The New York herald., 1870-02-25
NEW YORK HERALD, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25 1870

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calling upon the President for copy OF any CON-
mission or authority issued 10 hSN4dier General
Ames as Provisional Governor OF Missssippi, and in
thc absence OF such authority 10 hli0rm The Senate
nnder what authority he has acted IN snat capacity
cusRENrY EXPANSION.
Mr.. WILLIAMS (rep) OF oregon, ofrereu the f0lew
ing resolution which was agreed TO without diyi-
Resolved That 10 .ad the presen. isdsem.hlc paper
the resumption Of specie payments TO encourage aud
By sasn ss and fsasns
as ~ ~ no settle aew ns apo s
and permanent basis and therefore, IN the opinion Q, .hs
increascd. -
In order 10 accommodate Senators Fcnton and
Patterson who VIII he compelled 10 be absent after
to-day the Funding bill was taken up informally for
Mr.. FENIoN, frep.l Of N. r., then SAID, upon the
sonndest maxlms OF finance, bill for the refund
tug OF the public debt would naturally seem To fol-
| low instead OF precede the appropriation oI the
public credit. Strictly speaking the public credit IL
teria resources the frsJ ana most obvious elc
mcnts Of strength but the subtle and sensitive
natlon can bc exempt from the necessity or borrow
ing Public credit IL no less essential In peace than
IN war; The history OF Great Britain shows tnat
the faithful 1uHilnent o her obligations has enabled
her TO borrow at three per cent interest," and we are
now paying xix per cent. But II our public credit
were what 1t ought TO be We could convert our dept
into four or four ana hal per securities. lie
hoped the present bill would be amended as he would
propose, 30 authorize single bond at tour and
half per cent IN the sum OF one thousand or
Twelve hundred millions, not taxable Dy federal,
& Sr oca oo ore @ a a. the
time, while retiring the nvctwenty ana the tenl0rty
bonds, effect gradual contraction by the gradual
absorption OF the Rreenbacks IN the new securities,
which would result II the resumption of specie pay
| meats. lie did not deem the present rate Of taxa
tiOn essential TO the accomplishment Of this result
The people the last eight years have cheerfully
endured constant and exnaustng STRAIN, unex'
| ment to relieve them from the excessive burdens
they sustain The great agricultural Interest," ~ per-
naps more affected tnan any other lnasmacn ~ sne
the prices realized are not in proportion. Tax
alton should be so regulated as not to trench
only only upon revenue. Tnere Should 'be an
appreciation OF the currency; but TINS
would then be paid IN currency, which has increased
In value and which possesses greater purchasing
power. Thus, II we suner the law to remain un-
changed, we actually augment the burdens OF the
people, and t0 retain the same virtual taxation we
must reduce the nominal rate Ia answer to the po-
who held that the country had not too much cur
rency and That resumption could take place upon
the present volume, he said II this were SO all dill
cultes and embarrassmens would disappear; but
In fact there IL q redundancy Of the currency, which
causes gold TO steadily nOW Abroad and Tor this rea
son the proper proportion enable resumption can
not be retained. The Senator frOm Indiana also
reasoned That the currency should expand with our
growth in territory and population, and stated the
amount OF circulation before the war at $3.50 co., 00O
and further, that our circulation had Increased q
ton replied II the nrst be made the test it would
require volume Of only $540.00oo0O; and
IL the second, it would not require more
than $6O00OO,oo0, and yet we have seven
hundred mllli0ns and n the amount or gold neces
give us nlne hundred thousand millions.
double the amount OF the estimate or the Senator
from Indiana OF what existed ten years ago. lie
stated that the falacy OF these arguments IL that
they make no account OF the vaue OF the currency.
They treat 1t as something which Is needed TO the
full extent TO which C can be absorbed by the coun-
try. Finally, he deemed the OF the funding
scheme desirable, although IL would be- III his Judg-
indicated il is desirable, not only because it would
involve reduction oil interest but because 1t would
puI an end 70 the camor which Threatens to violate
the pubic faith and impair the public credit.
THE CASE or TIE MISSISSIPPI SENATOR.
The Mississippi subject was then taken up. the
question being upon the motion OF Mr.. stockton to
refer the credentials OF Mr. Revels 70 the judiciary
Mr.. sAUIsBuRy discussed the question OF the
alleged election and the evidence OF 1t, anu SAID
he supported The proposed reference upon the
higher and broader ground which was enter
ate, that under the constitution he (Revels)
not eligible to seat In she Senate on the ground
OF q want or citizenship. lie denied that ans claim
10 eligibility could be established by the civil rights
bill or the fourteenth constitutional amendment, be-
cizenshp oi applicants for seats in the Senate and
The requisite nine years since the enactment Of the
legislation referred 10 had not eapsed. But 1t was
claimed that Mr.. Reye s was 4 Citizen prior to this
legislation. The answer to that was that the bred
Scott decision was. at the time OF ITS delivery, the
only authoritative exposition Of the constitution
the point that negro or mulattO was not Bucn
citizen Of the United States as was contemplated at
the time or the adoption OF the constitution. The
principle involved In this decsion he said had been
endorsed by all the radical legislation because the
civil rights bill and the fourteenth amendment were
based upon the conviction OF Congress that ut the
time OF the bred Scott decision Tree negroes and
free muattocs were not citizens OF the United
not competent for any one State to make d
citizen Of the United States. Consequently
there was no evidence, 1t was IN Violation Of the
constitution OF the United States. In conclusion
no remarked he had but little hope for the future OF
hls country. lie would avert, II possible, this
threatened calamity. lie would preserve 10 our
white poslerlty this heritage bequeaLed by our hon
ami noble ancestry to their wnite descendants.
He recognized however, that his own efforts would
not avail and, therefore, In resuming his seat ne
would utter his solemn protest against this proceed
ing in benalf Of revoluIionized country.
Mr. DRAKE rep.l OF Mo during the remarks OF
was nei,ner 4 negro nor m,,latto bnr an nctaroon
and that he made the statement out OF compass
sion for the mental sufierngs OF his friend iMr.
Salisbury upon the probability OF being compelled
10 associate IN the Senate with Jet black negro
Mr.. SALISBURY replied that he was not aware OF
TO the admission OF the proposed Senator; but beng
governed by the principle involved, bis opposition
me ' same arennd o. owh M he a upon
prevent the fulhllment oil the dearest wish Of the
Senator from Missouri Mr. DrakeA whloh was the
Mr.. HOWARD (rep.) OF Mich, believed Tic proof of
Mr.. Reves' election to be conclusive, ana that the
only Issue now was upon the acceptance or rejec-
ton Of him as o member on account OF the color OF
his skln 1t was urged that he tMr. Reyels) was oil
African descent anu therefore had not been citizen
oil the United States for nine years. 1t not de-
MED Jnat he was a native born lnhabitant OF the
United States, nor was 1t pretended he was slave.
He tMr. H0ward) maintained that every person born
III the United States and not been slave was u
citizen; tnat nativity impaired citizenship In all
countries. He would carry this doctrine far rs
TO assert that even black man born slave was
10 DC he'd TO be a citizen Irom his birtu. Sucn
one had always owed allegiance to tue United
States and allegiance and citizenship we're cO-reia-
tive tcrms The Dred Scott decision IN mis- opinion,
was partisan decision, the purpose Of which was
to establish, by Judicial declsion for all time to
come, the legality the rlghtiu!ness and even the
picty Of slavery, and 1t had sunk, II not into obl-
won, then, into eternal deristOn and contempt. He
IN this election OF c0lorcd man to the seat Tor.
mery filled by JEFF Davis that which he believed
would gladden. the heart Of every lover OF freedom.
Mi. WILLIAMS, rcp.l Of OREGON, remarked that
CHIEF Justice Taney expressly limited the bred Scott
decision ~ those with pure African blood IN their
veins and whose ancestors had been sold as slaves:
buI was there any evidence that Tie ancestors OF