Evening star., 1869-04-09
FORTY-FIRST CONGRESS-.
This Afternoen's Proceedings.
FRIDAY. ApYtl O.


SENATE.-In the absence Of the Vice Pres,.
dent, the Secretary called the Senate to order,
ana, on motion OF Mr.. sumner, Mr.. Anthony
was called TO the char as President pro tenn.
Mr. Trumbull called up House bill author.
ing 'es SUBMISSION OF the constitutions Of Vir-
slhia, Nississippi and Texas TO a vote of the
people, and authorizing the elecuon Of STATE
Officers provided by the SAID cons stitu tious an d
member OF Congress; which was read thro ough
Mr.. Morton offered as au addition al sectiou
the bill submitted by him Yesterday providing
that before the s ates OF virginia Texas and
Mississippi shall be admitted to representa-.
amendment 10 the Cons titu tion
MIR. Trumbull opposed the proposition He
thought II time to cease imposing these condi.
tons OF admission. Congress had after great
trouble and care, passed a series OF reconstruc-
tIon acts imposing certain cond itions. and now.
after these Stats comply with those coudi-
lions, are more 10 be imposed upon them. When
is this thing TO end When these states come
mere next sessioo other conditions may be i'm
posed upon them. Ii Is breaking faith with
them. and II is bad policy. He had no doubt
Al any rate, that these States would ratify this
amendment.
MI. Morton denied that his proposition would
he breaking faith, for so far, these States mad
refused te accept any OF the conditions lie
conceived his amendment eminenty necessary.
ana NE would sooner see the whole bill tail
than for his amendment TO fail He knew the
OBJECT OF the Democratic party, which is to
Keep the question OF negro suffrage open for
II. amendment II
1all II 1t did not get the votes of these States,
lor the Democrats were resorting 10 reyoIu-
tonary measures in Indiana to prevent the
ratincatlon Of the amendment by that State,
these other States
Mr.. Cohkling took the same view as Mr.,
Irumbnll Ii was not the fault of Virginia
lnat sne was not here now, as the commanding
generai mad failed to order the election beea Sc
congress had not furnished the money to paw
the expenses.
Mr.. Williams said it was too late now to talk
about bad faith towards these States for after
some Of them had come here with their cor st,.
tuuons, Congress had insisted upon certain
fundamental alterations Of the same.
Mr. thurman said the power Of Congress
EXTENDED only To PROPOSING amendments TO the
State Legislatures. not TO coerce them into
adopting them. This motion. if adopted would
not only coerce the Stats OF Virginia, Missis.
sipPi' ana Ie1as, out also coerce the people Of
ONO, Illinois, and Indiana, who were opposed
TO negro suffrage.
Mr.. Morton did not propose to coerce the
people OF Indiana, but a revolutionary party
people.
MI. Mr.Thurman.-Why not submit it to the peo
pie then instead Of having II forced upop them
by legislature which was elected On , MAI
form tChicago) which expressly provided that
each State. 'o0p'e VI
The amendment of Mr.. Morton was then
Teas.-Messrs. Abbot Brownlow, Buckjug.
nam, Carpenter, Chandler, Cole, Drake, Harris
Howard, Mcdonald, Morrill,, Morton, Nye
osborne: Pool, Pratt Ramsey Rice, Robertson,
koss, Schurz, Sherman, Stewart. Sumner
Thayer, Upton, Warner, Williams, Wilson and
Yates-dO.
Ndw.-Messrs. As:hony. Bsyard, Boremau,
Casserly. Conkiing, Davis, Edmunds Fentou,
Ferry, Fessenden. Fowler, McCreery, Norton,
patterson, Sawyer, Sprague, Stockton Thur.
man, Trumbull and Wllley-20.
Mr Fess sender, by unanimous consent made
"A ha fnvp H.vsft ~.
The deficiency Appropriation bill, which was
concurred in.
Certain amendments were then made to the
pending bill, at the instance of Mr.. Trum-
bull, designed to remove obscurrties of phrase.
olOgy.
On motion Of Mr.. Edmunds, the 9th section
winch provlaes that the Com manding General
may suspend laws IN the States named which
he may deem unjust or oppressive, was stricken
OUT ana the section added at the instance of
Mr. Morton was made the 9th section
Mr.. dmunds then moved an additional sec
ton, that the proceedings in these States re.
spectively shall not oe deemed complete or
nnal until approved by Congress- Adopted.
Mr.. Davis then took up the floor in an argu-
ment against the reconstr uction policy, and in
dsnunciation OF negro suffrage.
HoUsE.-On motion Of Mr. Scbenck, the bill
amendatory Of the whiskey and tobacco tax
bill was taken from the Speakers table, the
senate amendments noE.concurred IN and a
Committee Of Conference ordered
uI- buter, (Mass.-) from the Committee on
tne Judiciary, reported back the bill allo wing
parties TO testify in certain cases.
Oblecton was made and the bill went over
Mr.. Cook, (lll.,) from the Committee on the
Judiciary. reported bill to provide for the pub.
llcation OF the opinion Of the Attorney General
and Tor otner purposes. Passed.
Mr: Paine (Wis.) rising to a question of
privilege moved that the members elect from
the State Of Connecticut be sworn in He sta.
ted that the Committee on Elections had ex-
smIned the credentials of thsse members an
found them correct The creden'ial were
signed BY the chairman of the Board of State
COMMISSIONER, instead Of the Governor The
motion was agreed TO, and Messrs. S,arkweath.
er. STong and kellogg of the delegation ad.
vaDced and were sworn in.
Mr. Palne owls. J, from the Committee on
Elections, reported q resolution that ali per
sons claiming seats in the House from the
Third and Fourth Congressional Districts of
SCUM carolina, except such as may he report
ed as lLeligible ny the Commit on Elections
shall on before the 18th Of April, file with the
CLERK OF the House the grounds upon which
they claim seats; and the Committee on EIec-
uons Is authorized to appoint a sub. b.committee
TO SIT during the recess and take testimony
Adopted.
Mr.. Julian lind }, from the Committee on
fubiic Lands, reported the bill to establish a
lsnd omce in wyoming Territory and for other
purpo>es. Passed.
mittee on the bill TOR the sale or the lands of
the Great and Little Usage Indians made re-
port; which WAS adopted.
The House theh resumed the con sid Grafton of
the Myers -1Ioffet contested election case Mr..
Randall having the floor