Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-05-21
CONGRESSIONAL NEWS.

In the House, on the llth instant, the JOINT
resolution from the Ohio Legislature, protesting
against the Reconstruction acts and instructing the
Senators and requesting Representatives to vote
against such laws was referred to the Reconstruc
ton Committee. :.
In order to enable members of Congress to at
tend the Republican Nomination Convention
which assembled at Chicago, on yesterday, reso
luton to adjourn from the 10th to the 25th was
passed by q vote of sixty-eight to sixty-seven.
Thad. Stevens introduced the following bill fol
the admission of several of the ''socalled States
"Whereas the people of North Carolina, South
Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia, and Alabama have
in pursuance of the provisions OF an act entitled
"an act for the more efficient government OF the
rebel States" passed March 2, 1867, and the act:
supplementary thereto, framed constitutions oi
State government which are Republican in theil
FORM and have adopted said constitutions by large
maiorities of the votes cast at the elections held
for the ratification or rejection of the same; there
fore,
"Be at enacted, That the States of North Caro-
lima, South Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia and Ala
bama shall be entitled to representation In Con
Tess as States of the Union when the Legislatures
of said States respectively shall have duly ratified
the amendment to the Constitution Of the United
States proposed by the Thirty.ninth. Congress and
known as Article IA, upon the following tundamen'
tai conditions:
s;That the constitutions ofsaid States shall never
be so amended or changed as to deprive any cltl,
zen or class of citizens of the United States, OF
the right to vote who are now entitled to vote by
said constitutions respectively, except tor such
Grimes as are now felonies at common law, whereof
they shall have been duly convicted. And no per
son shall be held to service or labor as punish
ment for crime in said States except by public off,
GERS charged with the custody of convlcts by the
laws thereof.
"Seoond. That if the day fixed for the meet
ing of the Legislatures of said States by the Con
stitutions thereof shall have passed before the
passage of this act, such Legislatures may be con
vened within thirty days after the passage OF this
act, by the President of the Convention which
framed the Constitutions Of such States.
"Third. That the first section OF this act shall
take effect when the President of the United States
shall officially proclaim the due ratification BY the
Legislatures of said States respectively OF Article
"a of the amendment to the Constitution OF the
United States, proposed by the Thirty-nnth Con
gress.
On the 18th, in the House, the Speaker pre-.
sented communication from the General of the
army, submitting statement Of the votes cast fol
and against the State Constitutions as follows -
North Carolina-for the Constitution 92,590;
against, II, ,S2O. South Carolina the Consti'
tuition, 7O,75S; against, 27,2Ss. Georgia-for the
Constitution, SO O07 against, II ,309 Louisiana
for the Constitution, 66l52 against 49, 739.-
Alabama-for the Constitution, 69,oO7; against,
zoos.
In the Senate, on the 18th, the Constitution Of
South Carolina was presented and referred to the
Committee on Territories.
Sherman presented resolutions of the Ohio Leg
isature protesting against the Reconstruction acts
and nstructing their Senators and requesting then
Representatives to vote for their repeal also pro-
testing against the bill limiting the jurisdiction o
the Supreme Court. Sherman regarded this as
extraordinary, and at his instance it was tabled.
In the House, the bill admitting the severa
Southern States was taken up, and Stevens gave
notice that he would call the previous question ir
the evening" in order that the vote might be taker
next day.
In the House, on the 18th, the consideration ot
the omnibus, or admission bill was resumed. Mr.
Pruyn spoke in opposition and was followed by
Mr.. Brooks, who spoke of the unfit character o.
the Representatives, alluding particularly to Flor
ida
Mr.. Stevens interrupted, saying that he wa'
willing to admit that the epresentativesfrom Flor
ida should not be admitted Brooks said be wa:
glad that Stevens agreed with him on that point
and proceeded, saying that Georgia, Alabama ane
other States were controlled in like manner by
squatters. He maintained that these constitution
al conventions and legislatures were composed o
men who had no interest in the States, who wert
not understood by the people, and who did not un
derstand the people. Brooks said, "a tyrann.
worse than that ever countenanced by the Gar o
Russia, or the Sultan of Turkey, had been perpe
trated upon the people there, by the powers tina
had determined to control the elections there, NJ
matter how or by what means. The whole objec
of Congressional legislation was apparent 1t wa
all intended to radicalize the South, and the part,
in power here have amnesty and pardon and vel
come for any man who embraces radicalism, nj
matter what his past conduct or acts may hav,
been, or how deeply or darkly his hands had beer
imbrued in treason. Those who accepted Radica
views were pardoned by wholesale" Paine ant
Bingham advocated the bil and Woodbridge offer
ed an amendment to strike out Alabama from tn.
bil which was lost by 60 to IA. An amendment
to strike out from the first section the clause pro
hibiting change of the constitution, and insert
ing that the constitutions of said States shall neye
be amended or changed so as to discriminate ir
favor of or against any citizen or class of citizens