The Portland daily press., 1868-01-07
XL'h CON II 3s:-] eoo1d Sc, sen,
SENATE.


| bled at noon. The attendance was very slim
| Mr. SALISBURY appeared tor the first time this
| session.
The Chair laid before the Senate the memo
RAJ OF the Manufacturers Convention, held in
Cleveland, in regard to taxes. Referred to the
| finlnce Committee.
MI. lmundS presented a memorial regard
ing the establishment of line OF steamships
| between this country and Liberia. Referred
1 tn the Post Office Committee.
Mr.. Sumner presented the petition of a
| large number OF Freedmen in Elizabeth CITY,
| North Carolina, representing their troubles
| and sufierings because OF unjust and cruel
! landholders driving them from their lands.
| and asking redress, among other things that
| Congress pass law like Mr. Julian's home
| stead law, and aid them i'll purchasing lands
! at fair prices. Referred to the Committee on
1 Pnblic Lands.
Mr.. Williams, from the Finance Committee,
| reported fayOrably on the bill providing that
the hnal Judgment of the Circuit Court in ac-
tons brought against collectors or 9th reve-
nue. officers may be appealed TO the Supreme
Court of the United States at the instance of
either party without regard to the amount in
controversy.
Mr.. Morton offered n joint resolution prohib-
iting all treasury or judicial officers from COM
promising any suit criminal proceedings
brought against violatOrs of the revenue laws
or frauds on the treasury Tabled.
Mr.. Pomeroy introduced a bill authorizing
t1e Secretary of War to settle the claims of
kansas for expenses of calling out the militia
Referred.
Mr.. Williams introduced bill granting
lands for construction of railroad and tele-
| graph line by the Pacific Central Railroad
| Company.
Mr.. herman introduced bill in regard to
| the coinage of gold and silver. Referred
| Mr.. Williams, from the Judiciary Commit
tee, reported favorably the bin to anend the
judiciary act of 1889.
The case of Mr.. Thomas Senator elect from
Maryland, was called up by Senator johnson.
who addressed the Senate at length in express
SION OF the evidence adduced before the COM
mtttee The charges against Mr.. Thomas are
dis oyalty to the Government, evidenced by
! bis depicting the treasury while Secretary
| during the Buchanan administration, with a
view to destroy the public credit, and by max
ing disloyal speech on the occasion of his
election by the Maryland Legislature. The
| committee reported that neither charge was
! sustained. 1t was further alleged that he had
given aid to the enemy by employing his son
with money to join the confederacy. Mr..
johnson devoted himself to a defence OF his
colleague agains. this charge. The giving of
the money was admitted, but it was urged
that the father used his utmost efforts to pre-
vent his son from going, but finding all APP
peals useless, and that his son would go, lie
gave the money to keep him from want in case
of capture or sickness.
MIR. johnson proceeded to defend Mr. Thorn
as against the charges of disloyalty which had
6een made against him, and argued that he
had never int ntionaly offered aid and com.
tort to the rebellion. In furnishing money to
his son, who entered the confed rate sew ce
against his circumstances and entreaties, he
did so only as parent, to save the young man
from the misery and suffering which he mu
| otherwise have experienced, and not with the
intention OF aiding the rebellion. He defends
ed him against the charge of having purpose
~ deprecated the credit OF the Government
by unnecessarily borrowing money at exhorb-
liant rates to pay interest on government obi
cations. Mr. johnson concluded by moving
to postpone the resolution for the present
MIR. Edmunds argued that the purpose of
Mr.. Thomas III furnishing his son with money
was to give him an outfit and enable him to
get through the lines to Join the MARYLAND reg
lment IN the rebel service, and read portions of
the testimony to sustain this conclusion, which
he said was irresistible
After further debate, in which Messrs Stew
art, Howe, Trumbull and others participated,
MIR. johnson withdrew his motion to postpo le,
and the bill was laid aside.
Mr.. Sumner then called up the bill for the
repeal OF the cotton tax, which was laid over
until tomorrow, and the Senate adjourned.
| HOUSE.
Bills and joint resolutions were introduced
and referred as follows:-By Mr.. Perham to
relieve the vessels engaged in the coastino
trade from filing manifests; by Mr. Browneli'
to provide for the gradual redemption of legal
tender notes. The latter bill proposes to aboI-
lsh the present system of contraction and to
substitute the redemption of notes when pre-
scented In sums of less than one hundred dol
lars at LAO per dollar of gold during the first
month; 1.39 IL during the second month; 139
during the third month, and SO ON until gold
and notes become of equal value, which would
be In six years and eight months. Also, by
Mr. WaSh0urDe, of Indiana. to amend the law
so as to retain certain paymasters now in the
volunteer service in the regular army aud to
estaollsh rank among paymasters; by Mr..
| Kerr. to amend the soldiers bounty law so
| that the heirs of soldier who, after the pas-
| sage of the law, shall receive the bounty he
| would be entitled to if living; by Mr.. Farms
WORTH constituting section 10 of the act of
March 2, 1867. 1t provides that advertisements
Tor proposals for carrying the mails and other
advertisements SEINE from the Executive depart
ments, which do not require anything to be
done in the District of Columbia, Shall not be
published IN Washington papers except as to
carrying the mails in Maryland
Several other bills were also offered and re-
| ferred.
Mr.. Epson offered the following;
-ReSolUed, That the Committee on Recon-
struction inquire into the expedency of au-
! thorizing by law the several constitutional
| conventions elected under the reconstruction
acts in the States lately in rebellion to appoint
all civil officers, State, county, CITY or other
wise, in those said States respectively, to act
temporarily until the Constitutions be adoDt-
ed therein and the officers chosen and quail
fled hereunder; and lor that purpose to re-
lleve any or all such civil officers who NAV
now be acting in each of said States as the
Constitutional Convention thereof may deem
| proper.
Mr.. Boutwell, asked Mr.. Epson to accept as
! an amendment the following resolution, to be
| added to his own:
| ReSolUed, That the Committee on Recon-
| struction be directed to consider the expedien-
| cy OF authorizing the Generals of the army to
| detail officers for service in the several mill
1 fn.x dI-fp MS N.I,1 ,alNa -
recently in rebellion; also to consider the expe-
dlency of constit uting the said States a single
military district under the command of the
| General OF the army: also to consider the ex-
| pedIency OF providing additional securities for
| the exercise of the elective franchise in said
| States; and also to consider the expediency of
declaring, by act of Congress, that the govern
| ments heretofore set up in said States by the
order of the President are not republic for ms
| of government
Mr.. Epson accepted the amendment to his
| resolution.
Mr.. Maynard suggested that the resolution
should be made amendatory.
Mr.. Epson declined to modify it in that re-
| spect.
Mr.. Chambers moved to lay the resolution
| on the table. Rejected-yeas %, nays So,
| The resolution, as amended, was then adopt
| ed.
Mr.. Allison offered a resolution directin q
| the Secretary Of the Treasury to report the
1
| Brooklyn, the quantity condemned and the
| quantity sold, together with the amount re-
ceiyed into the treasury from such sales; also
the amount now on hand in possession of the
| Government. Adopted.
Mr. Washburne of Wisconsin, offered the
] resolution which had been proposed by Mr..
| Washburne, of Illinois, as an amendment to
| the resolution of Mr.. Eldridge.
Mr.. Chanler called for a division on the
| question
Mr.. Ross suggested that thanks should also
| be expressed to Gen. Grant for what had been
called his white-washing letter, recommend
| ing that members from the South be admitted
| to their seats in Congress.
| Mr.. Washburne, of Wisconsin, declined to
| adopt the suggestion.
| Mr.. Boyer moved to table the resolution,
| Negatived-yeas %, nays 80.
The question was then taken by yeas and
nays on the first branch of the resolution, as
| follows:
| Resotoed, That the House utterly condemns
the conduct of Andrew johnson, President of
| the United States, for his action in removing
that gallant soldier, Major Gen. Philip H.
| Sheridan from the command of the fifth mill
tary district. Adopted-yeas 70, nays %.
| The second branch of the resolution, ten
/ 4 hon he G