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possessed by them on the 17th day of February, 1864, the date of the act.

The daily wages of detailed soldiers and other employés of the Government are not liable to taxation as income, although they may amount, in the aggregate, to the sum of $1,000 per annum.

A tax additional to both the above was imposed as follows, June 1, 1864:

A bill to provide supplies for the army, and to prescribe the mode of making impressments.

SEC. 3. The Secretary of War may, at his discretion, decline to assess, or, after assessment, may decline to collect the whole or any part of the additional one tenth herein provided for, in any district. or locality; and it shall be his duty promptly to give notice of any such determination, specifying, with reasonable certainty, the district or locality and the product, or the proportion thereof, as to which he so declines.

SEC. 4. The products received for the contribution herein required, shall be disposed of and accounted for in the same manner as those received for the tax in kind; and the Secretary of War may, whenever the exigencies of the public ser

SEC. 1. The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, Every person required to pay a tax in kind, under the provisions of the "Act to lay taxes for the common defense and carry on the Govern- vice will allow, authorize the sale of proment of the Confederate States," approved ducts received from either source, to pubApril 24, 1863, and the act amendatorylic officers or agents charged in any State thereof, approved February 17, 1864, shall, with the duty of providing for the families in addition to the one tenth required by of soldiers. Such sale shall be at the said acts to be paid as a tax in kind, de- prices paid or assessed for the products liver to the Confederate Government, of sold, including the actual cost of collecthe products of the present year and of the tions. year 1865, one other tenth of the several products taxed in kind by the acts aforesaid, which additional one tenth shall be ascertained, assessed and collected, in all respects, as is provided by law for the said tax in kind, and shall be paid for, on delivery, by the Post-Quartermasters in the several districts at the assessed value thereof, except that payment for cotton and tobacco shall be made by the agents of the Treasury Department appointed to receive the same.

SEC. 5. If, in addition to the tax in kind and the contribution herein required, the necessities of the army or the good of the service shall require other supplies of food or forage, or any other private property, and the same cannot be procured by contract, then impressments may be made of such supplies or other property, either for absolute ownership or for temporary use, as the public necessities may require. Such impressments shall be made in accordance. with the provisions, and subject to the restrictions of the existing impressment laws, except so far as is herein otherwise provided.

SEC. 2. The supplies necessary to the support of the producer and his family, and to carry on his ordinary business, shall be exempted from the contribution required by the preceding section, and from the additional impressments authorized by the act: Provided, however, That nothing herein contained shall be construed to repeal or affect the provisions of an act entitled "An act to authorize the impressment of meat for the use of the army, under certain circumstances," approved Feb. 17, 1864, and if the amount of any article or product so necessary cannot be agreed upon between the assessor and the producer, it shall be ascertained and determined by disinterested freeholders of the vicinage, as is provided in cases of disagreement as to the estimates and assessments of tax in kind. If required by the assessor, such freeholder shall ascertain whether a producer, who is found unable to furnish the SEC. 7. Supplies or other property taken additional one tenth of any one product, by impressment shall be paid for by the cannot supply the deficiency by the de- post quartermasters in the several districts, livery of an equivalent in other products, and shall be disposed of and accounted for and upon what terms such commutation by them as is required in respect to the tax shall be made. Any commutation thus in kind and the contribution herein reawarded shall be enforced and collected, inquired; and it shall be the duty of the all respects, as is provided for any other post quartermasters to equalize and apporcontribution required by this act. tion the impressments within their dis

SEC. 6. The right and the duty of making impressments is hereby confided exclusively to the officers and agents charged in the several districts with the assessment and collection of the tax in kind and of the contribution herein required; and all officers and soldiers in any department of the army are hereby expressly prohibited from undertaking in any manner to interfere with these officers and agents in any part of their duties in respect to the tax in kind, the contribution, or the impressment herein provided for: Provided, That this prohibition shall not be applicable to any district, county, or parish in which there shall be no officer or agent charged with the appointment and collection of the tax in kind.

within the limits of said State shall be free,” and insert:

Within the limits of the said State there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, otherwise than in punishment of crimes whereof the party shall be duly convicted.

Which was rejected---yeas 11, nays 24, as follows:

YEAS-Messrs. Chandler, Clark, Grimes, King, Lane of Kansas, Pomeroy, Sumner, Trumbull, Wilkinson, Wilmot, Wilson, of Massachusetts--11.

tricts, as far as practicable, so as to avoid oppressing any portion of the community. SEC. 8. If any one not authorized by law to collect the tax in kind or the contribution herein required, or to make impressments, shall undertake, on any pretence of such authority, to seize or impress, or to collect or receive any such property, or shall, on any such pretence, actually obtain such property, he shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by fine not exceeding five times the value of such property, and be imprisoned not exceeding five years, at the discretion of the court having jurisdic- NAYS--Messrs. Anthony, Bayard, Browntion. And it shall be the duty of all offi-ing, Carlile, Collamer, Doolittle, Foot Foscers and agents charged with the assess-ter, Harris, Henderson, Howe, Kennedy, ment and collection of the tax in kind Lane of Indiana, Powell, Rice, Saulsbury, and of the contribution herein required, Sherman, Simmons, Stark, Ten Eyck, promptly to report, through the post quar-Wade, Wiley, Wilson of Missouri, Wright termasters in the several districts, any vio---24. lation or disregard of the provisions of this act by any officer or soldier in the service of the Confederate States.

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In Senate, 1862, July 14.-The bill providing for the admission of the State of West Virginia into the Union, passed--yeas 23, nays 17, as follows:

YEAS-Messrs. Anthony, Clark, Collamer, Fessenden, Foot, Foster, Grimes, Hale, Harlan, Harris, Howe, Lane of Indiana, Lane of Kansas, Morrill, Pomeroy, Rice, Sherman, Simmons, Ten Eyck, Wade, Wilkinson, Willey, Wilson of Massachusetts-23.

NAYS-Messrs. Bayard, Browning, Carlile, Chandler, Cowan, Davis, Howard, Kennedy, King, McDougal, Powell, Saulsbury, Stark, Sumner, Trumbull, Wilson of Missouri, Wright-17.

During the pendency of this bill, July 14, 1862, Mr. Sumner moved to strike from the first section of the second article the words: "the children of all slaves born

Mr. Willey proposed to strike out all after the word "That" in the first section, and insert:

That the State of West Virginia be, and is hereby, declared to be one of the United States of America, and admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original States in all respects whatever, and until the next general census shall be entitled to three members in the House of Representatives of the United States: Provided always, That this act shall not take effect until after the proclamation of the President of the United States hereinafter provided for.

SEC. 2. It being represented to Congress that since the convention of the 26th of November, 1861, that framed and proposed the constitution for the said State of West Virginia, the people thereof have expressed a wish to change the seventh section of the eleventh article of said constitution by striking out the same, and inserting the following in its place, namely, "The children of slaves born within the limits of this State after the 4th day of July, 1863, shall be free, and no slave shall be permitted to come into the State for permanent residence therein:" therefore,

Be it further enacted, That whenever the people of West Virginia shall, through their said convention, and by a vote to be taken at an election to be held within the limits of the State at such time as the convention may provide, make and ratify the change aforesaid and properly certify the same under the hand of the president of the convention, it shall be lawful for the President of the United States to issue his proclamation stating the fact, and thereupon this act shall take effect and be in force from and after sixty days from the date of said proclamation.

Mr Lane of Kansas moved to amend the amendment by inserting after the word "Helein," and before the word, "Therefore" the words:

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And that all slaves within the said State | Sumner, Wade, Wilkinson, and Wilson of who shall at the time aforesaid be under Massachusetts-24.

the age of ten years shall be free when NAYS-Messrs. Davis, Henderson, Kenthey arrive at the age of twenty-one years; nedy, Lane of Indiana, Latham, Nesmith, and all slaves over ten and under twenty-Powell, Stark, Willey, Wilson of Missouri, one years shall be free when they arrive at Wright-11.* the age of twenty-five years.

Which was agreed to-yeas 25, nays 12, as follows:

In House, May 21-It was considered in the House and laid on the table-yeas 83, nays 43.

YEAS-Messrs. Anthony, Clark, CollaFirst Session, Thirty-Eighth Congress. mer, Doolittle, Foot, Foster, Grimes, Har1864, February 26--The Senate conlan, Harris, Howard, Howe, King, Lane of Indiana, Lane of Kansas, Morrill, Pome-sidered the bill-the question being on roy, Sherman, Simmons, Sumner, Ten Eyck, agreeing to a new section proposed by the Trumbull, Wade, Wilkinson, Wilmot, Wil-Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads -as follows: son, of Massachusetts-25.

NAYS-Messrs. Browning, Carlile, Davis, Henderson, Kennedy, McDougall, Powell, Saulsbury, Stark Willey, Wilson of Missouri, Wright-12.

The amendment as amended was then agreed to.

A motion to postpone the bill to the first Monday of the next December was lostyeas 17, nays 23.

In House, July 16-The bill was postponed until the second Tuesday of the next December-yeas 63, nays 33.

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COLOR IN WAR POLITICS.

Emancipation and its attendant agitations brought to the front a new class of political questions, which can best be grouped under the above caption. The following is a summary of the legislation:

Second Session, Thirty-Seventh Congress. To Remove Dirqualification of Color in Carrying the Mails. In Senate, 1862, April 11 -The Senate considered a bill "to remove all disqualification of color in carrying the mails of the United States." It directed that after the passage of the act no person, by reason of color, shall be disqualified from employment in carrying the mails, and all acts and parts of acts establishing such disqualification, including especially the seventh section of the act of March 3, 1825, are hereby repealed.

The vote in the Senate was, yeas 24, nays

11, as follows:

YEAS-Messrs. Anthony, Browning, Chandler, Clark, Collamer, Dixon, Doolit tle, Fessenden, Font, Foster, Grimes, Hale, Howard, Howe, King, Lane of Kansas, Morrill, Pomeroy, Sherman, Simmons,

SEC. 2. That in the courts of the United

States there shall be no exclusion of any witness on account of color.

Mr. Powell moved to amend by inserting after the word "States" the words: “in all cases for robbing or violating the mails of the United States."

No further progress was made on the

bill.

NEGRO SUFFRAGE IN MONTANA TERRI

TORY.

1864, March 18-The House passed, without a division, a bill in the usual form, to provide a temporary government for the Territory of Montana.

March 31-The Senate considered it, when Mr. Wilkinson moved to strike from

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the second line of the fifth section, (defining the qualifications of voters,) the words "white male inhabitant" and insert the words: male citizen of the United States, and those who have declared their intention to become such;" which was agreed to-yeas 22, nays 17, as follows:

YEAS-Messrs. Brown, Chandler, Clark, Collamer, Conness, Dixon, Fessenden. Foot, Foster, Grimes, Hale, Harlan, Harris, Howard, Howe, Morgan, Morrill, Pomeroy, Sumner, Wade, Wilkinson, Wilson

22.

NAYS-Messrs. Buckalew, Carlile, Cowan, Davis, Harding, Henderson, Johnson, Lane of Indiana, Nesmith, Powell, Riddle, Saulsbury, Sherman, Ten Eyck, Trumbull, Van Winkle, Willey-17.

The bill was then passed-yeas 29, nays 8,(Messrs. Buckalew, Davis, Johnson, Powell, Riddle, Saulsbury, Van Winkle, Willey.)

April 15-The Senate adopted the report of the Committee of Conference on the Montana bill, which recommended the Senate to recede from their second amendment, and the House to agree to the first cluding the above.) and third amendments of the Senate, (in

April 15-Mr. Beaman presented the report of the Committee of Conference on that the House should recede from its dis the Montana bill, a feature of which was

* Republicans in roman; Democrats in italics.

agreement to the Senate amendment striking out the word "white" in the description of those authorized to vote.

Mr. Holman moved that the report be tabled; which was lost by the casting vote of the Speaker-yeas 66, nays 66.

Upon agreeing to the report the yeas were 54, nays 85.

On motion to adhere to its amendments, and ask another Committee of Conference, Mr. Webster moved instructions:

And that said committee be instructed to agree to no report that authorizes any other than free white male citizens, and those who have declared their intention to become such, to vote.

Which was agreed to-yeas 75, nays 67. April 15-The Senate declined the conference upon the terms proposed by the House resolution of that day.

April 18-The House proposed a further free conference, to which, April 25, the Senate acceded.

May 17-In Senate, Mr. Morrill submitted a report from the Conference Committee who recommend that qualified that qualified voters shall be:

All citizens of the United States, and those who have declared their intention to become such, and who are otherwise described and qualified under the fifth section of the act of Congress providing for a temporary government for the Territory of Idaho approved March 3, 1863.

The report was concurred in-yeas 26,

nays 13.

May 20-The above report was made by Mr. Webster in the House, and agreed to —yeas 102, nays 26.

IN WASHINGTON CITY.

1864, May 6-The Senate considered the bill for the registration of voters in the city of Washington, when

Mr. Cowan moved to insert the word "white" in the first section, so as to confine the right of voting to white male

citizens.

May 12-Mr. Morrill moved to amend the amendment by striking out the words

*In 1960 a vote was had in the State of New York on a proposition to permit negro suffrage without a property naye 37,471. In the State-yeas 197,505. Days 337,984. In 1864 a like proposition was defeated-yeas 85,406, nays

qualification. The result of the city was-yeas 1,640,

224,336.

In 1862, in August, a vote was, had in the State of Illinois, on several propositions relating to negroes and

mulattoes, with this result:

For excluding them from the State....... 171.893
Against....

100,587

71,306

Against granting them suffrage or right to office...... ..

21',920

For.........

35,649

176,271

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198,938

Against....

And shall have paid all school taxes and all taxes on personal property properly assessed against him, shall be entitled to vote for mayor, collector, register, members of the board of aldermen and board of common council, and assessor, and for every officer authorized to be elected at any election under any act or acts to which this is amendatory or supplementary. and inserting the words

And shall within the year next preceding the election have paid a tax, or been assessed with a part of the revenue of the District, county, or cities, therein, or been exempt from taxation having taxable estate, and who can read and write with facility, shall enjoy the privileges of an elector.

May 26-Mr. Sumner moved to amend the bill by adding this proviso:

Provided, That there shall be no exclusion of any person from the registry on ac

count of color.

May 27-Mr. Harlan moved to amend the amendment by making the word "per son son" read "persons," and adding the words

Who have borne arms in the military service of the United States, and have been honorably discharged therefrom.

Which was agreed to yeas 26, nays 12, as follows:

YEAS-Messrs. Anthony, Chandler, Clark, Collamer, Conness, Dixon, Fessenden, Foot, Foster, Grimes, Hale, Harlan, Harris, Johnson, Lane of Indiana, Lane of Kansas, Morgan, Morrill, Pomeroy, Ramsey, Sherman, Ten Eyck, Trumbull, Wade, Willey, Wilson-26.

NAYS-Messrs. Buckalew, Carlile, Cowan, Davis, Hendricks, McDougall, Powell Richardson, Saulsbury, Sumner, Van Winkle, Wilkinson-12.

May 28-Mr. Sumner moved to add these words to the last proviso:

And provided further, That all persons, without distinction of color, who shall, within the year next preceding the election, have paid a tax on any estate, or been assessed with a part of the revenue of said District, or been exempt from taxation having taxable estate, and who can read and write with facility, shall enjoy the privilege of an elector. But no person now entitled to vote in the said District, continuing to reside therein, shall be disfranchised hereby.

Which was rejected-yeas 8, nays 27, as follows:

YEAS-Messrs. Anthony, Clark, Lane of Kansas, Morgan, Pomeroy, Ramsey, Sumner, Wilkinson-8.

NAYS-Messrs. Buckalew, Carlile, Collamer, Cowan, Davis, Dixon, Fessenden, Foot, Foster, Grimes, Hale, Harlan, Har 44,414 164,524 ris, Hendricks, Hicks, Johnson, Lane of Indiana, McDougall, Morrill, Powell, Sauls

-From McPherson's History of the Great Rebellion.

bury, Sherman, Ten Eyck, Trumbull, Van | Columbia," have had the matter thus reWinkle, Willey, Wilson-27. ferred to them under consideration, and beg leave to report:

The other proposition of Mr. Sumner, amended on motion of Mr. Harlan, was The act entitled "An act to incorporate then rejected-yeas 18, nays 20, as follows: the Washington and Georgetown Railroad YEAS-Messrs. Anthony, Chandler, Company," approved May 17, 1862, makes Clark, Dixon, Foot, Foster, Hale, Harlan, no distinction as to passengers over said Howard, Howe, Lane of Kansas, Morgan, road on account of the color of the pasPomeroy, Ramsey, Sherman, Sumner, sengers, and that in the opinion of the Wilkinson, Wilson-18. committee colored persons are entitled to all the privileges of said road which other persons have, and to all remedies for any denial or breach of such privileges which belongs to any person.

NAYS-Messrs. Buckalew, Carlile, Cowan, Davis, Grimes, Harris, Hendricks, Hicks, Johnson, Lane of Indiana, Mc Dougall, Morrill, Nesmith, Powell, Richardson, Saulsbury, Ten Eyck, Trumbull, Van Winkle, Willey-20.

The bill then passed the Senate, and afterward the House, without amendment.

Third Session, Thirty-Seventh Congress.

Excluding Colored Persons from Cars,

In Senate-1863, February 27-Pending a supplement to the charter of the Washington and Alexandria Railroad Company, Mr. Sumner offered this proviso to the

first section:

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NAYS-Messrs. Anthony, Bayard, Carlile, Cowan, Davis, Henderson, Hicks, Howe, Kennedy, Lane of Indiana, Latham, McDougall, Powell, Richardson, Saulsbury, Turpie, Willey, Wilson of Missouri-18.

March 2.-The House concurred in the amendment without debate, under the previous question.

First Session, Thirty-Eighth Congress. In Senate-1864, February 10— Mr. Sumner offered the following:

The committee therefore ask to be discharged from the further consideration of the premises.

March 17-The Senate considered the bill to incorporate the Metropolitan Railroad Company, in the District of Columbia, the pending question being an amendment, offered by Mr. Sumner, to add to the fourteenth section the words:

Provided, That there shall be no regulation excluding any person from any car on

account of color.

Which was agreed to-yeas 19, nays 17, as follows:

YEAS-Messrs. Anthony, Brown, Clark, Conness, Fessenden, Foot, Foster, Grimes, Harlan, Howe, Lane of Kansas, Morgan, Morrill, Pomeroy, Ramsey, Sumner, Wade, Wilkinson, Wilson-19.

NAYS-Messrs. Buckalew, Carlile, Davis, Doolittle, Harding, Harris, Hendricks, Johnson, Lane of Indiana, Powell, Riddle, Saulsbury, Sherman, Ten Eyck, Trumbull, Van Winkle, Willey-17.

The bill then passed the Senate.

June 19-The House refused to strike out the proviso last adopted in the Senate —yeas 60, nays 76.

And the bill passed the House and was approved by the President.

Second Session, Thirty-Seventh Congress.
Colored Persons as Witnesses.

In Senate Pending the confiscation bill,
June 28, 1862.

Mr. Sumner moved these words as an addition to the 14th section:

Resolved, That the Committee on the District of Columbia be directed to consider the expediency of further providing by law against the exclusion of colored And in all the proceedings under this persons from the equal enjoyment of all act there shall be no exclusion of any witrailroad privileges in the District of Colum-ness on account of color. bia.

Which was agreed to-yeas 30, nays 10. February 24-Mr. Willey, from the Committee on the District of Columbia, made this report, and the committee were discharged:

Which was rejected-yeas 14, nays 25, as follows:

YEAS-Messrs. Chandler, Grimes, Harlan, Howard, King, Lane of Kansas, Morrill, Pomeroy, Sumner, Trumbull, Wade, Wilkinson, Wilmot-14.

The Committee on the District of Co- NAYS-Messrs. Anthony, Browning, lumbia, who were required by resolution Carlile, Clark, Collamer, Cowan, Davis, of the Senate, passed February 8, 1864, Dixon, Doolittle, Fessenden, Foot, Foster, "to consider the expediency of further Harris, Henderson, Lane of Indiana, Nesproviding by law against the exclusion of mith, Pearce, Powell, Sherman, Simmons, colored persons from the equal enjoyment Stark, Ten Eyck, Willey, Wilson of Misof all railroad privileges in the District of souri, Wright-25.

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