120 



CONGRESS, UNITED STATES (1867). 



of suffrage might be limited, 167; any power 

 of Congress over the elective franchise has 

 been claimed only within four years, 167; 

 should send this question back to the people, 

 167 ; idle to assert that the form of govern- 

 ment in Nebraska is not republican, 167 ; pow- 

 er of Congress in regard to the States, 168; 

 what was the republic contemplated by the 

 Declaration of Independence? 168 ; is this a re- 

 public? 168; different views about the amend- 

 ment, 168; its adoption, 169; bill passed, 169. 



In the Senate, the amendment considered, 

 169 ; either Congress has the power, or it has 

 not, to declare what shall be the exercise of 

 equal rights in this Territory, 169; provision 

 of the Constitution, 170; amendment con- 

 curred in, 170. 



In the Senate, the bill returned with the 

 President's objections, 170; passed over the 

 veto, 170. 



In the Senate, the bill for the admission of 

 Colorado considered, 170 ; amendment relative 

 to suffrage moved, 170 ; amendment agreed to, 

 171 ; biU passed, 171. 



In the House, the bill for the admission of 

 Colorado considered, 171 ; amendment moved 

 and adopted, 171; bill passed, 171; Senate 

 concur, 172 ; bill returned with the objec- 

 tions of the President, 172 ; the greatest sub- 

 ject that can possibly be considered by Con- 

 gress is the legitimate discussion of this bill, 

 172 ; political power in this country is unfairly 

 and injuriously lodged, and, without some 

 fundamental amendment, impossible for the 

 system of government to be permanent, 172 ; 

 bill fails to pass, 173. 



In the Senate, a bill relative to the Territories 

 considered, 173; object of the bill is to pre- 

 vent any distinction on account of color in any 

 of the Territories, 173 ; amendments adopted, 

 173; bill passed, 173; do. in the House, 174. 



In the House, the bill to declare valid and 

 conclusive certain proclamations of the Presi- 

 dent considered, 174; we go to an unprece- 

 dented length when we undertake to adopt the 

 proposed amendments, 174; why should we 

 declare that, because men held appointments 

 tinder the United States, it shall be presumed 

 prima facie evidence that all their acts were 

 done under the direct authority of the Secre- 

 tary of War and the President? 174; bill 

 passed, 174. 



In the Senate, the bill considered, 175 ; na- 



ture of the bill, 175 ; amendment moved, 175 ; 

 decision of the Supreme Court, 175 ; if the bill 

 passes, the question of the validity of the Presi- 

 dent's orders can never be brought before the 

 courts of the United States for investigation, 

 175 ; first time a majority of Congress have 

 ever committed themselves to the doctrine that 

 they possess omnipotence under the Federal 

 Constitution, 176 ; an amnesty bill to the offi- 

 cers and soldiers who have preserved the Union, 

 176; limit of the bill, 176; no clause in it 

 which is unconstitutional, 177 ; does not relate 

 to a case of private trespass, 177 ; the bill, for 

 the first time in our history, forbids the courts 

 to investigate a case brought before them by a 

 citizen, 177; previous laws, 177; its provisions, 

 177; amendment rejected and bill passed, 178. 



In the House, a bill to repeal the 13th sec- 

 tion of the act to suppress insubordination, 

 etc., which authorized the President to extend 

 pardon to Southern officers, etc., 178; Con- 

 gress has no control over the power to pardon 

 given to the President by the Constitution, 

 178; no necessity for immediate action, 178; 

 object of the bill to prevent an unwise restora- 

 tion of property to persons engaged in arms 

 against the Government, 179; referred to the 

 Judiciary Committee and reported back, 179; 

 effect of the repeal on the pardoning power of 

 the President, 179, 180; it is proposed to re- 

 peal the 13th section because it is broader ttan 

 the Constitution, 180; the power of pardon is 

 in the President, and in him exclusively, 181 ; 

 the power of the President to pardon is com- 

 prehensive of every offence, and in the most 

 comprehensive terms of the English language, 

 181 ; all proclamations of the President oper- 

 ate as laws, 181 ; no necessity for action, 182; 

 original act of confiscation misnamed, 182 ; the 

 great mass of the Southern people did not in- 

 cur the crime of treason, 182 ; high time that 

 wholesale accusations had ceased, 182 ; this re- 

 peal will be understood as an expression by 

 Congress against a conciliatory course toward 

 the Southern States, 183; bill passed; 183. 



In the House, a bill considered to regulate 

 removals f rom office, 184; its details, 184 ; also 

 a bill of a former session called up, 184; its 

 details, 184 ; it rests upon the hypothesis that 

 the power of removal does not rightfully be- 

 long to the President alone, 184; the people 

 have rebuked and trodden down the arrogant 

 pretensions of the Executive, 185 ; amendment 



