January 11, 1869

Mr. BOUTWELL. I must decline to yield. I desire for a moment to get the attention of the House to a report from the Judiciary Committee of a joint resolution proposingan amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and also a bill as a substitute for House bill 1463, which was referred to the committee, entitled "An act to secure equal privileges and immunities to citizens of the United States,’’ &c., relating to the subject of suffrage. I wish to have them accepted this morning, ordered to be printed, and recommitted to the committee, on which motion I propose to enter a motion to reconsider, with the understanding that tho motion to reconsider will not be taken up under a week or ten days. The gentleman from Wisconsin, [Mr. Eldridge,] who is a member of the Judiciary Committee, and represents the minority of the House, is content with this arrangement. I do not know whether he is now in his seat or wot"; bat it is satisfactory to him, and I hope will be to all the members of the House,' 1•;'

The SPEAKER. Is there objection

Mr. BECK. I object.•■■'•'

Mr. BOUTWELL. I move to suspend the rules. I thiuk the gentleman from Kentuckywill withdraw his objection if he understands that our purpose is not to take up fhese n afe ters under a weak or ten days, and we then propose to■ give reasonable opportunity foi debate.

Mr. WASHBURNE of Illinois. I desire, in the first place, to inquire of the gentleman from Massachusetts if this business is to go outside the morning hour?

Mr, BOUTWELL. Yes, sir.

Mr. WASHBURNE, of Illinois. I shall object unless it is confined to the morning hour.

Mr. ELIOT. I hope the morning hour will be kept for reports of committees.

Mr. WASHBURNE, of Illinois. This is a report from a committee.

Mr. ELIOT. It ought not to come np out of its order. We shall not be able to go through the call of committees this session, and I hope the House will insist upon it that the morning hour shall be preserved for that business.

The SPEAKER. The Chair will state to the House that without the morning hour shall be preserved the committees, in all probability, cannot be called through this session.

Mr. BOUTWELL. I think there will be sufficient time for the consideration of this matter outside of the morning honr.

Mr. ELIOT. Very well; let that be the understanding before we vote.

Mr. WASHBURNE, of Illinois. I object to that, because we need all th^ tinje outside of the morning hour for the consideration of public business, the appropriation bills.

Mr. GARFIELD. I must object to the proposition of the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Boutwell] if it is to take the morning hour. I think his measures are as legitimately public business as appropriation bills or any other bills.

Mr. BOUTWELL. I make the motion to suspend the rules, with the understanding that I shall call up the motion to reconsider outside of the morning hour, having due regard to the condition of the public business, as I have no desire to interfere with the appropriation bills. There certainly will be time outside of the morning hour between now and the 4th of March next to consider the measures to which I refer.

The SPEAKER. As the Chair understands the motion of the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. BoOtwkliJ it is to suspend the rules to enable him to report the joint resolution and bill to which he has referred, to have them printed and recommitted, and to enable him to enter a motion to reconsider the recommitment, which motion to reconsider shall not be laid on the table.

Mr. BECK. After an explanation made to me by the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Ei DRIDGe 1 withdraw my objection to the proposition of the gentleman from Massachusetts, [Mr. Boutwell.]

No further objection was made.

Mr. BOUTWELL. I now report from the Committee on the Judiciary joint resolution (II. R. No. 863) proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States and a bill (H. R. No. 1403 declaring who may vote for electors for President and Vice President and for Representatives in Congress, with substitutes for the same, which I move be printed and recommitted to the Committee on the Judiciary.

The SPEAKER. The Chair would suggest to the gentleman that it would probably simplify the action of the House to have the substitutes reported as original measures.

Mr. BOUTWELL. I accept the suggestion of the Chair, and report from the Committee on the Judiciary the joint resolution to which I have referred.

The joint resolution (H. R. No. 402) proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States was read a first and second time.

Mr. SPALDING. I ask that the joint resolution be read in full.

The joint resolution was read, as follows:

Beit resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, (two thirds of both Houses concurring,) That the following article bo proposed to the Legislatures of the several States as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which, when ratified by three fourths of said Legislatures, shall be held as part of said Constitution, namely:

Article—.

Sec. 1. Therightpfany citizen of the United States to vote shall not bedenied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of the race, color, or previous condition of slavery of any citizen or class of citizens of the United States.

Sec. 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce by proper legislation the provisions of this article.

Mr. BOUTWELL. I move that the joint resolution be printed and recommitted to the Committee on the Judiciary.

The motion was agreed to.

Mr. BOUTWELL. I now move to reconsider the vote by which the joint resolution was recommitted to the Committee on the Judiciary.

The SPEAKER. The motion to reconsider will be entered upon the Journal.

Mr. BOUTWELL, from the Committee on the Judiciary, reported a bill (II. R. No. 1667) declaring who may vote for electors for President and Vice President and for Representatives in Congress; which was read a first and second time, ordered to be printed, and recommitted to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. BOUTWELL. I move to reconsider the vote by which the bill was recommitted to the Committee on the Judiciary.

The SPEAKER. The motion to reconsider will be entered upon the Journal.