Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-12-19
Congress-.

In the Senate, Monday, various bills and
resolutions were introduced and referred.
The most important were two bills, offered
by Mr.. Wilson, the first providing Tor re-
organization of the State Department, and
the other, of tho Diplomatic service. He
stated that the latter would increase the ell
cheney of the service, and decrease the
expense.
The repeal of the cotton tax was dis
cusscd but not acted upon. Various views
were expressed in reference to 1t, and MIR.
Morton. of Indiana, gave notice of an
amendment to provide for a tax OF one cent
| pound.
were introduced. Mr.. Benjamin, of Mis-
| souri, offered a resolution reciting that the
| President, In his late annual message, had
seen fit, in utter disregard of the popular
will, as expressed in the election OF the
members Of the Fortieth Congress, to re-
commend the repeal Of the reconstruction
laws, the effect of which would be to remit
| the government of the late rcbellious States
| to rebel hands, and abandon the entire ele-
| ment there to the will of traitors, and that
| it is cminently proper that the House should
respond in emphatic terms to the extraor-
binary proposition, and resolving that the
House will never consent to take one retro
grade gstep from its advanced position in
promoting the cause of equal rights, nor to
deviate from its fixed purpose of protecting
all men as equal before the law. That there
Is no reason to doubt that the restoration OF
the rebellious States Is being successfully
accomplished on firm and enduring basis,
and that no good reason exists why the re-
| ,one trt,atiop apt should bn rpppatp1
Mr.. Kerr moved to lay the resolutions ant
preamble on the table. Negatived-yea'
80, nays ~.
And the resolution and preamble wert
then adoptcd-yeas III, nays 35--a strictly
party vote.
General Butler wanted the rules sus
pended to enable him to introduce resolu
, ton that the National debt should be pai'
in exact accordance with the terms OF TIN
: law creating it, that Is to say all loans en-
acted to be paid in gold, to be so paid; am
, all not so enacted, should be paid in Lawful
4 money. The vote on the suspension OF til
+ rules was yeas 5j, nays 49,
t In the discussion of the Deficiency Az
+ preparation Bill, the amendment to incrcas
: twenty per cent. the salaries of Department
: employees, was lost. The bill itself wa
c passed
The most important business in the Ser
! ate, on Tuesday, was Mr.. Sherman's bill
e reported from the Finance Committee,
c fund the National debt, and convert IL
G United States notes. The bill provides f
d the issue of bonds to cover all outstandin
= obligations, payable in coin after fort
e years, and bearing six per cent. interest p'
n annum. One-sixth of the interest to be r.
II served as a special fund, one-half OF whic
st is to be divided among the States, and Il
remainder applied to reduce the debt. FL
f the foreign holders of the debt, bonds, bea
b. ing four and one-half per cent. interest, a
n to be issued. The bill was ordered to
,f printed The cotton tax bill was furth
3 discussed but not definitely disposed G
N The repeal of the tax was favored by Sen
lc tors Williams, Corbit and Yates, RepHb
Of cans, and Davis and Hendricks, Democrat
Senator Morton was in favor of a lower ia
and Senators ConlSling, Stewart and Fer
opposed to the repeal of the present on
In the House, Mr. Thomas. from the J
dietary Committee, reported a resoluti'
which continues the investigation by til
Committee into the condition of Marylan
iu 1t was adopted with an amendment that .
ut Representatives from that State might ,
,ir tend at the examination and question I
lis witnesses A communication from Gencl
r., Grant, enclosing copies of his letters to I
:. President in reference to the removal
u Stanton and Sheridan, was received, part
use read and referred to the Military Commit,
n .--.s.--as-----------<-----.