The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-12-14

Davis offered a resolution requesting the
! President To Inform the House y neither, IL
4 his Judgment, any further legislation i:
| necessary to ena6le the Executive ID Sc
| cure more perfect neutrality IN any slrug-
| gle between European power and Igs
| seeking, in good faith, by revolution, tG
| assert It's right CT self government. to tins
/ the Courts of the United states may not
| be extended to either party, 10 the preju-
/ dice and exclusion of the Others.
/ The previous question not being second
/ ed, and sir. WOOD rising to debate, the reS-
/ olution went over.
Cox offered a resolution declaring as a
| question from the Presidents Messag
/ that among The evils growing cut of the
/ late civil war, Is that OF an 1fredeemabIe
currency; that 1t is one OF the highest dU-
| ties OF the Government TO secure to its Cit
| liens q medium of exchange OF a fixed,
| unvarying value; that that implies re-
/ turn to a specie basis; that no substitute
| for it can be devised, and that it should be
| commenced now and reached at the earli-
| est possible moment
| The previous question was not seconded,
/ and several members rising to debate, lie
! resolution went over.
Fox offered q resolution for the appoint
/ ment OF a special committee of i've, to in
4 vestigate he causes that led TO the unusual
/ aEld extraordinary fluctuations in the
New York gold markets, from the 2lst 10
! the 27gh of September, 1869, and especially
/ to inquire if the present Gecretary OF the
/ Treasury, or any officer of the Govern
| causing such 1uetuat1on.
The previous question was not seconded
and benjamin rising TO debate, The resOlu-
The morning hour having expired,
Sehenck asked unanimous consent TO
have the resolu:i ion modified referring its
Investigation to the Conanai on Bank
ing aud Currency, and omit-ing any Of
fenstve ailusion TO any one
FOX sold ne Woali accept that prop3sI-
ton.
The Speaker fntimated to sehenck thai
he should monty tue resolution in any
Fox said he did not understand that the
resolution was 10 be modified. lie thl ught
1t was to be accepted as q whole aud re-
ferred 10 the Committee oa Banning and
| Currency. He therefore Withdrew MS
consent.
suspended and the resolution modified
and offered by Sehenck, and adopted by
the House as 1olfows:
ResoZUed, That the Com Ittee on Bank
ing and Currency be authorized and in
structs { o investigate the causes that led
to the unusual and extraordinary fuctua-
tions in the gold market In the ely OF New
York, from the 2lst to the 9th of Septem-
Der, 1860. and that said committee report at
it's earlies. convenience, and be empower
ed to send for persons and papers.
Ward moved TO suspend tue rules, so
that the petition from 72,7SS citizens OF the
State of New York might be presented to
the House and read. 1T was very extra
ordinary petition, he sail, perhaps The
largest ever presented to Com 2ress, and he
thought it ought to be read. The reading
would commit nobody to he propositions
contained in II. 1t seemed to him that the
suherings of the Cub an people ia the cause
of liberty and equal rights, entitled them
to the consideration and sympathy of Con-
gress. He thought the struggle OF that
people for Independence aud equal rights,
challenged the higheS5 esteem, and that it
would be unbecOmtng an American Con.
gress to refuse to listen to the petition OF
the people of New YORK, asking of a mir
lion of people almost within the Am eri-
can borders, who are struggling for liberty
and life, that they should be heard.
The Speaker asked if there was any oD-
Farnsworth objected.
The rules were suspended and the peti-
ton presented and read, and referred to
the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The petition reads as follows:
TO H.e Honorable Congress qf The United
'StateS'
We, the cilizens OF the American Union, ,
in beh alf of the pTInciple written In our
Charter OF National Independence, in the
name of liberty and the sovereignty of q
people struggling to be free, respectfully
petition that your honorable body do
accord to Cuba the rights vi q belligeTent
power, ana at once recognize the indie
pendence OF her people from the tyrannies
OF a foreign yoke, which, for more than a
year, they have maintained unaided by
| the triumph of their arms.
( Several bills, to remove political dIsabiIi-
ties, were introduced and referred.
Paine offered q resolution recittng the
| claim that the retrocsSsion or the County
| of Alexandria to the state of Virginia by
/ the act OF July y, 1915, ana by the SuDse-
| quent proclamation OF President Polk, was
/ uncOnStituttonal and void, and that Lewis
| Mckenzie, claiming seat in the House of
| Representatives from the Seventh Con-
gressional District OF Virginia, he being :
citiZsn or Alexandria, Is not ineligible be-
| cause he is not q citizen of Virginia, and
| instucting the Judiciary CommIJtee TO in
| quiro whether such retrccessiOn was un-
| Constitutional and void.
| The resO ution gave rise 10 considerable
/ discussion, being opposed BY Logan
Schenck, and others.
Paine futimated tnat the opposition of
| Logan was prompted by desire for the
/ removal OF the capital, which 1ntimaton
| Logan contradicted. He asserted that he
had not thought Ofthe removal of the cap
ital in connection with his opposition 10
/ the resolution.
Sshenck rfCiculed the idea of any opfn.
ion OF the Judiciary Committee affecting
| the eonstitutionality or uncoEstitutiOuali-
ty of law that had been on the statute
| book for twenty-thTee or tweuty-foUl
| years, and that had been acknow dgei 10y
| all branches of the Government.
Finally, after considerable debate. tho
| resolution was laid on the table.
Allison offered a TesoIut on calling on
| the Secretary OF War fer information IN
| reference to the completion of the i'm.
| provement of Des Motnes and Rock Island
Rapids OF the Mississippi River.
Asher offered q resolution directing the
| Supervising Architect Of the Treasury &c
consider and report upon the erection o
| suitable buildings at st. Jose oh, NJ iSSOurl
for Post Office, United States Courts, &c
Bates introduced bill to refund
to the states Cf Massachuset and
Maine the interest paid by them on al
for the defense OF the Northwestern from
tier. Referred to the Committee on Claims
| Sargent offered joint resolution recit
Ing that million acres of fertile lands II
the State OF California. formerly reserved
for the Southern Pacific II IilToad, and re
Gently restored by the Secretary OF th'
| interior by an order to take effect at thtrts
days notice, Will be Immediately entered
| by spectators at private entry, TO the eS
ciuSlOn of settlers, unless further legiSla
| ton is had, ami directiug the Secretary 0
the Interior to suspend the execution o
| his said order until the subject is eonsid
| cred by this Congress. The Joint resoIu
tiou was passed,
Moore, of illinois, offered q resolution
| reciting the fact that certain naval officer
| com plaineI that they had been overloOket
| and ignored in the advancement to rank
and directing the Secretary OF the Navy L
| appoint a board OF officers, removed b,
|, their high rank from all personal 1nte.es
| in the question, to examine the cases com
| planned of, and to report their conclusion
J Tor such action by the Executive aud Con
gress as may seem proper. Referred to tn
Committee on Naval Affairs.
Cox offered a resolution reciting that /
is advisable to modify taxation and taTli
in cases where an unjust and bUrdenSom
discrimination exists by the present law
. and inStructing the Committee on Way
and Means 10 report a bill at once estirel.
repeating the unjust and butdensonl
tariff on coal, for prompt action OF III
! House, and for the relief Of the household
) OF the country.
Dickey objected.
Cox moved to suspend tn , rules.
The rules were not suspended.
StOughton asked leave to offer q resolu
: tion calling on the Secretary of War 70
| information in regard to the payment c
| bounty for the capture of Jefferson DAVIS
[ ! Objection made.
! Kelly offered the following resolutions
s / which, on motion of Schodeld, were re
E ferred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
| EeeSoICed bythc Senate and House Of Rep
! | SeTtattDeS, That the United States Govern
{ ment does not consider itself bound b.
4 nv
| themselves, imposing restrictions or c1arg
| pS IN the ne ssesc,e nf vrSsafs of war. or q