The New York herald., 1870-01-11
the appralsemens ana inspection Of imports IN Ger.

'AlN OANI III, lCtU.-ln nII
.he appraisement and inspection OF imports In GER
tain cases.
ARTIFICIAL LIMBS FOR SOLDIERS
which was agreed 70, that the Committee on Military
additional provision by law for the purchase OF aTtl
hcial legs for disabled soldiers.
THE POSTAL TELngRAPH SYSTEM.
Mr. STEWART introduced bill TO abolish the
ranking privilege and 70 establish . United States
M ne y
lines over the principal mail routes OF the UnlTed
states and to 20 regulate the charges for tele,
equal as nearly possible the current expenses for
operating the same, and the construction account
parsment for the % RANKING privilege ,, FOR the 6sca
year ending June 80, 1850.
STATE TAXES ON TRAVELLERS
Mr. MORTON, lrep) OF Ind, offered Q Joint resO-
luton declaring that no State has the power to en-
force any tax or DUTY upon any passenger travelling
District y e United safes Say S and % Sas no poWer By
contract with any corporation or individual engaged
" as q M rs pr .n, a. sonol,on or
part Of the gross receipts from such passengers, au
tnaL - the duty OF Congress- by appropriate iegls
duties upon passengers.
= THE NEUTRALITY LAWS.
Mr. MORTON introduced q bill making 1t misde-
meanor TO ut out equip ships OF war or to sell or
70 furnish arms or munitions Of with the intent
tnat they shall be employed IN the service OF any
Iorelgn prince or State 10 commit h0sties against
the people OF any province, district or colony who
are IN state okarmed insurrection against sucn
feture OF such ship vessel Laid on the table and
ordered to be printed.
REDEMfTIoN OF CURRENCY.
Mr.. WILLIAMS, (rep.) Of Oregon, offered Joint
resolution requiring the secretary OF the Treasury
to redeem In coin United States Treasury notes
as may be presented Tor redemp.i0n at the rate OF
one dollar IN coin for one dollar and twenty cents in
Treasury notes, and that such notes redeemed
United states bearing interest the rate OF six per
cent per annum In gold. Laid on the table and
THE VIRGINIA RECONSTRUCTION BILL
AT the expiration Of the morning hour MIR. STEW
ART (rep., OF Nevada, moved to postpone oil prior
Mr.. SUMNER, (rep) OF Mass, SAID that no investi-
CATION had been made into the present actual c0ndi
tlon OF Virginia done IN the OF Georgia.
No evidence had been obtained In regard to what,
owing TO SOME reports, might be called the fearful
condition Of certain parts Of thar State a the present
moment The Committee OF the Senate should be
allowed to have this evidence, 80 that the loyal
people OF Virginia who had not been heard, either
IN the Committee or IN the Senate should have their
The CHAIR reminded the Senate that upon the
pending proposton debate upon the meriss OF the
measure referred TO was not In order
The motion was then agreed 10, and the bill was
taken up. II provides for entltag the State Of VIZ
GINA to representation In Congress.
Mr.. STEWART said he could not see the necessity
for the investigation desired by the Senator from
Massachusetts Tor unlike Georgia the State OF vir-
struction acGs. Tha State constitution was GER
tainly republican IN form. and the men IN power had
given their pledge to execute that constitution IN
good faith. But sne good faith OF Congress with
these people was the real question at lssue II
action now was the time. 1t would be exceedingly
lmpolitc now. TO interpose the test oath
test Of for the
By 50 doing two-tSrds Of she present ''SSis body
might be turned out OF onice, which would require
men now In power. VINO DrODO0e0 to AID the Con-
gresslona reconstruction, would be trampled under
foot and the rebels would come INTO power. BY
now securing the fifteenth amendment through the
aid OF Virginia equal suffrage w0uld be secured and
thus much gained. Had the recent election ~ vir-
one doubt tlat new obstacles would be thrown IN
tle way OF the admission Of that states Tho au-
shorty Of Congress r qarsntee 10 every G
not ' mpy TspasVas the rsas Il Congress 70 Compel
state q belong % the republican party.
up the bill the senator from Nevada had anticipated
. IKE motion ne intended 70 nave made. lie be-
eved that the Senate had now sufficient light On the
subject TO oct iptegenIly; but ne was disposed 70
grant the Senator rom Massachusetts, whatever
time he might consider essential to deliberate con-
SideratOn OF 30 grave question.
Mr.. SUMNER urged, as an additional reason for de-
ferrng the action, that the condition or things In
Tennessee snould teach tue Senate the lesson OF
caution when about TO commit great state like
Virginia back into the hands OF the people who had
arrayed 1t in against the national authority. II
would make no opposition 10 Its consideration.
Mr. HOWARD, !repl Of Nich, said that i it was
u a. Were e house
and unable TO take the oath OF 1852 the Senate might
very properly hesitate in regard to virginia He be-
eved nat under the recOnstructOn law inability to
take that oath was sufficient 10 render person IN
eligible TO seat ~ any q the LEGISLATURES Of tho
toaney General tnat when virgnla had been restored
TO her proper relations to the Unlted States and had
once more become Q State In the Union,
would be incompetent for Congress to prescribe
any qualifications 70 her voters or to alter IN any
way her constitution; but the singular conclusion OF
the Attorney General was that 1t was Incompetent
for Congress to furnish the State with suitable
Legislature to start WITH and from tins the speaker
dssented. The Congressional authority In this re.
spect entirely in consonance with the theory OF
all the reconstruction legislation which assumes to
prescribe In what manner the lately rebel States
shall reconstruct their government, and proposed
their readmissi0n upon their compliance with Ger.
tain conditions because the national authority could
not interfere with the right OF State In the Union.
1t did not, therefore, follow that during its
lnciplency or preparatory. condition that q
@ Regulation. i Referring % to the compositon q the
Virginia Legislature, he said that OF the fortythree
members OF the Senate twenty-five could not take
the oath prescribed III 1S62-in other words, were
engaged In open rebellion against the United States.
OF the 1888 members OF the House OF Delegates only
ons ior the admission OF Virginia he could not over.
look the fact, and the Senate could not overlook It,
that the Legislature OF Virginia was overwhelmingly
Mr.. EDMUNDs, trep.) Of VT, said that under the
very act Of Congress authorizing Virginia to take the
preparatory steps towards rec0nstrnctlon Congress
had the right TO inquire whether those steps were
taken IN good fath and whether the action OF the
State was sufficient to satisfy Congress. 1t mad
been expressly declared In prior act rela-
tive TO Virginia that her subsequent action
should not be deemed final until approved
by Congress- but should be submitted for review by
Congress-. Having been deceived In the case OF
Georgia, and, further, BY Tennessee, as was SHOWN
by the present condition Of things there, Congress
had taken to say to Virginia In plain terms that
the right to review her acton was expressly re-
served; and now 1t was due the Senate that when
that State again resumes Its relations to the govern
uent III no one OF Its departments should 1t be OBJ
nOxlous to the fourteenth amendment TO the con-
stltuton OF the United States. lie desired to have
further information concerning Virginia, as upon
the condition Of things there would depend his vote
for or against immediate admission or the State
He desired 70 inquire for himself whether Virginia
was complying in good faith with the fourteenth
amendment, ana whether her legislators ought not
TO be required to take an oath based tile theory
or that amendment
Senator MORTON, rep.) OF Ind, expressed the
opinion that perhaps the only question properly at
issue was as to whether, under the reconstruction
laws, the members OF the Legislature OF virginia
were required to take the test oath. II the afrma-
ti,, trua Than fha va0 0iola Ind moi nann