The Portland daily press., 1870-01-20

The debate on the admission OF virginia Is
beinp nrotracted in the Senate much beyond
what was anticipated. 1t is thought that a
vote will at length be reached to-day, and the
House bill which authorizes immediate adj
mission without conditions of any kind will
be passed. There is no room for "readipg
members out OF the party" on this question:
though much OF it has been done. There is
an honest difference of opinion among Repub-
licans. The vote of Maine members in the
House was divided, Peters and Hale voting
Tor the bill as it passed, and Morrill, of the
second district voting for the bill imposing
conditions reported from the Reconstruction
Committee. Mr.. Lynch appears to have been
temporarily absent. 1t has been loosely stat
ell that if Mr.. Butler had been present to en-
gineer the bill reported from his COM
mittee, the result would have been diff
ferent in the House. We cannot believe
this. On question so important as this
every member with any claims to either
h)nesty or intelligence must have opinions of
his own not susceptible of being changed or
modified by personal influence In the Sen
ate, Monday, there was a test vote on pre-
liminary question, and the so-called "conserv-
alive" or unconditional admission party pre-
vailed. Mr.. Hamlin voted with the majority
and Mr.. Morrill, with the minority. But we
p .otest against any test of political ortho
Sumner is good Republican and a safe one,
and so are some of the Senators who are not
so much afraid as he that the Virginians will
doxy being derived from the Virginia BILL Mr..
show themselves unworthy of confidence.
Mr.. Bingham is worthy of confidence as Re-
publican leader, but no worthier than the
members that follow Butler in demanding
guarantees for the future. Before these lines
meet the eye of the reader the case may be
decided, and the "Old Dominion" once more
restored to her place in the national councils.
That circumstance in itself, irrespective of
some disadvantages incident thereto, is GER
tainly an occasion for profound thankfulness.
Political Notes.
The concurrent resolution which passed the
Missouri State Senate few days ago, in
structing Senators and requesting representa-
tives in Congress to vote against further APP
preparations far public buildings in Washing
ton, was adopted by the House Tuesday.
The news from Georgia is most conflict
ing. Gov. Bullock says he is not candidate
for the Senate, while the Bryant faction says
that Bullocks Senatorial aspirations cause all
the trouble in that State. On the other hand
Bryant says he is "strong in the Republican
faith" while Bullock's friends say that he has
openly united with the Democrats"
A PIECE of laborious sarcasm is that spok-
en- of by the Washington correspondent who
says that petition signed by number of
citizens of Massachusetts, has been forward
ed to Representative Cox, of New York, with
the request that he submit it to Congress.
The petitioners pray that their State be re-
manded to Territorial Government for its
reasonable course in 1912, its unrepublican
denying the right of suffrage to those who
cannot read and write, and for its connection
with the Hartford Convention.
The Journal of Commerce regards the
Chinese bill of Mr.. johnson (Democrat) as an
attempt to sanction by law the violation of a
solemn treaty made between the United
States and China. 1t declares that the most
remarkable result of the passage of the reso-
luton would be the adoption and practice of
State rights by party which denies those
rights in all matters that do not chance to PRO-
mote radical interests. 1t would show in that
party total lack of guiding principle, readi-
ness to convert the heresy of yesterday into
an article of faith to-day, whenever expedien-
cy shall demand it.