Year: 1868

The ticket, therefore, OF Mcclellan and Fen


dleton may become the only alternative of the
Democratic National Convention as a basis Of


compromise and cooperation between the East


and the West. But they say that Mr.. Pendle-
| ton will be first this time on the ticket or


nothing. In this event he will be ruled out, or
| there will be two democratic tickets in the
| feld-one East and one West; one on the Bel
| mont and Seymour financial platform and one
on the Pendleton platform; and, as the first
move for thoroughgoing reconstruction of
parties and the breaking of the radical
strength in Congress, this after all may be the
wisost course to pursne.


The Alabama Reconstruction Bill Passed by
the House Of Representatives.


The Alabama Reconstruction bill was before
the House of Representatives yesterday, and
after a lengthy debate passed by strict party
vote, Mr. Williams, of Pennsylvania, the only
radical member who opposed it, declining to
vote on the question. During the debate
General Meade's report on the election was
presented and read. In this document the
commander Of the Third Military District
shows that only five thousand whites voted for
the ratification ofthe constitution, and that after
making every possible deduction the constitu-
ton itself was beaten by over eight thousand
majority. General Meade states that he re-
ceved several letters (Which he forwards with
the reporD from radicals of Alabama, urging
him to recommend the admission of the State
despite the vote, but that he felt compelled to
decline so doing. After stating his reasons for
this course, the General recommends that the
Convention be called together again for the
purpose of revising the constitution, and
closes his report by saying 81 beg leave to
call your attention to the difficulty of carrying
on government in a State where so small a
proportion Of those qualified to take part in
the government are in favor of the organic
law and to insure larger proportion of what
must be the governing class a more accepta-
BILE constitution should be presented to them
for adoption"


The bill as passed is different from that
originally reported. 1t declares the new con-
stitution the organic law for provisional gov
ernment of the State provides that the officers
elected by minority vote shall qualify; that
the Governor may convene the Legislature and
that it (the Lcgislature) shall again submit the
once rejected constitution to the voters with such
amendments at all if it thinks best); that the
amendments shall be submitted separately, and
that if the constitution be adopted by
majority of those voting on the question, and
after the adoption Of the constitutional amend
ment known as article fourteen by the Legisa-
ture, then ''the constitution of Alabama may
be presented to Congress for its approval"


Such are the salient features of the bill. 1t
does not admit the State to representation, but
places it in the hands Of men who were elected
by decided minority Of the voters. II also
enables these men to compel a ratification of
the once rejected constitution, which General
Meade himself cannot approve Of Taken alto
gether, more iniquitous scheme to force upon
the people of Alabama a measure which they
detest-to compel them to accept a funda-
mental law which demands each voter to take
the oath of fealty to the radical party, and
which disfranchises over thirty thousand of the
most intelligent men in the State-could
scarcely have been conceived Whether the
bill viii pass the Senate in its present shape
cannot now be told but we would be much
surprised if that body rejects it.


SECRETARY McCULLocn ON THE NEW York
PosT OFFIcE.-The subject of the erection of
a new Post Office for this city having been re-
ferred by the House Committee on Post Offices
and Post Roads to the Secretary Of the Trea-
sury, in order that he might submit it to the
supervising architect and head Of the Construc-
ton Bureau Of the Treasury Department the
Secretary of the Treasury has, it appears, now
prepared report. 1t is stated that the plans
for the exterior Of the building are quite ac-
ceptable, as far as beauty and symmetry are
concerned, but that the interior arrangements
find no favor whatsoever. Tn the matter of light
and ventilation the plan adopted is pronounced
all wrong. The means required to facilitate
the business of the Post Office are declared
faulty, If not incompetent. The use of iron
for the internal structure, such as partition
walls, doors, and so forth, is condemned as a
useless expenditure Of money, and is broadly
hinted at as a job in the interest Of certain
parties The plans for the new Post Office


building, therefore, find no favor at head


quarters, and may probably fail to receive the
appreciation Of Congress. Meantime, the tax


payers have paid half million of dollars for


the ground and . very handsome sum to the



ilty-two architects who itrnished the designs.