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Harper's Weekly 04/24/1869
CONGRESS.
April 5:
In the House, the charges against Richard Busteed,
District Judge of the United States for Alabama, were
referred to the Judiciary Committee.
April 6:
In the House, the bill providing for the taking of
the Ninth Census of the United States in 1870 was
passed.—The bill of the New Mexican Legislature im-
posing a capitation tax on oxen, etc., was repealed.—
Two millions of dollars were appropriated to enable
the President to maintain peace among the Indians.
April 7:
In the Senate, a Message was received from the
President, recommending the passage of a bill speci-
fying a day for the holding of elections in Virginia
and Mississippi, when the new Constitutions of these
States shall be submitted to the people for ratification
or rejection. The President suggested that a separate
vote should be taken on certain clauses in these Con-
stitutions.
In the House, a bill appropriating $200,000 for the
improvement of rivers, was passed.—A Message was
received from the President similar to that trans-
mitted to the Senate.
April 8:
In the Senate, the Committee on the Judiciary, to
which was referred the President's Message, reported
a recommendation to the effect that the consideration
of the Message should be postponed until December
next.—The amended bill on the Judiciary System was
passed.
In the House, the President's Message was referred
to the Reconstruction Committee. General Butler,
from the same Committee, reported a bill authorizing
the submission of the Constitutions of Virginia, Mis-
sissippi, and Texas to the vote of the people of those
States, and authorizing them to elect State officers and
members of Congress. It was adopted, with slight
amendments, by a very full vote—the division being
yeas 124, nays 24.—The Senate's amendments to the
Judiciary System bill were mainly adopted.
April 9:
In the Senate, the House bill relative to the admis-
sion of the States of Mississippi, Virginia, and Texas
was taken up. The bill provides that the constitu-
tions of those States, as adopted by the Constitutional
Conventions, shall be again submitted to the people.
Mr. Morton offered an additional section, providing
that the Legislatures of those States shall ratify the
Fifteenth Amendment before the States shall be ad-
mitted to representation in Congress. The amend-
ment was debated at considerable length, after which
it was agreed to—yeas 30, nays 20. After some fur-
ther discussion the bill was passed—yeas 44, nays 9.
In the House, the Senate amendments to the Whis-
ky and Tobacco bill were non-concurred in, and a
Conference Committee asked for.—Messrs. Strong,
Kellogg, and Starkweather, Representatives elect
from Connecticut, were sworn in.—The Senate bill to
facilitate the payment of soldiers' bounties to them-
selves or their heirs, was passed.—The Senate amend-
ment to the Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas Recon-
struction bill was agreed to after a brief debate.
April 10:
In the Senate, the Amendatory Tax bill was passed.
In the House the bill to restore General Heintzel-
man was passed.—A resolution was passed 98 to 24,
expressing sympathy with the Cubans in their patri-
otic efforts to secure independence and to establish a
Republican form of government.
At 12 M. both House adjourned sine die.
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