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Mr. Vallandigham demanded the yeas and nays on the motion of reference, yeas 81, nays 51. On the 3d of March, Mr. White, from the Select Committee, moved to suspend the rules, so that the House may proceed to the consideration of the bill to aid the State of Missouri in emancipation, reported from the Select Committee on Emancipation. The question was taken; and there were yeas 63, nays 57; and it was decided in the negative, two-thirds not voting for the suspension of the rules. So the bill to aid Missouri in the emancipation of the slaves therein was lost in the House of Representatives in the closing hours of the Thirtyseventh Congress.

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ASHLEY'S BILL. MR. WILSON'S JOINT RESOLUTION. -MR. HENDERSON'S JOINT RESOLUTION. MITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY. MR. -MR. SUMNER'S RESOLUTION. MR. HENDERSON'S AMENDMENT REPORTED WITH AN AMENDMENT. REMARKS OF MR. TRUMBULL. WILSON. MR. DAVIS'S AMENDMENT. REMARKS OF MR. SAULSBURY. MR. HOWE.-MR. JOHNSON. MR. DAVIS'S AMEND-MR. CLARK. MENTS. MR. POWELL'S AMENDMENT. REMARKS OF MR. HARLAN. MR. HENDER- MR. HENDRICKS.-MR. HALE. MR. M'DOUGALL. SUMNER'S AMENDMENT. REMARKS OF SUMNER. MR. SON. MR. PASSAGE OF THE JOINT RESOLUHOWARD.MR. TRUMBULL. TION IN THE SENATE. MR. MORRIS'S SPEECH. REMARKS OF MR. HERRICK.-MR. KELLOGG. MR. PRUYN. MR. WOOD. MR. HIGBY. -MR. WHEELER'S AMENDMENT.-MR. KELLOGG OF MICHIGAN. MR. ROSS. MR. HOLMAN. MR. THAYER. MR. MALLORY. MR. INGERRESOLUTION DESOLL.MR. PENDLETON'S AMENDMENT. - JOINT FEATED. MR. ASHLEY'S MOTION TO RECONSIDER.

HE Speaker of the House of Representatives, on Monday the 14th of December, 1863, after announcing the standing committees, stated that the first business in order was the call of the States for bills and joint resolutions. When the State of Ohio was called, Mr. Ashley (Rep.), Chairman of the Committee on Territories, introduced a bill to provide for submitting to the States a proposition to amend the Constitution, The proposed amendment deprohibiting slavery. clared that slavery is hereby for ever prohibited in all the States of the Union, and in all Territories now owned, or which may hereafter be acquired, by the United States."

Mr. William J. Allen (Dem.) of

Illinois demanded the reading of the bill, and it was read in full by the clerk. Mr. Ashley then moved its reference to the Committee on the Judiciary. Mr. Holman (Dem.) of Indiana objected to its second reading; but the Speaker overruled his point of order, and the bill was read twice, and referred to the Judiciary Committee.

When the State of Iowa was called, Mr. Wilson (Rep.), Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, introduced a joint resolution, submitting to the legislatures of the States this amendment to the Constitution :

"SECT. 1.-Slavery, being incompatible with a free government, is for ever prohibited in the United States; and involuntary servitude shall be permitted only as a punishment for crime.

"SECT. 2.

Congress shall have power to enforce the foregoing section of this article by appropriate legislation.”

Mr. Fernando Wood of New York, the acknowledged leader, in the House, of the peace Democrats, demanded the reading of the amendment; and it was read twice, and referred to the Judiciary Committee.

The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom the House committed the bill of Mr. Ashley and the joint resolution of Mr. Wilson, was made up, by Speaker Colfax, of five Republicans, three Democrats, and Ex-Governor Thomas of Maryland, who generally sustained the policy of the Administration. Mr. Wilson of Iowa, chairman of the committee, Ex-Governor Boutwell of Massachusetts, and Mr. Williams of Pennsylvania, were known to be earnest and uncompromising anti

slavery men; Mr. Woodbridge of Vermont and Mr. Morris of New York, though less known, were hardly less firm in adherence to the policy of emancipation; Ex-Governor King (Dem.) of Missouri had allied himself to the slave-preserving interests of his State; Mr. Bliss (Dem.) of Ohio was an avowed enemy of the emancipation policy of the Administration; and Mr. Kernan (Dem.) of New York, though an able lawyer and liberal legislator, was the personal associate and political adherent of Governor Seymour, and was generally regarded as too deeply interested in the aspirations and fortunes of his friend and leader always to follow the convictions of his judgment or the generous impulses of his heart. Ex-Governor Thomas of Maryland had recently committed himself to the policy of emancipation, and had allied himself to the party destined to make his native State a free commonwealth.

On the 11th of January, 1864, Mr. Henderson (Ind.) of Missouri introduced into the Senate a joint resolution, proposing an amendment to the Constitution, providing that slavery shall not exist in the United States. The proposed amendment was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. That committee was composed of five Republicans, Mr. Trumbull of Illinois, Mr. Foster of Connecticut, Mr. Ten Eyck of New Jersey, Mr. Harris of New York, and Mr. Howard of Michigan; and of two Democrats, - Mr. Bayard of Delaware and Mr. Powell of Kentucky.

Mr. Sumner of Massachusetts, on the 8th of February, introduced a joint resolution, providing that, everywhere within the limits of the United States, and of each State or Territory thereof, all persons are

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equal before the law, so that no person can hold another as a slave. Mr. Sumner moved the reference of the resolution to the Select Committee on Slavery, of which he was chairman. Mr. Trumbull would refer it to the Committee on the Judiciary, that had under considertion the amendment introduced early in the session by Mr. Henderson of Missouri. Mr. Fessenden suggested that Mr. Trumbull move to amend the motion of reference so as to substitute the Committee on the Judiciary. Mr. Trumbull replied, that he had suggested that reference to the senator from Massachusetts, thinking he would give it that direction. Mr. Doolittle of Wisconsin had never before heard that an amendment to the Constitution was ever referred to any other than the Judiciary Committee, and he thought it clearly ought to go to that committee. Mr. Sumner thought the resolution under which the Select Committee on Slavery was raised broad enough to cover any proposition in regard to slavery; but if the senator from Illinois desired the resolution to go to the Judiciary Committee, of which that senator was the honored head, he should consent with the greatest pleasure. Mr. Saulsbury of Delaware moved the indefinite postponement of the resolution: eight senators voted yea, and thirty-one senators voted nay. The resolution was then referred to the Judiciary Committee.

On the 10th of February, Mr. Trumbull, from the Committee on the Judiciary, reported adversely on Mr. Sumner's resolution. At the same time, he made a report on the joint resolution originally introduced by Mr. Henderson, to strike out all after the resolving clause, and insert,

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