Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-03-28
F0RTIETH CONGRESS.
This Afternoons Proceedings.
SATURDAY, March -,

SATURDAY, March y.
SKNArE-The Char presented Joint resolu-
| lions Of the legislature OF Ohio relative 10 the
rights Of naturalizsd citizens. Referred 10 Com
mltiee on Foreign Relations
Mr.. Eomunds made a report from the Com
mt ee OF conference on the Joint resol ution
pro'h ipg tha; menns accruing from the sale
Oh eaP,ei.a and aoandonsd d property shall be
Mr.. Edmunds said the appropriation of
Sieoo,e 10 enable the SECRETARY OF the Treasury
to defend suits brought against HIM was re-
dueed TO $500. The report of the Committee
| Was concurreu in.
Mr.. Patterson, of New Hampshire, from the
Committee on the District of Columbia re-
Newspaper Company.
Also, iron the same Committee, bill 20 incor-
porate the National Life Insurance Company
mr.. Davis offered resolution calling on the
Secretary of the Treasury for the amour MT of
funds outstanding; at what rate of interest and
the value OF each class in gold at the date OF
their issue.
| Mr.. Sherman sa i'd this was an important in.
4 qnlry, and It had better 60 over.
On motion Of MIR. Edmunds, the President
was requested TO inform the Senate whether be
has established any new Military district since
" hat statute
mittee Of Conference on the bill TO exempt GER
tain man ufactures from Internal taY
Mr.. Nye opposed the adoption OF the report
as calculated TO do in Jus tice TO the distillers
Mr.. Frelinghursen understood that the adop.
ton ct this report would be to close up every
distilleTy in ten days.
Mr.. sherman said it would certainly give
| the power 10 the Commissioner of Internal
Revenue TO do il.
Mr.. Nye sand one effect would be to deprive
| the Government of all revenue from this
source, and the other would be TO I'LL up the
peni tentiaries with Government officials.
Mr.. Howe.-That would be a good thing.
| MI Nye said II was most dangerous pro-
vision, and IL would be derogatory to this
| Government 10 be filing up the country with
| spies. He had never been in a distllery In has
| life, and had no friends who Were dlstillers
but ne could not consent TO the provision of this
Committee of Conference.
| Mr.. Morrill,, of VT, was in favor of stringent
| regulations in reference to distlleries. "a he
did not believe there was an honest distilIer in
| the United States He thought, however. that
the provision in this report was too severe and
| he would suggest another committee of con-
| ference.
| Mr. Sherman said il was useless IN baxa
| another committee of conference, as this whole
| matter had been thoroughly discussed.
| Mr.. Morton objected to the forfeiture OF the
| distlleries and the pen alties prescribed as uu-
necessary. There were one hundred penal
| ties now, and the trouble was not that but that
| the law was not enforced.
| Mr.. Fessenden said the Commissions of In
| ternal Reyenue would not b. able 10 attend 20
| the duties imposed upon him by this section
| He (Mr. } had, however, no sympathy for
| the men who were engaged in this business
| and who would avail themselves of all the
! loopholes of escape furnished them by the law
He believed that the evil might be mitigated il
the tax was reduced.
Mr. Howard would like to know whether IL
was the intention OF the committee 10 impose a
tax upon flour and lumber by the terms OF the
MIR. Fessenden said ii imposed a tax unon
everything which was formerly excepted
Mr.. Sherman said ii included all manufac-
lures except butter and cheese.
The debate was in progress when our report
closed.
HOUSE OF KEPRRsENTATIvEs-Mr V,n
| Horn (Mo) introduced bills making appropri-
| ations for naval service for the current scaI
year, and also in relation 10 the reorganization
| OF the Navy Department. Referred to Com
mittee on Naval Affairs.
Mr.. Pike (Me) introduced a bill to equaliza
the grades of staff officers in the Navy Re-
ferred TO Committee on Naval Affairs
On motion Of Mr.. Farnswoi tn, (IllD the con-
sidsrafion OF private business was postponed.
and the House resumed the con liberation OF tba
bill for the admission of Alabama
Mr.. Ashley (Ohio) proposed as a Substitute
for Mr.. Spaldlng bill bill substantially the
same as that of Mr.. Spalding. except tbst an
additional section proposed providing thai
Alabama may regain her position in the Union
upon condition that there is made part of her
constitution clause, irreyocable except by
consent Of Congress, that the said tate consti
tuition shall never be so altered or amended as
10 operate for a denial abridgement of the
eecti franchise to persons entitled to il under
the present constitution.
Mr.. Kerr (1nd.) proceeded to address the
House IN opposition TO the bill. He reviewed
T. he
the other day, and insisted that from his (Mr
F.'s) argument alone il could be shown thai the
House would violate its own laws directing
how reconstruetIon should be perfected by
passing this bill. He denied that this constItU-
ZION which Congress proposed to accent Was
the constitution of or for the people OF Ala.
bama. 1t was a constitution framed by this
Radical Congress, and by a handful of f.oyaI
Leagers and others He contended thar tbis I;Ii
was no better now than was the bill first intro
duced the other day, and Of which Mr. Stevens
himself had sand ne could not vote for, because
ii would not be doing that sort of legislative
justice which the people demanded He noted
from some of Mr.. Stevens speeches made a
year or two ago, to show that he was now dis.
posed to eat to swallow. and TO spit upon the
words he had then enunciated. Ii was Com
gress, and not the people of Alabama that nov
proposed TO make constitution for that STATE
If II was proposed TO make this constitution
only for the government OF the negroes of Ala
hama he would have TO objection, but he de-
MED that this constitution was approved by
even the most meager portion of the while
people of the State. He then proceeded TO re-
view Mr. Spauldings proposed substitute, and
said that the second section of tn at bill not only
proposed to violate the law of Congress re-
Quiring majority of the registered voter To
adopt constitution, but, 1t also proposed 10
violate the very constitution of Alabama itself
Referring 10 the last clause OF the bill as report
ed by MI. Farms worth, and which prescribed
certain conditions precedent TO the admission
Of Alabama, Mr.. Kerr argued that under sucb
a clause the State could not claim an 60 uality
in the family of States, for any such condition
brought her into the Union in a Condition of
degradation. But it is said that all this IeglsIa
tion is for the better government of the South.
ern States The letter government of the rebel
States! If this subject Were not one O. such
grave importance, such proposition would
be IMPLY ridiculous and absurd IL sbould
be fne object Of Congress in giving these SOUTH
ern States governments, to give them good gov
erpments; but that could not be done IN the
principle announced in this bill was 10 prevail.
FOR the constitution of the State Contained nro,
visions utterly irreconcilable with the theory
Of u Government os the United States He
ob)eeted to that provision Of the constitution
which presented test oath, because he argued
that test oafhs were irreconcilable with ideas
of republican libel ty, and all freemen in every
age had looked with horror upon te. oaths
Mr.. Kerr then proceeded to review at length
some OF the objectionable provisions in the con-
stitution Of Alabama. The clause exempting
5000 from seizure under judgments an IA M
was conceived in fraud and for the purpose %,
catching negro votes, ard thus perpetnsting
Radical rule, because he doubted il there yrars
ten negroes in Alabama that Were worth tho
amount Of property exempt, and the result q
the adoption OF that constitution would he
that not dollar of debtsagainst negroes eopid
be collected Taxation under the new consti-
tuition, ne contended, too, was unjust and une
quail In It's operation, and proposed to Ia certain
interests almost beyond endurance. In the sys
TEN OF representation adopted also the greafsst
inequality and injustice prevailed, and ali OF
rule was given into the hands of negroes. and