Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-01-15

| the act OF Congress.
Be pleased to publish this note.
! Very respectfully,
JoHN PoTTs, Chief Clerk, and
DIsbursing Clerk, War Department
POLITICAL, ETC.-A. q. Thurman was yes
| The vote stood in the House-Thurman, a5:
| Wade, 49 and in the Senate-Thurman, 49,:
| Wade, ls. Hon. Allen G.. Thurman was the
| democratic candidate for Governor at the late
gubernatorial election in that State, and is q
| lawyer who has for the last thirty years been a
| prominent champion of the Democratic party of
| Ohio in political discussions. He is nephew
| OF the Hon. VIM. Allen, who formerly repre-.
sented Ohio in the United States Senate.
| The Maryland Legislature voted for
| United States Senator, to succeed Reyerdy
| johnson, yesterday. In the Senate the vote
stood-Governor Swami, g. w. F. Hamilton, Z:
Ex-Governor Pratt, 4; Joshua vansant, g. s.
| Archer. ,; Reverdy johnson, 1-aIl the Senators
| voting. In the House the vote stood-Ciovern.
or Swami, 30; Hamilton, 90; Pratt, 1a B. G. Har.
| ms, 3 Reverdy johnson, L; and the balance
| scattering. One member absent
| The Iowa Democratic State Convention
| Is TO be held at Des Moines on the 26th of Feb
ruary, for the purpose of selecting delegates to
| the National Democratic Convention, and also
| 10 nominate candidates for electors and State
officers, in case il shall be deemed advisable.
| The Republicans Of Susquehanna Conn
| ", Pa, have elected delegates to the State
| Convention and passed resolution in favor
| OF General Ulysses S. Grant for President and
| G.. A. Grow for Vice President
Tine Republican members of the Penn.
| sylyania State Legislature met in caucus yes-
| terday morning, and nominated Gen. Irwin
| for State Treasurer. The Democrats have
| nominated William V. McGrath
| Both Houses of the New Jersey Legisla-
| ture organized At three O'Clock yesterday after
| noon. The officers agreed upon In caucus
| were all appointed. The President of the
Senate is II. 5. Little, of Monmouth; Speaker
| OF the House, A o. Evans. In the House, Mr.
! Jones, of Middlesex county, introduced a reso.
luton resembling the joint resolution heretofore
passed ratitying the proposed fourteenth
| amendment TO the Constitution of the United
| States, proposing new basis Of representation
GENERAL HANCOCK REFUSES TO ORDER
! MILITARY COMMISSIONS FOR THE TRIAL OF
| CIVIL OFFENCEs.-Brevet Lieut.. Col. w. q.
Mitchell, Secretary for civil affairs in the Fifth
| Military District under General Hancock, has
addressed a letter TO his Excellency, L. NJ
| Pease, Governor of the State of Texas. dated
New Orleans, December 2sth, 1s67, in reply TO
! a communication of Brevet Major General J.
| j. Reynolds, commanding district Of Texas,
dated November 18th, 1867, requesting
| that military commission be ordered
for the trial OF one q. w. Wall, and such
| other prisoners may be brought be.
fore nj Wall being charged with the murder
OF X. w. Black, and the Governor of Texas
| having requested that he be tried by military
commIss,sn. In reply Colonel Mitchell states:
| FROM an examination of the papers submitted
| 10 the Commander Of the Fifth Military Dis
4 trlCt. II does dnnpar that thara is
| position or unwillingness on the part of the
| local civil tribunals to take Jurisdiction of
and to try the prisoner. 1t is true that the
! third section of the act to provide for the
more efficient government of the re bel States
| makes IL the duty Of the commanders TO punish
all dIsturbers OF the public peace and crimi-
nails, but the same section declares ste that end
he may allow local cIval tribunals to take iu.
| risdiction of, and 10 try offenders" The power
10 organize military commissions is an extraor-
uinary power, and from Its very nature should
| be exercised only in the extraordinary event
| that the local civil tribunals are unwilling or
unable TO enforce the laws against crimes. At
TINS u1ne the country Is In a state of profound
peace. The State government of Texas organ
lied lii subordinatIon to the authority of the
Government of the United States, is in
the iuu exercise OF all its proper powers
he Courts duly empowered to administer the
laws and to punish all offenders against those
laws are IN existence. No unwillingness on
the part OF the Courts is suggested to in auire
INTO the offences with which the prisoners in
question are charged: nor are any obstruction
whatever, In the way of enforcing the laws
against them said to exist. Under such cir.
cumftances there Is no good ground for the ex-
ercise OF the extraordinary power vested i'm the
Commander 10 organize Military Com
mission nnSaS Ior the trial Of the person
named. 1t must be matter of pro.
found regret to all who value constitutional
Government that there should be occasion in
times of civil commotion, when the public
good imperatiyely requires the intervention of
the military power for the repression of disor-
ders III The body polite, but that the interven-
tlon OF tins power should be called for by civil
magistrates, when the laws are no longer 81
lent. ana civil magistrates possessed in their
respective spheres OF all the powers necessary
10 give effect to the laws, exeites the surprise
OF the commander of the Fifth Mill
tary District. In his view, il is of
evil example and full Of danger to
the cause of freedom and good Government
that the exercise OF the military power in such
cases should ever be permitted, when the ordi-
nary powers of the existing State governments
are ample tor the punishment of offenders if
those charged with the administration of the
laws are faithful i'll the discharge of their du-
ties. In the opinion of the commander of the
flfth Military District, the existing govern
ment OF the State Of Texas possesses all
the powers necessary tor the proper and
prompt trial OF the prisoner in quest ton, in due
course OF law. These powers are not exercised
for mat purpose; the failure TO do so can be at
trlbuted only TO the Incidence or culpable in
efficiency Of the officers now charged with the
execution and enforcement of the State laws
ana IN case OF such failure IL will then become
the duty of the commander to remove the off
GERS responsible for such failure and to replace
them with others who will discharge the duties
The General then states that If it then be found
impossible TO secure n sufficient number of
people now exercising political power i'm
Texas, TO supply the public with officers who
VIII enforce the laws, il will then be necessary
Tor the commander TO exercise the powers
vested III him Tor the yindication of the majesty
Of the law. But until such necessity is shown
10 exist, IT is not his intention to have recourse
TO those powers, and he deemed the present
hitting occasion TO make this known to the Gov.
ernor OF Texas, and through him To the people
of the State.
FUNDING THE UNITED STATES DEBT.-In
the Senate yesterday, Mr.. Williams introduced
a resolution, which was agreed to, instructing
the Finance Committee to inq uire into the ex-
pediency OF providing for the funding and
consolidation of the national debt of the United
states into bonds or obligations, the principal
OF which shall never become due and payable;
bearing interest at the rate Of 4 per cent per
annnm, payable semi-monthly in coin. and to
date exempt from all taxation; and to further
provide for the purchase and cancellation of
., .asn bonds OF obligations from time to time by