The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-05-18

L
the bill under which Virginia was admitted,
with an additional clause allowing the or
ganization of militia force in the State.
This bill is virtually victory for the Go
vernon Bullock party, although it is silent
as to the period of time the officers OF the
present State government shall hold their
Offices; that is lett to the State courts to de-
Ecide. Bingham and Farnsworth have pre-
pared substitute compelling the election
of new Legislature next fall. A close
vote is anticipated.
A New Railroad Scheme.
| The Senate committee this morning re-
ported bill providing for building south
ern railroad called the "Texas and Pacific
Road" While protesting to be southern
road, it is claimed that it is in the interests
of the Fulton and Cairo railroad and other
roads northerly. The result of such con-
nection would be to divert large proper
ton Of trade and travel from across the
Gulf States to the Atlantic seaboard, Chica-
60, Philadelphia, and elsewhere.
The House committee have decided to
report the trans-C Continental bill of General
Fremont.
Mrs. Grants Strawberry Party.
Mrs. Grant had strawberry party to-day
at X o'clock. The flowers, fruits, and
berries, together with the gold and silver
adornments, rendered the lunch-tabe
thing beautiful to look upon. The Presi-
dent, members of the Cabinet and their
families, and q large number of ladies and
| I'M u1
WALLACE.
Associated Press kilograms.
| Congressional.
| WASHINGTON, May 17.-Rousc.-The con-
! sideration of the report of the Committee
Oh the Decline of American Commerce was
resumed.
| The Reconstruction Committee have
agreed to report bill readmitting Georgia
on the same terms that applied to Virginia,
Mississippi, and Texas, with clause autho-
rizing the States named to organize, arm,
and call into active service, their respective
militia force.
The discussion on the bill of Mr.. Lynch
regarding the decline Of American COM
merce was continued at some length.
MIR. Washburn, of Wisconsin, argued
that the decline was owing to the hostility
Of Great Britain during the rebellion.
Mr.. Roots, of Arkansas, introduced bill
for a southern Pacific railroad similar in all
respects to that reported by Senator How
ard i'll the Senate. 1t was referred to the
Pacific Railroad Committee.
The House then went into Committee of
the Whole on the naval appropriation bill,
and will hold session tonight.
Mr.. Porter, from the Reconstruction Com
mittee, reported 4 blu for the removal Of
political disabilities from Isaac Ii. Christian.
of Charles City county, Va.
Scndte.-Senator Howard, from the Com
mittee on the Pacific Railroad, reported Il
substitute for the Marshall or San Diego
Railroad bill, which he explained was to all-
thorize a railroad from Marshall, Texas, to
Trinity river, thence to Ell Paso on the Rio
Grande. and thence through the Territories
across Colorado river to San Diego on the
Pacific. In the Territories the bill grants
the road twenty alternate sections Of land
on each side Of the line and ten alternate
sections in any State through which the
road might pass. A large portion of the
line was within the State Of Texas, and
as the United States owned no public lands
in that State no lands were granted. 1t
would also authorize connections with lines
of road from New Orleans and Ficksburg.
This amendment has received the sanction
of unanimous vote of the committee, and
the bill was ordered TO be printed and
placed on the calendar.
Mr.. Kellogg presented bill granting
lands to the Louisiana and Texas railroad
to aid in the construction of the road from
Vicksburg to the State, line of Texas.
At O'Clock the bill to enforce the fif-
teenth amendment WAS taken up, the ques-
ton being on the motion of Mr.. Ferry to
strike out that part of MIR. Stewards
amendment providing fines and imprison-
ment for persons holding office in violation
of the fourteenth amendment.
Mr.. Ferry then defended his position
from the structures of Mr.. Morton, and
claimed that he spoke for the Union men of
the South in advocating u general removal
of political disabilities. He alluded to
the platforms Of the Republicans in
utterances of the Republican candidates in
support OF. this. He said in reference to
the State Of Georgia. which the Senator
(Merton) was constantly holding up rs the
model State Of crime and disorder, Why was
this? He was sure that if the destinies of
Georgia had been in the hands of men Of
high patriotism, and not of men who had
dragged the honor of the Republican party
down to the dust, and whose only aim was
their own pecuniary advancement, the state
of affairs would have been very different.
But he, Mr.. Ferry, denied these stories
these kilograms manufactured to order, and
which were sent here to the press of this
city.
MIR. Ferry read from a letter of Thomas
r. Jessups, who, he said, was we'll known
and eminent merchant of New York, to the
effect that he had travelled all over Georgia,
and saw nothing but an earnest desire to ac-
cept the situation and to let by-gones be
by-gones, and characterizng as entirely
Ga. Turning to the North, Mr.. Ferry
claimed that in that section also the maio-
rity Of the Republican press were in favor
of the two bills for this purpose which he
had introduced-that great PRESS of New
York, which eXerted such a mighty intlu-
ence and circulation from one end of this
country to the other. He now asserted that
to continue longer these disabilities was in
. violation of all the great principles OF
the Republican party. He had been in
! favor OF the rights of the black man not
, because he was black, but because he was
a man and now that the rights of the black
man had been secured, he feared that the
rights of the man himself were in danger.
Your fifteenth amendment is q deluSion and
snare. While these disabilities remain on
your statute-books the black man is not
! permitted to vote for at least the half of his
friends and neighbors. He wanted these
disabilities removed not as measure Of
Cancellation, but as measure OF justice
He asserted that the fourteenth amendment
and the test-oath were not designed as
measures of punishment but as measures Of
great public policy. Ireland tells the story
n to-day Of the effect OF disabilities and test.
: oaths. Has five hundred years of this sys
D tenn raised up loyal generation III Ire
landp No, sir.
What did Austria do with her disabi!isie,
3 and her test act In hungary Were ths
] dres Of rebellion ever qteaehedS Now
whe1 che has given her Tree Constitution