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A BILL "to provide for giving effect to treaty stipulations between this and foreign governments for the extradition of criminals was introduced in the Senate, December 17, 1868, by Trumbull of Illinois. The bill was called up January 11, 1869, but went over until February 5, when it was read and passed. The bill passed the House March 2. There was no debate in either house. REFERENCES. Text in U.S. Statutes at Large, XV, 337, 338. The proceedings are unimportant. On the general subject see Wharton, International Law Digest, II, chap. 7.

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An Act further to provide for giving Effect to Treaty Stipulations between this and foreign Governments for the Extradition of Criminals.

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Be it enacted That whenever any person shall have been delivered by any foreign government to an agent or agents of the United States for the purpose of being brought within the United States and tried for any crime of which he is duly accused, the President shall have power to take all necessary measures for the transportation and safe-keeping of such accused person, and for his security against lawless violence, until the final conclusion of his trial for the crime[s] or offences specified in the warrant of extradition, and until his final discharge from custody or imprisonment for or on account of such crimes or offences, and for a reasonable time thereafter. And it shall be lawful for the President, or such person as he may empower for that purpose, to employ such portion of the land or naval forces of the United States, or of the militia thereof, as may be necessary for the safe-keeping and protection of the accused as aforesaid.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That any person duly appointed as agent to receive in behalf of the United States the delivery by a foreign government of any person accused of crime committed within the jurisdiction of the United States and to convey him to the place of his trial, shall be, and hereby is, vested with all the powers of a marshal of the United

States in the several districts through which it may be necessary for him to pass with such prisoner, so far as such power is requisite for his safe-keeping.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That if any person or persons shall knowingly and wilfully obstruct, resist, or oppose such agent in the execution of his duties, or shall rescue, or attempt to rescue, such prisoner, whether in the custody of the agent aforesaid, or of any marshal, sheriff, jailer, or other officer or person to whom his custody may have lawfully been committed, every person so knowingly and wilfully offending in the premises shall, on conviction thereof before the district or circuit court of the United States for the district in which the offence was committed, be fined not exceeding one thousand dollars, and imprisoned not exceeding one year. APPROVED, March 3, 1869.

No. 78. Act to strengthen the Public Credit

March 18, 1869

A BILL "to strengthen the public credit, and relating to contracts for the payment of coin," was introduced in the House, January 20, 1869, by Schenck of Ohio, and referred to the Committee of Ways and Means. The bill was taken up February 24, and passed the same day by a vote of 121 to 60, 41 not voting. On the 27th the bill passed the Senate, but was disposed of by a "pocket" veto. The second section of the bill legalized contracts for payments in coin. The same bill was again introduced by Schenck March 12, and passed the House the same day by a vote of 93 to 48, 52 not voting. A bill of somewhat different character had been introduced in the Senate March 9. On the 15th the Senate bill was laid aside, and the House bill, without the second section, passed, the final vote being 42 to 13. REFERENCES.

Text in U.S. Statutes at Large, XVI, 1. For the proceedings see the House and Senate Journals, 40th Cong., 3d Sess., and 41st Cong., Ist Sess., and the Cong. Globe.

An Act to strengthen the public Credit.

Be it enacted.

That in order to remove any doubt as to the purpose of the government to discharge all just obligations

to the public creditors, and to settle conflicting questions and interpretations of the laws by virtue of which such obligations have been contracted, it is hereby provided and declared that the faith of the United States is solemnly pledged to the payment in coin or its equivalent of all the obligations of the United States not bearing interest, known as United States notes, and of all the interest-bearing obligations of the United States, except in cases where the law authorizing the issue of any such obligation has expressly provided that the same may be paid in lawful money or other currency than gold and silver. But none of said interest-bearing obligations not already due shall be redeemed or paid before maturity unless at such time United States notes shall be convertible into coin at the option of the holder, or unless at such time bonds of the United States bearing a lower rate of interest than the bonds to be redeemed can be sold at par in coin. And the United States also solemnly pledges its faith to make provision at the earliest practicable period for the redemption of the United States notes in coin. APPROVED, March 18, 1869.

No. 79. Equal Rights in the District of Columbia

March 18, 1869

A BILL to give equal political rights, regardless of color, to persons in the District of Columbia, passed the Senate July 17, 1867, and the House July 18, but was not acted on by the President. The same bill again passed the Senate December 5, and the House December 9, and was again left without action. A third bill, in the words of the act following, passed the Senate February 11, 1869, and the House March 2, but failed under a “pocket" veto. The same bill was again introduced in the Senate, March 6, by Sumner, and on the 8th passed by a vote of 31 to 27. The House passed the bill without amendment on the 15th, the vote being III to 46, 39 not voting, and on the 18th the act was approved.

REFERENCES.

- Text in U.S. Statutes at Large, XVI, 3. For the proceedings see the House and Senate Journals, 41st Cong., 1st Sess., and the Cong. Globe. The important debates took place on the earlier bills.

An Act for the further Security of equal Rights in the District of

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Columbia.

Be it enacted. That the word "white," wherever it occurs in the laws relating to the District of Columbia, or in the charter or ordinances of the cities of Washington or Georgetown, and operates as a limitation on the right of any elector of such District, or of either of the cities, to hold any office, or to be selected and to serve as a juror, be, and the same is hereby, repealed, and it shall be unlawful for any person or officer to enforce or attempt to enforce such limitation after the passage of this act. APPROVED, March 18, 1869.

No. 80. Amended Tenure of Office Act April 5, 1869

VARIOUS bills to amend or repeal the Tenure of Office Act [No. 57] were introduced in Congress prior to the act of April 5, but none of them received favorable consideration. March 9, 1869, a bill to repeal the act was introduced in the House by Benjamin F. Butler of Massachusetts, and passed the same day, the vote being 138 to 16, 39 not voting. In the Senate, by a vote of 34 to 25, the bill was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, who reported on the 24th a new bill, which was agreed to by a vote of 37 to 15. On the 26th, by a vote of 70 to 99, 27 not voting, the House disagreed to the Senate amendments, and the bill received its final form from a conference committee. The report of the committee was agreed to March 31, in the House by a vote of 108 to 67, 21 not voting, in the Senate by a vote of 42 to 8. The act was repealed by an act of March 3, 1887.

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REFERENCES.- Text in U.S. Statutes at Large, XVI, 6, 7. For the proceedings see the House and Senate Journals, 41st Cong., 1st Sess., and the Cong. Globe.

An Act to amend "An Act regulating the Tenure of certain civil

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Offices."

Be it enacted That the first and second sections of an act entitled "An act regulating the tenure of certain civil offices," passed March two, eighteen hundred and sixty-seven, be, and the same are hereby, repealed; and in lieu of said repealed sections the following are hereby enacted :

That every person holding any civil office to which he has been or hereafter may be appointed by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and who shall have become duly qualified to act therein, shall be entitled to hold such office during the term for which he shall have been appointed, unless sooner removed by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, or by the appointment, with the like advice and consent, of a successor in his place, except as herein otherwise provided.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That during any recess of the Senate the President is hereby empowered, in his discretion, to suspend any civil officer appointed by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, except judges of the United States courts, until the end of the next session of the Senate, and to designate some suitable person, subject to be removed in his discretion by the designation of another, to perform the duties of such suspended officer in the mean time; and such person so designated shall take the oaths and give the bonds required by law to be taken and given by the suspended officer, and shall, during the time he performs his duties, be entitled to the salary and emoluments of such office, no part of which shall belong to the officer suspended; and it shall be the duty of the President within thirty days after the commencement of each session of the Senate, except for any office which in his opinion ought not to be filled, to nominate persons to fill all vacancies in office which existed at the meeting of the Senate, whether temporarily filled or not, and also in the place of all officers suspended; and if the Senate during such session shall refuse to advise and consent to an appointment in the place of any suspended officer, then, and not otherwise, the President shall nominate another person as soon as practicable to said session of the Senate for said office.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That section three of the act to which this is an amendment be amended by inserting after the word "resignation," in line three of said section, the following: "or expiration of term of office."

APPROVED, April 5, 1869.

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