338 



GEOEGIA. 



passed (see CONGEESS). In the Senate a large 

 number of amendments were offered and de- 

 bated, a portion of the Senators desiring to 

 impose conditions and require guarantees of 

 the State before admitting it to representation, 

 and others being in favor of a simple act, 

 admitting the State precisely as it stood, with- 

 out further provisos of any kind (see CON- 

 GRESS). The bill, as passed by the Senate, dif- 

 fered materially from that passed by the House, 

 and was sent back for concurrence in the 

 changes. This was not, however, granted, but 

 several new modifications were made. The 

 two branches could not agree to each other's 

 amendments, and on the 8th of July a commit- 

 tee of conference was appointed, who reported 

 a new bill embodying the Bingham amendment 

 and certain other provisions which had been 

 suggested during the long debate. This was 

 adopted by both Houses without a division on 

 the 14th of July, and was approved by the 

 President on the following day. 



While this act was under consideration in 

 Congress, Governor Bullock was very active in 

 his endeavors to influence the action of the 

 members in accordance with his own views. 

 He published a long letter dated May 21st, and 

 addressed " To the Kepublican Senators and 

 Representatives in Congress who sustain the 

 reconstruction acts." It was an argument on 

 the general subject of the political condition 

 of the State and the restrictions necessary for 

 future security. Its statements were not al- 

 lowed to pass unchallenged, but a reply was 

 published by Hon. Nelson Tift, on the 4th of 

 June. A variety of other documents and 

 pamphlets were circulated, and the zealous 

 Chief Magistrate of the State was even ac- 

 cused of using the public funds to forward his 

 object, and of attempting to bribe several 

 members of Congress to give their votes in fa- 

 vor of his schemes. These charges were never 

 sufficiently substantiated, but it is quite cer- 

 tain that both parties used their utmost efforts, 

 both at Washington and in the State of Geor- 

 gia, to carry out their own designs. The re- 

 sult, as given above, was generally regarded as 

 a triumph of what was popularly known as 

 the anti-Bullock party. 



The Legislature reassembled according to 

 the terms of its adjournment, on the 6th of 

 July, but at once took a recess until the 12th, 

 to await the action of Congress. Hearing 

 nothing definite from Washington, it then ap- 

 pointed its standing committees and proceeded 

 to general legislation. On the 18th the Gov- 

 ernor submitted the following message : 



ATLANTA, July 18, 1870. 

 Toithe . General Assembly. 



GENTLEMEN : Unofficial information has been re- 

 ceived, announcing the passage by Congress, and the 

 approval by the President, of an act to admit Geor- 

 gia to representation >in Congress. An official copy 

 of the act will doubtless be received from the Secre- 

 tary of State of the United States within a few days. 



The.act hav'incr "been adopted during the last hours 

 of the session, Congress adjourned without having 



admitted Senators or Eepresentatives. By section 5 

 of the Eeconstruction Act of March 2, 1867, the 

 factual admission of Senators and Eepresentatives 

 is made a condition precedent to the abrogation of 

 military authority," and, unless otherwise ordered by 

 the President, the military status will continue until 

 the admission of Senators and Eepresentatives, which 

 will, without doubt, take place upon the reassem- 

 bling of Congress in December next. But I am in- 

 formed that the general commanding will make no 

 objection to the General Assembly proceeding with 

 legislation. EUFUS B. BULLOCK. 



The Legislature continued its sessions until 

 the 25th of October, when it was adjourned by a 

 proclamation of the Governor, in consequence 

 of the failure of the two Houses to agree on 

 a time for adjournment. A great number of 

 acts were passed relating to the internal af- 

 fairs of the State, only a few of which are of 

 general interest. The subject occupying the 

 largest share of attention was that of holding 

 a State election in November, in accordance 

 with the provisions of the constitution. A 

 portion of the members contended that the 

 government of the State was provisional until 

 it was admitted to representation in Congress, 

 and that the regular term of office of all per- 

 sons elected in 1868 should date from the time 

 of such admission. This would render an 

 election in 1870 unnecessary, and continue all 

 the State officials in their several positions 

 two years beyond the fime contemplated by 

 the people at the time of their election. It 

 was even claimed that the act of Congress ad- 

 mitting the State declared against the holding 

 of an election in November of this year. A 

 resolution, which was the text of a long and 

 somewhat virulent debate, declared that the 

 General Assembly, after its adjournment, should 

 not meet again until the first of January, 1872, 

 that no election for members of the General 

 Assembly should take place until November, 

 1872, and that all officers should remain in of- 

 fice until after such election. It was soon 

 found that this policy would not receive the 

 countenance of the best men even of the Ke- 

 publican party in the State, and that it had 

 no chance of being sustained at Washington. 

 Several leading citizens, including II. P. Far- 

 row, Senator-elect to Congress, and Nelson 

 Tift, a Democrat elected for Representative 

 in Congress in 1868, addressed letters to the 

 members of the Legislature advising against 

 the passage of the "prolongation resolution," 

 as it was called, and public meetings were 

 held in different parts of the State to protest 

 against the attempt to perpetuate any person 

 in office beyond the period for which he was 

 chosen. The argument in all cases was the 

 very obvious one that the whole matter of 

 elections was settled by the constitution of 

 1868, and the effect of the late act of Congress 

 was to forbid any departure from the man- 

 dates of that instrument. The subject con- 

 tinued under discussion several weeks, and 

 numerous substitutes were offered in place of 

 the original resolution, without bringing about 



