The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-02-09
LXIID CONGRESs.-sECOND SESSION.
SENATE.


the hardships suffered by merchants and others
in Wisconsin, ILL.,, from seizures by revenue
officials
Mr.. Edmunds reminded the Senate that there
were two sides to seizure complaints. If the
Government desired to protect honest importers
it must try to detect dishonest ones by employ
ing officers to make seizures
Mr.. Hamlin took the same view.
Mr.. Anthony presented similar memorial,
and in response to query from Mr.. Morrill,,
of Vermont said it had been handed to him by
man who said he had been hired by the day
to get signatures.
Mr. Sumner reported favorably on bill es-
tablishing semi-monthly mail to China with
double subsidy. estpT
The bill authorizing the Secretary of the
Treasury to redeem $30OO,000 monthly of the
three per cent. certificates was passed.
A bill amending the records of the United
States Courts in the Northern district of Illinois
was passed.
Mr. Kellogg, from the Committee Commerce,
reported bill giving the Secretary of War full
control over the navigation of channels in the
course of excavation across bars, etc.
Mr.. Ferry, OF Connecticut, from the Commit
tee ON Patents, reported a bill amending the
patent and copyright law of July g. 1870, by
striking from Sect. 80 the words sand also if
he be living in case of an application for a re-
ISSUE" and substituting for the word 'person''
in the list section the words ''citizen of the
United States.
Mr. Foreman, from the Committee on Terri
tories, reported Mr. Ramseys bill to establish
the territory of Ojibway with an amendment,
changing the name of the proposed territory to
Pembina. 1t is to consist of that portion of
Dakota lying north of the 46th parallel
Mr.. Sumner introduced bill relating to the
issue of bonds by the authority of the District
of Columbia and to prevent the increase of the
debt of the District. The bill declares the Dis
trict $4,000,000 loan act of July 10, 1871, and
the act authorizing the issue of 100000 in
favor-of the Piedmont Railroad null and void.
1t further provides that the debt of the District
shall not be increased beyond that now existing
without the consent of two-thirds of the quail
fed electors thereof, and prohibits the levying
of taxes on any property outside of the Dis
trict and beyond its protection.
The amnesty bill was taken up, and Mr..
Ferry, of Connecticut, addressed the Senate in
opposition to Mr. Summers pending amend
ment. He said that Mr. Summers bill would
make denial of the rights of citizens GRIM
inal offence, and instead of abO1shing discrimi-
nations on account of color would really set up
one, because if the colored man should be de-
MED accommodations by innkeepers or common
carriers he could have the offenders tried in the
Federal Courts and fined and imprisoned
while if the same wrong were done to white
man, even with malice, he would have no re-
dress except by civil suit in the Court The
bill also proposed to control and regulate public
schools, and he warned the Senate that the
| people would not submit to federal interference
with their schools. But, after all the great OBJ
| jections to the bill was the principle on which
| it had been justified in the Senate. That prin-
| ciple was that by the adoption of three of the
most recent Constitutional amendments our old
| system of government has been subverted.
| Senators might attempt to stop short of this,
but their reasoning necessarily led to giving the
| Federal Government complete and unlimited
| authority to take the place of State Govern
| ments and enact laws for the protection of all
| the rights, privileges and immunities of citi-
zens which are now protected by State laws. If
! these three amendments of the Constitution
| meant all that Mr.. Sumner argued for them,
God help us, for the foundations of civil liber-
| ty were stricken from under us and our fall was
| only question of time
| Mr.. Kelley argued against Mr. Summers
| amendment as unnecessary for the protection
| of the rights to which it relates as likely to
cause great hardships in its application and as
| unconstitutional.
terday to the striking out of the 18th siction, re-
| pealing or annulling all laws discriminating
against any person on the ground of color
The motion to strike out the section was lost,
| yeas 25, nays 80.
! Mr. Frelinghuysen moved to strike out all
| reference to the church
Mr.. TrumbulI said he would vote against this
| and every other amendment to Mr. Summers
bill in order to make it as obnoxious as possible
and thereby secure its rejection. He was in
favor of amnesty and against all amendments
| designed like this one to defeat the pending
| amnesty bill.
| Mr. Sumner said he could not consent to the
amendment proposed by Mr.. Frelnghuysen.
The supplementary civil rights bill was simply
proposition to apply to all incorporated asso-
Citations of great principles of our Government,
and he thought it as necessary that it should
apply to churches as to other corporations.
Mr.. Wilson said that he would vote for this
amendment to strengthen the civil rights bill.
Mr.. Trumbull reminded MIR. Wilson that he
had promised to vote against the amendments
to the amnesty bill.
Mr.. Wilson replied that the promise was
made before Christmas, when the friends of the
amnesty bill hoped to get it passed before the
holiday recess.
b. Mr.. Hanlin said he would vote for the
amendment for the purpose of strengthening
parts of Mr. Summers bill.
Mr.. Anthony said the amendment must be
made if the bill was to have his vote to put the
first law upon the statute book would interfere
with religion,
Mr.. Carpenter said he would vote for this
amendment, and if it prevailed he would move
another to strike out the 4th section, enforcing
the right of eolored men to sit as jurors.
Mr.. Vickers moved to strike out all relating
to schools, and argued that the reason for omit
ting the church and cemeteries from the bill APP
piled with equal force to the schools.
| Mr.. Sprague addressed the Senate in favor OF
general amnesty
| Mr.. Frelinghuysen's amendment was then
adopted-yeas So, nays %,
Mr.. Carpenter moved to strike out the 4th
SecJiOn, III relatlon 10 JURORS LoSt-ycdS Il,
nays 81.
MIR. Cole move to substitute 'citizen" fol
"person" in tho 9TH section
Mr.. Trumbull denounced this as an attempt
to discriminate against foreigners residing here
including those who intend to become citizens
He supposed the object of Mr.. Cole in offering
the amendment was to exclude Cinnamon from
the provisions of the bill. AS we had provided
that Hottentots and Bagans might become citi
zens there was no good reason for excluding
peaceful, intelligent Asiatics. Mr. Trumbul
also charged that the opponents of amnesty
were voting for these amendments for the pur
pose of defeating the bill.
Mr.. Morton said he had supposed there wa:
great anxiety on the part of the friends of am
nesty to pass the pending bill, but he now saw
that he had been mistaken. There he moved t
adjourn. The ntntioa was carried and the Sen
ate adjourned
HOUSE.
Mr.. Hoar of Mass, from the Committee OF
Elections, reported that Mr.. Cessna was not en-
titled to q seat and that Mr. Myers the sittinl
member from Pennsylvania is. Ordered to b
printed.
On motion of Mr.. Dawes of Mass, the Sen
ate bill for the refunding of two and half pei
cent dividend tax of banks, trust companies
insurance, railroad and canal companies, for The
last five months Of 1870 ON the ground tina
they had paid five per cent. for the first sever
months of 1870, was laid ON the table, on &C
count of the constitutional question involved il