Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-01-17
F0RTIETH CONGRESS.
This Afternoons Proceedings
FRIDAY, January II.

HorsE or STArIvEs-M- Saenck
(o.,) from Comm tee OF Mays and M-aES
asked ieave 10 report back tn auti-,ontra.tls \
hill with n recommendation 20 u1E-coucIr IA
fhc - nate am ndTuents, but Mr.. Beuitrnla o.
q ci' Until aft.r IN, morning hour and IN listed
upon The rfr lar orCrr which VS. "a. cou-Id-
GRAFTON OF pTiv3tn bills
Mr. GARFIELD, lO..) from Conmittsc on Mill
taIy Arairy, report, back , tiuon oi Ss-tn
S.ioFy, OF Ma u", Tor "a y pawn ~ and Ask a
its TO- 4, n on on, I,l.ttc. 70 ordered
1he petition OF r. q. Snyi-T. a sing comp n
"a ton Tor tn bnlit mould now m u.s.. IA tne
Ordnance department - a. tas-n from Military
Commute, and referred 70 COmInI-tse On Ord
nancg.
Mr.. q Garfield alSo rerorsa1 adversely upou
the ctIt On o. Capt. II ". S'anhoIle. .. he I.tli
U. - Infantry, ana ;he Commit g Was dis.
Charged from lie IurtheT consideration.
hr- Garneli, from ,amc Comm tire. raporta 4
faNorahly upon the bIll al eCtiug the -eitlsu.ent
OF acc unts Oi A r. Roc Aweil. a a 1t Lieut. u
amt OF Infantry, from October, lsel, 10 Oc,o5, e,
The bill was then referred 70 ,he Committee
on Claims.
Mr.. nooge (lowa). from CornmIttee on Nui-
tary Affair, report, 4 tai 70 place tar nam.
OF Capt. Cha. 4. Johnston, late Of the Isth
Iowa volunteers, GA the .e,lr-5 LIST Jf the ..lly
with feil pay a. a r,Il,ed omc-r. Passed.
hr. IIc (MN.D report adversely up0n a
nnInIer OF private memorials from Missouri,
ana the ComWrtes was discharged from "a. ar
furlLsr consI alton.
Mr.. Price, (lowa.D from Committee on Pen
Il
the peEsion of Mrs. Nancy Weeks, a SIdJ - Of
a soldier Of the var of !o2. Passed.
MI. Periiar, Me- from Commit on Inva-
lid Pension, REPORTED Il bill for rrII.f Of Juha
Kelly OF Company II, 9th Penna. Volunteers
Passed.
Alec, reported favorably on bill for relief OF
Jacob ' an NorstraDc, of i27;h Ind. Volunteers.
Passed.
Mr Van Asrnam, IN. W from same Com
mItlee. reported a biii for relief of The orphans
OF Pleasant Stoups, OF the 18th L. :. infant-y.
Passed.
Tie Speaker laid beforr the HouSe n conruu-
nication from the Secretary of the Iaieri1r.
UaBs shifting estimates OF appropriations nec.s-
sary tor the Navajo Indians IN New Mexico
Referred to Ccmmittse on Appropriations
by unanimous consent. the order of the
House. that the Note on rrcons truction be taken
to-day. was Tecons sidered. and the vote on the
bill was postponed until Monday, after the
morning hour; and it was further rtssol we'd that
there should ce a session Tomorrow for debate
only.
On motion of Mr. Schenck. the Senaf
amendments 10 the differentiation bill Were.
taken up and read.
Hr. Sch-nck proceeded % explain what h.
conceived TO be the difference between the two
Houses upon this bill. The House bill, he said.
" as short ana easy enough 10 understand, and
he recommended that the House nou-concur i'm
the Senate amendment. The motion TO nou-
cone ur Was agreed TO.
he House les sumed the consideration of th.
reI obstruction bill
Mr.. Garfield (Uho) addressed the House. and
said he should say nothing about the first sec
ton, for that section was affirmed by the Thirty
ninth Cong ess, and the people encorsed AZ
when they elected the members 10 th. Forti-th
Congress. 1 or all political purposes. therefore.
the principle Of the first section OF the bill Is
settled anu closed. EuI he wanted 10 refer -
pecially 10 the second section of the hill. for IL
Eiis cl. ir.ed by the other side of the House thai
this clause would deprive the President OF
some of hls constitutional prprogatiVes, and
N,st them ia the Gen' raj Of the army. The
Constitution made the President Commander
in-ChIef OF the army, bus IL threw guards
around him; and Mr.. Garfield claimed
4hat 1t was An The power Of
Congress today 10 vest the appointment OF
all officers OF the army the >eci etary OF War.
and take il from the President. The General
ln-Chief OF the Army, and even the President
OF the L nited Stae es, ae subordinate oificerS of
Congress and II Congress can assign duty 10
a subordinate officer low barracA
master, II may assign duty to the
Cen raj OF the Army who II also a subordinate.
But why was this hill necessary! Ii " as be-
cause the President and those Who have acted
"a ith him. have been obstructinC the laws for
reconstruction. and IL ~ found necessary now
To remove the obstruction and place The work
in the hands OF a man no could be trusted. In
one shameful case have the example OF
me laws of Con gress set at defiance by one OF
these friends OF the President law violated
by one of our own suboruinatsS. Inis officer
was sent TO New Orleans with "A law OF Con-
gress in his hands. but instead OF enforcing that
law hs gives the people OF the United States
lecture upon what, in his opinion, ought be the
relation between the military and court depart
ments of the Government. We find him ex-
planning what is. and what is not law. 1t is not
FOR General Hancock To say whether the civil or
the miiitary governments shall take precedence;
il is not Tor him TO search through the laws
of Texas and Louisiana TO find out what
these laws are. He was not sent
down there for that purpose, but to en-
loIce the Reconstrucuon laws OF Congress. He
he done has duty the work of reconstruction
would progress quietly and surely-ihe peo-
pie would nave properly held their con-
Nentions, and they would speedily be rep
resented here. Alabams had, under q prop
er commander, held her convention, and
would vote upon her constitution early
IN February, and before the second week IN
February he Mr. Grrfield) expected TO Al
atama :. ated in her proper place here BY her
reprt sentatiyes. Ii these conventions We're all
permitted 10 be held in the South, he would
spt edily hope 10 see the Union restored. But
who oppose these measures! They are gen.
ntmon the other side of the House
who are leaSucd with the President TO
otstruct reconstruction, and without saying
whether gentlemen are rebel sympathizers or
not, he would say that their conduct and action
rs pleasing to, and IL approved by every un-
banged rebel of the South. There Is not one of
the m.n who went into rebellion; not one
" bo shot our soldi'rs down 10 ambulances:
there II not one rascal of the late rebellion who
IL not with this party in Congress that Is ma
king every effort with the President 10 obstruci
the law of Congress. Does any one. therefore.
suppose that will go backward upon these
m.asur's. OF will lei a subordinate oliicer defy
the law! III was only the other day that the
Goytrnor of IsNas rote To General Hancock
that The civil law could not protect men from
being murdered. and this General said he was
not sent down there TO interfere with the civil
laws OF Texas. Ii war just such laws that
General Hancock was sent down there TO inter-
fee with.
Mr.. Garfield's time here expired.
Mr. Boutwell, thass.) then addressed the
House.
.