The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-12-18
CONGRESSIONAL.

sion on Saturday. In the House of Repre-
scntatives debate arose upon motion to
lay on the table Mr.. Ingersoll's bill to au-
thorize the issue Of forty -four million dollars
of legal tenders, the Secretary of the
Treasury to purchase with them and cancel
gold interest bearing bonds. The motion
to lay the bill on the table failed by vote
of 65 to SO. The bill was referred to the
committee on Banking and Currency. A
resolution was adopted, requesting the
Committee on Ways and Means to report a
bill repeating the manufacturers tax on
provisions, and so explain the present law
as to relieve dealers from the Interpretation
placed upon it by the Commissioner of In
ternal Revenue. The Census bill was dis
cussed, but no important changes made.
In the United States Senate, on Monday,
Mr.. Carpenter, from the Committee on the
Judiciary, reported bill to perfect the re-
construction of Georgia, providing for the
assembling Of tho Legislature as originally
elected, with no expulsion of members on
account of race or color, the exclusion of
all persons ineligible under the the Four
teenth Amendment, and that the provisions
of the act be enforced by the military and
naval power. The bill was laid over for
the present.
Mr.. Drake called up his bill prohibiting
the Supreme Court from jurisdiction upon
acts of Congress, and made an argument
upon it. Mr.. Drake took the ground that
if the Court could pass judgement upon
and reverse an act of Congress it was prac-
tically the highest power in tho land, and
that the Constitution never intended but
that Congress should be the sole and su-
premc Legislative power.
In the House of Representatives Mr..
Butler introduced several bills for the ad-
mission of Virginia, all of which were re-
ferred to the Committee on Reconstruction
Several bills to abolish the Thanking privi-
lege were referred.
4 message from the Secretary of State
was received announcing that official no
tice of the ratification of the Fifteenth
Amendment had been received from TWEEN
ty-one States. The Census bill was then
debated on the representation question up
to the hour of adjournment. The House
agreed to adjourn for the holidays from De-
cember 22d to January 9TH.
On Tuesday, tie session of the Senate
was devoted to tho official announcement
OF the death of Senator Fessenden.
Much of the time of tho House was also
taken up with the same subject.
Mr.. Getz, of Pennsylvania, introduced a
resolution directing the Committee on WAYS
and Means to inquire into the expediency
of alolishing the Office of Collector, AS
SCISSOR and other agents of the Internal
Revenue Bureau, and apportioning the
amount of taxes among the several States
to be collected by them. Referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means.
In the Senate, on Wednesday, a::memor-
ial from the National Colored Labor Con-
veniion, recently in session at Washington,
setting forth the necessity of Congress i'll
terfering to ameliorate the condition
VI lHo EtDOTlHS Ieu OF the south,
and asking Congress to divide the lands
belonging to the Government in the South
among the eolored men, was referred to
Committee on Public Lands. Senator
Brownlow had read by the Secretary a
statement relative to his course in Tennes-
see politics. He defends his support of
Senter and denounces Stokes. The Ian
guage of his paper became so personal and
abusive that Vice President Colfax objected
to its reading, but at the request of other
Senators, the feeble condition of Mfr.
Brownlow being urged as an excuse for his
conduct, the reading was proceeded with.
In the House of Representatives, rese-
luton calling for information in regard to
the payment of the reward for the capture
of jeff. Davis was adopted. Other resolu-
tions and new bills were introduced and
referred to appropriate committees, and
the Census bill was taken up. The consid-
Grafton of the bill in Committee of the
Whole was concluded, it was reported to
the House, and was debated until the hour
of adjournment.