the earth? Certainly the fact, that the great body of slaveholders in this country are to-day in rebellion against this Government, and seeking its overthrow, because they have not been able to control all its departments to promote the extension and perpetuation of slavery, does not make it obligatory' upon us to do so." The first question was on the adoption of Mr. Cox's amendment. He called for the yeas and nays; and the yeas and nays were ordered. The question was taken; and it was decided in the negative,-yeas 40, nays 82. Mr. Gooch demanded the previous question on the passage of the bill. The previous question was seconded, and the main question ordered. Mr. Cox demanded the yeas and nays on the passage of the bill; and the yeas and nays were ordered. The question was taken; and it was decided in the affirmative, -yeas 86, nays 37. So the bill was passed, and received the approval of the President on the fifth day of June, 1862. 184 CHAPTER VIII. EDUCATION OF COLORED YOUTH IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. PAS MR. GRIMES'S BILL. MR. GRIMES'S REPORT.-MR. WILSON'S AMENDMENT. PASSAGE OF THE BILL. T HE census of 1860 revealed the fact, that there were more than three thousand colored youth in the District of Columbia. These children were not permitted to enter the public schools, and no public provision whatever was made for their instruction. The property of colored parents was taxed for the support of schools from which their own children were excluded. The abolition of slavery, the repeal of the black code and ordinances, in the District, more distinctly revealed this neglect of colored children, and this injustice towards colored parents. In the Senate, on the 29th of April, 1862, Mr. Grimes (Rep.) of Iowa introduced a bill providing for the education of colored children in the city of Washington. On the presentation of his bill, Mr. Grimes said, "In order that there may be no misappre hension as to what this bill seeks, I desire to say now, before it is referred, that, according to the census of 1860, there are three thousand one hundred and seventytwo colored children in this District. The amount of real estate then and now owned by colored persons within the District is in value $650,000. There is now levied a tax upon that property amounting to $36,000. The school-tax, as I understand, is ten per centum of that amount, or $3,600, which goes to the support of schools which are devoted exclusively to the education of white children. This bill simply provides that the tax which is levied on the property of colored persons shall be used exclusively in the education of colored children." The bill was referred to the Committee on the District of Columbia; and, on the 30th, Mr.. Grimes reported it with amendments. The Senate, on the 8th of May, on the motion of Mr. Grimes, proceeded to its consideration, and the amendments of the committee were agreed to. The bill, as amended, made it the duty of the municipal authorities of Washington and Georgetown to set apart ten per cent of the amount received from taxes levied on the real and personal property owned by persons of color, to be appropriated for the purpose of initiating a system of primary schools for the education of colored children. The board of trustees of public schools were to have sole control of the fund arising from the tax, as well as from contributions by persons disposed to aid in the education of the colored race, or from any other source, and to provide suitable rooms and teachers for such a number of schools as in their opinion would best accommodate the colored children. Mr. Wilson (Rep.) of Massachusetts moved to amend the bill by adding as an additional section,— "That all persons of color in the District of Columbia, or in the corporate limits of the cities of Washington and Georgetown, shall be subject and amenable to the same laws and ordinances to which free white persons are or may be subject or amenable; that they shall be tried for any offences against the laws in the same manner as free white persons are or may be tried for the same offences; and that, upon being legally convicted of any crime or offence against any law or ordinance, such persons of color shall be liable to the same penalty or punishment, and no other, as would be imposed or inflicted upon free white persons for the same crime or offence and all acts, or parts of acts, inconsistent with the provisions of this act, are hereby repealed." In support of his amendment, Mr. Wilson said, "We have some laws that everybody admits are very oppressive upon the colored population of this District; some of them old laws made by Maryland; others, ordinances of the cities of Washington and Georgetown. As we are now dealing with their educational interests, I think we may as well at the same time relieve them from these oppressive laws, and put them, so far as crime is concerned, and so far as offences against the laws are concerned, upon the same footing, and have them tried in the same manner, and subject them to the same punishments, as the rest of our people.” The amendment was agreed to, the bill was reported to the Senate as amended, the amendment was concurred in, and the bill ordered to be engrossed. Mr. Saulsbury (Dem.) of Delaware demanded the yeas and nays on its passage, -yeas 27, nays 6. There being no quorum, the Senate adjourned. yeas On the 9th, the vote was taken, and resulted 29, nays 7. So the bill was passed in the Senate, and its title so amended as to make it read, "A bill providing for the education of colored children in the cities of Washington and Georgetown, in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes." In the House, on the 15th, Mr. Rollins (Rep.) of New Hampshire, from the Committee on the District of Columbia, reported back the bill without amendment, and demanded the previous question on its passage. It was ordered; the bill was passed, and approved by the President on the 21st of May, 1862. In the House of Representatives, on the 23d of June, 1862, Mr. Lovejoy (Rep.) of Illinois introduced a bill relating to schools for the education of colored children in the cities of Washington and Georgetown, in the District of Columbia; and it was read twice, and referred to the District Committee. The bill provided that the duties imposed on the board of trustees of the public schools in the cities of Washington and Georgetown, by the act providing for the education of colored children in the cities of Washington and Georgetown, approved May 21, 1862, be transferred to Daniel Breed, Sayles J. Bowen, and Zenas C. Robbins, and their successors in office, who are created a board of trustees of the schools for colored children, and who shall possess all the powers and perform all the duties conferred upon and required of the trustees of public schools in the cities of Washington and Georgetown by that act. On the 3d of July, Mr. Fessenden (Rep.) of Maine, from the Committee on the District to whom was referred Mr. Lovejoy's bill, reported it back |