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POLITICAL MANUAL FOR 1866,

INCLUDING A CLASSIFIED SUMMARY OF THE IMPORTANT

EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATIVE, AND POLITICO-MILITARY FACTS OF THE PERIOD,

FROM

PRESIDENT JOHNSON'S ACCESSION,

APRIL 15, 1865, TO JULY 4, 1866;

AND CONTAINING A FULL RECORD OF THE

ACTION OF EACH BRANCH OF THE GOVERNMENT

ON

RECONSTRUCTION.

BY EDWARD MCPHERSON,

Clerk of the House of Representatives of the United States.

WASHINGTON, D. C.:

PHILP & SOLOMONS.

1866.

U.S.6314,25

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In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the District of Columbia.

Stereotyped by MCGILL & WITHEROW, Washington, D. C.

PREFACE.

This Manual has been prepared, in order to present, in compact and convenient form, the important Political Facts of the period to which it refers. It will be found to contain Messages, Proclamations, Orders, Telegrams, Speeches, Bills, Propositions, Reports, Constitutional Amendments, Votes, Platforms, and sundry Miscellaneous Matters required to make the Record complete.

It is necessarily confined to those facts which illustrate the positions of parties; and to those propositions upon which votes were taken, and to the more significant of the latter class. Much material, interesting in itself as part of the history of the times, and as showing the precise views of persons, has been omitted, in obedience to this rule. I hope, in a future work, to develop these various features of current history.

The action of all parties on Reconstruction will be found full, and especially pertinent to present issues. This Record covers the agency of the President, the responses of the people of the lately insurrectionary States, and the judgment of Congress, with the elaborated views of each.

The Tabular Statements at the close of the Volume have been prepared with direct reference to the topics to be discussed this fall. That giving the Votes on each Tariff since, and including that of, 1816, by States and Sections, will be conceded to be a valuable and interesting contribution to the history of the subject; and that respecting Representation, and the effect of proposed Amendments to the Constitution, will be of highest utility.

A glance at the Table of Contents will show the scope of the Work, and the variety of facts embraced. In the votes given, the names of Democrats are placed in italic, that results may be readily analyzed.

The whole Manual, it is hoped, will be found adapted to the purposes which prompted its preparation.

WASHINGTON CITY, July 12, 1866.

EDWARD MCPHERSON.

-

7-18

18-28

Proclamations of Provisional Gover-
nors-Elections of Conventions and
Ordinances thereof-Enactments of
Legislatures-Telegrams of President
Johnson and Secretary Seward re-
specting the Rebel Debt, Colored Suf-
frage, Anti-Slavery Amendment, Ad-
mission to Congress of Senators and
Representatives elect--President Lin-
coln's Letter to Governor Hahn,
March 13, 1864, on Colored Suffrage,
and his Telegram of April 12, 1865,
prohibiting the meeting of the rebel
legislature of Virginia.

IV. Legislation respecting Freedmen...... 29-44

In North Carolina-Mississippi-

Georgia-Alabama-South Carolina,,

and General Sickles's Order relative

thereto-Florida-Virginia, and Gen-

eral Terry's Order suspending the

Vagrant Act-Tennessee-Texas-

Louisiana.

V. President Johnson's Interviews and

Speeches

On Constitutional Amendment as

finally adopted-The Accompanying
Bilis-The Amendment on Repre-
sentation and Direct Taxes--On Rep-
resentation-On Immunities of Citi-
zens-On Tennessee-On Rebel Debt.

IX. Members of the Cabinet of President

Johnson, and of the 39th Congress, and of

Claimants of Seats therein..

107-109

X. Votes in the House of Representatives on

Political Resolutions...

109-114

On Public Debt-Punishment of

Treason-Representation of lately In-

surrectionary States-Elective Fran-

chise in the States-Test Oath-Test

Oath for Lawyers-Endorsement of

the President's Policy-Withdrawal

of Military Forces-Legal Effect of
Rebellion-Duty of Congress-Writ
of Habeas Corpus-Thanks to the
President-Recognition of State Gov-
ernment of North Carolina-Trial of
Jefferson Davis-Neutrality-The Fe-
nians.

XI. Votes on Political Bills

114-117

Suffrage in District of Columbia-

Extending the Homestead Act-Ha-

beas Corpus-West Virginia Bill-
Elective Franchise in the Territories.

XII. Political and Military Miscella-

POLITICAL MANUAL FOR 1866.

I.

CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.

WE the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to our selves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this CONSTITUTION for the United States of America.

ARTICLE I.

SECTION 1. All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

SEC. 2. The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.

of shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.

The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.

SEC. 3. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.

Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one-third may be chosen every second Year; and if Vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise, during the Recess of the Legislature of any State, the ExNo Person shall be a Representative who ecutive thereof may make temporary Appointshall not have attained to the Age of twenty-ments until the next Meeting of the Legislature, five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.

When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority there

which shall then fill such Vacancies.

No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen..

The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.

The Senate shall chuse their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the United States.

The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.

Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and Disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honour, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.

SEC. 4. The Times, Places and Manner of hold. ing Elections for Senators and Representatives,

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