The Portland daily press., 1868-05-09

opportunity of knowing whether it had re-
publican form of government
| MIR. Stevens remarked that COPIES y! .n9
Constitution of Arkansas had peen iurhlsheu
to the members month ago: ..-,,-
Mr. Recl having had twenty minutes allow
ed him smoke against the bill on the ground of
| the sweening disfranchiSement and other OBJ
| noyious provisions contained in the Constitu-
tion and because it could be demonstrated that
the people of Arkansas rejected it at the polls.
| If the House would only postpone the matter
until Monday all the facts stated by him would
| be made to appear. -
Mr.. Woodward having by agreement been
| allowed twenty minutes, argued that Arkan-
| sas had never been out of the Union. That
| the territory had belonged to the Federal
government and that Arkansas herself had
repealed her ordinance of secession, so that IN
law, in fact, the State was now in the Union,
and yet by force of Federal bayonets and by
giving the ballot to negroes 1T was now pro-
posed to reconstruct Arkansas If that were
reconstruction there were then no unre JASON
| able and lawless acts which had ever taken
place in this country that might not also be
STYLED reconstruction. If Congress had not
the right to force negro sunrage into Penn
sylvania at the point OF the 6ayonet, what
members suppose that the people would SUM-
port them in such acts? Certainly not. If
members were prepared to vote a negro Con-
stitution on Arkansas, they would also be re-
CURED to vote negro Constitution in every
State IN the Union. They were subverting
and overthrowipg by force of arms an organic
ed state, and that was certainly levying war
against State of the Union, and therefore
were guilty of treason.
Mr. Stevens remarked that his colleague
tWoodward) had undertaken to prove thatAr-
kansas had never been out of the Union and
had taken twenty minutes to prove that she
could not come in. Iaughter) He did not
understand it, and it would take some time to
look over it. (Laughter.) In the meantime he
would yield ten minutes to Mr.. Paine.
MIR. Paine occupied the ten minutes in re-
plying to some of the points made by Mr..
Beck in reference to the votes ON the Consti-
tuition. Arguing that the Constitution had
been adopted by a majority of 1, 316 votes
Mr.. Pike sent to the Clerks desk the Con-
stitution OF Arkansas, in order to have the |
most important parts of 1.-THE LIST and 9Th |
articles read. |
Mr.. spalding called Mr. Pixies attention to-
the provisions in the bill, which declared the |
Constitution should never be changed. He |
wanted to know whether Congress could fas- |
ten such Constitution on the people of any
State.
Mr. Pike said he would leave that to Mr..
Stevens to answer.
The articles in question were then read.
r Mr.. Blaine asked Mr.. Woodward whether if |
Arkansas was originally admitted thirty-two |
years ago with Constitution tolerating slav-
OiJ dhu Legislature from TAX
ing any steps to abolish slavery, if that was a |
republican form of government.
Mr. w Woodward thought the question irrele-
want The Government having admitted Ar
kansas into the Union, the question whether
she had republican form of government was
concluded.
Mr.. Blaine remarked that if he was law
yer he would say that the gentleman confessed
and avoided the question.
Mr. Stevens closed the debate. He replied |
TO the objection fO the hill nrOvidipn tbat
the Constitution should not be amended in
certain particulars, that Missouri, Illinois.
Michigan apd other States had conditions i'm
posed on their admission As to the objection
from members on the other side of the House,
If that they were not prepared to vote on the
question, he said that if it were postponed for
eternity, eternity would still find them unpre-
pared: There had been great clamor against
his side OF the House for keeping out those
now constructed States, and now there was OBJ
fectlon made IN letting them in. He had sent
to the Secretary of State for q certificate of
Arkansas, 1t having adopted the amendment
to the Constitution, known as the 14th article,
put That gentleman had been so concerned |
about his domestic household and Cabinet
affairs and perhaps Alta Vela, Qaughter) that
be did not until now attend to it. |
Mr.. Eldredge moved that the House adjourn |
and called for the yeas and nays and letters on
yeas and nays.
Neither the yeas and nays or letters were Or
dered and the Honse refused adjournment.
The bill then passed-yeas ITO, nays 49,
. Messrs. Baker, Loan, Spauldng and Will |
Jams Of Penn, (Republicans) voted no.
The Speaker voted aye. er
Mr.. ROBINSON moved to amend the title SO |
as to make it read, bill to keep Arkansas as
an equal and Independent State out of the
U MON unless the people submit to despot-
ism. Rejected. ~. : x /
Mr.. Shanks introduced joint resolution
TO declare the officers elected in South Car
Dina to be Provisional Government of that
State. Referred to the Committee on Recon-
;truction.s n - =
Mr.. Paine from the Reconstruction Commit
zee, reported a bill to admit South Carolina to
representation in Congress. Ordered to be
printed and recommitted
MIR. Van Wyck from the Committee OH Re-
renchment, offered resolution reciling that
he iron clads Dnesta, and Catawba had been
recently sold to Swift & Co., and there was
reason to believe they were to be sold and de- |
vered to the Peruvian Government. now at
war with friendly power, and requesting
the President forthwith to order the seizure |
and detention of those vessels until the mat
ter can be investigated by Congress. Adopt
Mr. w ashburne of Ill, reported bill to sup
ply deficiency for the execution of the recon
struction laws in the Third Military District |
for the year ending June Both, 1868 Re-
erred to Committee of Whole on the State of
.he Union, and made the special order for
Monday. a5' = .7',--'I 81 -
zee of Whole on the State of the Union, Mr.. |
Wilson of Iowa, in the Chair, and was adj
dressed by Mr.. Cook on the policy CT recon-
'trnction. Defending that of Congress and
the course of the President. Ad-
ourned. a t -l1.f.-. d, .--. ID. . ....... or