The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-02-14
The squabbIe Over the Disability Cues
tion-The Legal Tender Question
Helping the Ocean Steamship Lines,
&c., &C.
[FRoA OUR own CORRESPONDENT


There are two parties N Congress in favor
of removing political disabiities-one for
substantial general amnesty andthe other for
peddling them out by piece-meal, as Illustrated
in the bills now vibrating between the two
houses The former are sustained by the mod
crate Republicans from the North, while the
latter are confined almost wholly TO the carpet
bag element. At the meeting Of the Recon-
struction Committee on yesterday, even But
ler exhibited liberal spirit, as compared with
Whittemore and men Of that class on the COM
mittee. and went so far as to favor granting
amnesty to all parties, on application to the
United States District Court; but Lawrence, Of
Ohio, moved to amend the bill SO
as to except from amnesty all those
who have ever pcen in Congress or in
the army or navy, and subsequently partlcl-
mated in the Confederate war. Butler accep-
ted this, but told the committee that when the
bill came into the House he should move to
strike it out ami leave it in shape SO that any
pe1son politically disabled by the sd section VI
the Fourteenth amendment may apply TO the
United States District Court, which is required
to grant amnesty pro tOJ1nd, unless some oo-
lection be filed within thirty days. This must
be of valid character and be sustained by
evidence sufficient to justify the court in pro-
ceeding to an examination of the same. Tne
decision is discretionary with the judge, as III
other cases, and the bill, as 1t now STANDS, per-
mits no appeal. When the court grants q ue,
cree of pardon or amnesty. all that is required
of the person receiving 1t, is to make oath that
he will remain loyal to the Government OF the
United States. The form Of oath prescribed
is exactly that now eXacted OF natllrallzed cit
izens. If it be established that bill OF THIS
character is constitutional, there can hardly 0e
any doubt but that it will be passed through
Congress, even bya two-thirds vote. If such
vote be necessary.
No sooner does the Supreme Court make a
decision striking down some Of the unconsti-
tutional measures passed und"n the head OF
the sswar power,n than the Radicals proceed to
patch up the constitution to cover up the loss
of ground. The last case in illustration Is, the
decision on the legal tender cases, where the
court strikes down the legality of the act, so
far as it is attempted to make it retroactive in
the enforcement of contracts made before 1862,
and would undoubtedly have declared the act
unconstitutional in all its applications subsc-
quent to that time, had that question actually
been before the court. So Mr.. 1ngersoll, OF
troduce sixteenth amendment to the const-
tuition of the United States, authorizing Con-
gresS to issue paper money and make 1t q legal
tender for the payment OF all private anu pub
lie debts. The Democrats, by parliamentary
means, have thus far prevented its introduc-
tion, and are confident, when it comes 70
a final struggle, that il tlnnot command
go-thirG:: vote. Ore great argument against
succ. an amendment is founded in the fact that
men of all parties agree that the decision OF
the Supreme Court is the most important step
taken since the war, on the road to specie pay
ments. 1t certainly negatives the Western de-
mand for the issueaf more legal tenders.
The Senate Postal Committee have agreed
to report bill Incorporating the Mediterranean
Steamship Company, which has been endorsed
by The Southern Boards of Trade and some OF
the Southern Legislatures. Congress will prob
ably give the company the ocean postagcs for
all the mails they may carry. Tie agents OF
the company here say that they will be ready.
as soon as the bill becomes q law, 10 start
line from the South. and intend to make lmml-
grafton principal feature of it. They feel so
far assured of the success OF the scheme that
partial contracts have been entered into Tor
the purchase Of vessels TO commence opera
tions by the first of June. Notwithstanding
the great decline Of American tonnage, Con-
grcss does not seem disposed 10 follow the cN-
ample of the British Parliament. as illustrated
in the Cunard line, by making an apprOprla-
ton of monied subsidies and oificcring the line
by American naval officers. However. a Spe-
cial committee OF the House has this very
question under consideration, and by making
q terrible exhibit OF the decline of the Ameri-
can carving trade, NAV induce Congress to
change its views.
the Senate Yesterday passed, and the House
to-day referred, the bill removing the political
disabilities from the South Carolinians as pub
lished in the special telegram OF THE NEWS on
Saturday last "'