Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-04-14
CONGRESSIONAL.
Repeal Of The Law Requiring the MsstIBu Of
Each New Congress on the 4ih
Of March.
Debate in the Seaats on The Ku-KIux BIZ
Thurman DeHoHEoes Il la an Able
Speech.
Blair Goes for IT," and Flays Amss, Of
Mississippi, ahd Siitts that 200 RuF.
dsrs Had Been Committed In Reya-
da in Year.

WASHINGTON, April 13-Houe.-
Mr.. Barnum, member elect from
Connecticut, appeared and took the
oath.
A bill authorizing the construction
of a bridge across the Missouri river
at or near st. Joe, Mo-, was amended
and passed.
The House then proceeded with the
Senate's amendments to the def
cheney bill. Amendment repeating
the law which requires the meeting
OF each new Congress on the 4th Of
March.
Mr.. CObUrn opposed the repeal.
He hoped to see the day when men
would cease to talk about the CO.
ordinate branches Of the government.
One great power IN the country was
the people, whose views were eX-
pressed through Congress.
Garfield attributed the proposed re-
peal to a desire of the Senate to be
left alone in the exercise of the great
power it has obtained and extended
within the last few years. Dawes
said that it was a mistake that he IA
vOred a repeal the present session.
They had done more to repent than
boast of, and if anything had occur
red within the last few DAYS to make
the people forgive Congress for its dis
cussiOns and Wrangling and for the
deep wounds inflicted on the Repub-
liCan party in the other end of
the capitol it was "mOre
dangerous because they were bleeding
internally" 1t was there that the
moderate cOunsels had found their
Utterances in the legislation, rather
than the extreme measures; only that
moderation saved the present session
Of Congress from being an unmitiga-
ted evil in the judgment of the people.
And the repeating Of the law was then
cOncUrred in; yeas, SO; nays, SO.
Theamendment appTOpriating $1,000
for the expenses Of the Joint Select
Committee on Outrages in the South
ern States, was COncUrred in.
The amendments tapprOpriating$ $3.50,
600 for subsistence for the ArapahOes
and other Indians, was cOncurred in,
with an amendment reducing the
amount to $500, 600.
Several other amendments were
cOncurred in, and without disposing
of all, the House adjourned.
Se1lGte.-The Vice President ap-
pointed Messrs. Wilson and Carpen-
ter visitors to West Point.
Mr.. Wilson, at his own request, was
excused from service on the South
ern Outrage Investigation.
Mr.. Robertson gave notice that he
would ask for a vote on an amend
ment to the order Of business, to per
NIT action on the General Amnesty
bill as soon as the Ku-Klux bill was
disposed of, the Ku-Klux bill was
then proceeded with.
Mr.. Thurman took the floor, and
delivered lengthy argument against
the centTalizing tendencies of the bill.
This whole undertaking for furnishing
Offenses against the State law, through
the machinery of the Federal govern
ment, was plainly unconstitutional.
The essence of the measure was in the
Sd and 4th sections, which vested the
President of the United States with
power now only welded by the Sultan
Of Turkey and the Gar Of Russia. He
could at will declare war against
the people of any State and suspend
the writ of hG6edS corpus there. /
This power of suspension was
a legislative power, and could not be
delegated to the President. Its unre-
served surrender to the Presidential
candidate was most dangerous to the
liberties of the country. The question
now is whether we are to have but
one star instead of thirty-seven on our |
flag; whether State governments, the
source of our prosperity, are to Obliter-
ated, and with them our whole system
Of free government?
On motion of Mr.. Trumbull, the Sec
retary of the Interior was directed to
furnish a statement Of the population
of the United States government
representation and total population of
each State separately, as ascertained
by the ninth census.
Mr.. Summer asserted that the
government had neglected its duty in
regard to national protection and es-
peciaIy in case Of the freedmen who |
have been friends to the government. |
That fearful Outrage5 had been per- !
petrated in the South could not be |
denied, and the power of Congress was |
ample. No cry of centralism or i'm |
perialism could deter him. BE was !
for centralism, liberty, Imperialism !
and State rights. Once the nation |
served slavery in the interests of |
State rights, now it must serve liberty, !
even at the denial of State rights. |
Thurman inquired whether Sumner
intended to vote for the bill.
Sumnerreplied that he did.
Mr.. Thurman said the President of /
the United States had only recently
been arraigned by the Senator from
Massachusetts (Mr. Sumner) for
usurping the war power against the
black people of Hayti. But the Sena-
tor seemed now to be wholly insensi-
Bile, when a bill was proposed to con-
fer upon the President the power to
make war upon the white people of
America.
The first amendment being a mere
verbal improvement in the phrase
olOgy, it was agreed tO-yeas, Al;
nays, Z.
1t was agreed to hold an evening
session for debate, and to finally dis
pose Of the bill tomorrow.
Senate took a recess.
Messrs. Osborne and Nye spoke in
favor Of the Ku-Klux bill.
Mr.. Nye presented a conmuniea-
tlOn from Judge Logan, of North Car
Ollna, saying he was unable to hold /
court for fear Of Ku-Klux, and asking
for troops to protect him in the dis |
charge Of his official duties. Also q
statement that large numbers of white
and cOlored victims were recently
whipped and seourged in Caswell /
and adjoining counties in that State
by men wearing masks. The eOudi-
ton Of things thus shown, constituted
a state of civil war, and these counties
were in insurrection to-day, and under
terror were defying the State and
nation. We're Senators content to
cavn over infnitesimal constitution