The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-12-18
CoNGREssIoNA
xLIst CONaREss-sEcOzD SESSION.
sENArE.........wAsHISarov. Dec. II.

| Lands, reported, with smer6neot n Ill
creating Land District IL wyoming
/ sumner rom the Committee on thS
/ District OF Columbia Tenorte6 viii
! amendments, a bill TO fneorporssfe fbe
washington Homeopathy Medical Asso
Spencer introduced a bill to abolish tbe
| ofnce of Naval officer. Referred 10 Inc
| Committee on Commerce.
/ Sehurz introduced bill to prevent per.
| sons who had been officers in the Treasury
Department from aiding in the prosec1.
/ Referred.
Howard fntroduc a resolution relative
/ to furnishing safes TO Collectors OF Interna
Pomeroy offered a resolution, which
was adopted. directing the Postmaster
/ General to furnish copies OF communfca.
tions with the French Government reia.
tive 70 securing notifications OF the postal
/ arrangement.
on motion OF Sumner. the senate took
4 up the Dill relative TO telegraphic commu-
| nicatton between the United States and
foreign countries. the Dill was read, pro-
4 Nldlng that whenever communication
| shall hereafter be established between the
/ United states and foreign countries. the
Government of the United States is 10 en- :
/ joy equal privileges with any foreign vOy-
| ernment, with regard to the use and con-
troll OF such cable, and at all times TO be
| able to transmit, by its own operator gov
ernment messages, which shall take prece
dence of all others, and be paid for AT rates
| established by the Postmaster General, uu-
| less otherwise agreed. All such lines are
| to be Kept open for the transmission. for
daily publication, of market reports and
| other intelligence. All messages are TO be
| forwarded in the order OF their receptiou.
| Congress shall at all times have power TO
/ deteEInlne the rates TO be cnargt d. and to
| estabnsh such regulations as IL may Judge
| necessary. Before extending to any such
line the privilege OF afiixing its cable To
! tne shoGes WITHIN the jurisdiction Ct the
/ United states, written accept ance Cf the
] foregoing terms shall be filed In the Office
of the Secretary Of State.
The second section declares that the SUBJ
l feCb OF the lOT6KCluR q EI1 DnlattOnE and n
Ject to the terms of such grants has
heretofore been made by Congress. The
i consent OF Congress is hel eby given to the
I laying and malntenance of magnetic lines
] or cables between the United States ard
foreign countries, subject, however, TO any
and all the rights Of property and State
| jurisdiction, and proved that the privileges
conferred by this act shall not be enjoyed
/ by any person or com pany whose line ter-
/ inmates in any foreign country which
/ does not confer similar privileges upon
| companies Incorporated by authority OF
The United States or Of any State OF the
| Union.
Sumner said the bill had been reported
in February last. "A cable had been landed
on our shores from France, and this rem
dered a modification Of the bill necessary.
| he proposed an amendment to make tile
| language of the bill applicable not only to
| the future tut existing cables.
Sherman suggested That legal question
/ had been broached as to the right OF a
State to permit the landing of a cable
| without permission of the General Gov
| ernment. he moved to refer the bill TO
/ the GOlnf0fLIeG on IuQlci0TV.
Sumner said the question referred to by
| Sherman-that OF states rights-Was an
Old custom in the Senate, but the authority
of the General Government ia this matter
! was ample in the Constitution at the direc-
/ tton of Congress 10 regulate commerce
| with foreign nations.
Conkiing said amendment was q retra 2
i tive provision makiag The bill univer al
/ IN It's character, and thereby these new
conditions were imposed indiscriminately
upon the cables already authorized by
! Congress, as well as upon all others.
/ Sumner said provision had been made
/ To protect the special privileges guar
| anteed under acts of Congress to certain
c4bles, and that the opinion of the Jndl-
ciary COMMITTEES had been given Jhat
Congress might, with prOpriety, pass q
code OF restrictions which would be appIi
cable generally TO all cables between the
| United states and foreign countries.
/ Thurman, referring TO "a lemark by
Sumner that his own remarks were tor
the purpose OF reviving the theory OF
| states Rights, said he did not understand
| the limit which that Senator would ifn-
| pose on others. In considering legal ques-
! t1ons Ia the Senate that Senator seemed TO
see in his own suggestions the appaIiLtons
| OF States Rights, which apparently excited
| In his nina something OF alarm. so earn
! estly had the Senator rom Massachusetts
| been engaged IN putting down some of the
| erroneous doctTines OF said rights that MS
habit of mind made It impossible for him
10 believe that a Slate had any rights az
all. Upon any theory of the Consultation
/ states had some right, and the Speaker
| the senate. He bad not denied the exer-
! else OF national authority under the pend-
Ing BIZ. but had simply asked that IL
! should receive the consideration which IL
/ deserved. He insisted upon his cOnstitu
/ tionaI privilege TO say this much without
/ improper critic snn of his motives.
The morning hour having expired, the
/ Senate took up the BILL 10 Perfect the Re-
| construction Of Georgia.
salisbury delivered an argument in
| illustration of the Inconsistency OF Con-
| gressional legislation in relation TO the
! unreconstrucIed States, which he ciaImai
/ nrOm ntp0 from nartts9fI fnnfi a
IN violation of the Constitution.
The following additional bin we g intrC-
/ duced during the morning:
Ramsey introduced o bill TO abolish the
franking privilege. and provide postage
ment OF postage on official CORES pondence
4 and other public matter. Referred to the
4 COMMITTEES on Poatoffice.
Harlan introduced a bill to provide for
/ the settlement and payment or expenses
/ incurred BY the Territorial authorities OF
Montana IN the suppression or Indian
/ hostilities dG ing the year 1867.
/ Wilson introduced bill To provide for
the reduction OF the officers OF the army.
/ IL authorizes tt,s9 Secretary of War 20 hon
orabiy dlscharse any infantry officers who
may apply provided the number left in
requirements of the twenty-n -nveregtm tments
/ authorized by law. Officers thus dis
charged, on taeir own application. shall
/ receive from one to two years extra pay,
/ according to their times; If a reduction TO
] the requirements OF the twenty five
/ regimenUs is not thus effected the
/ Secretary OF War is authorized to
effect the mastering out of the supernu-
meraries, under the above terms, giving
/ two years extra pay to officers who have
| served more than ten years, one and a half
/ years extra pay for service for fl e to ten
years, and one ears extra pay to all
At 2:3O, on motion of TrumbuI, the SEN
/ ate went Into executive session Tor short
4 time.
Upon opening the doors, the considera-
| ton of the Georgia bill was resumed.
| stockton expressed the belief that If the
a q. "A NFf11T
adopted through the means contemplated, i,
/ the day would come when is would be de-
/ The peop OF the United States would
never submit, If they could prevent 1t, to
| the attempt 70 force negro suffrage upon
/ them. The objection 10 D. was not so much
1 to the exercise OF the suffrage by the negro
/ as 1t was TO the method by which the aG-
/ cOmplIshment of the object was designed .
/ teenth Amendment must be adopted now
or be lost forever, were willing to attain
/ the destruction of everythingof OF value in
the relation of the States To the Union.
/ Ferry, in reply tothe assertion that the
/ Fourteenth Amendment mad not been
! adopted by Georgia because the old Legfs-
| iature was illegally organized, said the
vote OF That State having already been
/ counted Ia It's favor, IL would be unWise to
| insist upon its rattle atom again. He look
ed upon the pending amendment as I'M
Conkling expressed his objection to the
/ amendment, and was followed by Morton,
/ who agreed 10 modify his amendment by
leaving out the condition OF ratifying the
/ Fourteenth Amendment. He said II the
Senate refused TO make some require: re:
i ments for Georgia, as insisted en- Ia tne
| case of Virginia, Texas and MlsslsslpPl,
i II would be confession Etnitts N
| their action heretOfOre, they had
/ doae wrong. living gone thus FAR IN
/ their policy, it was too Late Ior congress 70
| think of turning back. By incorporating
/ this provision In the pill, the effect would
| be TO secure the ratification OF the fit-
! feenfb Amendment The purpose OF the
/ Democratic members of the Ohio Legisla-
| ture and the Democratic maj 9Eity OF the
/ New York Legislature would De fore
efeiied- and seeing that the amendment