earnestly opposed and severely criticised the bill, Mr. Sumner sharply replied to Mr. Willey's rema On the 27th, the Senate resumed the consideration the bill; and several amendments were offered by friends and opponents of the measure. Mr. Trum moved to amend the bill by adopting a new sect repealing the last clause of a joint resolution explana of the Confiscation Act. On the 28th, the vote taken on Mr. Trumbull's amendment; and it was ad ed, yeas 23, nays 15. Mr. Doolittle moved that assistant commissioners and superintendents and o officers be so far considered in the military service a be liable to trial by court martial; and the amendn was agreed to. Mr. Willey moved to authorize commissioners to open a correspondence with the ernors and municipal authorities, to aid in secu homes for the freedmen; and it was adopted,-yeas nays 15. Mr. Wilson moved to strike out of the s stitute the word "treasury," and insert "war." have moved this amendment, because, in my judgm it is better, in every aspect in which the case can viewed, that this bureau should be in the War partment, because the War Department controls armies. The rebel States are divided into military partments; and all the law we administer there is r itary law, and all the government we exercise over th is military government. Why we should take th people, who now flock to the army, and have gathe around it for protection and support, from under control of the War Department, and put them un the control of speculating treasury agents, is a thing cannot comprehend." Mr. Sumner hoped the amer

Select Committee on Emancipation, reported back his bill and the amendment of the Senate, and moved that the amendment of the Senate be non-concurred in. Mr. Washburne (Rep.) of Illinois expressed the hope that Mr. Eliot would withdraw his report, and let the call of the committees go on. Mr. Eliot could not consent to that. Mr. Griswold (Dem.) of New York wished to know if it would be in order to move to lay the bill on the table. Mr. Washburne suggested that he could move the postponement to the next session. Mr. Griswold moved to postpone the further consideration of the bill to the 20th of December next. The motion was agreed to; and the bill will come up for consideration at the next session.

CHAPTER XVIII.

RECONSTRUCTION OF REBEL STATES.

MR. HARLAN'S BILL. MR. SUMNER'S RESOLUTIONS. MR. ASHLEY'S BILL.
MR. HARRIS'S BILL.MR. WINTER DAVIS'S RESOLUTION. - SELECT
COMMITTEE ON RECONSTRUCTION. — MR. DAVIS'S BILL. REMARKS OF
MR. DAVIS, MR. BEAMAN, MR. ALLEN, MR. SMITHERS, MR. NORTON, MR.
BROOMALL, MR. SCOFIELD, MR. DAWSON, MR. WILLIAMS, MR. BALDWIN
OF MASSACHUSETTS, MR. DONNELLY, MR. PERHAM, MR. GOOCH, MR.
FERNANDO WOOD, MR. KELLEY, MR. BOUTWELL, MR. PENDLETON.
MR. DAVIS'S SUBSTITUTE. PASSAGE OF MR. DAVIS'S BILL. -HOUSE
BILL REPORTED BY MR. WADE. MR. BROWN'S AMENDMENT. -MR.
SUMNER'S AMENDMENT. PASSAGE OF MR. BROWN'S SUBSTITUTE.
HOUSE NON-CONCUR. SENATE RECEDE. PASSAGE OF THE BILL.-
THE PRESIDENT REFUSES TO APPROVE IT.

IN

the Senate, on the 26th of December, 1861, Mr. Harlan (Rep.) of Iowa introduced a bill to establish a provisional government in each of the districts of country embraced within the limits of the Confederate States of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Tennessee; which was referred to the Committee on Territories. Mr. Sumner, on the 11th of February, 1862, introduced a series of resolutions declaratory of the relations between the United States and the territory once occupied by certain States, and now usurped by pretended governments without constitutional or legal right. These resolutions declare that slavery, being a local institution, ceased to exist when the States no longer exist; that it is the duty of Congress to see that everywhere, in this extensive