The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-01-18
NATIONAL AFFAIRS.
WHAT CONGRESS rs DOING.
The Disability Question-i New Phase
OF Reconstructfon-rhe Public Lands
OF, the Southern States, SC.
WASHINGTON, January II

The Reconstruction Committee this morning
appointed subcommittee consisting o
Porter, chairman, and Sisson and Morgan, tt
report at the next meeting Of the commit
tee what should be done in regard to the re
moVal OF political disabilities, and what legis
lation is necessary to protect the loyal people
Of the South.
The Secretary of War has transmitted tc
Congress large number of papers relative to
Senator Sprague's trade with Texas during the
war.
Wilson has been renolnlnated to the Senate
by the Massachusetts, Republicans, which is
equivalent to an election.
The consideration of appropriations was re-
sumed.
An amendment repeating the law authoriz.
ing the publication Of the laws in the papers,
was rejected.
a communication received from the Presl.
dent, transmitting additional papers relative
to the existence of disloyal organizations in
North Carolina, was ordered to be printed
The papers consist of reports Of army officers
commanding troops in that Slate, and letters
from Governor Holden, covering long state
ments and affldavlts IN relation to the Ku'
Klux organization and various disturbances ir
North Carolina.
In the Senate the House amendments to the
bill authorizing the issue of FIVE hundred mil
lion of five per cent bonds was concurred in
and the bill goes to the President.
Yates offered an amendment to the consti
tuition that all persons thirty-hye years of age,
and fourteen years citizens Of the United
States, be eligible to the Presidency.
Kellogg called up the joint resolution for the
disposal of the public lands in Florida, Aaba.
ma, Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas.
Harlan expressed opposition 10 the passage ol
the bill, because he regarded 1t as calculated
to work inJuriousy to the interests Of the poor
people In those States, many OF whom are
colored. Kellogg said the only purpose Of the
bill was to place the public lands in the States
named, on the same footing with the public
lands in the other States of the Union. Those
lands cannot now be entered unless under
homestead laws. Thousands OF fair broad
acres in all those States that would be taken by
settlers from the Northwest are now closed to
them. The restriction of these lands to the
choice OF actual residents has been tried and
the lands have not been taken up. 1t wat
strange that Harlan should seek to deny to the
Southern States the privilege which his own
State enjoyed.
Harlan said the system which had prevailed
had been anything but benefit to Iowa
Thousands of acres had been taken up by non
residents, and in some sections you could
travel for miles without meeting
settlement. In the States named in the
bill the law now gave to four mil.
lions of freedmen chance to become land
owners, and the reason they had not been able
to avail themselves Of 1t was because they
were too recently emancipated from slavery
To repeal the present provisions would be te
forever debar them from obtaining a freehold
and these lands would De taken up by wealthy
people OF those States and by non-resaenss.
Kellogg expressed his willingness that Har'
Ian should offer an amendment to obviate the
contingency which he favored, and for that
purpose the bill was informally laid over. The
consideration of the bill will be resumed to
morrow.
The House passed the bill providing tina,
cargoes in port on the 3lst of December shal
pay duties under the old tariff law.