Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-02-01
WASHINGTON, January, 81.
RRNATE

/ W AbhANNAOENg SAt
SENATE.
Senator POmerOy presented reso-
luton of the Kansas legislature, uTg-
ing action toward a cheaper transit
from the agricultural States TO the sea.
board.
Senator Ramsey introduced a bill
in relation to settlers on the late Sioux
Indian reservation in Minnesota.
Senator Scott reported from the ju-
dietary committee a bill declaring the
meaning Of the internal revenue act
of July IA, 1870. 1t declares that the
meaning of the act was to exempt
from the two and q half per cent. tax
all dividends of earnings and undi-
vided profits of all bank, insurance
and other corporations mentioned in
the act made, or which accrued as
surplus fund during August,
September, October, November and
December, 1870, in all cases
when such corporations had al
ready paid, or would thereafter
pay upon the earnings and incomes of
undivided profits for the previous
months of that year a tax equal to at
least two and a half per cent. per an
mum. The substitute also directs the
commissioner of internal revenue to
refund the tax paid on all such earn
ings for the said five months, and
all corporations that have paid
tax of two and half per cent. upon
all dividends OF ls70-71. The bill
passed,
Senator Trumbull, Of the judiciary
committee, reported adversely upon
the bill to authorize the president to
accept the designations of judges of
any court of the United States.
The amnesty bill was then
taken up, and Senator Chandler
addressed the senate at length.
He declared himself against universal
amnesty. Amnesty was a boon, and
they who proposed to grant ii had
certainly right to impose conditions,
and he thought it a very mild and
reasonable condition to require rebels
to cease their Internal Outrages upon
loyal men before giving them am
nesty. He was opposed to forcing
amnesty upon them. If they would
not cOndescend TO ask it, they ought
not to get it. The first condition of
forgiveness was repentance. God
might forgive an unrepentant rebel,
but he Chandler never would.
The case of General Longstreet had
been cited as a precedent for amnes-
tying the leading rebels, but Long
street had furnished the highest pos. |
sible evidence of loyalty and general |
good character by joining the Repub. |
Iican party. The ku-klux rebels of |
the South seemed to forget that they |
were parOled prisoners of war, liable |
to be shot at any time for a violation |
of their parole. and he thought that If |
two or three hundred of them were |
taken out and shot, it would do a
great deal more good than amnesty. |
Senator Chandler then turned to |
the civil service. He said it had been |
going on very effectively for the last |
eleven years by reforming traitors out |
of Office and replacing them with good |
loyal men, and expressed the opinion |
that we never had so honest and eff
cient a ci vii service as under the pres
ent administration; still undOubted-
ly there we're other reforms needed /
and they would be made as soon as
pointed out. He then drew at length
a parallel between the Republican
and Democratic parties, greatly to the
latter's disadvantage and warning lib.
eral Republicans of the chara ter of the
party into whose arms they were rush
ing. There were always Republican
going over TO the Demo.
cracy, but for every such one there
were ten Democrats joining the Re-
publican party, and if the Democrats
chose to keep up an exchange on
these terms, he had no objection.
Senator Sumner replied to Senator
MOrrilPs Mainel argument made
last week against the constituhOnality
Of the supplementary civil rights bill.
The power to pass the bill, ne said,
was given in the grant of the power
to abolish slavery, this legislation be-
ing necessary to make abolition COM
Dlete. The senator from Maine Nor
rilll had found constitutional difficult
lies in the way because he adhered to
the Old rule of interpreting the con-
in disregard of the new rule
which conquered at App0mattaX-
The rule that every word, clause, and
sentence must be interpreted Uniform
ly for human rights, and il his bill
should be rejected and the amnesty
dill passed there was danger that the
,OlOred vote would be so divided
rs to defeat the Republican party.
In Pennsylvania there were more
han enough colored voters to turn
he scale in the State election, and in
he wh9le country they were numer-
Jus enough to do the same in presi-
lential election. The cOlored voters
we're new power in the land, and
must be considered
Senator Morrill, [ Maine replied. He
ienied that the close of the war
brought any new rule of interpreting
he constitution, and charged Senator
sumner with having advocated this
1ill by using the colOred voters as
,oercive power instead Of by reasons
addressed to the judgment OF the SEN
tie.
AT the conclusion Of Senator Nor