the equal rights of all men, the friends of enfranchising the black man and of weaponing his hand for defense; the friends of taking the governments of these rebel States out of the hands of their rebel possessors, and giving the whole people, including the seven hundred thousand enfranchised black men, the right to reconstruct their own local governments, and to fill those governments with truly loyal men.

The proposition is the most extraordinary proposition that ever emanated from a body of practical or sensible men. It is a proposition to enable the rebel leaders to take advantage of all the persons who are hostile to these terms and all the persons who cannot go to the polls to vote."

Mr. Johnson concurred with Mr. Wilson in thinking that if the amendment was sanctioned the whole measure would be defeated. He thought if the bill passed in the form in which it passed the Senate, it would be accepted. Mr. Drake expressed the opinion that the amendment of the House of Representatives would be a fatal obstacle in several of the Southern States, to the whole plan of reconstruction. Mr. Morton entered his protest against this amendment made by the House of Representatives. He agreed entirely in the declaration that the amendment was in the interest of rebels who were opposed to reconstruction. The debate was continued by Mr. Saulsbury, Mr. Wilson and Mr.

Edmunds, and the question was then taken on concurring in the amendment, and it was non-concurred in.-Yeas 21, nays 24. The Senate then concurred in the House amendment providing a punishment for any person who should falsely and knowingly take any oath prescribed in the bill.

In the House on the 19th the bill was taken up, and Mr. Wilson moved that the House insist on its amendments and request a committee of conference. Mr. Bingham of Ohio moved that the House recede from its amendments, but the motion was lost.-Yeas 62, nays 78. The House then insisted on its amendments, asked a committee of conference, and Mr. Wilson of Iowa, Mr. Boutwell of Massachusetts and Mr. Marshall of Illinois were appointed conferees on the part of the House.

The Senate, on motion of Mr. Trumbull, insisted on its amendments and agreed to the committee of conference, and Mr. Trumbull, Mr. Wilson and Mr. Buckalew were appointed conferees on the part of the Senate.

In the House on the same day, Mr. Wilson of Iowa, from the committee of conference on the part of the House, reported that the Senate recede from its disagreement to the second amendment of the House and agree to the same; that the House recede from its amendment to the third amendment of the Senate, and agree to the same with the following amendment, providing that "if it shall moreover appear to Congress that the election was

one at which all the registered and qualified voters in the State had an opportunity to vote freely and without restraint, fear, or the influence of fraud, and if Congress shall be satisfied that such constitution meets the approval of a majority of all the qualified electors in the State, and that the Senate agree to the same." Mr. Wilson said the effect of the amendment was, that after the ratification of the constitution by the electors, Congress should have the power to declare whether that election was a fair one and whether the constitution met the approval of a majority of the electors of the State.

Mr. Williams of Pennsylvania desired to know whether the effect of this surrender on the part of the House was not to take the opinion of Congress rather than the evidence of the record of the votes. Mr. Stevens said that when the bill went to the committee of conference it required a majority of the registered voters, but when it came back from the committee it required only a majority of those who voted. Mr. Marshall had signed the report of the committee for the reason that he preferred the plan adopted by the committee to that proposed by the House. Mr. Eldridge of Wisconsin moved that the report of the committee be laid upon the table, but the motion was lost.-Yeas 26, nays 101. The report of the committee of conference was then agreed to.

In the Senate, Mr. Trumbull from the committee

of conference made a report, and after explanatory remarks by him and Mr. Buckalew, showing that on the vital point the House had assented to the position of the Senate, the report was concurred in.

On the 23d a message was received from the President of the United States, returning the bill with his objections to its becoming a law. The question was then taken on the passage of the bill notwithstanding the objections of the President, and resulted-Yeas 114, nays 25. On the same day the question was taken in the Senate by yeas and nays and resulted-Yeas 40, nays 7. Two-thirds of each house having passed the bill, it became a law, the

objections of the President to the contrary notwithstanding.

CHAPTER XIX.

GOVERNMENT AND RESTORATION OF REBEL STATES.

Mr. Wilson's Bill.-Mr. Edmunds' Bill.-Mr. Frelinghuysen's Bill.-Mr. Trumbull reported bill from Judiciary Committee.-House.-Committee appointed on motion of Mr. Stevens.-Mr. Stevens' Bill. Mr. Wilson's amendment.-Mr. Benjamin's amendment.-Passage of the Bill.-Senate. -Bill reported by Mr. Trumbull.-Mr. Wilson's amendment.-Remarks of Mr. Conkling, Mr. Edmunds, Mr. Howe.--Mr. Wilson's amendment.Remarks of Mr. Yates, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Morrill, Mr. Howard.—Mr. Wilson's amendment.-Motion of Mr. Howe.-Mr. Drake's amendment.Mr. Howard's amendment agreed to.-Passage of the Bill.--House.Report of Mr. Stevens.-Remarks of Mr. Wood, Mr. Logan.-The Senate amendment concurred in.-President's Veto Message.-Remarks of Mr. Boutwell, Mr. Butler, Mr. Stevens.-Passage of the Bill over the Veto.

THE 40th Congress, like its predecessor, distrusted the faith and intentions of President Johnson. After passing the Bill amendatory of the act for the better government of the Rebel States, and to facilitate restoration, Congress resolved not to adjourn but to take a recess. It passed a concurrent Resolution to meet on the 3d of July, and authorized the presiding officers of the two Houses to adjourn to the first Monday of December, if a quorum did not assemble on that day. Having provided for the reassembling of Congress if the exigencies of the