The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1867-07-11
CONGRESS.

I s+ CONGRESS.
I Promptly at the hour 10 which
Congress adjourned, last March, both
Houses Of Congress assembled at
noon, July Sd, quorum being pees.
ent. Committees werc appointed,
notifying the President Of their re-
assembling, whereupon they 'immc-
'diately proceeded To business.
Tho only important proceedings
came in our dispatches yesterday,
ard we present them below:
SExATE.--Mr. Sumner offered q long
petition. 8
Mr.. Fessenden objected to the in.
PRODUCTION or reference Of any bust.
ness not directly connected with the
subject for which It was well knuwn
Congress had met. M
|. After debate, the petitions wcr'c or.
dcred to lie on The table for the pres.
ent.
Mr.. Wilson offered bill. in addi.
tion to the several Reconstructior
acts, which consists of two sections:
the first vacatcs all tho civil Offices in
tho Southern States within three
days, and authorizes the Command.
ing General to retain the present in
c,nnbents. make new appointments,
or order elections. The second sec.
ton authorizes Boards of .tegistra.
tion to refuse to register persons an
plying to be registered, when they
have just grounds to believe that
they are seeking to evadc the require
ments Of the laws, and strike from
the roll, within twenty days, persons
renisiered and afterwards proveddis.
qualified.
io The billwas ordered to bc printed
and lie on the table. "a
Dir. Sumner offered bill on uni
versaI suffrage, the same, with slight
amendments, as offered at last ses.
sion.
Messrs.. Drake and Edmundson of
.fered a bill on reconstruction which
was ordered laid upon the table. :.
HoUsE.--The speaker stated that
the f1rst business in order was the
administration ofthe cath Of Office
to members elect but not sworn in,
the members form Kentucky having
,presentcd- fhas,.-.l'--.-- ~ - a.. virur Pur.
pose.
Mr.. Shccnk, rising to q question Of
privilege, objected to the oath being
administered to ]. d Young, and pre-.
sented the protest Of Samuel Mckee
formerly . member Of the House,
taking the ground generally Of the
disloyalty Of Young. The protest,
he said, was accompanied by another
protest from the citizens Of the
Fourth Congressional District OF
kentucky, which was sustained by
affidavit proving the facts as alleged,
and he asked that the papers be re-
ferred to the Committee on Elections.
Mr.. Logan offered the following
rs an amendment:
Whereas. As there il good rea-
son 10 believe that in the election
recently held in the, State OF Ken.
lucky, for the members Of the For
ticth Congress, the legal and loyal
voters in the several Districts OF said
State have been overawed and pre-
vented from the expression Of their
will and choice at the polls by those
who have sympathizod with. OF act
ully participated in the late rebellion,
and such elections were carried by
the votes Of such disloyal and return
ed rebels, and,
Whereas. II is salledgcd that sew
cral Of the Representatives from the
State OF kentucky are disloyal, there
fore. AZ 1s@ As
Resolved, That tho credentials of
all members elect from the State of
Kentucky, shalt be referred to the
Committee on Elections: to report at
as early day a. practicable, aud
that pending the report Of said Com,
mittcc, none Of said members BE- al
lowed to take the oath Of Office and
be admitted TO seats. Y "A
Mr.. Schcnck stated that tho afii-
davits were er r'arte to the Commit
tee on Elections, previous to his be-
ing sworn. After being sworn the
Speaker subsequently, had extracts
read from the Congressional Globe to
show his ruling on the occasion re-
ferred to WAS the same rs the pres
ent ruling.
Mr.. Benjamin gave to the House
some statements in reference to the
public character Of Mr.. Knatt, from
the Third District. KY, and said that
during the war he had allied, himself
with those who wcrs intense in dis
loyalty to the Govcrnment--vosing,
speaking and acting in support Of al
designs OF rebels.
Mr.. Logan addressed the House 10
support OF the amendment. He had
offered if not for the purpose Of stri-
king at any Kentucky member, but
for the purpos. of establishing pre-
ccdent in the House. He desired to
preserve the Rouse from contamina-
ton with the disloyat portion Of the
people Of Kentucky, and they were
logion--had Representatives in the
rebel Congress ut ! Richmond. After
the suppression Of tho rebellion the
Kentucky rebels returned 20 that
State, and Louisiana. which disfran.
chiscd them, and IL was reported that
they undertook to transfer the repre-
sentation from the Halls ia Richmond,
no ., T., ~, m a Il hx, t,anca,. 18th, II ..V