The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-03-10
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS
ra WAsBINgr0S. March 9.


asked that he be sworn. He was ad
vancing to the Presidents desk for
that purpose, when Sumner rose and
offered resolution referring the Gre
dentials to the Judiciary Committee,
with instructions to inquire whether
the State of Maryland is Republican
in form sufficient to allow her to send
a Senator at this time. After debate
Sumner withdrew his resolution, and
Vickers took the oath and his seat.
Payne presented memorial of the
destitute cOlored citizens of Georgia
and Alabama, asking an appropria-
ton of one hundred dollars each. to
enable them to emigrate to Liberia !;
from the citizens of Michigan for the
reductions of the army and navy; of
various public offices; against the
pending copyright law; referred; also,
| for the abolition of Vice President
of the United States. Tabled.
Conkllng introduced a resolution
| authorizing the construction Ofla tele-
graph line from New Orleans and
Mobile, and secure it to the Govern
ment as military and post road.
Wilson called up the joint resolu
/ ton for the restoration of Alabama
to representation In Congress.
Wilson said he had received large
numbers Of letter5 from well known
persons, certifying that many citizens
/ had been threatened with dismissal
from employment, and were dismissed
after voting, and professional men
had been deferred from voting by
T. represe ntatio that they would other
wise be injured in their business He
related several instances where such
/ had been the result, among Others
the case of Gen. Fitzpatrick, former
ly a Senator of the Ulited States, who
had threatened to dismiss men in his
employ if they participated In
l the election, and afterwards did
so. Had there been fair
vote, Congress would have been
bound to recognize the election as
valid, but. as that had not been the
case, and as there is no doubt that an
overwhelming majority would have
otherwise voted for the Constitution,
he understood that Gen. Meade was
| investigating the matter, and would
soon make report, and it was pro-
posed to hold new election where
there had been violence and where
there had been no election. He NOV
ed to refer the resolution to the Com
mlttee on judiciary, saying that they
would report 1t at an.early day. Carr
ried.
Wilson introduced bill to provide
for the conversion and funding of the
interest bearing debt and to amend
the, banking law of the United States,
which, on his motion. was Ordefed to
be printed and laid on the table.
j 1t authorizes and requires the Secre-
tary of the Treasury to issue coupon
or registered. bonds sufficient to re-
deem the interest bearing debt, ex-
ept-the five per cent. aud forty year
bonds, and provides that the said
bonds shall be payable in fifty years
n bearing six per cent. interest for
twenty years. and five per cent. after
twenty years-the. interest payable
semi-annually; the principal and in
terest payable In coin. The third
section provides that the said bonds
shall be used solely for the redemp
ton aud exchange of existing bonds
and that such exchange may be made
until January l, 1870, under regula.
tons 20 be prescribed BY the Secre.
tary of the Treasury. a5at5 -H 3
per cent per annHm on new bonds
and directs the Secretary of the Treas
ury to withhold the same from tbs
payment of interest as it accrues
/ The fifth section directs the Seere
tary of the Treasury to ascertain a:
nearly as possible the amount of tay
Z paid by each State through its eiti
! zens and corporations, and pay anau
= 81 -, r,F
: received from its citizens; the corpo
: ration tax TO be In lieu Of State, mu
picipal and local taxation on th,
bonds. .-1as'-s
fi Section six provides for the gradua
: reduction and fual extinction OF sai
{ debt as follows First. bY applyin
j annually to the payment of the prin
cipal of all taxes paid on bonds bel
or owned out Of the United States
Second, by directing the Secretary @
Z the Treasury Tor the first .decad
:, hereafter to redeem annually by pur
= chase 10 coin ten millions Of san
debt, for the, second decade, twent
: millions annually for the third dc
: cade, forty millions annually. and 70
the fifth decade. eighty millions, Q
D until the whole Is redeemed.
The seventh secbl0n auth0flZes th
t increase of the national currency {
five hundred million dollars, and d
reefs that the preference OF the issu
thereof be given te sections of th
country not adequately supplied wit
= banking facilities.
y The eighth section directs the Sc,
= retary of the Treasury, when ii
whole currency exceeds seven hui
dred millions, to retire and cancel ;
rapidly as possible, UntiI the ou
=.