Litchfield enquirer., 1868-12-24
nlisfelIanp.
SENATOR FERRY'S SPEECH


 POLITICAL DISABILITIES IN SOUTHERN STATES.
 Mir. Ferry's speech in the Senate on tie 18th inst is reported in the Globe as fol lows: .,~a l :a.n<t MT. FERRY. MT. President, I move to take from the table the bill introduced yes- terday by the Senator from Nevada, Mir. Stewart, to punish the crime of holding office In violation of the fourteenth article of the Constitution. It is Senate bill, No. 677. At the time of the introduction oi I the bill requested the Senator from Ne. vada to let it lie on the table until to-day before referring it, promising to cail 1t up and move it's reference to- day, and desir- l ing at the same time, with the consent of 1 the Senate, on the motion to refer to sub nit some remarks upon the bill and the bills introduced by myself at the com mencement of the session. I therefore move that the bill offered by the Senator from Nevada be now taken from the table for that purpose. ... ......... ,... /. s
 The motion was agreed to; and the Sen ate proceeded to consider the bill IS. No. 677) to punish the crime of holding office Tn violation of the fourteenth article of the Constitution.
 The PRESIDENT pro ten4po,e The bill will be read.
 The bill was read, as follows: sa-lt1l
 Re a enacted by Hte Senate and House of Repre- sentatiues of the United Sates of Ame,aca ia Con- gress assembled, That any person who shall here after accept or hold an office to which he is ineli- giblc under tho third section of the fourteenth ticle of the Constitution of the United States or who shall attempt to hold or exercise the duties of such office, shall be deemed guilty of felony against the United States. and upon conviction thereof shall be imprisoned not less than three years nor more than ten, and fined not less than $l, ,00O nor moro than $i0,C00. .....a | MT. FERRY Mir. President, the bill just read, and which was introduced by the Senator from Nevada on yesterday, pro. vides a system of penalties for the purpose of enforcing tho disabilities provided by the third section of the fourteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Early in the session, I had the honor to introduce two measures whose combined operation would secure the re. moval of all political disabilities growing out of Federal legislation during the pro. gress of reconstruction. Those bills were appropriately referred at the time of theii introduction; and I should not have at tempted to discuss them until the action of the committee upon them had been made known to the Senate had 1t not beer that the introduction of this bill by the Senator from Nevada affords me an oppor. tunity and strengthens the argument in ia vor of the measures which I have propos ed. In order that those measures may be understood, both separately and in combi nation, desire that they shall be read by the Secretary. l send to the desk for tha | purpose, Senate resolution No. 1S4.
 The Chief Clerk read the joint resolu tion (S. R. No. 184) for the removal of DO litical disabilities, as follows: ttt.
 Be t resolued by the Senate and House of Repre- sentdttues Qf the Jnied States of America ia Co,. gress assembled, 1.-two thirds of both Houses con curring,) That all persons disqualified to ho, office by the third section of the fourteenth articl of amendment of the Constitution of the Unite States are hereby relieved from such disability and the same is removed from and fter the pas sage of this joint resolution. }isI '@ ]a5t Il Mir. FERRY. now send to the desk t. be read Senate bill No. 656. q
 The Chief Clerk read the bill IS. Nc l556l to remove political disabilities, as fol lows: ,ls vsa n<fEasg a'35 as *i5 ''5'sf
 Bet enacted by he Senate and House Of Repr
 se,ltatices of hte Uaited States of America ia Co, gress assembled, That all such parts of any act
 acts of Congress as forbid any citizens of the Un
 ted States to vote at any election by reason of an of the disabilities mentioned in the third secto
 or the fourteenth article of the amendment of tf
 Constitution of the United States be- and tf
 same are hereby repealed. .1Y ,.- Mir. FERRY. | wou1d have been bette lpleased could have embraced the 'whol
 subject-matter in one bill; but in order f remove the disabilities enumerated in tn
 third section of the fourteenth amenameu
 1t IS necessary to obtain a concurring vol of two-thirds of both Houses, it becam !. also necessary that separate measure 1should be introduced for the removal { those disabilities on the one hand. and fo
 the abolition of the limitations upon tb
 suffrage imposed by the reconstruction law
 on the other. The joint resolution seet l to restore to eligibility to office all citizer
 of the United States who have lost if b }. reason of the adoption of the fourteent a 0j tIcie of amendments to the Constitution { the United States. The bill seeks to r move the restrictions upon the suffrao E which were imposed by certain acts r Congress known as the reconstrnctio q laws. So that the two together will as a have said, if adopted by Congress. opera ;, to remove all political disabilities wbie
 have been. .created by Federal legislatio a during the progress of reconstructiol
 They interfere in no wise with State a : ition, leaving the local. policies of Il . States to their own discretion. It is n earnest hope that both these measures mg < Imeet with the sanction of Congress durir tz s59se t@4 Esfsf N4sl4t 0I s1NaA e.XsF