New-York tribune., 1869-03-05
THE XLTH CONGRESS.

emergency to which the Administration of Andrew
Johnson had brought the country. the old precedent
for waiting till the lst Monday in December after the
date of the commencement of its official term' assem-
| bled Immediately the adjournment OF tne
| XXXIXtb 1t found the schemes Of the faithless
President frustrated the faithful officers protected,
and an efficient government for the lately rebelious
States in operation. To it was therefore left the
dnty of completing the Reconstruction 1t first
confronted by the fact that each of the Rebel States
had rejected of them with ostentatious scorn.
the Fourteenth Constitutional Amendment 1t there
upon decided to begin again at the bottom. Votes
were ordered in each Of the States for or against
convention to frame constitution for return to the
Union, from which those oficeholders who had vio-
lated their official oaths by going into the Rebellion
were excluded, and to which loyal negroes were ad-
mitted. -Four months later Mr.. Johnson's
efforts to eyade this law having become
| palpable aj new passed explaining and
reaffirmlng and making more cogent It's provisions
declaring the Governments existing in the States
mentioned in the bill Illegal State Governments,
giving the General of the Army of the United States
powers of suspension, removal, and appointment af-
fmng the former acts of officers in these districts
TO be legal and ordering the General to remove all
persons who, by their disloyaty hindcred and de-
ayed the administration of the act in question, and
giving the Boards of Registration power to exclude
dsloyal votes from the ballot-box. supplementary
act specifying more fully the qualification and
| privileges of voters became n law by lapse OF
time without the Presidents signature. linen
Arkansas was admitted to representation
upon the single condition that future amendment
to her constitution should deprive any of her citizens
| of their right TO vote. and upon a like condition
North and South Carolina Louisiana Georgia Ala
| bama and Florida were offered readmisson as soon
as their Legislatures had ratified the Fortieth Article
| 81 tho ftop 4
| second session exempted all cotton grown in the
United States after 1867 from the Internal Revenue
tax restored to market the lands along the Pacific
Railroad and its branches; removed the tax on man
ufacturers Of tobacco, aud made Illicit disilleres
liable TO forfeit and their subject TO fine and
Imprisonment; made eight hours a days work for all
| workmen and mechanics employed by OF on behalf
of the United States Government; made provision in
case of n vacancy IN the Office of the Chief Justice;
continued the Bureau for the Relief of Freedmen and
Refugees until July l6 1869, ordering the Secretary
of War TO reistablish the Bureau when it had been
discontinued if tho personal safety OF the freedmen
required it, and to discontinue il where its necessity
no longer existed and providing that the educatona
division should not be interfered with until q
| State made suitable provision for the education of
the children of the freedmen within the State; pre-
| scribng an oath of Office TO be taken by persons
| from whom legal disabilities have been remoyed re-
duced the tax distilled spirits 20 80 cents per proof
gallon and 81 per barrel Of 40 proof gallons; provided
that in ease Of the death, resignation, absence. or
sickness of the head of any Executive Department of
the Government, the first OF sole assistant thereof
shall unless otherwise directed by the President Of
the United States ~ is hereinafter provided, per-
form the duties of such head until successor bo ap-
pointed such absence sickness shall cease That
in case of the death, resignation, absence or sick
ness of the chief of any bureau, or of any officer
| thereof except Commissioner OF Patents whose ap-
pointment is not in the head Of any Executive de-
| partmcnt the deputy of such chief or OF such
| officer, or if there be deputy, then
the chief clerk of such bureau, shall, un-
less otherwise directed by the President OF the United
States as is hereinafter provided perform the duties
of such chief or of such officer until successor be
appointed or such absence sickness shall cease.
| And no appointment designation or assignment
| otherwise than Is herein provided, IN the cases
mentioned in the first second, and third sections OF
this act shall be made except to fill q vacancy hap
penng during the recess of the Senate That IN any
of the cases hereinbeore mentioned 1t shall be law
fu for the President Of the United States. IN his
discretion 10 authorize and direct the head OF any
other Executive department. or other officer IN either
of those departments whose appointment is, by and
with the advice and consent of the Senate vested III
the President TO perform the duties of the Office
/ a.
OF the sickness absence of the incumbent shall
cease; provided for q Government in tho Territory
of Wyoming; authorized the issue of $25OOOOOO
OF temporary loan certificates TO redeem out
standing compound interest notes; made
further provisions for the Freedmen's Bureau;
amended tho Post.Oiice laws, requiring the
return OF every nissent prepaid letter
TO its sender established money orders and provided
for tho punishment of crime in the Post Office Do
partment; appropriated $7,2OOOOO to pay for Alaska
and extended the laws of the United States that
country; and passed act declaring that any de-
claraon, instruction opinion, order, or decision OF
any officers of this Government which denies, re-
stricts impairs, questions the right OF expatra-
ton is hereby declared inconsistent with the funda-
mental principles of this Government. That
all naturalized citizens of the United States,
while in foreign states shall be entitled to, aud
shall receive from this Government, the same
protection Of persons and property that is accorded
10 native-bo citizens in like situations and clrcum-
stances That whenever il shall be made known to
tho President that any citizen Of the United States
has been uniusty deprived Of his liberty by or under
the authority Of any foreign Government it shall be
the duty of the President forthwith to demand OF
that Government the reasons for such imprisonment
and IL IL appears to be wrongful and in violation of
tho rights of American citizenship, the President
sha forthwith demand the release OF such citizen;
and IL the release demanded is unreasonably de-
ayed or refused II shall be the duty OF the President
10 use such means not amounting TO acts OF war, as
he NAV think necessary and proper to obtain or eec
tuate such release and oil the facts and proceedings
relative thereto shall soon as pracucaoe De COM
mupicayed by the President to Congress
| On the 9TH of January, 1867 the Hon. James NJ
1. fo11 xipo, n1ttfny 20