Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-02-16
AMNESTY AND SOCIAL EQUALITY.
Summers Amendment Adopted by the
Casting Vote of the Vice.Presidenf.

ration of the morning hour, the general or
der of the day was proceeded with, the
question being OH the motion OF Mr.. Cole
to amend Mr.. Summers bill so as to pre-
vent Chinese from becoming American cit
liens.
After remarks by Mr.. Cole and Mr.. Nye
in favor Of the amendment, it was rejected
yeas Is, nays "a. Messrs. Foreman,
Caldwell, Cole, Corbett, Cragin, Flanagan,
Frelinghuysen, Gilbert, Morton, Nye, Scott,
Sherman, Spencer, West and Wilson in the
affirmative.
Mr.. Upton argued that the proposition
of Mr.. Sumner was all uniuStifiable federal
interference, and was advocated on the
most trivial and insufficient grounds. He
wished to say something about our military
administration. The invasion Of State
rights, the passage of unconstitutional laws,
and the military practice that had prevailed
for several years, had no doubt led this
administration to imagine that any problem
can be solved by the use of military ap-
planes. He cited the caes of Illinois in
the Chicago fire, of Louisiana, and Of the
protectorate over Dominica, which, he said,
was in direct violation of the Constitution.
Mr.. Robinson argued against saddling
amnesty with this civil rights legislation.
He said it was great injustice to calumniate
the whole Southern people for the acts of a
few desperadOeS, as was done by some
Senators 1t would be very unjust to ro-
fuse any appropriation to public buildings
in New \ ork city because of the murders
| and robbeIies which were daily committed
there.
The quest ION was then taken on the
amendment OF Mr.. Sumner, and resulted as
follows:
/ YeaS.-MeSsrs. AmeS, Anthony, Brown
/ low, Cameron, Chandler, Clayton, Conk-
! ling, Cragin, Fenton, Ferry, of Michigan,
! Frelinghuysen, Gilbert, Hanlin, Harlan,
Morrill,, of Vermont, Morton, Osborn, Pat
terson, Pomeroy, Ramsey, Rice, Sherman,
Spencer, Sumner, West, Wilson, Window,
and Wright-2S.
Nays.-Messrs. Blair, Borcinan, Carpen-
ter, Cole, COrbett, Davis, of West Virginia
Ferry, Of Connecticut, Goldthwaite, Hamil
ton, of Texas, Hill, Hitchcock, Johnston
Kelly, Logan, Morrill,, of Maine, Norwood
Pool. Robertson, salisbury, Sawyer, Scott
Schurz, Stevenson, Stockton, Thurman
Upton, Trt1mbull, and Vickers-2S.
Messrs. Casserly, Hamilton of Maryland
and Bayard, who would have voted in tn,
negative, were paired with Messrs. Cald
) well, Edmunds, Flanagan and Nye, wh'
would have voted III the affirmative.
The result of the vote being a tie, TIN
Vice-President had the casting vote. Ill
said that while net concurring in all TIL
features of the amendment as a whole,
met his acquieScence, and he would there
fore record his vote in the Affirmative s.
the amendment was adopted.
The announcement of the Nice-PTeSi
; dents vote was received in the gallerie
with applause, which was at once sur
pressed by the Vice-President, who order
ed the doorkeepers to eject all violatOrs {
= the decOrum due the Senate.
= l., Il IL,
: amnesty bill so as to omit all exception!
and make amnesty universal.
l Debate ensued, in which Mr.. Edmund
took occasion to denounce Ku-KluX.
Mr.. Blair said the Senator had never vi
tered one word of condemnation Of tn
thieying calpet-bag governments. His al
, tentiOn had been called to the acts of thes
: carpet-bag governments over and owe
r again, but he had never paid the least al
tention to it, but always confined his de
' nunciatiOns to the Ku-KluX.
= Mr.. Edmunds said he did not believe il
: the charges made against the carpet-ba
. governments. But where he did see abus
in the State governments of the South, a
S anywhere else, he would go with Mr.. Bla
= to the verge of their power to correct til
abuse. But that Senator had shown II
disposition to protect the lives and libe1
ties of the people of the South.
Mr. Blair said he had fought for The lii
critics of those people.
Mr. Edmunds-But you stopped TO
soon.
= Mr.. Blair-You never commenced: il
! about time you did something.
: Mr. Edmunds said thelc were more way
:. than one Of serving a cause.
Mr.. Norwood said the Senator'S (EC
munds') Governor (Bullock) had pardone
something like four hundred criminals
l Georgia, seventy or eighty of them of til
a meanest, lowest nature.
e Mr.. Sawyer then Withdrew his amend
= ment, and
D Mr.. Morrill,, of Vermont, moved to II
!. clude in the exceptions of the amnesty hi
L al members of the Ku-Klux Khan. Adoy
;. ted--yeas 81, nays 16.
! Mr., Morton offered a further amcnlmel
c prohibiting any person from receiving til
S benefit Of amnesty until lie has made oat
z that he has never been member of til
! Ku-kluX Khan. Adopted-yeas, 81 ; nay!
= II.
| Mr.. Thurman said lie wanted amnest
t but could not vote for the bill as it stands
. for he believed it unconstitutional.
Mr. Robertson said as the friends
elu*l rights had e III fit to couple their hi
with bill requiring two-thirds vote, i
Y would join hands with them, and he urge
| ~" dIt IiiS FI4cudS " W NOIc IL
! the bill as amended.
Messrs. Hill, Salisbury, Norwood an
Stevenson also stated they could not vot
e for the bill with the unconstitutional pro
L vision which bad been attached to il, niue
: AS they were i'll favor of amnesty.
: Mr.. Sumner said the bill was HOW elk
Il waited and consccratcd, and whoever vote
against it voted against the great principl
I of equal rights and the browning measur
u of reconstruction.
The question was then taken Oh the bi
: as amended. resulting as follows:
1eas-MesSrS, Ames, Anthony, Brown
Il low, Caldwell, Cameron, clayton, COnk
: ling, Craein, Fenton, Ferry, Of Michigan
: Flanagan, FrelinghrIysen, Gilbert, Hainil
7 ton, Of Texas, Hamlin, Harlan, kellogg.
Morrill,, OF Vermont, Morton, Osborn, Pat
terson, Pomeroy, Pool, Ramsey, Rice, re
n beltson, Sawyer, Sherman, Spencer, sun
1 ner, West, Wilson, and Windom-33.
: Nays-Messrs: Blair, Foreman, Davis, {
West Virginia, Goldthwaite, Hill, johnson
Y Kelly, Logan, Morrill,, of Maine, NORWOOD
D salisbury, Scott, Stevenson, Stockton
+ Thurman. Upton, Trlm5ull, Vickers, an
$ Wrielf--l9.
D The fic6-President announced that til
s bill had failed, not having RECEIVED the two
0 thirds vote required by the constitution.
Y The Senate then, at 7:15 r. b., adjourn
e ed until Monday.