therein on taking the
oath prescribed by law, and then and
thereafter the proceeding sections of
this tn bill tssflif shall be Imperative in said
There was great excitement as the !
vote was taken, as it showed the Demo-
Gratis were coming generally to thesup-
port of Blaine's motion, and it would
be a very close vote, After all had an
swered to their names, it appeared
there was a majority of two or three
against Blaine amendment. Then the 1
Democrats to preserve uniformity of
record, commenced to change their
votes from yea to nay, to the great
amusement of the, House. Finally
the vote was announced easI69 to 95,
so g that the n1ption to refer it was de-
The question redararsesd, on 1.-THE the pas pas
.sagefof the bill as modified this morn
ing, and it passed, 109 9yeas, 50 nays,
A racpsS was faknn +i1I z % d NJ