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40th Congress Special Session Cong. Globe 1 (1867)

handle is hein.congrec/conglob0093 and id is 1 raw text is: SENATE-SPECIAL SESSION

FORTIETH OON GIESS.
SPEOIAL SESSION.
IN SENATE.
MONDAY, April 1, 1867.
In pursuance of the President's proelama-
tion of March 30, the Senate assembled at
twelve o'clock noon to-day, in, the Senate
Chamber, in the Capitol; at the city of NVash-
ington.
The PRESIDENT pro tempore (Hon. BEx-
JAN5N F'. W.AE) called the Senate to order.
Prayer by Rev. D. H. GRAx, D. D.
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The proc-
lamation of the ?residentof he United States
will be read.
The Secretary read the proclamation  as fol-
lows:
Byt holPrcidce t of the Unitel ,tafe of America:
A Proclamation.
Wbereas objects of interest to the United States
require that the Senate should be convened at twelve
o'clock on Mlonday. the 1st day Qf April next, to re-
ceive andaet upon such communications as may be
made to it on the lart of the Executive:
Now, therefore, , Andrew Johnson, President of
the United States, have considered it to be my duty
1o issue this my proclamation, declaring that an ex-
traordinary oesasion requires the Senate of the Uni-
ted States to convene for the transaction of business
At the CalPitol,ja the city of Washington. on Monday,
the Ist day of April next, at twelve o'clock on that
day, of wfich alt who shall at that time Ibo entitled
to act as members of that body aroesorbyxequired
to take notice.
Given under my hand and the seal of the United
States at Washington, the thirtieth day of
ESUA J  arli in the year of ourLord one thousand
eight hundred and sixty-seven, and of the
independenceof the United States ofAmerica
the ninety-lirst.
ANDItEW JO0ItSON.
By the President:
W5LLI1A,1 1. Srwan, ,ccracarp of State.
NOTIIIOATION TO TLSD PRESIDENT.
Mr. SHERMAN. I move that the Senate
proceed to the consideration of executive busi-
ness.
Mr. ANTHONY. Before that motion -is
-put, I wish to offer some necessary preliminary
resolutions.
The PRESIDENT proempore. The Chair
understands it to be the invariable practice to
organize the Senate, as it may be called; that
is, to inform the President that a quorum is
present, and to take action in regard to com-
mittees before any other business is proceeded
with.
Mr, SHERMAN. I withdraw the motion.
Mr. ANTHONY submitted the following
resqlution; which was consideredby unanimois
consent, and agreed to:
Resolved, That acommitteeconsistingof two mem-
bera be appointed to wait on the President of the
United States and inform him that a quorum of the
Senate has assembled, and that the Senate is ready
to receive any communication he may be pleased to
make.
The PRESIDENT pro te pore being an-
-821

thorized to appdat the committee, Messrs,
Aa2-roxy and .EzDnaOXS were appointed.
H OUR OF hr .TIXG.
On motion of Mr. ANTHONY, it was
Ord¢red, That the hoer of the dailyneethng of the
Senate be twelve o'clock )meridian, until otherwise
ordered.
STANDING OOXIMtTTME.
Mr. ANTHONY. I offer another resolu-
tion; I do it without consultation, but I pre-
sume it will meet with general assent: _
Resolred, That the statidinrg committees of the Sen-
ate of thel ast session be continueddurlng the present
special session.
The resolution was considered bynanimous
consent, and agreed to.
xxewUrzvE sEsSIoN.
Mr. SHERMAN. I believe allthe prelim-
inary resolutions have now been passed. I
move that the Senate proceed to the consider-
ation of executive business.
The motion was agreed to; and after some
time spent in executive Session, the doors were
reopened.
Mr. ANTHONY, from the committee ap-
pointed to wait on the President of the United
ttates and inform him that a quorum of the
Sendte ]as assembled, and that the Senate is
ready to receive any communication he may
be pleased to make, reported that the commit-
tee had performed the duty assigned them, and
that the President replied that he would make
a communication to the Senate in writing to-
morrow.
PAPEnS WITHIDRAWN.
On alotion of Mr. WILSON, it was
Ordered, That Delphiao P. Baker have leave to
withdraw from the files of te o Senate her petition
praying that the Government buildings at Point
Lookout, formerly occupied as a prison for rebel
soldiers, may be appropriated for the National mil-
itary and Naval Asylum.
On motion, the Senate adjourned.
TuESD.y, April 2, 1867.
Prayer by Rev. E. H. GRAr, DD.
The Journal of yesterday, was read and
approved.
IMSION OF DISTICT LAWS.
Mr. HARLAN submitted the following res-
olution; which was considered by unanimous
consent, and agreed to:
Resolved, That the Committee on the District of
Columbia be instructed to proseeute the revision of
the laws of the District of Columbia authorized by a
joint resolution entitled Ajresolutionto providefor
th revision of the lawaof the District of Columbia.
approved Junno 18,1864, and that they have authority
to sit during the recess of the Senate and to employ
the necessary-elericnassistane for thutpurpose, not
oxceeding ten dollars per day.  -
SENATOR FI0lZ 5IA5SXLASD.
Mr. JOHNSON. I rise to what I suppose
is a privileged question, and ifit is not a privi-

leged one, I ask The indulgence of the Senate
to permit me to do what I desire to do.
On the 27th of March the honorable member
from Michigan [Mr. HowirAn stated that he
was then in a condition to make specific
charges against my elected colleague, Hon. Mr.
Thomas, and in support of that statement he
referred to a report made to the stock-holders
of the Bank of Commerce of New York by
the board of directors sometime in the year
1862.
Mr. Thomas came t6 this city under the Ad
ministration of Mr. Buchanan to accept the
office of Commissioner of Patents. ' He held
that for more than a year, and, as I believe, to
the satisfaction of all who had business with
that department.
Mr. CHANDLER. I suppose the Senator
from Maryland alludes to my colleagee?
Mr. JOHNSON. Yes, sir.
Mr. CHANDLER. I merelywishtoremind
the Senator that he is not present.
Mr. JOHNSON. It is not necessary for
my purpose that he should be, though I would
prefer to have him here. Upon the resigna-
tion of Howell Cobb, which took place I think
-some time about the 1lth of December, 1860,
Mr. Thomas was requested by the President
to accept the office ot Secretary of the Treas-
ury, and be was appointed on the 12th of De-
cember. He remained in office until about
the 12th or 13th of January succeeding, when
he resigned. His letter of resignation, hap
already been presented to the Senate by .ny
friend from Ohio, [Mr. Srm ns.]A
When be came into the Departmentbe found
the Treasury almost entirely depleted. His
predpecessor-I have no reason to believe that
it was not done with proper motives-in 1857
when there threatened to he a financial crisis
in the country, end especially in New York,
having in his possession some nineteen or
twenty million 'dollars not called for as he
supposed by the necessities of the Government,
bought up the stocks of the United States at, I
believe, a premium of some twelve to nineteen
dollars on the hundred. For doing so, as it
operated very beneficially to the banking and
commercial interests of New York, he was ap-
plauded; but the result was that when PXr.
Thomas, his suc-pssor, took possession of the
Department he found, as I have stated, that
there was hardly money enough in the'Treas-
ury to meet the daily wants of the Govern-
ment.
Congress in December, 1860, passed an act
authorizing a loan of $10,000,000 on the issue
of Treasury notes. Under the authority of that
act, the day after itwas passed Mr. Thomas is-
sped proposals for a part of the loan, $6, 000,000.
The. advertisement was published just as soon
as it was possible to do it after the act was
passed. By the law, if I recollect aright, ten
days' notice was to be given to receive bids.
Those ten days expired about the 27th or 28th

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