The Portland daily press., 1869-02-10
,XLth OONGREss---Third Session.

WASHINGTON Feb 9.-At 6 o'clock this
morning Mr.. Wilson addressed the Senate in
advocacy Of the Constitutional amendment.
For fourteen years he had listened in the Sem
ate chant er to arguments of the friends of
christianity and civilization on the one hand
and those Of the advocates of retrogression
and barbarism on the other, but the party of
progress had received the blessing of God and
SO had succeeded. Gen. Grant had been
cheated out of New York, New Jersey and
Oregon and bullied out of Georgia and Louis
lana, yet the party had succeeded, and would
succeed to the end. As to the form of the
amendment, he preferred that offered by him-
self two or three days since.
Mr.. Drake offered an amendment, in the fol-
lowing words:-"No citizens of the United
States shall, on account of race, color or previ-
Gus condition of servitude, be by the United
States or any State denied the right to vote or
hold office" He advocated the amendment in
a speech.
A long debate followed by Messrs. Edmunds,
Sumner, Yates, Warner, and others, OCCASION
ally interrupted by motions to adjourn.
MIR. Hendricks made brief defence of the
Democratic party
After further debate Mr.. brakes amend
ment was rejected.
Mr.. Howard again offered his substitute for
the report of the committee, in these words:-
"Citizens of the United States of African de-
scent shall have the same right to vote and to
hold office as other citizens and electors of the
most numerous branch of the Legislature" !"
After debate it was rejected.
The question was then on the amendment of
Mr.. Warner, which was pending when the
Senate, at IL A. M, adjoured to II O'Clock.
Ihe Senate met at noon, and after some un-
important business resumed the consideration
Of the Constitutional amendment.
Mr.. Vlckers moved an amendment, provid-
ing that no one should should be disfranchised
because of participation in the late rebellion.
Lost-yeas q, nays 80.
Mr. RaVard moved an amandmank anpfin.
ing. the application of the provision against
acknowledgements to voters OF United States
offcers-President, Vice President and mem
bers Of the House Of Representatives. Lost
yeas IL, nays AZ.
Mr.. Dixon renewed his motion to amend by
striking out the word Legislatures" and In
serting the word conventions" so as to re-
quire the ratification of the pending amend
ment by conventions.
A discussion of the general question of the
policy and propriety of the proposed amend
meut again sprung up, and was participated
in by Messrs. Doolittle, Conness, Fessenden,
Hendricks, Norton and Sumner.
Mr. Williams urged the necessity of exclud-
ing Cinnamon from citizenship and political
power IN this country, lest having these they
should come over in such numbers as to take
possession of the whole Pacific coast.
MI sherman thought the best form of
vote and hold Office equal and universal for ali
men who have reached q certain age and are
not otherwise disqualified. ge -
Mr.. Corbett again advocated briefly his
amendment excluding from the operation of
the proposed amendment Cinnamon and In
dams not taxed. The amendments was reject
ed.
Mr.. Wilson moved the adoption of his
amendment in these words:-sNo discrimina-
ton shall be made in the United States among
the citizens of the United States in the exer-
else Of the elective franchise, or in the right to
hold office in any State on account of race,
color, nativity, property, education or creed.
Mr. Trumbull called attention to the fact
tnat this proposition would abolish a provis-
Ion In the Constitution of the several States
requiring that the Governors of those States
shall be native born.
Mr. Howard thought it revolutionary
!. M. patterson, Of New Hampshire, opposed
~ because 1t forbade the application of an edu-
catinnal test, in which he believed.
94r, Sopkling also thought it a revolutionary
ploposilon, and pointed out MANY ways in
Wnlch ne thought its operations would be in
conYenent or highly injurious.
Mr.. sherman was In favor of sweenino axvav
all the Old State qualifications ~"N'
The question was then taken ON Mr. vii
sons amendment, which was adontad-vaas a
81, nays n. 'S"'
Mr.. Buckalew renewed the amend,non+ ~.
fered by him several days since. ReiectedG iecs u
yeas II, nays 43.
The amendment offered by Mr. Dixon tn "a.
quire the ratification to be By conventions in
stead Of by ths State Legislatures, was then
voted down, ..,l.o.