The national Republican., 1867-12-19
slatiuual gspnblita'r.
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
ror,icth Congrc..-seeond session.
WEDNESDAY, December ls.
cENAru

tax on cotton. Laid on the table.
Also, memorial Of citizens Of Arkansas, ad.
dressed to the Governor Of that state, setting
forth that there Is great destitution In several
Of the counties Of that State, and the imminent
danger Of an outbreak In consequence Referred
to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr.. Patterson, Of New Hampshire, from the
Committee on the District Of Columbia, reported
q Joint resolution directing the Secretary Of the
Interior to suspend further prosecution Of The
work on the new jail which was laid over, under
objection.
Mr.. Trumbull, from tho Committee on the
judiciary, reported In favor Of the indefinite
postponement Of the House bill TO regulate
the selection Of Jurors in the District Of colum-
bia.
Mr.. Sumner asked that 1t lie on tho table until
he could examine It.
Mr.. Trumbull, from tho Committee on the
judiciary, asked to be discharged from the fur
thsr consideration Of the resolution inquiring
whether West Virginia Is really State In the
Union; whether the civil rights bill Ia constitu.
tional; and whether the thirteenth amendment
to the Constitution was legally adopted, on
the ground that these questions had already
been settled.
Mr.. Sumner asked whether the committee had
any doubts on the subject; to which Mr. Trum.
bull made no reply.
Tho motion to discharge the committee was
then agreed to.
Mr.. Anthony introduced q bill TO amend the
act to expedite and regulate the printing Of con-
gressionsl documents. Referred to Committee
on Printing
Mr.. johnson, from the Committee on the Ju.
dietary, reported In favor Of admitting the Hon.
p. F. Thomas, Senator elect from Maryland, to
his seat. The report and resolution wero, on
motion Of Mr.. johnson, laid on the table and
ordered to be printed.
Tho unfinished business, being the bill to ex.
empt manufactured cotton from internal tax,
was taken up, the question being on the motion
Of Mr.. Conkling to postpone until the third
Tuesday in February.
Mr.. Doolittle argued in favor Of the bill.
Mr., Chandler thought the bill had better be
postponed, and was followed by Mr.. Wilson in
favor Of the repeal.
After considerable further discussion tho Son.
ate, without coming to any conclusion, ad-
journed.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
Mr.. Eliot, Of Mass, offered a resolution d.
recting the Secretary Of State to communicate
tn the House all information in possession Of the
Department In relation to whaling aud fishing
vessels Of the United States having been fred
upon by Russian men-of.war, while engaged In
their legitimate vocation on the coast Of North
America. Adopted.
Mr.. Poland, Of VI, from the Committee on
ElectionF, reported back the papers In the con.
tested election case Of Buren, vs. Van Horn,
from the Seventh district Of Missouri, with .
resolution declaring Mr.. Van Horn the sitting
momber) entitled to his seat Laid over for fu.
ture consideration.
Mr.. Garfield, Of Ohio, from tho Committee on
Military Affairs, reported . substitute for the
bill to grant honorable discharges to certain sol.
dieEs and sailors. It provides that all soldiers
released under the act of July last Of charges Of
desertion and absence without leave, shall be
furnished with honorable discharges, and IL re-
peals the clause of q previous enactment dis
tranchising soldiers convicted Of desertion.
Mr.. Garfield explained the bill, and said the
soldiers to be given discharges were mot to re-
ceive any benefits Of bounty or back pay. With
regard to the second section, Mr.. Garfield said
the provision intended to be repealed was On.
acted as war measure, but there had been
found great difficulty In now enforcing the law.
The law to be repealed was 4 very severe one,
as it not only disfranchised all dessrters, but
placed them much below tho foreigner, by max
ing it incapable for them ever again to become
citizens. The time had come when this law
should be repealed.
After remarks BY Mr.. Bromwer (In.) and Mr..
Washburne (ll(
Mr.. Logan IN opposed the repeal Of the
clause, and argued that 1t was simply an enter.
ing wedge to throw down all the barriers which
had been erected to prevent all traitors frou
holding office In tho Union, and to reinstat,
existed before the war.
Mr.. Garfield said Mr.. Logan had misre pre-
sented the position Of himself and Of the Mill
tary Committee, and he denied that the bill re
fsrred to had been recommitted with instruc
tions.
Mr.. Logan, in reply, denied that he had mis-
represented Mr.. Garfield. He never misstate
his own position or that Of any gentleman o.
this floor.
Mr.. Garfield said he had endeavored to DO a
courteous as possible to every gentleman on th
floor.
Mr. schsnck, of Ohio, opposed the repeal, 4
tending to relieve men who deserved to DO pun
ished.
At this point the further consideration of th'
bill was postponed until to morrow, aud IL wa
ordered to be printed.
Mr.. Butler, of Mass, from the Committee OF
Appropriations, reported a bill making sPpTo p %
pration for certain dehsisRlo order for taI' ,o o.
Drinted and pfahSoff pfahSoffnipg hour. ~ " ''
on motion Of Mr., Washburne, of Ill, tn
House resolved itself into Committee Of tn
Whole on the state Of the Union, Mr.. Dawes, o
Mass in the chair
Mr.. SpaldiDg, Of Ohio, proceeded to addres
the committee upon the resolution offered b.
him few days ago in relation to the treaty
making power
At the cOnclusiOnof Mr.. spaiding's remarks,
the committee rose.
Mr.. Stevens, Of Pa, desired to offer bill t.
relieve James L. Alcorn, Of Mississippi, Of al
political and civil disability but objection wa
made
The Speaker laid before the House a comuu
hcation from the President of the United
states, transmitting Gen. Hancock's order No
]. Laid on the table.
Mr.. Mungen, of Ohio, offered n resolution
directing the Secretary of the Treasury to 70
port the names Of distillers who have deposited
money for "Tice" meters, and the amount de
posted by eachj the amount Of distilled spirit
now on hand, and where located; the effect o
the order Of Commissioner of Internal Reyenu,
closing certain distilleries, the amount of wbisk,
the distilleries made daily, kc., &c. Referre;
to the Committee of Ways and Means.
Mr.. Ashley, Of Ohio, rising IA a privilege,
question, called up the motion, heretcs,re sub
mitted by him, to reconsider the vote wL.reb,
the bill to facilitate the reconstruction Of II.
late rebel States, was referred to the Committs
on Reconstruction.
Mr.. Ashley said he understood that the Com
mittse on Reconstruction had agreed upon
bill, embracing the features Of his bill, and b
would therefore yield to Mr.. Stevens, Of Pa +
introduce his bill.
Mr., Bingham, Of Ohio, said that was n mis-
take, as his colleagues Mr. Ashley'sl bill ha
been voted down In the committee.
The vote whereby the bill was committed wa
Teconsidered, and tho bill was before the House
Mr.. Stevens then moved to strike out all afte
the enacting clause Of Mr.. Ashley's bill, and l.
insert the bill offered by him yesterday, and th
.f II al al. a..