The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-12-19
CONGRESSIONAL NOTES.
The Southern Militin Bill-A Cata logue
of Horrors-Nhat Senator Saw yer
Safd-Remova1 OF enator
Ferry's s,cech-What is Thought Of
Underwood's Antics.

|
Satd-Removalo OF Disabilitics-Scnator
Ferrv,s cech-What is Thought of
Underyood's Antics.
The readers of The NEWS willdonbtless well
come from time to time, briet extracts from
the full reports OF the proceedings of Congress
touching those points wherein they arc more
particularly interested, and regarding which
the daily telegraphc outline is too meagre to
be satisfactory. These, together with such bits
of current political gossip on Congressional
topics as concern our people, it shall be our
endeayor regularly to supply.
THE SOUTHERN MILITIA BILL.
The bill providing for the formation OF local
militia in the seven reconstructed States de-
4 yeloped some events of interest in the debates
in the Senate on Tuesday. 1t came out that
the bill is only preliminary intended to be re-
allied in detail by the other bill now before
the Military Committee which provides for the
issuing of two Thousand stand of arms, OF inn
proved Springfield pattern, to each Congress
sional District in the Reconstructed States,
with two batteries of artillery; the same to be
distributed by the Governors to loyal compa-
pics in those districts. Thus the full and pow
full eouipmen; of standing negro army is to
bo provided fo.. In support of tuls design
Wilson recounted four thousand murders in
Texas since November A. ana stated that
more Union men have been murdered in the
South since the 1st of January, 1867, than
were killed Mt Gettysburg. He told OF
one dsloyal Louisianian vino boasted he
had pinked one hundred and twenty Union
men with his own hand as Opelousas. To this
narration by the senator no description can do
Justice. He was in his most God-fearing, lib
erty-Ioving vein, and delivered the fiction with
contempt for grammar and pronunciation
which brought tears to the eyes OF an open
cared intelligent contraband in the gallery. In
the discu ssion of the bill several Of the new
senator's from the South made their debut.
Warner, Of Alabama. exchanged complim ents
with Garrett Davis on the virtue of scalawags
and carpet-baggers, and was so sensitive as to
insist that he had lived at least eighteen months
in the State and had right to be considered
a regular representative. Mr.. Sawyer, of South
| Carolina, is said to have made the best speech
of the occasion, and Ias respectful, intel
lgent and direct. In the course OF his re-
marks, he said that in Sou.h Carolina and the
other Southern States the loyal people were
uparmed, while the opposing party had plenty
of arms and were not scrupulous in the use OF
them. The government Of South Carolina was
not, he said, government of the m .iiority,
hut was sustained by o majority of the PEOPLE,
including those disfranchlsed. The } olicy of
the loyal men was 80 liberal that u der the
present State Government of South Carolina
every citizen Of tho State could hold Il ce. He
desired this prohibition to be repealed because
militia was necessary in the Southern States,
and also because il their governma nts were
real State governments, they ought to have
the power 10 organize aud call out the militia
when necessary.
REMOVAL OF POLITICAL DISABILITIES.
In the House of Representatives on Wednes-
| day
Mr.. Paine, of Wisconsin, from the Commit
| tee on Reconstruction, reported bill remov-
ing political disability from Andrew Ramsey,
w. L. Elliott, W. A. Daniels j. A. Woodward,
| w. J. Nixon, j. W. Bingham, G. Z. Palm or,
and George Lewis, citizens OF South Carolina.
MIR. Paine sent to the clerks desk statemen
relative TO these men, signed by the South
Carolina delegation. :,
Mr.. Brooks, of New York, sug ,ested that all
| the documents had better be printed, so as to
have them on record. He hoped, that as uni
yersal negro male suffrage hal been establish
| ed in the South, universal white male suffrage
| would soon be established also.
| NIr. Farnesworth, ofIlinois, moved to amend
tho bill by inserting therein the name OF the
| - 20 ntv0O
agreed to, and the BILL as amended, passed.
A Washington letter Of Tuesday says:
The speech Of Senator Ferry this morning
may be regarded Us the first hearty response
| from apy prominent member OF the Radical
party to General Grants famous de-! ;!araton,
'.let us have peace" Mr.. Ferry took broad
ground in favor OF o complete and absolute
wiplng out Of all the political disabilities now
imposed upon the Southern people, and dlu
not hesitate to assure his associates that snch
nh oct OF clemency could not only be safely
performed, but that its inevitable tendency
would be TO restore harmony and fraternal
feeling. Mr. Ferry was listened to with great
| attention, but his remarks struck too much at
the very base of Radical supremacy to meet
with much favor. It's matter OF regret that
| the assertion Is warranted that nc Is wlthou1
doubt the only senator Of his party who favors
the Immediate removal of these unjust politi-
cal disabilities.
JUDGE" UNDERWOOD.
The same correspondent writes
The extraordinary conduct of Judge Under
wood in opening the prison doors to all con-
victs in Virginia has at last attracted the at
tentlon OF Congress, and the resolution OF
Senator Williams, OF Oregon, was adopted,
directing the Senate Committee on the Judici-
ary to inquire if there bo no way to arrest such
proceeding. and it IS understood the commit
tee will act promptly in the premises. 1t was
declared by Senator Williams to be The first in
stance ever known where the action OF court
de fucto were sci aside and criminals, regularly
convicted, lurne; loose upon community,
simply because the officer presiding was asccr-
Ia ned to be no: q judge de jlre. The pro-
ccedngs OF Judge Underwood are universally
condemned here by all parties.