In New Jersey. A proposition to strike the word "white" from the constitution was defeated in the house -yeas 20, nays 38, as follow: YEAS-Messrs. Atwater, Sayre, Murphy, Edwards, Baldwin, Voorhees, Runyon, A. P. Condit, Bruere, Stansbury, Mount, Estler, J. D. Condit, Wolsieffer, Moore, Custis, Ball, Trimble, Morris, Falkenbury—20. NAYS-Messrs. Allen, Taylor, Iliff, Davenport, W. w. Clark, Vail, Lippincott, Fort, Christie, White, Pickel, Henry, Coles, Crozer, Ayres, Tyrrell, W. J. Iliff, Evans, H. F. Clark, Vliet, Nixon, Garrison, Collings, Wilson, Thompson, Hendrickson, Hedden, Dwyer, Beesley, Van Emburgh, Jarrard, Fulmer, Corlies, Ward, Perrine, Givens, Coate, Yawger 38, In Kansas. A proposition to extend the elective franchise to women is pending. Whereas it has been announced by persons high in authority that propositions from the southern States having in view the adjustment of our present political troubles would be received and considered, &c: Therefore, Resolved by the Legislature of the State of That the Congress of the United States be requested to propose to the legislatures of the several States the following amendment to the Constitution of the United States: The ARTICLE 14, SEC. 1. No State under the Constitution has a right of its own will to renounce its place in or to withdraw from the Union; nòr has the Federal Government any right to eject a State from the Union, or to deprive it of its equal suffrage in the Senate or of representation in the House of Representatives. Union under the Constitution shall be perpetual. SEC. 2. The public debt of the United States, authorized by law, shall ever be held sacred and inviolate; but neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the Government or authority of the United States. SEC. 3. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the States in which they reside; and the citizens of each State shall be entitled to all the privileges and immunities of citizens in the several States. No State shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. * SEC. 4. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of A PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE FOR THE CONSTI-persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. A PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE FOR THE CONSTI- But when any State shall, on account of race or TUTIONAL AMENDMENT. color or previous condition of servitude, deny the exercise of the franchise at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, members of the legislature, and other officers elected by the people, to any of the male inhabitants of such State being twenty-one years of age and citizens of the United States, then the entire class of persons so excluded from the exercise of the elective franchise shall not be counted in the basis of representation. In February, 1867, an effort was made to prepare a constitutional amendment to be substituted for that proposed by Congress. The plan given below was published, and was declared to be approved by President Johnson, and submitted to the Legislature of North Carolina, but was not favorably received: *The following paragraph from the New York Tribune is apposite: Lucy Stone and H. B. Blackwell, citizens of New Jersey, have made an investigation, the result of which is remarkable, and proves that previously to 1776 only men voted, but that in 1776 the original State constitution conferred the franchise on "all inhabitants" (men or women, white or black) possessing the prescribed qualifications of £50 clear estate and twelve months' residence, and this constitution remained in force until 1814. In 1790, the Legislature, in an act regulating elections, used the words "he or she" in reference to voters. In 1797, another act relative to elections repeatedly designates the voters as "he or she." In the same year, 1797, seventy-five women voted in Elizabethtown for the Federal candidate. In 1800 women generally voted through out the State in the presidential contest between Jefferson and Adams. In 1802 a member of the legislature from Hunterdon County was actually elected, in a closely contested election, by the votes of two or three women of color. of the county seat, men and women generally participated, and were jointly implicated in very extensive frauds, In the winter of 1807-8, the legislature, in violation of the terms of the constitution, passed an act restricting suffrage to free white male adult citizens, and, in reference to these, virtually abolished the property qualification of £50, thus extending it to all white male tax-payers, while excluding all women and negroes. In 1820 the same provisions were repeated, and remained unchanged until the adoption of the present constitution in 1844. In 1807, at a local election in Essex county for the location And whereas, &c., be it further resolved by the Legislature of That the following article shall be adopted as an amendment to, and become a part of the constitution of the State of ARTICLE Every male citizen who has resided in this State for one year, and in the county in which he offers to vote six months immediately preceding the day of election, and who can read the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States in the English language and write his name; or who may be the owner of two hundred and fifty dollars' worth of taxable property, shall be entitled to vote at all elections for governor of the State, members of the legislature and all other officers the election of whom may be by the people of the State: Provided, That no person by reason of this article shall be excluded from voting who has heretofore exercised the elective franchise under the constitution or laws of this State, or who, at the time of the adoption of this amendment, may be entitled to vote under said constitution and laws. THE ELECTIONS OF 1867. vote for members of the Assembly; but no person was allowed to vote who could not, if challenged, take and subscribe this oath: "I (A. B.) do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I have never voluntarily borne arms against the United States since I have been a citizen thereof; that I have voluntarily given no aid, countenance, counsel, or encouragement to persons engaged in armed hostility thereto; that I have neither sought nor accepted, nor attempted to exercise, the functions of any office whatever under any authority or pretended authority In NEW HAMPSHIRE, the vote stood: Governor-Harriman, Republican, 35,776; Sinclair, Democrat, 32,733. Republican majority in Legis-in hostility to the United States; that I have not yielded a lature, about 75. voluntary support to any pretended government, authority, inimical thereto, and did not wilfully desert from the mili tary or naval service of the United States, or leave this State to avoid the draft during the late rebellion." In CONNECTICUT, the vote stood: Governor-power, or constitution within the United States, hostile or Hawley, Republican, 46,585; English, Democrat, 47,575. State Legislature: SENATE-Republicans 11, Democrats 10. HOUSE-Republicans 124, Democrats 114. Republican majority on joint ballot, 11. In RHODE ISLAND, the vote stood: Governor Burnside, Republican, 7,554; Pierce, Democrat, 3,350. The legislature is largely Republican. In MARYLAND, the vote on calling a convention to revise the constitution of the State, was: For a convention, 34,534; against, 24,136. sons In Maryland, a new registry law was passed, directing the registering of "all white male perover twenty-one, not criminals or lunatics, and possessing sufficient residence. The legislature also passed an act authorizing and directing the comptroller of that State to examine, adjust, and pay all claims presented to him for settlement by the officers and members, and others of the General Assembly of 1861. It rejected a bill to authorize colored persons to testify in the courts. It provided for the appointment by the governor, by the advice and consent of the senate, in each county, of a "commissioner of slave statistics," to prepare statements of the names, number, age, sex, and physical condition of the slaves in the respective counties at the time of the adoption of the State constitution in 1864, to state whether they were slaves for life or term of years, and whether they were enlisted or drafted into the military service of the United States, so far as is known to said owners or others, and in what regiment they were placed, and what compensation, if any, has been received by such owners from the State or General Government for such slaves-the lists to be preserved among the public records of the counties, and declared to be legal evidence of ownership, &c. The commissioners are to receive twenty-five cents per capita for each slave, to be paid by the former owner. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS. A convention has recently been chosen in NEW YORK by the votes of all persons qualified to The convention is to meet in Albany on the ་ first Tuesday in June. The new constitution is to be submitted in November next—as a whole or otherwise, as the convention may determine -to a vote of those qualified to vote for delegates. The convention stands, politically, Republicans 100, Democrats 60. A convention was chosen in MARYLAND, "by Wednesday of April, in which St. Mary's county the registered voters thereof," on the second has three delegates; Kent, 4; Calvert, 3; Charles, 5 Dorchester, 4; Cecil, 5; Prince George's, 4; 3; Baltimore county, 7; Talbot, 4; Somerset, Queen Anne's, 4; Worcester, 5; Frederick, 7 Harford, 5; Caroline, 4; Baltimore city, 21; Montgomery, 4; Allegany, 6; Carroll, 6; Howard, 4; Anne Arundel, 4; and Washington, 6. Said constitution it is provided, shall contain a clause prohibiting the legislature from making any law providing for payment by this State for tion is to meet in Annapolis, on the second persons heretofore held as slaves." The convenWednesday of May, 1867, the compensation of members to be five dollars per day and mileage, ized to order the payment of the compensation and the president of the convention is authorabove provided, and the treasurer required to pay the same, in conformity with said order. The constitution is to be submitted to the legal and qualified voters for their ratification or rejection. at such time, in such manner, and subject to at such time, in such manner, and subject to such rules and regulations as the convention may prescribe. Judges of election, clerks of court. or sheriffs failing or neglecting to perform any duties required of them respecting these elections, are made liable to indictment, and fine of $1,000 and imprisonment of six months. The convention is unanimously Democratic and "Conservative," the Republicans declining to run candidates. In MICHIGAN, a Convention has been chosen, with a large Republican supremacy. Statement of the Public Debt of the United States on the 1st of April, 1867. PRESIDENT JOHNSON ON HABEAS CORPUS. | addressed the court briefly upon the action of 1865, July 7-Pending the execution of the the Government in the premises, and argued to order of President Johnson, given on page 7, re-show that the suspension of the writ of habeas specting the convicted assassins of President Lincoln, an effort was made to stay the execution by the counsel of Mrs. Surratt, who obtained a writ of habeas corpus on that day from Judge Wylie, one of the justices of the supreme court of the District of Columbia. This writ was served upon General Hancock by the marshal of the District, Mr. Gooding, and at 11 o'clock General Hancock, accompanied by Attorney General Speed, made his appearance in the criminal court room, and made the following return, to wit: corpus was absolutely necessary in a time of war. He declared that the Government had given the the writ should not be complied with after ma case anxious consideration, and had directed that ture deliberation. The court responded by saying that no further action should be taken in the premises. W. E. Doster, Esq., counsel for Payne and Atin their behalf, but as the writ in the case of Mrs. zerodt, also applied for a writ of habeas corpus Surratt had been of no avail, Judge Wylie declined to issue the writ. “HEADQUARTERS MIDDLE MILITARY DIVISION, ADDITIONAL PROCLAMATIONS OF PRESIWASHINGTON, D. C., July 7, 1865. DENT JOHNSON. “To Hon. ANDREW WYLIE, Justice of the Su- 1868, July 18-President Johnson issued a preme Court of the District of Columbia. proclamation reciting the ratification of the "I hereby acknowledge the service of the writ XIVth amendment by South Carolina, in subhereto attached, and return the same, and re- stantially the same terms as are used in the procspectfully say that the body of Mary E. Surratt lamation announcing the action in Florida and is in my possession under and by virtue of an | North Carolina, on page 379. order of Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, and Commander-in-Chief of the army and navy, for the purposes of said order expressed, a copy of which is hereto attached and made part of this return; and that I do not produce said body by reason of the order of the President of the United States indorsed upon said writ, to which reference is hereby respectfully made, dated July 7, 1865. "WINFIELD S. HANCOCK, “Major General U. S. Vols., commanding." The indorsement upon the writ is as follows: "EXECUTIVE OFFICE, July 7, 1865-10 a. m. "To Major General W. S. HANCOCK, Commanding, &c. "I, Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, do hereby declare that the writ of habeas corpus has been heretofore suspended in such cases as this; and I do especially suspend this writ, and direct that you proceed to execute the order heretofore given you upon the judgment of the military commission; and you will give this order in return to this writ. ANDREW JOHNSON, President." When Attorney General Speed appeared he 1868, July 18-President Johnson issued a like proclamation of the action in Louisiana. 1868, July 20-President Johnson issued a like proclamation of the action in Alabama. 1868, July 27-President Johnson issued a like proclamation of the action in Georgia. SECOND ELECTION IN MISSISSIPPI. At the election held in Mississippi, November 30 and December 1, 1869, under the proclamation of President Grant, (see page 505,) the vote was as follows: For the constitution, 113,735; against it, 955. All of the separately-submitted portions (see page 505) were rejected, except section 5, article XII, which was ratified-yeas 70,427, nays 20,834. Part of section 3, article VII, was rejected-yeas 2,206, nays 87,874. Section 5, article VII, was rejected-yeas 2,390, nays 87,253. Part of section 26, article XII, was rejected—yeas 2,171, nays 88,444. [For text of these sections see page 505.] The total registration was 176,792, of whom 76,110 were white, and 100,682 colored. The total vote polled on constitution was 114,690. For Governor, James L. Alcorn, received 76,143 votes; Louis Dent 38,133. At the first election the constitution was defeated-June 22, 1868. PART III. POLITICAL MANUAL FOR 1868. XXIII. ORDERS, LETTERS, MESSAGE AND VOTES IN THE SENATE Request for Mr. Stanton's Resignation and Reply. -PRESIDENT JOHNSON TO SECRETARY STANTON. EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, August 5, 1867. SIR: Public considerations of a high character constrain me to say that your resignation as Secretary of War will be accepted. Very respectfully, 2. -SECRETARY STANTON TO PRESIDENT JOHNSON. WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, August 5, 1867. SIR: Your note of this day has been received, stating that public considerations of a high character constrain you to say that my resignation as Secretary of War will be accepted. In reply, I have the honor to say that public considerations of a high character, which alone have induced me to continue at the head of this Department, constrain me not to resign the office of Secretary of War before the next meeting of Congress. Very respectfully, yours, To the PRESIDENT. EDWIN M. STANTON. Secretary Stanton's Suspension. 3.-PRESIDENT JOHNSON TO SECRETARY STANTON. EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, August 12, 1867 SIR: By virtue of the power and authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and laws of the United States, you are hereby suspended from office as Secretary of War, and will cease to exercise any and all functions pertaining to the same. You will at once transfer to General Ulysses S. Grant, who has this day been authorized and empowered to act as Secretary of War ad interim, all records, books, papers, and other public property now in your custody and charge. Very respectfully, yours, To Hon. EDWIN M STANTON, ANDREW JOHNSON. Secretary of War. PRESIDENT JOHNSON TO GENERAL GRANT. EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, August 12, 1867. SIR: The honorable Edwin M. Stanton having been this day suspended as Secretary of War, you are hereby authorized and empowered to act as Secretary of War ad interim, and will at once enter upon the discharge of the duties of that office. The Secretary of War has been instructed to transfer to you all records, books, papers, and other public property now in his custody and charge. Very respectfully, yours, ANDREW JOHNSON. 5.—GENERAL GRANT TO SECRETARY STANTON. HEADQ'RS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, WASHINGTON, D. C., August 12, 1867. SIR: Enclosed herewith I have the honor to transmit to you a copy of a letter just received from the President of the United States, notifying me of my assignment as Acting Secretary of War, and directing me to assume those duties at once. In notifying you of my acceptance, I cannot let the opportunity pass without expressing to you my appreciation of the zeal, patriotism, firmness, and ability with which you have ever discharged the duties of Secretary of War. With great respect, your obedient servant, U. S. GRANT, General. To Hon. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. 6.-SECRETARY STANTON TO PRESIDENT JOHNSON. WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON CITY, August 12, 1867. SIR: Your note of this date has been received, informing me that, by virtue of the power and authority vested in you as President by the Constitution and laws of the United States, I am suspended from office as Secretary of War, and will cease to exercise any and all functions pertaining to the same, and also directing me at once to transfer to General U. S. Grant, who has this day been authorized and empowered to act as Secretary of War ad interim, all records books, papers, and other public property now in my custody and charge. Under a sense of public duty I am compelled to deny your right, under the Constitution and laws of the United States, without the advice and consent of the Senate, and without legal cause, to suspend me from office as Secretary of War, or the exercise of any or all functions pertaining to the same, or without such advice and consent to compel me to transfer to any person the records, books, papers, and public property in my custody as Secretary. But inasnuch as the General commanding the armies of the United States has been appointed ad interim, and has notified me that he has accepted the appointment, I have no alternative but to submit, under protest, to superior force. Very respectfully, yours, To the PRESIDENT. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. 7.—SECRETARY STANTON TO GENERAL GRant. WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON CITY, August 12, 1867. GENERAL: Your note of this date, accompanied by a copy of a letter addressed to you, August 12, by the President, appointing you Secretary of War ad interim, and informing me, of your acceptance of the appointment, has been received. Under a sense of public duty I am compelled to deny the President's right, under the Constitution and laws of the United States, to suspend .ne from office as Secretary of War, or to authorize any other person to enter upon the discharge of the duties of that office, or to require me to transfer to you or any other person the records, books, papers, and other property in my official custody and charge as Secretary of War. But, inasmuch as the President has assumed to suspend me from office as Secretary of War, and you have notified me of your acceptance of the appointment of Secretary of War ad interim, I have no alternative but to submit, under protest, to the superior force of the President. You will please accept my acknowledgment of the kind terms in which you have notified me of your acceptance of the President's appointment, and my cordial reciprocation of the sentiments expressed. I am, with sincere regard, truly yours, EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. General ULYSSES S. GRANT. Resolved, That having considered the evidence and reasons given by the President in his report of the 12th December, 1867, for the suspension from the office of Secretary of War of Edwin M. Stanton, the Senate do not concur in such suspension. Action of General Grant. HEADQUARTERS ARMIES UNITED STATES. WASHINGTON, D. C., January 14, 1868. SIR: I have the honor to enclose herewith copy of official notice received by me last evening of the action of the Senate of the United States in the case of the suspension of Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War. According to the provisions of section two of "An act regulating the tenure of certain civil offices," my functions as Secretary of War ad interim ceased from the moment of the receipt of the within notice. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, U. S. GRANT, General. His Excellency A. JOHNSON, President of the United States. Subsequent Action of President Johnson. 1868, February 21-President Johnson sent this message to the Senate: To the Senate of the United States: On the 12th day of August, 1867, by virtue dent by the Constitution and laws of the United of the power and authority vested in the PresiStates, I suspended Edwin M. Stanton from the office of Secretary of War. In further exercise of the power and authority so vested in the President, I have this day removed Mr. Stanton from the office, and designated the Adjutant General of the Army as Secretary of War ad interim. Copies of the communications upon this subject, addressed to Mr. Stanton and the Adjutant General, are herewith transmitted for the information of the Senate. ANDREW JOHNSON. [For copies of these orders, see the first and second Articles of Impeachment.] Further Proceedings in the Senate. February 21-Mr. Edmunds submitted the following resolution for consideration : the communication of the President stating. that Resolved, That, having received and considered he had removed from office Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War, the Senate disapprove the action of the President. The Senate, by unanimous consent, proceeded to consider the said resolution. Mr. Dixon moved to amend the resolution, by striking out all after the word "Resolved, and Which was determined in the affirmative-inserting as follows: That the President be reyeas 35, nays 6, as follow: quested to inform the Senate by what authority he |