Northern Congress.
In the Senate, on Friday last,
George T. Brown was elected Sergeant-at-Arms.
Mr. Chandler gave notice that he should on Saturday, introduce a bill to confiscate the property of all
Governors of States, members of Legislatures, judges of courts, and all military officers above the rank of lieutenant, who shall take up arms against the
Government of the
United States, or aid and abet treason against the
Government; and that all such individuals be forever disqualified from holding any office of honor, or enrollment, or trust in the
Government, such property to be applied to restore to Union men in rebel States any losses they may have suffered.
In the
House,
ex-Congressman Bull, of
Ohio, was elected Sergeant-at-Arms;
Hiram E. Goodenow, of New York, Doorkeeper;
T. H. Stockton,
Chaplain, and
Wm. S. King, of
Minnesota, Postmaster.
Mr. Richardson, of
Illinois, offered a resolution that the name of
Stirling Morton be substituted for that of
Samuel B. Daly, as the delegate from
Nebraska Territory.
He said that
Mr. Morton had been elected to the position he claimed in October last, and received his commission according to law from the
Governor.
Six months later, or in April last, the
Governor pretended to have discovered an error in the returns, by which
Mr. Daly was chosen, and he revoked the commission previously issued to
Mr. Morton.
This act of
Governor Black, he contended, was a gross usurpation of power — a usurpation of the constitutional privileges of this body.
The Governor had no shadow of right to re-open again the canvass of an election he had already legally determined, and to concede such a right was to invest him with a most dangerous power.
Martin F. Conway, of
Kansas, contended that the
Governor of
Nebraska was justified in issuing the second commission to
Mr. Daly, and that the Commission so issued was
prima facte evidence of the legality of the election.
Mr. McClernand, of
Illinois, took substantially the same view of the case as his colleague, and held that it was a most dangerous usurpation of power which
Gov. Black had attempted.
He said
Mr. Conway's statement of facts was wild and exaggerated, and exhibited ignorance of the law as well as of the facts of the case.
A somewhat excited colloquy was springing up between the two, when they were both peremptorily called to order by the
Speaker, who several times reminded them that their remarks must be addressed to him.
Mr. Dawes, of
Massachusetts, thought the case a parallel one to that of
Mr. Shiel, of
Oregon, which the
House had yesterday acted upon; and though he opposed that action, and agreed with the gentleman from
Illinois (
Mr. McClernand) in his argument, yet he felt bound to say the
House must either recognize the legality of the second commission, or be guilty of inconsistency.
Mr. Conway finally called and insisted upon the ‘"previous question,"’ under the operation of which the resolution of
Mr. Richardson was negatived — yeas 57, nays 75.
Mr. Stevens, of
Pennsylvania, asked and obtained leave to introduce a bill to repeal all laws relating to ports of entry in the seceded States, and to authorize the holding of the
United States Courts for the District of Virginia in
Wheeling.
