New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-01-06
THE CIVIL RIGHTS DEBATE.

THE CIVIL RIGHTS DEBAlE.
ME-. FVrLER's sUPHETENTARY CIVIL RIGHTS BILL
DEBATED IN TIE HOUSE THE GALLERIES
CROWDED Win COLORED PEOPLE-TnE OPENING
SPEECH AGAINST TIE BILL MADE BY MR.. HARRIS
Mr.. srEpHENss SPEECH TIE EVENT OF THE
IAY-rHE CONSrTUnONMITY OF THE BILL
MAINLY DISCUssED-THE DREAMING UP OF OLD
IAKTIES AND THE DAWN OF a NEW POLITICAL
FrOCH PREDICTED.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TEIEUSE.l
WASHINGTON Jan. J.-The Speaker decided that
tie Civil Rights bill could not be nterfored with by
the usual Monday motions to suspend the rules and
that under The order Of the House made before the
recess uotlne but debate upon the bill was il order
ate! the morning hour The galleries crowded
ia anticipation OF the discussion. large proportion
of the audience being composed OF oolored people.
Nj Harris OF Virginia made the opening speech
AGAINST the bill, and made good points by reading
letters from the Superintendent of the Insane ana
Deaf and Iunb Asylums for whites in that State,
stating tie bad effects that would follow the intro
ductIou Of nccrOcs into those institutions, aud q
letter from The Superintendent OF Pubic Instrdo-
ton Who .rtcr describing the excellent working OF
tie present system o. separate schools for The races
e.a,si thai tue whole free school system wOald be
broken pand the laws maintaining ii repealed II
the hill should pass. Mr. Harris, unfortunately
spoed tbs eject OF good argument by an ll-t'med
and llttmpeTed display of plantation manners.
He said hat no man could look him in the face
and say that negro was his equal, whefcnpon
Nj Rauler, q muatto, from Charleston, .. e,
jurnreG up and replied that be could. Mr.. harris
IeyorteC Ia an angry tone: am speaking TO winte
men apC not 10 YOU" at which the House laughed
immediately. Some minutes later Mr. Ransier
oOntgad.cteG state.lent OF HT. Harris about the
-. .b,Ce
The ilste Virginian, in the domneering tone of an
oveIsecT addressing slave, shouted: You SIT
down Sir am talking to white members" I. II.
Hear raised point Of order upon the personality Of
tins remark bet Mr. Dawes. who was III the chair,
passed the affair over and permitted Mr.. Harris 20
finish hls remarks.
The speech Of Mr.. Stephens was the expected event
which drew the crowd 20 the galleries. 1t disap-
pointed the expectations of most listeners. As an
Intellectual effort. although able il was moi re-
markable; and the speakers feebleness deprived il
Of oratOrlcal effect so that it did not command the
uDOvlded attention of the House throughout. Ii
was tedously long, quite diGIse i'll parts, aud was
read from printed slips. Condensed into half an
hour aid spohen instead of read u would have been
laI more elective. An hOur was first gwen Mr..
stephens instead of the twenty minutes prescribed
py the rule ana when hls time was mp he wanted an
additional five minutes, and then still another allow
ah'e' unu be finally consumed half hour of extra
ume lie spoke from desk near the rear of the
Democratic SIDE upon Which the attendants
erected two piles Of Congressional Globes for
LIN K lean upon. la the embrasure be
tween these bTeastwOrks, glass of water
was placed and a silver mug containing some medi-
enc OF sumnlant from which the orator occasion
sAYIeiIeshed himself, while his crutch was propped
against the desk. Mr.. Beck and other Democratic
members courteousy assisted him with his manu-
SCRIPT, and Mr.. Crutchheld looked after the crutch
Which how and then slid down from its place Mr.
Stephens wore bis black skull-cap and loosely fitting
Drown gloves. AT first the members thronged
around him, but after a half hour his audience di
m'nlshed steadily as the listeners got tired and
went back TO their seats to read or write The
oolOred people IN the galleries who had been led bv
report u expect something friendly if not iatter-
ing 10 their race, got only general Professions of
good Will and a desire that they should have ALL
Their nights and be fully equal; and a statement
That negroes who bought trst-class tickets on rail
road had the right TO ride in rstclass car but that
Tie company had also the night TO insist that they
should ride IN particular of that class Nearly
ueswhole speech was directed 10 the constitution
Altylof the bill
lie substance of the argument was that The
Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments conferred nc
new powers upon Congress, but only prohibited the
'ates from discriminating against the coored race
,ha' before the amendments were adopted no one
dreamed that Congress could pass general municipal
o criminal legislation for the people of the States
a'o that IT had no more right to do so now than
uen that the United States still exists as Federal
"puohc and Is not yet merged into a consolidated
'apne 1t was indeed nation. but was republic
"Jepubhcs; and that the Federal Government