Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-05-29
Letter from Washington.

Philadelphia convention approaches and the
long session consequently draws to an end,
Congress is working convulsively to throw
off the load of bills and resolutions which
has been weighing upon it. The Senate
especially has made one mighty effort, and
at single sitting disposed of Civil Rights,
the Ku-Klux and Amnesty.
The Ku-Klux bill which proposed to con-
tinue in force the law authorizing the Presi-
dent to suspend the writ of habeas corpus
had been under discussion several days, till
finally an arran cement was made by which
a vote was to be taken Tuesday. The debate
on this measure was sometimes dull and again
exceedingly spicy and personal Messrs.
Alcorn and Ames, the Mississippi Senators,
embraced the opportunity, after abiding in
cidentally to the subject under consideration,
| to Ego for each other, much like two
kittens hung by their tails from the same
limb of a tree. Ames accused Alcorn of
having been a corrupt Governor of Mississippi
of having belonged to the rebel army, and of
sundry other misdemeanors and when this
was replied to Ames was branded as a carpet
Dagger who did not pay taxes nor even reside
in the State he pretended to represent
After this important episode the Senate took
recess of an hour and then re-assembled
at . PM, to sit out the discussion. There is
no subject on which it is easier to use UP
time than the Ku-Klux. When a Senator is
short of ideas and this is not seldom-he
has but to turn TO the printed evidence taken
by the Ku-Klux Committee, from which he
can read till physical exhaustion compels
him to stop. Such a speech was Mr.. Robert
sons. With one or two words of introduce
ton he dove into the evidence; Senators
were sleeping away on the sofas OF smoking
in the cloak rooms midnight came and
went but still he read on, the monotonous
story of whippings and scourgings and hang
ings
In the small hours Of the morning Mr.
Carpenter and Judge Thurman had a consti-
tutional argument on the question. The
thought that labors with the latter gentleman
is, that if Congress can delegate to the Presi-
dent authority to suspend the writ of ha5eas
corpus and leave him as the Judge Of the
necessity Of its doing, it may also delegate
the right to declare war, to raise taxes, regu-
late commerce. short make him the most
formidable despot on the earth.
When morn began to 90 sow the earth with
orient pearl, Mr.. Hamilton was commence
ing with the roar Of hundred cataracts to
deliver his speech. But Mr. Conkling inter
posed an appeal for vote and reminded the
minority of the agreement to close debate on
Tuesday, submitting whether that agreement
had been kept by gentlemen who had talked
on far into Wednesday morning. Judge
Thurman then gave his understanding as to
the agreement, and said that the legislative
Tuesday had not ended, but lasted till an
adjournment, whenever that might be. And
then d scene ensued. Having passed a night
without rest and sleep the speakers were not
overcOurteous, and the words which passed
between the two sides of the chamber as to
the bad faith Of the minority and the inso-
lence Of the majority. were anything but
complimentary. An hour or more of this.
and the sulcn roar Of Mr. Hamilton again
broke forth, the audience retired to the
cloak rooms, and the speech was inflicted on
their empty chairs.
When another speech had been delivered,
d vote was taken and the bill passcd-ayes
8, nays Is. Thirty-one Senators were alb
sent, and among these Mr.. Sumner, whose
civil rights bill has caused the Senate such
deal Of trouble. A happy thought struck
Mr.. Carpenter. 1t was 70 take UP this bill
strike out its Objectionable parts.-the pro-
visions with regard to schools, cemeteries ami
juries-and pass it. The bill was therefore
taken up, and after a great deal Of i'll humored
debate and many unsuccessful attempts on
the part of hungry Senator's to adjourn, was
actually passed in its cmascuIated state.
The only remaining source of trouble, the
amnesty bill, was now called up, when Just
as the Senate was about passing it. the
frowning Senator from Massachusetts, stalked
into the chamber. He had heard of the
q. sacrifice of the rights of the colorcd people, "
and came to protest against it, and unless
the whole thing were uDdone and civil rights
nailed again to amnesty, to record his vote
against the latter. But like the eleven OBJ
stinate jurymen who persisted in holding out
against the one, the Senate refused to recon
slider, and pas sed the amnesty bill by itself.
Mr. Sumner only consolation was in bring
ing on a controversy with Mr.. Sawyer, who
a large colored constituency IN
South Carolina, and reproaehing him and his
friends for - speeding amnesty TO final sue
cess while content with a barren bill Of civil
rights which is only beginning and may
end IN nothing" vt twenty minutes after
ten of Wednesday morning the Senate ad-
journed, having accomplished more than in
any fortnight Of the early part Of the ses-
sion.
The House having passed the tariff bill by
a decided vote, and the Senate resolution to
adjourn sine die on the Doth Of May, has been
devoting itself to the odds and ends of legis-
lation, such as the sundry appropriation bill,
steamship subsidy bills and miscellaneous
claims. The supplementary apportionment
bill having been amended by the Senate, the
amendment was non-concurred in by the
House. An attempt viii be made to have
conference committees appointed. c.
4 " FIELD DAY IN THE HoUsE.-The
Committee on Claims took possession of the