Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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BY JAMUS A. HOYT. ANDERSON C. H., S. C, THURSDAY MORNING-, JUNE 31, 1866. VOLUME II.?NO. 1. Tlie Intelligencer IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY JLT $3.50 PER A.TSTSTJ^1, IN U. S. CURRENCY. Tinal Report of the Beconstruc tion Committee. The great length of this document pre? cludes its ro-production in our columns, but the concluding portion of the report, in which the Committee recapitulate all the alleged facts and principles applicable to the late "so-called Confederate States," it herewith published. The entire report, which is the most important public paper issued in this country since President Johnson's first proclamation, fills five closely printed columns of the largest JSTew York dailies: We now propose to restate, as briefly as possible, the general facts and princi? ples applicable to all the States recently an rebellion: First: The seats of Senators and Eep a-esentatives from the so-called Confede T?te States became vacant in the year 1861, during the second session of the Thirty-sixth Congress, by the voluntary withdrawal of their incumbents, with the Sanction and by the direction of their re? spective States. This was done as a hoe trie act against the Constitution and the Government of the United States, with the declared intent to overthrow the same by forming a Southern Confederation. This act of declared hostility was speedily followed by an organization of the same States with, a Confederacy, which lived And. waged war by sea and land against the United States. This war continued more than four years, within which peri od the rebel armies besieged the National Capitol, invaded the loyal States, burned their towns and cities, robbed thoir citi? zens, destroyed more than 350,000 loyal soldiers, and imposed an increased nation al burden of not less than 83,500,000,000, of which seven or eight hundred mil lions have already been met and paid. From the time these confederated States thus withdrew from their representation in Congress and levied war against the United States, the great mass of their people became and were insurgents, trait? or*, and all of them assumed and occupied the political, legal and practical rotation of enemies of the United States. This position is established by acts of Congress and judicial decisions, and is recognized repeatedly by the President in public proclamations, documents and spesches. Second : The States thus confederated "prosecuted their war against the United States to final arbitrament, and did not cease until all their armies were capture!, their military power destroyed, their civil officers?State and Confederate?taken prisoners or put to flight, every vestige of State and Confederate Government obliterated, their territory overrun and occupied by the Federal armies, and their people reduced to the condition of ene roies conquered in war, entitled only by public law to such rights, privileges and conditions as might be vouchsafed by the conqnerors. This position is also established by ju? dicial decisions ai.d is recognized by the Pr?sident in public proclamations, docu? ments and speeches. Third: Having voluntary deprived themselves of representation in Congress for the criminal purpose of destroying the Federal Union, and having reduced tbem ' ^ by the act of levying war to the condition of public enemies, they have no right to complain of temporary exclusion from Congress; but, on the contrary, having voluntarily renounced their right to representation, and disqualified them? selves by crime from participation in the Government, the, burden now rests upon them, before claiming to be reinstated in their former condition, to show that they are qualified to resume Federal relations. In order to do this they must prove that they have established, with the consent of the people, republican forms of government in harmony with the Constitution and laws of the United States; that all hostile purposes havo ceased, and should give adequate guaran? tees against future treason and rebellion, which will prove satisfactory to the Gov? ernment against which they rebelled, and by whose arms they were subdued. Fourth: Having by this treasonable withdrawal from Congress, and by fla? grant rebellion and war, forioited all civil and political rights and privileges undor the Federal Constitution, they can only be restored thereto by the permission and authority of that constitutional power against which they rebelled, and by which they were subdued. Fifth: These rebellious armies were conquered by the people of the United States, acting through all the co-ordinate branches of the Government, and not by the Executive Department alone. The powers of Congress are not vested in the President that ne can fix and regulate the terms of settlement, and confer Congres? sional representation, nor can he in any way qualify the enemies of the Govern? ment to exercise its law-making powers. The authority to restore rebels to politi? cal power in the Federal Government can only be exorcised with the concurrence of all the Departments in which political power is vested, and hence the several proclamations of the President to the people of the Confederate States cannot be considered as extending beyond the purposes declared, and can only be regar? ded as provisional permission by the Com mander-in-Chief of the Army to do cer? tain acts, the validity whereof is to be determined by tho^ Constitutional Gov em merit, and not solely by the Executive power. Sixth : The question before Congress is, then, -whether conquered enemies have the right, and shall be permitted at their 1 pleasure, and on their own terms, to par? ticipate in making laws for their conquor ors? Whether conquered rebels may. change their theatre of operations from the battle-field where they were defeated and overthrown, to tho Halls of Congress, and through this representation, seize upon the Government which they fought to destroy ? Whether the National Treas? ury, tho army of the nation, its navy, its forts, and arsenals, its whole civil admin? istration, its credit, its pensioners, the widows and orphans of those who per? ished in the war, the public honor, peace and safety, shall all be turned over to the keeping of its recent enomies without de? lay, and without requiring such conditions as in the opinion of Congress the security of the country and its institutions may demand. Seventh: Tho- h? ">ry of mankind ex? hibits no examr' .such madness and folly. Th*? ?? ? of self-preservation protep^ The surrender by ^herman to John * less disastrous magnitude, \ nies could have been raised, new fought, and tho Government saved. j.'he non-coercive policy, which, under the protext of avoid? ing bloodshed, allowed the rebellion to take form and gather force, would bo surpassed in infamy by the matchless wickedness that would now surrender the Halls of Congress to thoso so recently in rebellion until proper precautions shall havo been taken to secure the National faith and the National satety. Eighth : It has been shown in this re? port, and in tho evidence submitted no proof has been afforded to Congress of a constituency in any of tho so-called Con? federate States, unless we except the State of Tennessee, qualified to elect Senators and Representatives- in Congress. No State Constitution, or amendment to a State Constitution, has had tho sanction of the people. All the so-called legisla? tion of State Conventions and Legisla? tures has been had under military dicta? tion. If the President may at his will and under his own authority, whether as military commander or Chief Executive, qualify persons to appoint Senators and elect Representatives, and empower oth? ers to appoint and elect them, he thereby practically controls tho organization of | the Legislative Department. The con? stitutional form of government is thereby practically destroyed and its powers ab? sorbed in the Executive ; and while your committee do not for a moment impute to the President any such design, but cheerfully concede to him the most pa? triotic motives, they cannot but look with alarm upon a precedent so fraught with danger to the Republic. Ninth : The necessity of providing ad? equate safeguards for the future, before restoring the insurrectionary States to a participation in the direction of public affairs, is apparent from tho bitter hos? tility to the Government and people of j the United States yet existing through? out the conquered territory?is made incontestible by the testimony of many witnesses and by undisputed facts. Tenth: The conclusion of your Com? mittee, therefore, is that tho so-called Confederate States are not at present entitled to representation in the Congress of the United States; that before allow? ing such representation, adequate security for future peace and safety should be re: quired; that this can only bo found in 3uch changes of the organic laws as shall determine tho civil rights and privileges of tho citizens in all parts of this Repub? lic, shall place representation on an equi? table basis, shall fix a stigma upon treason, andjtt'oteetthe loyal people against future claims for the expense incurred in support of tho rebellion, and for manumitted slaves, togethor with an express grant of power in Congress to enforce these pro? visions. To this end they offor a joint resolution for amending the Constitution of the United States and tho two several bills designated to carry the same into effect, before referred to. Bofore closing this report, your committee beg leave to state that the specific recommendations submitted by them, aro the result of con? cession, after a long and careful compari? son of conflicting opinions. Upon a question of such magnitude, infinitely important as it is to tho future of the Republic, it was not to bo oxpocted that all should think alike. Sensible of the imperfections of tho scheme, your com? mittee submit it to Congress as the best they could agree upon, in tho hope that its imperfections may be cured and its de? ficiencies supplied by legislative wisdom, and that when finally adopted it may tend to. restore peace and harmony to the country, and to placo our Republican in? stitutions on a more stablo foundation. ? Generals Steedman and Fullerton have furnished to the Socretary of War their report of tho operations of the Freedmen's Bureau in tho Military De? partments of South Carolina and Florida. They highly commend Gen. Scott, tho Assistant Commissioner in South Caroli? na, for tho wise policy that pervades his system of governing and feeding the frcedmen. They recommend the discon? tinuance of the employment of citizens in tho Bureau, and instance several cases of the evil of the agents being interested in the working of plantations. Finally, they recommend^ that tho Sea Island lands given to the' negroes by Gen. Sher? man's order be returned to their owners : provided they pay the frcedmen for all improvements that the latter havo made while in possession of tho property. ? Hon. Wm. Porchor Miles, of Charles? ton, intends to Bottle in New Orleans. Remarkable Defence of Mr. Davis. Tho following admirable article, in de fenco of tho distinguished prisoner of Fortress Monroe, is copied from the Cin? cinnati Enquirer. Speaking of tho health of Mr. Davis, as indicated by the Sur? geon's report, that paper says: This is the treatment that is accorded to a man who, for four years, was at the head of more than one-third of the Statos of the American Union, and represented their Government both at home and abroad. It is the kind of revengo that is I taken upon an individual who was the I chief exponent of a national sentiment, embracing a country nearly as large as tho Continent of Europe, exclusive of Russia. It indicates the manner in which tho dignity of the country is displayed towards?rthat great combatant, who for yearB wielded a power that resisted forces that would have overthrown any of tho mighty monarchies upon the Continent of Europe. It is completing the record that we are making up for.futuro hiBtory. By j that it will appear that the great hero of { eleven sovereign States, after a long and desperate struggle with thoir twonty-five compeers, at last, by tho fortunes of war, fell into our hands. There were many times when a trifling change of circum? stances would have sufficed to have thrown tho balance into tho other scale. A long career of success shono replcndent upon the banner of these Southern bellig? erents in the strife. The names of Bull Run, first and second Shiloh, the Seven Pines, of Gaines' Mill, of Frodoricksburg, of Cedar Mountain, of Harper's Ferry, of CliancellorsvilIe,of Antietam, of Chicka mauga, of Murfrecsboro' and Gettysburg, of Spottsylvania, of Coal Harbor, of the Wilderness, of Charleston, and Richmond, and Petersburg, suggest tho greatest military events, both in their magnitude and in the bravery and determination of their contestants that appear in modern history. "PrisonerDavis," as ho is called, in the Fortress Monroe dispatch, had under him military commanders as con? summate as Marlborough, Wellington, or Princo Eugene. Ho commanded others who possessed the fire, the dash, the intre? pidity and the heroic bravery of Marshals Ney, Murat, Lannes and Davoust, the great military palladins that surrounded Napoleon I. For fourjycars "Prisoner Davis" was at Richmond, with his so called Confederate Government within one hundred and twenty miles of the seat of tho American Government. A million of soldiers under arms, tho best in the world, were not adequate to his capture It required a forco as largo as that which fought upon both sides at Austerlitz, or Jena, or Eylau, or Waterloo, or Fried land, to protect our Government in its Federal Capital. Men talked about its being a rebellion, an insurrection, but, in fact, it asserted equal belligerent rights with ourselves and all of the nations of Christendom. Its guns Were heard for months with trcmoling and alarm at Washington, and its hosts were seen in great numbers from its capitol spires and domes. Its government was as strong and as perfect in every rospect, as much founded in the choice of the people as tho one that ruled over us at Washington. While we, blinded by tho fumes of rage and passion, had outlawed all this mighty people at the South, of us who were con? tending for the Constitution as it had been interpreted by the ablest American states? men, their deeds and achievements had awakened a feeling akin to admiration in their behalf in all the disinterested nations of Christendom. The names of Davis, of Lee and "Stone? wall" Jackson, of Joe Johnston, of Long street, of A. P. Hill, of Beauregard, of Hood, ofEwell, of Forrest, of Stuart, were carried to the remotest boundaries of civilization and inspired e" .;. at tho North something warmer than more respect. At length vastly superior numbers and some grave political mistakes of Jefferson Davis decided tho day against the eleven sovcroign States of tho South. Their leader fell into our hands, and wo, to our shame and disgrace, have boon treating him like a felon and malefactor. Tho treatment of Napoleon Bonaparte by tho English Government upon tho island of St. Helena, which has been a dark stain upon the honor and fame of Great Britain, was excellent and liberal compared to the miserable persecutions and torture of our great anatagonist. We have sought most ridiculously to belittle a great national transaction down to tho dimensions of an odious or treasonable conspiracy. Wo have practiced upon our illustrious pris? oner the refined cruelty of the Chinese, in condemning him to death by the slow torture of a want of sleep. A man well stricken in years, with a constitution en? feebled by disease, and of the most deli? cate organization, he has been confined in prison for more than a year, subjectod to all the rude brutality that military turnkeys could inflict, and that too by j those who in times past dare not brook tho gaze of the eyes of tho imprisoned chieftain. There \t not a man of ordinary sense and intelligence who does not know that the question of the right of a Stato to so ccde has always beon at least an open ono in American politics, upon which, since the origin of our Government, tho wisest of .our statesmen have differed, and that no law applying to individual trea? son ever reached that case. To make Jefferson Davis a victim, under such cir? cumstances?to especially singlo him out for punishment, is the very highest of criminal injustice. During the war we exchanged prisoners with the Confeder? ate Government, and in other respects recognized it as an equal bolligorent with ourselves. Whoever heard of exchanging prisoners with traitors or rioters? To go behind theso events, after the war is over, and erect the gallows and tho prison for thoso we thus treated, is simply cow? ardly and cruel inconsistency. We should havo done to Jefferson Da? vis long ago what we did to General Lee and his military compeers?released him upon parole, and considered the matter dismissed. Such conduct would havo been worthy of a great and magnanimous people. It would have shown that wo, in one respect at least, deserved the vic? tory we had won, and that wo had the wisdom to appreciate the true character of the struggle and to profit by it. Tho sooner the President performs this act of justice thotbetter for his own reputation and that of the country. None but the bloodthirsty and the cowardly desire tho I further prosecution of Jefferson Davis, j Tho shrewd among tho Radicals do not want an issue that they considered de? cided by tho war to go again before and to bo subjected to tho arbitrament of a jury. In other words, to sink a great national struggle down to tho dimensions of a criminal trial, by whoso results thoy cannot possibly strengthen their position. The Chief Justice of the Uuited States, who, before he occupied his present posi? tion taught tho doctrino upon which Mr. Davis acted, viz: tho right of a State to secede, has shirked tho trial. Ho has in? vented excuses to prevent it, for he knows, as we all know, that it would be worse than a shameful farce. The coun? try' wants not an exciting and irritating trial to open old sores?wounds?but it needs a general and universal amnesty for all men. True Words. Tho poople of the United States, says tho Boston Post, havo been educated in the ideas of personal libert}7 and States rights, as limited and regulated by the National Constitution. Schemes for tho consolidation of political power in a cen? tral government, i?nd plans for tho abridg? ment of individual freedom, cannot, there? fore, long be countenanced or tolerated by the American pooplo. And no portion of them would bo more hostilo to a policy which would abridge the rights of the States, and restrain the liberty of tho citi? zen, than tho people of tho Now England States with whom these schemes of con? solidation originated, and who have now become their most zealous advocates. What State would be more restless and rebellious if Congress were to intorforo with her domestic concorns?were to attempt to regulate the elective franchise, intcrfero with her school system, dictate tho manner in which sho should conduct her religious worship, or ovon meddle with their liquor laws, than the people of Massachusetts t And what people would bo raoro indignant if their personal rights and liberties were encroached upon ? Such invasions of public and private rights by the Central Government would in the end fail, because they are against tho spirit of our institutions, and offend the ideas on which tho American people have been educated. All such attempts to coerce and regulato the affairs of tho peoplo of tho South will ultimately fail, and will recoil in the shape of tho odium which they will engender upon their authors and projectors. Our system is complex, and yet its prin? ciples are well understood by tho peoplo. It comprises ono great Central Govern? ment moving like tho sun in tho solar system, on an orbit clearly defined, and extending its protection and its benefi? cence to all; and system of States, liko our planets and their attendants statellites moving in orbits as clearly defined; both independent of each other in their re? spective spheres of action ; and both com? bining to make one grand and harmoni? ous whole. To attempt to change tho relations of the States with tho Central Government, to give them powers abso? lutely sovereign and equal to the Euro? pean Government has been tried, and most signally failed. Tho attempt to ob? literate the States, and merge them all in the Central Government, will be equally abortive. It would be like arresting tho planets in their revolutions, and hurling them back into the sun. It would involvo tho destruction of tho system, and the ne? cessity of a now creation. ? Tho following extract from Presi? dent Johnson's address at the inaugura? tion of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Fair in Washington, is so boautiful in sontiment and language that it is worthy of the characterization given by Solomon of "a word fitly spoken We now rejoice that tho land is no lon gor to be drenched by fraternal blood. Ho would not re-open tho wounds and make them bleed afresh; that was the work of war, and contest and strugglo, frowing out ot mistaken apprehensions, ours is tho work of peace; to pour the balm that healing may take place, and what is more proper to that end than to take up the destitute orphans and oducato them? He looked next on tho other side, and what did he see 1 A Rebel soldier be? longing to such a regiment. Tho strife had ended; tho contest had coasod, and there was peace. When thoy were in tho fiold, engaged in strife, it was war, now they sleop in alternate gravos, while it is peace, and let peace do its work. H* trusted our country and government would be blessod with peace, and that confidenco and respect for ono another everywhere would bo restored; that those warring and disturbing elements which soparated and divided us in tho past may pass away. He trusted, too, that the asylum which it was proposed to establish might bo extensive enough to bless all the orphanB. We should not in? quire what made them orphans. Charity doth thus behave?they aro human be? ings, and deserve your protection, kind? ness and instruction. THEBE IS IfO DEATH. There is no death! Tho stars go down To rise upon some fairer shore; And bright in Heaven's jeweled crown They shine foreTermoro. There is no .death ! The dust we tread Shall change beneath the snmmer showers. To golden grain or mellow fruit, Or rain-bow tinted flowers. Tho granite rocks disorganize To feed tho hungry moss they boar; The forest leaver drink daily lifo From out tho viewless air. Thcro is no death ! The leaves may fall, Tho flowers may fade and pass away? They only wait, through wintry hours, Tho coming of tho May. There is no death ! An angel form Walks o'er the earth ?with silent tread; He bears our best loved things away, And then we call them " dead." Be leaves our hearts all desolate? He plucks our fairest, sweetest flowers t Transplanted into bliss, they now Adorn immortal^bowers. The bird-like voice whose joyous tonea Made glad this scene of sin and strife, Sings now in everlasting song Amid the tree of life. And whore he socs a smile too bright, Or hearts too pure for taint and vico, Ho bears it to that world of light To dwell in Paradiso. Born into that undying life, They leave us but to come again ; With joy wo welcome them?tho same, Except in sin and pain. And over near us, though unseen, Tho dear immortal spirits tread; For all the boundless universe Is life?there aro no dead. News in Brief. ?Hon. Stephen R. Mallory, late Confed? erate Secrotary of tho Navy, is in Eich mond; so also is Head Centre Stephens. ? Strawberries aro just coming into sea? son in Now York city. Tho Times says New York eats $7000 worth of strawbor rios every day. ? The tax on cotton, two conts per pound, collected at New Orleans for the yoar ending May 4, amounted to $5,171, 536 78. ? The death of General Cass, of soft? ening of tho brain, is daily expected. Tho General is in his eighty-fourth year. ? Judge Lawronco, of the Supromo Court of Illinois, has decided that tho gift enterprise of Chicago aro lotterios. ? A Texas editor was recently shot in a street rencontre. Fortunately for the man, ho carried his misfortunes about him. Tho ball lodged in a bundle of un? paid bills. Ho was on a collecting tour. ? A woman at Louisville committed suicido by taking morphine. Causo said to bo grief at discouraging news from Canada. Sho strongly sympathized with the Fenians. ? Tho press records tho recent death at Proston, England, of Goorga Ward, giving tho fact that ho was ono of tho Bigners of the first " dispensation" in America, and was the reputed oldest Odd Follow in tho world, having been connect? ed with tho order half a contury. Where? upon tho Columbus (Miss.) Index says: " Esquiro W?stenholrne, of this place, is an older Odd-Fellow than was the above person. He is now seventy-one years of age, joined the order in 1815, and has consequently been a momber fifty-one years." ? Tho grand jury atEichmond indict? ed Gen. John C. Breckenridge fortroason, and high crimes. ? l)r. Halo, of Eock county, Wiscon? sin, was last week mulcted in S786 8G damages for kissing tho wife of a Mr. Ha? vens, of tho same county. Very expen? sive kissing. ? The New York Times notices that the President of the United States is the only person a member of Congress can abuse and villify, without getting out of order and incurring rebuko from the speaker. .? The editor of the Ealeigh Sentinel says, on tho authority of a letter from Gen. Loo to himself, that tho General de? sires to writo a history of the war, but haB not thus far made satisfactory pro gross, becauso of the loss of his papers. ? Tho Mississippi Press Convention, now in session at Jackson, Mississippi, have passed resolutions declaring that tho peoplo accept the arbitrament of arms in good faith) will support emancipation and elevate tho froedmen, and endorse tho President's policy of reconstruction. They say Stevens, Sumner & Company are en? deavoring to destroy the Constitution and establish a despotic government. ? The celebrated Confederate vessel CJiickamauga, sunk at Wilmington when that placo was evacuated, having beon raised and brought to Portsmouth, was sold last Monday for $15,000. She cost in England, in 1863, $200,000 in gold. ? Gon. J. B. Slaughter, of the late Confederate army, died reoently in Mex? ico. ? Gen. E. Chilton, late of tho staff of Gen. Rober6 E. Lee, is connected, at pre? sent, with manufacturing interests at West Point. ? The lovers of "remarkable coinci? dences" will not fail to noto the fact that the Fenian invasion of Canada occurred in tho same rogion where Gen. Scott won his first laurels and on the day when his remains were consigned to thograve. The Eopublicans of New Hampshire havo nominated James W. Patterson, the present Congressman, for United States Senator. Congressional. Washington, Juno 13.?In the Senate, Mr. Doolittle called up the resolution of? fered by him yesterday, requesting the President to communicate to the Senate any information in his possession relative to the departure of Austrian troops from Mexico. He said ho had reasons to be? lieve the abovo would bring information of very satisfactory character, and felt confident that Mexico was about to be evacuated by; tho French troops. The resolution was adopted. The legislative appropriation bill was considered. Tho Houso proceeded to tho considera? tion of tho constitutional amendment as roported from the Reconstruction Com? mittee which heretofore passed the House, and was amended by tho Senate. Refer? ring to the basis of representation, repu? diation of the Confederate debt, etc., Mr. Stovens proposed, and the Houso attempt? ed,,to de Date tho subject for a short time ?speeches being limited each to fifteen minutes. Mr. Stevens closed the debate by saying that tho amendments were not such as he desired, as they did not recog? nize the right of black men to vote. He, howovor, said that something might bo done on this subject in future legislation. Ho took occasion to stigmatize the Presi? dent as a usurper in undertaking to es? tablish civil government in the seceding States. Under his demand for the previ? ous question, the House concurred in the Senate's amendment to the constitutional amondment, by a vote of 120 to 32. The Speaker, therefore, announced the psssage of tho joint resolution. Several gentle? men announced the reasons for the ab senco of their colleagues, who, they say, if present, would have voted for the pro? position. Mr. Eldridgo, as a take-off upon those gentlemen, said that, if Brooks and Vorhocs had not been unseated, they would havo voted against the proposition. [Laughter.] Mr. Schcnck retorted by saying that ho had no doubt if Jeff. Davis was a momber of the House, he, too, would have votod against the amendment. [Laughtor.J On the Republican side, the voto consolidated tho Republicans of every shade, including Smith, of Kentucky, Raymond, of Now York, Whaleyand La throp, of West Virginia. Tho negative was composed wholly of decided Demo? crats. The proposed constitutional amend? ment will now bo submittod to the Legis? latures of the respective States for their action. Mr. Stevens proposed a substi? tute for the pending bill, as reported by the Reconstruction Committee, to enable the Statos lately in rebellion to regain their privileges in tho Uniou. The ma? terial point in the substitute is the admis? sion of Tonnessoo, with her present Sena? tors and Representatives, but she is here aftor to be excludod unless, before the lat of January, she extends the right of suf? frage impartially to overy class, besides ratifying tho constitutional amondment to which reforenco is abovo made. ? Washington, Juno 14.?Sonator Mor? gan presented a memorial from the Now York Chamber of Commerce, m favor of tho bankrupt law. He expressed himsolf in favor of tho bill, and hoped it would bo roported at an oarly day from the Judici? ary Committee. Tho Houso passed bills establishing-as say offices in Oregon and Idaho. Debate was continued on the bill to restore the political rights of tho Southorn Statos. Among the speakers was Mr. Harris, of Maryland, who reiterated the right of tho Southern States to secede. Warhington, June 15.?In tho Senate, tho Prosident returned tho bill incorpora? ting the New York and Montana Iron and Mining Company, with his objections. The President thinks tho bill gjvos a monopoly to a corporation of unknown corporators, to the detrimont of settlers who havo rights to claims of land under tho homestead law. In tho House, a committee was appoin? ted to investigate the facts of Roaseau's assault on Grinnell, and to report tho same, with a resolution looking to the vindication of the dignity of the House, and tho protection of tho members of the House. Mr. Bingham submitted concurrent re? solutions, requesting tho President to in? form forthwith tho Governors of tho States of tho passage by Congress of the proposed constitutional amendment, so that the Legislatures may act on it at once. This boing objected to, remarks followed, which Ted to a decision by the Speaker that joint resolutions did no* have to bo submitted to tho Prceidoot for his signature. After some debate on tho special order ?a bill restoring the Southern States to political privileges?tho House adjourned. From Washington. Washington, June 14.?Samuel Han? son, formerly Clerk in the Confederate Post Office Department, committed sui cido to-day. Want of employment and reduced circumstances was the cause. The Star assorts that the votes of the more conservative Union men were ob? tained for the constitutional amendment by a pledge from thoir radical colleagues that no action shall bo taken during the present session upon tho bills reported from the Joint Committee on Reconstruc? tion. This virtually refers the whole mat? ter to tho people. There was considerable excitement on the steps in front of the Capitol to-day. Rosseau, who had a rattan m his hand, approached Grinnell, and said he had waited several days for him to apologize for the outrageous assault made oahim in debate. Grinnell said, I have no apology to make. Rosseau thereupon caned him, Grinnell making no resistance whatever. When Rosseau had finished tho flagella? tion, Grinnell merely said, "It is all right," and the parties separated.