CONGRESS, U. S. 



315 



The vote on the resolution was yeas, 109 ; 

 nays, 0. No action was taken on the resolu- 

 tion in the Senate. 



In the House, Dec. 22, 1803, Mr. Johnson, of 

 Pennsylvania, offered the following resolution : 



Whereas the supreme judicial tribunal of the State 

 of Pennsylvania has solemnly decided that the act of 

 Congress, approved March 3, 1863, commonly called 

 the Conscription Act, is, in its provisions, contrary 

 to and in violation of the Constitution of the United 

 States, and therefore null and void ; therefore, 



Resolved, That it is the sworn duty of the executive 

 department of the Government to either acquiesce in 

 that decision within that State, or to bring the ques- 

 tion involved before the Supreme Court of the United 

 States for final adjudication, to the end that, if Con- 

 gress shall deem such legislation necessary, a bill 

 may be prepared which shall not be subject to con- 

 stitutional objections. 



It was t laid upon the table hy the following 

 vote : 



YEAS Messrs. Alley, Allison, Ames, Anderson, 

 Arnold, Ashley, Bailey, John D. Baldwin, Beaman, 

 Boutwell, Boyd, Brandegee, Broomall, Ambrose "\V. 

 Clark, Freeman Clarke, Cobb, Cole, Creswell, Henry 

 Winter Davis, Dawes, Deming, Dixon, Donnelly, 

 Driggs, Dumont, Eckley, Eliot, Farnsworth, Fenton, 

 Frank, Ganson, Gooch," Grinnell, Hale, Higbv, Hoop- 

 er, Hotchkiss, Asahel W. Hubbard, John H. Hub- 

 bard, Jenckes, Julian, Kasson, Longyear, Lovejoy, 

 McClurg, Mclndoe, Samuel F. Miller, Moorhead, 

 Morrill, Daniel Morris, Amos Myers, Leonard Myers, 

 Norton, Odell, Charles O'Neill, Orth, Pike, P'rice, 

 William H. Randall, Alexander H. Rice, John H. 

 Rice, Edward H. Rollins, Schenck, Scofield, Shan- 

 non, Sloan, Smith, Smithers, Spalding, Stevens, 

 Thomas, Tracy, Upson, Van Yalkenburgh, Elihu 

 B. Washburne, William B. Washburn, \Yilliams, 

 Wilder, Windom, and Winfield 80. 



NATS Messrs. Ancona, Augustus C. Baldwin, 

 Bliss, Brooks, Coflroth, Cox, Dawson, Dennison, 

 Eden, Edgerton, Eldridge, Finck, Grider, Hall, 

 Harding, Benjamin G. Harris, Charles M. Harris, 

 Holman, Philip Johnson, William Johnson, Le 

 Blond, Long, McDowell, McKinney, Middleton, Mor- 

 rison, Nelson, Noble, John O'Neill," Pendleton, Perry, 

 Rogers, Ross, Scott, John B. Steele, William G. 

 Steele, Stiles, Strouse, Sweat, Wheeler, Chilton A. 

 White, Joseph W. White, and Fernando Wood io. 



On February 1st, Mr. Eldridge, of Wisconsin, 

 offered the following : 



Whereas all conscription or other forced service 

 of the citizen to the State is contrary to the genius 

 and principles of republican government and op- 

 posed to the principles of self-government, which is 

 the true basis of the American Republic ; and where- 

 as the laws for conscripting or drafting citizens into 

 the military service of the United States have thus 

 far proved, if not an entire failure, at least ineffectual 

 for the supplying to the Government the necessary 

 number of men requisite for the military service in, 

 putting down the rebellion ; and whereas the princi- 

 ples ot equity and justice require in a Government 

 like ours, founded on the will of the majority, that 

 the burdens of maintaining and preserving it should 

 fall alike and equally upon all and every of the citi- 

 zens, the rich as well as the poor, in proportion to 

 their ability to bear the same ; and whereas the mili- 

 tary is a profession to which men are called as well 

 from the inducements of personal gain and family 

 advantage as from motives of patriotism and hopes 

 of future fame ; therefore, 



Besohed, That the Committee on Military Affairs 

 be, and they are hereby, instructed to examine and 



inquire immediately into the propriety and expe- 

 diency of repealing or suspending, so far as any 

 future or further draft is concerned, all acts and 

 parts of acts authorizing or empowering the con- 

 scripting or drafting of, or in any way forcing the 

 citizen into the military service of the country, either 

 in putting down rebellion or otherwise, and in lieu 

 thereof providing by law for and authorizing the 

 President of the United States from time to time, 

 and as he may deem it expedient and necessary, to 

 offer the payment of such sum or sums of money for 

 volunteers in bounties or monthly payments, or 

 otherwise, as may be best to induce enlistments and 

 secure such moneys to the soldier and his family, 

 and as will secure just so many and just such men 

 as may be requisite or necessary to put down the re- 

 bellion and restore the supremacy of the Consti- 

 tution; and that said committee do report by bill. 



It was laid on the table yeas, 84 ; nays, 42. 



On the same day, Mr. Grinnell, of Iowa, of- 

 fered the following : 



Whereas the war policy of the Government having 

 brought into the military service as soldiers and la- 

 borers free colored men and persons claimed to be 

 held by rebels, who have rendered invaluable service 

 to the army ; and whereas the more extended em- 

 ployment and enlistment of colored persons will be 

 a relief to our northern soldiers, unacclimated and 

 unused to manual labor, and lessen the number to be 

 taken from their homes and from the industrial pur- 

 suits in the United States where there is now an un- 

 usual demand for labor ; therefore, 



Resolved, That a more vigorous policy to enli:;t at 

 an early day and in larger numbers in our army per- 

 sons of African descent, would meet the approbation 

 of this House. 



It was adopted by the following vote : 

 YEAS Messrs. Allison, Ames, Arnold, Ashley, 

 John D. Baldwin, Baxter, Beaman, Blaine, Francis 

 P. Blair, Jacob B. Blair, Blow, Boutwell, Boyd, 

 Brandegee, Broomall, William G. Brown, Ambrose 

 W. Clark, Freeman Clarke, Cobb, Cole, Creswell, 

 Henry Winter Davis, Thomas T. Davis, Dawes, 

 Deming, Driggs, Eliot, Farnsworth, Fenton, Gar- 

 field, Grinnell, Higby, Hooper, Hotchkiss, Asahel 

 W. Hubbard, John H. Hubbard, Hulburd, Julian, 

 Kelley, Francis W. Kellogg, Orlando Kellogg, Long- 

 year, Marvin, McClurg, Mclndoe, Samuel F. Miller, 

 Moorhead, Morrill, Daniel Morris, Amos Myers, 

 Leonard Myers, Norton, Charles O'Neill, Orth, Pat- 

 terson, Perham, Pomeroy, Price, Alexander H. 

 Rice, John H. Rice, Edward H. Rollins, Schenck, 

 Schofield, Shannon, Sloan, Smith, Spaulding, Ste- 

 vens, Thayer, Thomas. Upson, Van Valkenburgh, 

 Elihu B. Washburne, VVi'liam B. Washburn, Web- 

 ster, Whaley, Williams, "\Vilson, Windom, and Wood- 

 bridge 80. 



NATS Messrs:. James C. Allen, William J. Allen, 

 Ancona, Cloy, Cravens, Dawson, Dennison, Eden, 

 Edgerton, E'dridge, Finck, Grider, Hall, Harding, 

 Harrington, Benjamin G. Harris, Holman, Kernan, 

 King, Knapp, Law, Lazear, Long, Marcy, McAllister, 

 McKinney, William H. Miller, Morrison, Noble, 

 John O'Neill, Pendleton, Perry, Pruyn, Samuel J. 

 Randall, Robinson, Rogers, Ross, Scott, John B 

 Steele, Stiles, Strouse, Stuart, Sweat, Wadsworth, 

 Chilton A. White, and Yeaman i6. 



In the Senate, on December 21st, a bill to 

 increase the bounty to volunteers, and the pay 

 of the army, was taken up. An amendment 

 was under consideration to pay the same boun- 

 ties to persons enlisting in the marine corps. 



Mr. Sherman, of Ohio, said : " I think and 

 indeed I believe we all think that the assump- 

 tion by the authorities of the power to give 



