The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-04-08

of dollars for repairs, extension, pre- |
servation, and completion of works !
for the Improvement OF rivers and |
harbors, to be expended under the
direction of the Secretary Of War.
BrooksSroteste ted against abandoning
the whole subject OF internal improve
ment to the Secretary OF War. That
was not the proper way TO do IT..
Washburn agreed with Brooks IN
that idea, but suggested that this was
the only feasible mode of providing
at this session for the work of inter
nal improvement.
Holman offered an amendment pro
vding that the sum which may be
allotted to the improvement OF the
Oaio River. shall be applied to com
pleting the Caual at the Falls OF the
Ohio. In accordance with the plans
and estimates OF Gen. Weitzel. Re
iected-6O to 80. The bill then
passed.
Burr offered a resolution authoriz-
ing the Speaker to designate a mem
ber to represent a minority OF the
Committee on Elections % the Lou
i.iana Investigation. Adopted.
Blnks. Chairman of the Committee
on Foreign Affairs, offered a resolu-
tion authorizing the committee to SIT
during the sessions of the House, and
! during vacation to make an lnvestt-
cation OF the Paraguayan matter.
/ Adopted.
Oa motion of Julian, a Conference
/ Committee was ordered on the bill In
reference to the Usage Indian Lands.
Davis. from the judiciary Commit
tee. reported a bill to establish a uni
! form system Of naturalization. Order
ed printed aud recommitted.
The House then, at 4 O'Clock, re-
eumed the consideration of the Geor-
gia bill. and was addressed by Voor-
hees in opposition to 1t. lie regard
ed the bill as belonging to revOlu-
tionary class of legislation, which was
utterly unknown to the Constitution.
Such an appropriation would have
once alarmed and convulsed the coun-
try. and would have been once re-
parded as more menaclng to AmerI-
can liberties and the existence or the
ReDublic than an invading army large
a. the Persian hosts. This bill pro-
posed to invade the State of Georgia
and TO strike down and destroy It's
civil mower. to pull down the build
I
under the dictatiOn Of Congress. lie
proclaimed the 4th section OF thus
bill to be without parallel 10 the
annals of the civilized world, TOR 4
visited with disfranchisement all per
sons who held oihce ana had 1aAet axe!
the oath q support the Constitution
had rendered support to the rebellion
Such an enactment was a crim'
against nature and q revolt agaIns
: the principles OF truth.
Bingham approved the phi, an'
EXPRESSED his regret that it had beer
reported by the Reconstruction Com
2 mittee. The fourth section apple,
! to every State IN the Union, and
! was too late in the day for any maj
TO deny that the States OF the UnloI
, had sacred rights which could not b
: invaded. The man who laid vIolen
n hands bv legislation on the Constltu
8 ton Of his country ought TO pe heI
as a public enemy. Such leglslatlo
n as that EN- braced IN the fourth sec
ton would receive universal cor
n demnation, not OF the Southern pee
! pie. but OF the world; It ought TO II q
-e no place on the statute book. Cor
. gress had no more right TO legIslat
IN on the qualifications for State ofhcel
In the several States than on the qua
@ ifications for Office IN England. ID
re believed. as much IN revolt agains
g. the requirements of the ConshtutloI
IS bv action of her Legislature, as Geol
at gia did.
Butler remarked that be agree
1e with Bingham ou that point.
Schenck stated that the reason
I .evaJ. MI
he this bill was, that Congress had r
of cognized the existence OF Georg
r. under the reconstruction acts, al
d. was therefore stopped from denyII
H. the exclusion of co o.ored members
10 the Georgia Legislature. he regar'
o ed it as revolutionary act, an outra
4 for which there was no excuse. and
reasonable pretext, but suppose On
he Massachusetts,, or Pennsylvania u
n done something equivalent, how "
Congress to fall back on the doctrl
90 that Georgia had never been reco
an structed? 1t was stopped from tn
o. bV the fact that 1t had acqulesced
he the reconstruction. Was the az
nc tripe to be assumed that Georgia h
de not a republican form OF governmeL
~ ! If so. then all that Georgia had do
he was to be disregarded and wiped o
he and the State RENTED to militia
we authority. 1t that was proposed,
vas would feel free to support 1t, ratl
NE than support the measure before
he House. He saw no solution for
difficulty except to leave the mat
the for the present and let Georgia q
yas self see whether she could furnish
solution. He was assured, II
CE wa n
or mitted to 20 on and decide, under
ais. constitution and laws OF georgia
ion Of the United States. the right of {
all ored men to hold once, thaI decis
,or would be acquieSced in aud acted
ion bv both branches of the GeOr
Dad LEGISLATURE Therefore he favo
less postponement.
ain Bingham moved the postpOnem
.eas of the bill till the first Monday
December next, and demanded
the previous question, which was
tied seconded.
nth The bill was laid aside temporar
tied and a Conference Committee on
cor Indian Appropriation Bill ordel
lent and Dawes, Bingham, and Breck.
pointed on the part of the House
tier, Coke, Chairman 0fthe Committee
,od- Accounts, reported resolution aull
line izing the, employment of clerks {
usly ing the present session at 81 50
lion day, for the following comm1tt
lsed Banking and Currency, Pacific Il
road. Commerce, Naval Affairs, 2
office, Roads and Canals, indian
1ing fairs, Foreign Affairs, Ninth Gen
nion Printing, Territories, District of
the lum bia, Invalid Pensions, and
was vision OF the laws; authorizing
Bull Reconstruction Committee to EN-
the clerk at the same compensa
hose from March till December 9th, L
shin continuing messenger Of Committe