Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-03-22
LATEST TIELEGRAMS.
MIDNIGHT DISPATCHES.
CONGRESSIONAL pRocEEDrNGs.


expended balances to the surplus fund, ex-
cept the amount necessary for expenditure
for the fiscal year, was adopted.
Mr.. Davis offered an amendment that
the President be authorized or instructed
to reduce the army to 10000 strong, said
force to be kept South for revolutionary
purposes. Rejected.
Mr.. Buckalew offered an amendment to
reduce the army to $4,000, under direction
of the President. Lost ii to 81.
The Indian appropriation bill was taken
up.
The various amendments of the COM
mittee were agreed to.
Mr.. Ramsey's amendment, referred to
yesterday, appropriating forty thousand
dollars to the Sioux Indians of Devils Is
land, so as to appropriate twenty thou
sand. Agreed to. The bill then passed,
and goes to the House.
Mr.. Anthony moved to take up the re-
port of the Committee on Standing Rules
Of the Senate.
Mr.. Drake opposed the motion, saying
that delay would work no harm relative to
these rules, and urged the Importance of
taking up his additional impeachment rnle
offered yesterday.
By vote of q to 6 Mr.. Anthony's res
olution was taken up, and the Senate ad
| journed.
House of Representatives.
The House engaged in general discus
| sion as if in Committee of the Whole, the
principal topic being the financial ques-
| ton.
Mr.. Newcomb spoke on general politics.
Mr.. Blair, of Michigan, spoke on the
finances, opposing the payment of the debt
in greenbacks, arguing that it should not
be increased dollar; that the present was
not the time to consider the payment of
the principal, and that undivided attention
should be given to the restoration of the
country on solid and enduring basis.
Mr.. Niblack asked why Mr.. Blair spoke
of the policy of paying the bonds in green
backs as a Democratic scheme, and why he
referred to Democratic State Conventions
in Ohio and Indiana in that connection,
when he knew the Republican Convention
in those States adopted the same policy.
Mr.. Blair did not understand the Re-
publican Convention TO indorse that policy,
but only to approximate to it.. They sim
ply made an unmanly exhibition of party
fearfulness. When the question came up
in the House, however, the Democratic
members had, nine out of ten, voted for the
payment of the debt in greenbacks, while
the Republican members had taken the
opposite side.
Mr. Niblack regretted this imputation
on the Republicans. As on the question
as to the Democratic party, the scheme
originated with Mr.. Stevens, of Pennsyl-
vania, and Mr.. Butler, and was therefore a
Simon-pure Republican measure.
After some further debate, Mr.. Lawrence,
of Ohio, said he would, when in order,
move for an inquiry by the J judiciary Com
mittee as to whether the public lands sold
under treaties with Indian tribes are held
| by valid title, and whether such lands can
| be sold except in pursuance of law duly
| enacted by Congress. He remarked that
| during the four years prior to January,
| 1868. there had been sold in large tracts
to individuals and companies, under trea-
| ties with Indian tribes, ] ,478,52S acres of
public lands, for 81, 081, 122. This was
| destruction to the homestead policy, and
| he denied that lands could be sold except
| in pursuance of law of Congress. He
had introduced bill to require railroad
companies hereafter receiving grants of
| lands to sell them low to actual settlers.
| 1t was the duty of Congress to stop the
systems by which public lands were &C
cumulating in the hands of few to be
sold at enormous prices to actual settlers,
and especially to arrest this unconstitu-
tional manner of disposing public lands
| by acts under which no valid title is ac-
| quired.
| Mr.. Perham spoke on the financial ques-
ton, especially advocating the allowance
of drawbacks on materials entering into
the construction of vessels.
Mr.. Woodward answered the argument
of Mr.. BroomaIl of the other day, on the
bill to guarantee to all States a republican
form Of government.
Mr.. Niblack made briefspeech against
the Freedmen's Bureau bill.
Mr.. Peters advocated the bill for the adj
mission of Alabama.
Mr.. Paine, speaking in reference to the
Russian American Possessions, argued that
the treaty making power was absolutely in
| the President and Senate only when treaty
could be performed without encroaching on
| the constitutional powers of Congress.
Mr.. Wilson, of Iowa, referred to the
discussion of last Saturday and his own
connection with the measure depriving the
Supreme Court of appellate jurisdiction in
reconstruction cases. He had prepared
himself to explain the amendment, but as
no explanation was asked, and as he never
troubled the House with unnecessary re-
marks, he had RETAINED from saying any
thing. The gentleman from Ohio, Mr..
Schenck, then moved the previous question
and the House acted on it. That was his
connection with the matter.
Mr.. Eldridge made some remarks to the
effect that he was satisfied a majority had
arranged to adopt the measure in the man
ner in which it passed.
In reply to the question by Mr.. Wood
ward Mr.. Wilson said his intention in
offering an amendment was to take away
the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in
the McCardle case.
| Mr.. Woodward said it would accomplish
no such purpose.
| Mr.. Wilson: Very well, then, the gen
tleman is not hurt nor is McCardle, either,
! and what then is this tempest in teapot
| for.
| Mr.. Woodward: | say to the gentleman,
| as a lawyer, that it is not in the power of
| a legislative department of government to
[ take away jurisdiction in a case where it
| has already attached.
| Mr.. Wilson replied that the Supreme
| Court itself had decided that a repeal of
the jurisdiction even arrests judgment.
| Mr.. Woodward remarked that however
the gentleman from Iowa might have vim
dicated himself AZ to a very questionable
line of conduct, he stood here maintaining
that the legislative department of the gov
eminent might do the highly indecent
thing of looking into courts Of Justice,
seeing what cases were pending in them,
and then using its legislative functions TO
arrest and stop the course of Justice. That
was the position in which the gentleman
placed himself For himself he main
tanned that Congress had no right to inter-
fere in such a case. The judicial power Of
the government was placed in the courts,
and in this particular case it was indecent
in the first place for the Legislature to in
terfere, and the next place it was uncon-
| stitutional.
Mr.. Wilson: As TO question Of de-
cency, the gentleman will permit those
who voted for the measure to judge for
themselves as to the question Of power.
have already said the Supreme Court as
cd hat mi