HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 1863.Mr. GREGORY offered a resolution, which was adopted, instruction the Judiciary Committee to inquire respecting the laws punishing assaults.
Mr. MASON offered a resolution, which was adopted, instructing the Committee on Judiciary as to the expediency of amending the election law.
STATE OFFICERS.
Mr. WOLFE offered a concurrent resolution, which was adopted, to proceed to page: 49[View Page 49] the election of Directors of the State Prison, North and South, and of State Printer, at 2 o'clock, Wednesday next, in joint convention.
A NATIONAL CONVENTION, &C.
Mr. FERRIS offered the following:
Resolved, That the law of Congress erecting certain counties of Virginia into a State called the State of "Western Virginia," is an original and independent act of revolution and involves a plain breach of both the Constitutions of Virginia and the nation. Unlike the emancipation proclamation, it is not sought to be justified by its authors on the pretense of military necessity. Its passage by Congress and approval by the President betray, even more than any former act of Congress or of the President had betrayed, the deliberate purpose of the Administration and the political majority of Congress to set aside the Constitution and establish upon the common ruins of the Union and the sovereignty of the States a revolutionary government, monarchical and military in its character,and in which all the great guarantees of civil liberty, recently so recklessly assailed, will be known no more for ever.
Resolved, That it is to the people we must look for a restoration of the Union and the blessings of peace, and to these ends we should direct our earnest and honest efforts, and hence we are in favor of the assembling of a national convention of all the States, at Louisville, Kentucky, at the earliest practicable period, to so adjust our national difficulties that the States may live together in harmony, each being secured in the rights guaranteed respectively, to all by our fathers.
Resolved, That we earnestly recommend a cessation of hostilities for such period as may be necessary to allow the people of the North and South to express, through a National Convention, their wish for peace and the maintenance of "the Union as it was and the Constitution as it is."
Resolved, That the General Government has no power under the Constitution, to tax the people of the State of Indiana for the purpose of raising money with which to buy the slaves of the Southern States, and we now declare, in advance, that all debts contracted or bonds which may be issued for the purpose of paying for any such slaves, we hold to be utterly void, for want of authority to issue the same, and the State of Indiana will never consent that her people shall be taxed for any such purpose.
Mr. NOYES moved to lay the resolution on the table.
Mr. ATKISON moved an amendment, that the vote be taken separately. He was in favor of the first of the series. To the others he objected.
The motion was agreed to and the House refused to lay on the table the first resolution by nays 59.
The question recurring on laying on the table the three remaining resolutions:
The yeas and nays were demanded and being ordered and taken resulted--yeas 30, nays 61--as follows:
YEAS--Messrs. Anderson, Atkison, Baker, Budd, Cass, Chambers, Davis, Forester, Gregory, Griffith, Hershey, Higgins, Hutchings, James, Johnson, Junes, Kendrick,Kilgore, Lamb, Moorman, Morgan, Newman, Noyes, Perry, Pettibone, Robinson, Stone, Tarkington, VanBuskirk and Woodruff--30
NAYS--Messrs. Abbett, Bird, Blocher, Bregan, Brown, Burton, Byerle, Collins, Cook, De Bruler, Donaldson, Ferris, Garvin, Given, Gregg, Hall, Hanna, Harden, of Washington, Hardin, of Perry, Harney, Hetfield, Hon, Hostetter, Howard, Howell, Howk, Humphreys, Kemp, of Dubois, Kemp, of Vigo, Lake, Lasselle, Lee, Leeds, Lemmon, of Harrison, Mason, McGauchey, Miller, Milroy, Mustard, Mutz, Niblack, O'Brien, of Martin, Osborn, Packard, Pendleton, Priest, Puett, Reitz, Richardson, Rippey, Shaffer, Shoaff, of Allen, Shoaff, of Jay, Spencer, Veach, Waterman, Williams, Wolfe, Woollen, and Mr. Speaker--61.
So the motion to lay on the table was rejected.
The resolutions were then referred to the Committee on Federal Relations.
HON. HORATIO SEYMOUR.
Mr. PACKARD offered the following:
Resolved, By the House (the Senate concurring) that the thanks of the General Assembly of the State of Indiana are due, and are hereby tendered to the Hon. Horatio Seymour, Governor of New York, for the able and patriotic defence of the Constitution, the laws and liberties of the American citizen, contained in his late message to the Legislature of that State, and particularly for his just and high appreciation of the interests, position, and patriotism of the great North west. And that we assure him that the conservative people of our own beloved State are looking with deep solicitude and confidence to his executive action, believing that they will find in it a firm and determined resistance to the encroachments of a despotic Administration upon the liberties of the American people, as well as a bold defense of the independent sovereignty of the several States of this Union; and that such action will receive the warm sympathies and hearty co-operation of all the conservative citizens of this State.
Resolved, That the Speaker of the House be directed to forward copies of these concurrent resolutions to his Excellency, Governor Seymour, and to the Legislature of that State.
The yeas and nays were demanded and being ordered and taken resulted--yeas 53, nays 35--as follows:
YEAS--Messrs. Abbett, Bird, Blocher, Bregan, Brown, Burton, Collins, Cook, Donaldson, Ferris, Garvin, Hall, Hanna, Harden, of Washington; Hardin, of Perry; Harney, Hetfield, Hon, Howard, Howell, Howk, Humphreys, Kemp, of Dubois, Kemp, of Vigo, Lake, Lasselle, Lemmon, of Harri-son; Mason, McGauchey, Miller, Milroy, Mutz, Niblack, O'Brien, of Martin; Osborn, Packard, Pendleton, Puett, Reitz, Richardson, Rippey, Ryan, Shaffer, Shoaff, of Allen; Shoaff, of Jay; Spencer, Veach, Waterman, Williams, Wolfe, Woodruff, Woollen and Mr. Speaker--53.
NAYS--Messrs. Abdill, Anderson, Atkison, Baker, Branham, Budd, Byerle, Cass, Chambers, Davis, Gregg, Gregory, Hershey, Higgins, Hostetter, Hutchings, James, Johnson, Jones, Kendrick, Kilgore, Lamb, Leeds, Marshall, Moorman, Morgan, Mustard, Newman, Noyes, Perry, Pettibone, Robinson, Stone, Tarkington, and Van Buskirk,--35.
So the resolutions were adopted.
THE STATE OF THE UNION.
Mr. HUMPHREYS offered a resolution instructing Senators and requesting Representatives in Congress to take measures to suspend hostilities between the United States and the Confederate States, and for the calling of a National Convention for the reunion of the States under the Constitution.
Mr. BAKER offered a resolution to sustain the government and the war.
Mr. MORGAN offered a resolution against secession and the right of secession. These three resolutions were referred to the Committee on Federal Relations.
Mr. BROWN called up the resolution to send all political resolutions to the Committee on Federal Relations, without debate, and it was adopted.
page: 50[View Page 50]THE STATE OF THE UNION.
Mr. COOK offered a joint resolution condemning the war, but not the rebellion which was referred to the committee under the rule just adopted.
THANKS TO NURSES.
Mr. HON offered a resolution, which was adopted, returning the thanks of this House to the ladies of Indiana who have taken care of the sick and wounded in the hospitals.
STATE PRINTER.
Mr. ANDERSON offered a resolution, which was adopted, instructing the committee on Printing to inquire into the expediency of abolishing the office of public Printer.
THIRD JUDICIAL CIRCUIT.
Mr. NIBLACK introduced a bill [26] to fix the term of Courts in the 3d Judicial Circuit, which was read three times, under a suspension of the rules, and passed.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The following bills were introduced, read the first time and passed to the second reading:
By Mr. WATERMAN, [27] authorizing special sessions of County Commissioners in certain emergencies.
By Mr. LAMB, [28] amending the game laws--making it unlawful to shoot or trap quails or pheasants between the 1st day of February and the 1st day of October.
By Mr. MILLER, [29] amending the 37th section of the act defining misdemeanors--relative to disturbing lawful meetings of citizens so that persons asking questions, or who shall otherwise disturb public meetings shall be subject to a fine.
By Mr. WOLFE, [30] amending section 2d of the practice act, relative to witnesses.
By Mr. PACKARD, [31] authorizing the issuing of attachments on orders of injunction in certain cases.
WORK FOR COMMITTEES.
House bills were read the second time and referred to appropriate committees, to-wit:
Mr. Forester's [15] to relieve Wm. Pope. Mr. Gregory's [16] landlords and tenant.
Mr. Forrester's [17] executors and real estate sales.
Mr. Brown's [18] anti-negro.
Mr. Packard's [19] concerning negroes.
Mr. Atkison's [20] amending section 46 of the school law.
Mr. Bird's [21] allowing 10 per cent interest.
Mr. Given's [22] amending section 27 of the Divorce Law.
Mr. Anderson's [23] defunct Agricultural Societies.
Mr. Newman's [24] amending the school law.
Mr. Lemmon of Spencer's [25] amending the school law.
Mr. HANNA called up his resolution pending yesterday when the hour arrived for joint convention.
On motion by Mr. DONALDSON it was laid on the table.
