Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-01-07
HOUSE.

MIR. COburn introduced q bill for the
construction of ship-canals around Nj
agara Falls and at the mouth of the Mis-
slssippi. He reported, also, an amend
ment to the constitution in relation to
the election and appointment of officers.
Referred.
Mr.. Sypher asked leave to introduce a
joint resolution which he said, in ap-
proval of the present resolution, recites
that well-authenticated reports say that
in certain localities OF the south the peO-
pie are in condition of starvation, ow-
ing TO the failure of their crops, snd di-
rects the secretary of wer to issue army
rations in such quantities as may be re-
quired.
Mr. Willard Vt. moved its reference
to the committee on education and Ia.
Dor, with leave to report at any time.
So ordered.
Mr.Bowen presented a resolution of the
Virginia legislature protesting against
the passage of the supplementary civil
rights bill. Read and referred.
On motion of Mr.. Lamar, the COM
mittee on election was discharged from
further consideration of the supplement
tary civil.rights bill.
Mr.. Beck gave notice of amend
ments providing that the law shall not
be so construed as to lequire hotel
keepers to put whites and blacks into
the same rooms or beds, or to feed them
at the same table, or TO require that
whites and blacks shall be put into the
same room and classes at school, or in
boxes or seats at theaters, or in the same
lots in cemeteries.
Mr.. Durham protested against the bill
as an attack on State rights and State
sovereignty as calculated to embitter
the AnglO-Saxon race'against the Afri-
can race, as calculated to destroy the
whole commOn-schOol system of the
south, as retsrding the education OF
blacks, and as likelysto provoked war of
races that would result in the extermi-
nation of the black race in America.
Mr.. Elliott ). Z. (cOlored), addressed
the house in advocating the bill, read
ing his speech from manuscript with
very fine delivery. He referred TO
the services Of the men of his
race ont the battle-ields of the
country IN the late war and war of 1872.
He reminded the gentleman from Ken
lucky Mr.. Beck, who was always so
active against the negro, that in 1861
the negro, true to that patriotism and love
to country which had ever character
lied and marked his history on this con-
tinent, came to the aid Of the govern
ment in its efforts to maintain the con-
stitution. To that government the ne
gro now appealed, and that constitution
he now invoked, for protection against
outrageous and unjust prejudices, found.
ed on caste. Replying to the argument
Of Mr.. Stephens, Of Georgia, yesterday,
Mr.. Elliott contended that congress had
under the fourteenth and fifteenth
amendments to the constitution, COM
plete power to pass this law, and to pro-
| tect all the citizens of the country in
| their rights. lie discussed the doctrines
of the decision Of the supreme court IL
New Orleans in the slaughter cases, and
asked the gentleman from Georgia Mr.
Stephensl whether they gave color even
to the claim that congress cannot legis.
late against plain Determinations in
State laws and State customs, ano
against very race for whose complete
freedom and protection those gTeat
/ amen55sasnts to the constitution wers
elaborated aud adopted. 1t could no
be pretsnded that the evils of which ths
coIored people complained-their exclu