New-York tribune., 1867-04-01
THE XLth CONGRESS.

: : --"T"T-"T- TT
under Military rule Che zen Rehd states. ana required
i,rp,~.,- ffr,ro but q had pot peri "ed tie method
OF executing the law Tho U'use had ordered an inYe'
tgaon o. The conduct OF ile 'leE aru Us O'M'A E
Tee had reported tha. fhe evidence Ado ''Ae4 JUS
titled aad demanded continuance OF tho ilVesue''on
Had If not been fjr Hhcse facts tAe Xlth Congress
world prob,bly have adjourned after session Of few
das Ku a. vas required 90 finish the work OF its pre-
6eccsr and other questions arising during the session
the adjournment delayed till March 90 aiter1 session
Of tTenfy-six days March T. Nr Wilson II the senate
aud NJ Kelley The House introduced bills supplcnen-
ta 20 he Reconstruction law but these were supersodtd
| nv me bill reported 70 the House by the Judici-
! srv COMMITTEE on the Ith which was Al once
! passed by a vote o. II 20 21. THIS b.u was tle
occasion of stubborn discussion between the senate anu
House. renewal OF The conflict between the Consrr'a
tsm OF the ono and The Radicalm Of the other Tho
Representatives were directly from the people they had
been elected at time when the issue between tho Prosi
dent and Congress was tho question o. ranscendent
impOrtancs The Rcpub!cans with fow exceptions hsl
pledged heu5elyc3 60 The extreme point OF Eadcallsm
the country had reached They flushed with VIC
tory and inspired with devotion 20 principles But OF
tho Republican Senators few had been recently elected
ana the Radics5m Of the Senate ddno fully
the spirit % the people that Ofhe HOUSE unquesonaby
did The difference was much In the results OF
legislation "a IN tho method OF obtaining them the
House passed stringent bill; the senate proposed"
more enient substitute and the end of the dispute was
generally compromise Tho 6lpplam'hlaiy hcOon
sructi3n bill WA not An exception to the rule Asitwas
pa54ed by thc Senate March l6 II provided that before
September l. The Commanding General in each Military
District should causs registration Of legal voters TO be
made prescribed Che oath FOR vOters provided 10Y aCoh
ventlon in each state 90 form Constitution ana that
unless a majority OF the registered voters VOlc i't u
Convention no Convention should bc held and that
majority OF not lo4s than One-half OF inc
registered voters should be required TO adopt
Con.tction The House anxious to protect the freed
men from all danger insisted that the state Constitutions
should De ratified by majority OF the registered voters
The question referred 10 conference committee anu
the bin was finally passed March -. with tho House
amendment included In the Sca,to, however. hr sum
ner bl Howard urged conditions stringent
than those OF the House b lr sumner desiring TO IN
proyiso that the Constitution OF each state Thouu
provide for common schools open % AL without distnc
ton Of color but this amendment was defeated by yhue
vote March -, the President met the bill win
the inevitable veto and Congress met the veto with the
usual twOhirds vote by which the act became the law
Joint resolution appropratng tJ0OOOO 10 meet the eN
peses Of the execution OF the law was approved by the
President message which repeated his objections to
the law but affirmed that appropriation Of limited
preferable To any resolution which ie the OK
peuditurc 10 the discretion Of his subOrdinates.
The new members OF Congress were willing to have
long Session: those who had served in the XXXIXth
Congress were 20 get away 20 their homes But
the question Of adjournment speedily became complicated
with that OF impeachment March :, Mr Ashley oirereu
resolution directing the Judiciary Committee TO con
nue the investigation of the charges against the Prrs
dent and sustained II IN speech IN which
bc declared Mr johnson guilty OF "a CRIME the
highest known TO the country. a crime against
the Republic Itself" Tho resolution was adopted Many
members took the ground that while the Investigation
OF charges grave IA progress, Congress should ho
adjourn til December MI sumner held that It should
not adjourn without some provision by which It could II
peces.ary meet in the Summer Search history" he
said and | am sure you will find no ruler who. IA the
same space Of time has done 80 nuch mschei 10
his country. lie stands alone IN bad emincnce' He IS
also alone In the inaudlin and frantic manner lac has
adopcd Look al his acts and read his speeches This
Is enougl-sucl l. the fact-aud now ask Congress
quietly vote 20 20 home and leave this bad with
ont hinderance OF any kindT He added, with
usurpng President uOnacng the Republic and Win
large population counted by millions looking to Congress
for protection dare not vote 10 go home The senate
however March a. voted for adjournment til Decem
Der ON the 25th the House adopted resolution 20 ad
iourn to reassembe subject 10 the Joint call OF the
presiding officers OF both branches IN May, June sep
tcmber and November. The next day the Senate
adhered TO It's resolution, but though strong minority
Of the House was willing 10 yield the lower branch
insisted upon taking somo precauuon aud ON tho 1'th
Congress agreed TO adjourn TN July 3, aud II
no quorum should then be present 20 adjoEn till
December p The determination OF the House In
regard 20 this subject n great measure due 10 the
agitation Of the Impeachment question by Mcssrs Butler.
Ashley and others Gen Butler. the close OF the
session. deeply impressed the House by the assertion that
the diary of John Booth which his for
committing the assassination written, and which
was found on hs body after his death, had not been
brought before the Military Court for the trial OF
his accompces, and that eighteen pages had been
| torn from II after II had been In the custody
| OF the prosecution The meaning Of his assertions
was not TO be misunderstood. Mr bingham replied to
Mr. Butler denying any knowledge OF the mutlaon Of
Booths diary and diculng the idea that the declara
ons OF assassin should have been recevedas evidence
by the court aluding to the fact that while all
the other articles found his body placed before
the court the book not The debate between Messr
Butler and Bingham more bitter than any other o
the session. Shortly before the adjournment Nj Wood
bridge stated that the judiciary Committee intended TO
| resume their labors early IN May.
The confscation Of Rebelland implied In defeated
bill introduced by MT sumner which provided that every
freedman should De given piece OF land and II was iii
rectly advocated by Mr. stevens, March l9 in speech
which though a. an intellectual the ablest and
most remarkable OF the session. failed 10 have any effect
| upon the House.
The New.York Custom House frauds occupied little
time OF the session The report Of MI Huburd, Chair
man OF the Investigating Committee, 10 the House
tanned evidence which affected the reputation OF Senator'S
Patterson and Doote The evidence 10 the sen
ate az an courtesy by the House and these gentle
utterly denied ts truth The matter referred 10
the Judiciary Committee, which presented reports
March 27the majority report entirely generating the
two Senators, aud the minority report While II also
absolved them Of any completely in the frauds citing evi
dence that the Collector Of New York had syd TO otheT
persons that he intended to present Messs Dootc and
! Patterson with certain sums Of money.
the more important resolutions passed during the
for the relief Of the destitute people OF the
Rebel States which authorizes the Secretary Of War
expend for purpose any part Of the fund remaining