Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-02-16
A British laval officer Seriously Wounded
by an albanian
DOMESTIC.
Usiied States Senate.

UHftcu ssates Scnatcs
WASHINGTON, February 15th.-Jackson in.
troduced a bill presented in the last Con.
gress, for tina relief of the book agents of the
propriates $4,000 in compensation for
property is Nashville destroyed by the United
States in 1864, or at any other time
After long debate, the Senate, by a vote
of 80 TO 10, passed the resolution to provide
a messenger for each of the Committees on
Finance, Postoffices, Pensions, Claims, Ju.
dietary, District of Columbia and Engrossed
Bills. The pay was fixed az $500 per year.
The Senate then took up and temporarily
passed ever the regular order-ths anti-polyg-
amy bill-and Call, on leave, addressed the
Senate in support of his proposed amendment
to the pension arrears resolution.
The anti-polygamy bill-to amend Section
1852 of the revised statutes in reference to
bigamy and for other purposes-was then
taken up, and the amendments proposed by
the Committee on judiciary read and agreed
to up to the fifth section, which authorizes
the President to grant amnesty to classes Of
offenders guilty before the passage Of the Act,
of bigamy, polygamy, CT unlawful cohabita-
top, on such conditions as he shall think
proper.
Hoar su7geste query whether, under his
| exercise of the pardoning power. which was
limited to paIdons and reprieves in individual
cases, the President could constitutionally
pardon whole classes of offenders against
particular law, upon such conditions as he
may prescribe. If he could do this, then he
could exercise the legislative functions. Ii
the President made a pardon conditional
upon the payment of certain sum of
money, would his act be lawful?
Edmunds said the committee had been in
doubt whether any provision for pardon was
Ill o.l Ill snsarfa1
only because the question wss an open
one. the object was to enable the Gov
eminent to say to the great body
of the Utah people, "If ycu stop this
practice and siu no more, you shall not
bo prosecuted for what you have already
done" By the general Amnesty Act of July
IL, 1862, Congress empowered the President
to grant amnesty on such conditions as he
might deem expedient for the public welfare.
1t did not, therefore, follow that he could so
have acted without that legislation, but the
Act made it safe that persons should receive
pardon by classification on conditions, as dis
tinct from persons individually pardoned.
Where, as suggested by Hoar, the President
takes money for pardon, the remedy is by
Impeachment.
The section, as amended, and the remain.
ing committee amendments up to the eighth
section were adopted.
The eighth section provides for the conduct
of elections, the registration and canvassing
of votes, ETC., in the Territory until provision
for the same is made by the Legislative AS
sembly provided for in the bill, by the ap.
pointment of Board Of five persons, to be
appointed by the President and confirmed by
the Senate, ali of whom shall not be mem.
bers of one political party, etc.
Brown moved TO amend SO as to require
Abo,, kb-na shall ha from tha
same political party.
Call maintained that power to r5Terse the
acts of election officers was properly one be-
longing to the Courts, and fer the Board to
say who shall constitute the Legislature would
be uurepublican and fsroicsl.
Edmunds replied that the Beard would
have no power TO decide as to the quaIihca
lions of electors.
Vest said the seventh section Of the BIZ,
declaring polygamists ineligible to office or
suffrage, proposed to take away the rights OF
citizenship of the United States for past
offenses without trial or conviction for tha
offense. The Senator from Delaware bay
| ardl had said that territorial reorganiz lsion
was analogous TO the original organization,
when Congress has the right to impoSe such
conditions as were now proposed, but he
! Vest denied that there was any analogy.
The doctrine that the right to vote and hold
Office in this country, when once offered,
could be taken away, was something he had
never known to be preached before, and he
denounced IL as an arbitrary, despotic and
| unconstitutional declaration. He Yves OPP
posed to polygamy, but in his abhorrenca OF it
be would be careful not to strike down tae
safeguards to pers )nal liberty.
Garland said it was complained that the
provisions of the bill were severe and rough,
but he would say they were 50 intended to
| be, and they were nevertheless sanctioned by
precedents and organic law. The grant Of
| power given to Congress to make all needful
rules ana regulations respecting Territories
gave it unlimited coutrol IN the Territories.
| Let it go to the world, he added, that Con-
gress recos nized the organiza ion of a Terri
| tory founded upon the theory that one man
| is inspired by God for certain purpose, and
we may burn cur statute books and give
| full license TO inspirations Of Guiteaus every
where. So lorg as it retained its distinctive
feature, . ali should not by any possibility
ba republican.
| The discussion continued Of come length.
| A motion for an executive session was lost
ayes 81, noes 29-and after several efforts to
secure an arrangement for a vote on the bill,
interspersed with motions to adjourn, it was
| finally arranged that the measure should be
proceeded with Immediately sitter the morn
| ing business tomorrow, and the debate closed
at $50.
Upon this understanding, Edmands con-
sented to an adjournment.
House OF Representatives.
| WASHINGTON. February 15.b.-The morn.