The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-03-19
BY TELEGRAPH
CONGRESS.
wAsH1NoroN, March Is.
RENArE,

-. HAGSVAAVN
ton, from the Attorney General, call
ing attention to the inexpediency of
reducing his clerical force. Referred
TO the Committee on Appropriations.
Also, 0 communication from the Sec.
retary OF War, stating the military res.
erVatton at Fort Ridgeway may be re-
liuquished without detriment to the
service. Referred to the Committee on
Military.
Mr.. Sumner presented petition
from the Cleveland (Ohio) Manufactur-
ers' Convention praying for n reduction
of internal tax. Referred o the Com
mittee on Commerce.
Mr.. Edmunds called up the bill to
regulate the presentation of bills to the
President and the return Ofthe same.
MIR. RayGrd spoke in opposition to the
bill.
The bill was then laid aside and the
chair submitted a communication from
General In the army, enclosing COPY
ofa telegram received from Gen. Meade,
commander of the Sd military district.
The telegram is dated January IL, 1868,
and was read, stating that If the bill
pending before Congress was passed Cli-
recting the military commander to fill
the offices with those qualified 10 take
the test oath, the execution will be en-
tirely impracticable. Referred to the
Committee on Military Affairs
Mr.. Morrell, of Me-, from the Com
mittee of Conference on the Consular
Appropriation bill, made n report re-
commencing that the Senate recede
from certain amendments and concur
In the amendments providing that all
monies above one thousand dollars, be
received as fees at the Office of the Con
suls, Vice Consuls or Commercial
Agents, shall be paid into the Treasu-
ry. &c. The report was concurred in.
The Senate took up as special order
the bill to exempt certain manufactures
from internal tax. The question
was on Mr.. Henderson's amendment to
the amendment of Mr.. Fessenden,
providing for the drawback of duty on
materials used in the construction of
river steamers, which was rejected. The
question recurred on tho amendment
providing for drawback equal
in amount to the transport duty
on timber, MANILA, copper; iron,
not advanced in the manufacture, be-
ing bars, bolts, &C., used in the construc-
tion of sailing vessels and the repair of
vessels of foreign build to be retained
for use in the United States, under such
regulations as the Secretary of the
Treasury may prescribe.
Mr.. johnson moved to amend by in
serting after the words sailing vessels,
the words or ocean steamers.
Mr.. Chandler asked if it would be in
order to offer an amendment exempting
all articles used in the construction OF
all vessels III the United States of
whatever kind.
The chair replied in the negative.
After a long debate Mr.. Johnson's
amendment was lost, as was Mr.. Fes.
senden's.
Mr.. Grimes offered an amendment
reducing the tariff on imports to 10 per
cents.
The bill passed in Committee of the
Whole and was reported to the Senate.
Mr.. Sherman gave notice that he
would press to vote to. morrow.
Mr.. Trumbull, from the Committee
on Judiciary, reported the bill to modI-
fy the test oath in the case of K. r..
Butler, OF Tennessee. to allow him to
take his seatin tho House.
Adjourned.
Mr.. Broomall, of Pennsylvani
moved to reconsider the vote referring
to the Judiciary Committee bill in
troduced by him, July II, 1867, to guar.
antee to the several States of the
Union n Republican form of Govern
lnent.
The bill Is as follows:
WHEREAS, The form OF government
OF several States of the Union is not
Republican in this particular; that by
the Constitution and laws of such
States, political rights are made to de-
pend upon parentage and race, and are
united in certain ia miles to the exclus-
ion of others equally loyal as citizens
of the United States; and.
WHEREAS, 1t is the Constitutional
duty of the United States to guarantee
to every State d Republican form of
government,
Therefore, be IL enacted. &C., That all
provisions and enactments In State
Constitutions and laws which make
n distinction in political and civil
rights among citizens of the United
States, or deny such rights to any such
citizens on account OF parentage, race
and of no effect.
SECTION 2. And be it further eMdcLed,
That If any person shall prevent any
qualified citizen of the United States
from exercising the right of suffrage at
any election in any State under pre-
by the Constitution and laws of such
State on account of his parentage, race,
lineage or color, such person shall be
deemed guilty OF misdemeanor, and on
conviction thereof in proper court,
shall be sentenced to pay a fine not eX-
ceeding $1,000, and undergo imprisOn-
ment not exceeding five years, or both,
at the discretion of the court.
Mr.. Broomall spoke In support OF
the bill, and a political discussion
sprung up between Messrs. Woodward,
Kelly, Broomall and others as to
whether Pennsylvania has a republican
form of government; her constitution
containing the words white freemen,
thereby prohibiting negro suffrage.
Messrs. Knott and Woodward subse-
Quently spoke against the bill, and Mr..
Lawrence, of Pennsylvania, in favor.
Mr.. Schenck, in his remarks, assail-
ed the position of the Democracy on
negro suffrage.
Mr., stevens, of Pennsylvania, made
an argument in favor of universal and
impartial suffrage as the only founda-
ton on which the Government can
stand. He said:
You must build all your science of
government on that, and when you at
Tempt to depart from 1t you forget you
are a man; that you become tyrant,
and YOU deserve the eXecrations OF the
human race. There is no other way
but by universal suffrage in which you,
and /, and every man can protect our
selves against the injustice, the inhu-
manity and the wrongs which would
otherwise be inflicted on us. We have
Cot to a point IN this motion when we
can adopt that great and glorious prin-
oipIe: no man dRres to say we shall not
adopt 1t. HenceforIh let US understand
that universal suffrage, operating in
the face of every man who is to be
governed by votes cast, is one OF those
doctrines planted deeper than the
Granite on which our fathers laid the
foundation of their Immortal work the
work of universal liberty, which Will
last lust as long as that immortal doc
trfne shall last, and no longer.
Mr.. Stevens having announced his
propositions asked the Clerk of the
House to read a prepared speech in adj