CONGRESS, UNITED STATES (1868). 



adopted, 179; other amendments offered, 179 ; 

 what is this bill ? 179 ; to sanction a reorgani- 

 zation of the Southern States upon two prin- 

 ciples, 180 ; what else is attempted by these 

 bills? 180 ; what is the object? 180 ; bOl passed, 

 181 ; do. in the House, 181. 



In the House, motion to reconsider the vote 

 referring the bill to guarantee to the several 

 States of the Union a republican form of gov- 

 ernment, 181; provision of the sections, 181; 

 the franchise in certain States limited to cer- 

 tain races, 182; no difference that the ruling 

 class constitute the majority, 182 ; the cause of 

 universal suffrage is the cause of the great la- 

 boring masses of the community, 182 ; this bill 

 proposes the subversion of the fundamental law 

 of every State that does not tolerate negro suf- 

 frage, 182 ; from the first, the right of suffrage 

 was the conceded right of the States, 183 ; the 

 bill proposes the Federal Government shall 

 overturn the suffrage in the States, and force 

 negro suffrage upon them, 183 ; this is a grave 

 question, 183 ; what was that great right our 

 fathers discovered, 184 ; we propose to go to 

 universal and impartial suffrage, as the only 

 foundation upon which the Government can 

 stand, 184; the laws then intended to be uni- 

 versal must now be made universal, 184 ; the 

 passage of this bill at this hour would be the 

 death-knell of our hopes as a political party in 

 the approaching presidential election, 185 ; re- 

 gret the Republican party has not risen to the 

 height of applying its principles as a test to all 

 questions, 185 ; the bill under consideration 

 cannot have a shadow of legal authorization 

 under the Constitution of the United States as 

 it stands to-day, 186 ; no action taken on the 

 bill, 186. 



In the Senate, a bill reported declaring what 

 shall constitute a quorum of the Supreme 

 Court, 186 ; the reason for the bill, 186 ; read 

 third time and passed, 186. 



In the House, the bill reported back from 

 the committee with an amendment, 186 ; sub- 

 stitute offered requiring unanimity, 186; as 

 much argument for unanimity as for two- 

 thirds, 186; proposition of a most extraordi- 

 nary character, 187 ; is action of this sort on the 

 part of Congress by itself constitutional ? 187 ; 

 requiring too much that every judge should 

 assent, 187 ; amendment as to the number re- 

 quired to declare an act unconstitutional of- 

 fered, 187 ; the Court holds power by virtue 



of the fundamental law of the land, and Con- 

 gress can neither add to nor subtract from it, 

 188 ; how is the Supreme Court constituted ? 

 188 ; a principle of common law makes a ma- 

 jority necessary for action, 188 ; Congress 

 cannot alter the rule applicable to the Court, 

 188 ; it has no authority to say what shall con- 

 stitute a quorum of the Supreme Court, 188 ; 

 the first section not challenged, 189 ; what is 

 the power of Congress over the Supreme 

 Court ? 189 ; last amendment requiring una- 

 nimity rejected, 190 ; amendment requiring a 

 majority adopted, 190. 



In the Senate, the bill was referred to the 

 Judiciary Committee and not further con- 

 sidered, 190. 



In the Senate, a bill to amend the act of 1789 

 passed, 190 ; it took away the appeal from the 

 Circuit Court, etc., 190 ; amendment, 190 ; 

 veto of President Johnson, 190 ; considered in 

 the Senate, 191 ; the bill repeals the clause 

 which allows a party in any case an appeal to 

 the Supreme Court where his liberty is with- 

 held from him in violation of the Constitution 

 or any law or treaty, 191 ; a foreigner has this 

 appeal in similar cases before our courts, 192 ; 

 the object of this is to reach the McCardle 

 case, 192; bill passed in the Senate, 193. 



In the House, the veto message considered, 

 193 ; bill passed, 193. 



In the House, a resolution reported from the 

 Reconstruction Committee relative to the rep- 

 resentation of the Southern States in the elec- 

 toral college, 194; adopted, 194; adopted by 

 the Senate, 194; veto of President Johnson, 

 194 ; passed by both Houses over the veto, 195. 



In the Senate, the resolution of the Legis- 

 lature of Ohio, withdrawing its assent to the 

 fourteenth article of the amendment to the 

 Constitution presented, 196 ; voice of a parti- 

 san majority in the General Assembly, 196; 

 without a precedent in history, 196; accom- 

 plished nothing, 196; before the assent of 

 three-fourths, any. State can withdraw its as- 

 sent, 196 ; resolution referred to the Judiciary 

 Committee, 196. 



In the House, a resolution offered that the 

 resolution of the New Jersey Legislature, with- 

 drawing its assent to the constitutional amend- 

 ment, be referred to only by its title in the 

 journal, 196 ; adopted, 196. 



In the Senate, a resolution declaring the 

 adoption of the fourteenth amendment, 197; 



