HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 1863.The House met at 2 p.m.
Mr RYAN, member elect from Crawford county appeared, presented his credentials and was sworn in.
NEW PROPOSITIONS
Mr. MOORMAN introduced a bill [H. R. 3] to appropriate $30,000 for the expenses of the present Legislature, which under a suspension of the rules was read twice and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Mr. MILLER introduced a bill [4] to amend the 406th section of the Practice Act, to facilitate the issuance of executions on judgements after the lapse of five years, which was read the first time and passed to the second reading.
RAILROAD TARIFF
On motion by Mr. BROWN, it was--
Resolved, By this House (the Senate concurring,) that a committee of two on the part of the Senate, and three on the part of the House, be appointed to examine and report at an early day whether certain railroad companies in this State are charging higher rates for the transportation of passengers and freights than is allowed by their charters, and also whether the same rate per mile is charged for transporting the same without regard to distance.
The SPEAKER makes this committee to consist of Messrs. Brown, Holcomb and Newman.
Mr. LAMB offered a resolution which was adopted instructing the Committee on the Judiciary with regard to paying the Home Legion for services on the border.
The bill [H. R. 1] to enforce the 13th Article of the Constitution was read the second time and referred to the Judiciary Committee.
The bill [H. R. 2] creating the 16th Judicial District was read the second time and referred to a select committee.
page: 35[View Page 35]EMANCIPATION.
Mr. WATERMAN offered a resolution, instructing Senators and requesting Representatives in Congress to use all honorable efforts to defeat the President's compensated emancipation scheme, which was referred to the Committee on Federal Relations.
Mr. PACKARD submitted the following, which was also referred to the Committee on Federal Relations:
WHEREAS, The President of the United States, at the second session of the Thirty Seventh Congress, submitted the project of a law or pledge for compensation to any State or States which may emancipate the slaves existing in or being inhabitants of, such States, and whereas, such law, so passed, provides for the creation of a large and onerous public debt, by the issuing of the bonds of the United States, with interest running thereon till redeemed, in payment of said slaves so manumitted and set free, and
WHEREAS, The said Congress, at its second session, did enact the same into the form of a law, with the approval of the President; and
WHEREAS, This was done in derogation of all notice to the people of the several States; that the same was intended and contemplated, and against the solemn pledges of the President and Congress, that neither had the "lawful right or power" to interfere with slavery in any of the States of the American Union, therefore,
Resolved, By the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, that the said action of the President and Congress of the United States had no warrant in the Constitution--that it was an assumption of authority not delegated by the people, or the States to the Executive or Legislative branches of the General Government--in bold and wicked defiance of the rights of the people, and the pledges made to the nation, and in manifestly oppressive to the citizens of the several States having no connection or interest in the existence of African slavery.
Resolved, That this General Assembly, in behalf of the people represent therein, do most solemnly protest against the enactment of that law or project by Congress; and that we deem it an act of common honesty to declare that the people of Indiana, already burthended by excessive taxation for the legitimate expenses of the existing war, will oppose by all lawful and constitutional means, every attempt to subject their property and industry to new and unconstitutional exactions, and for purposes so irreconcilable with the requirements of the National Constitution, and at war with the sacred rights of the citizens of the various States.
Resolved, That our Senators in Congress be instructed, and our Representatives requested, to vote for the prompt repeal of said law or pledge, at the present session.
Resolved, That His Excellency, the Governor, be requested to transmit, without delay, certified copies of this joint resolution to each of our Senators and Representatives in Congress.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF COMMITTEES
The SPEAKER announced the following Select Committee on Arbitrary Arrests--one from each Congressional District--appeared in pursuance of Mr. Brown's resolution adopted on Friday: Messrs. Brown, Given, Howard, Ferris, Morgan, Gregg, Hanna, Gregory, Lasselle, Baker and Shoaff of Jay.
Also the following Standing Committees:
- Elections--Messrs. Roberts, Howell, Atkison, Spencer, Abdill, Hall and Morgan.
- Ways and Means--Messrs. Niblack, Puett, Branham, Harney, Bird, Waterman and Jones.
- Judiciary--Messrs. Howk, Burton, Anderson, Lake, Lasselle, Packard and Kilgore.
- Organization of Courts--Messrs. Brown, Shaffer, O'Brien of Hamilton, Mason, Garvin, Newman, Howell and Lamb.
- Banks--Messrs. Puett, Shoaff of Jay, Harney, Woollen, Branham, Jones and Bird
- Federal Relations--Messrs. Packard, Given, Tarkington, Howell, Niblack, Anderson and Gregg.
- Education--Messrs. Holcomb, Wolfe, Van Buskirk, Pendleton, Higgins, Given and Griffith.
- The affairs of the State Prison North--Messrs. Packard, Milroy, Priest, Tarkington, Collins, Rippey and Kilgore.
- Swamp Lands--Messrs. Shaffer, Richardson, Atkison, Davis, Forester, Puett and Waterman.
- Military Affairs--Messrs. Hanna, Milroy, Baker, Roberts, Kemp of Vigo, Lemmon of Spencer, and Johnson.
- Claims--Messrs. Howell, Lemmon of Harrison, Pendleton, Stone, Wolfe, Veach, Roe and Hutchings.
- Trust Funds--Messrs. Burton, Hon, Hardin of Washington, Gregory, Cass, Hall, Lamb and Blocher.
- Fees and Salaries--Messrs. Humphries, DeBruler, Higgins, Waterman, McGauchey, Hershey and Perry.
- Sinking Fund--Messrs. Lemmon of Harrison, Osborn, Chambers, Bregan, Pettibone, Forester and O'Brien of Martin.
- Rights and Privileges--Messrs Ferris, Lake, Kilgore, Moorman, Spence, Gregory and Miller.
- Railroads--Messrs Branham, Bird, Mutz, Abbett, Morgan, Newman, and Donaldsen.
- Commerce and Manufactures--Messrs. Rippey, Reitz, Kemp of Dubois,Hardin of Washington, Hostetter, Woodruff and Marshall.
- County and Township Business--Messrs. Miller, Priest, Stone, Shoaff of Allen, Pettibone, Perry and Cook.
- Agriculture--Messrs. Milroy Harney, Van Buskirk, Collins, Hall, Blocher and Budd.
- Roads--Messrs. Shoaff of Jay, Cook, Davis, Hardin of Perry, O'Brien of Martin, Hutchings and Hershey.
- Scientific and Benevolent Institutions--Messrs. Woollen, Mason, Cass, Ryan, Richardson, Griffith, and Lemmon of Spencer.
- Temperance--Messrs. Abbett, Hon, Van Buskirk, Williams, Noyes, Griffith and Priest.
- Mileage and Accounts--Messrs. Mutz, Hardin of Washington, Kendrick, Leeds, Hardin of Perry, James and Veach.
- Corporations--Messrs. Garvin, Hanna, Mustard, Higgins, Tarkington, Howk and Woollen.
- Public Expenditures--Messrs. Donaldson, McGauchey, Abdill, Marshall, Lee, Hetfield and James.
- Engrossed Bills--Messrs. Lasselle, Osborn, Cason, Byerle, Baker, Howard and Given.
- Canals--Messrs. Hetfield, Shoaff of Allen, DeBruler, Humphries, Reitz, Budd and Mustard.
- Public Printing--Messrs Mutz, Ryan, Cason, Robinson, Kemp of Dubois, Brown and Chambers.
- The Affairs of the City of Indianapolis--Messrs. Kendrick, Lee, Williams, Hostetter, Robinson, Hardin of Perry and Cook.
JOINT STANDING COMMITTEES
- Enrolled Bills--Messrs Wolfe, Pendleton, Ferris, Leeds, Noyes, Lake and Kendrick.
- Public Buildings--Messrs. Collins, Hardin of Washington and Hershey.
- The State Library--Messrs. Pendleton, Anderson and Richardson.
- The Canal Fund--Messrs. Spencer, Mustard and Donaldson.
NEW PROPOSITIONS
The following bills were introduced, real the first, and severally passed to the second reading.
By Mr. GARVIN [5] Granting to Circuit Courts concurrent jurisdiction page: 36[View Page 36] with Common Pleas Courts in all cases not exclusively within, the jurisdiction of Justices of the Peace.
By Mr. NEWMAN, [6] To regulate the number of jurors required to agree on verdicts--two-thirds to be sufficient.
