presentation."

After the reading of this resolution, Mr. Grider, of Kentucky, a
member of the Committee of Fifteen, offered the following minority
report:

"The minority of the Committee on Reconstruction, on the
part of the House, beg leave to report that said committee
have directed an inquiry to be made as to the condition and
loyalty of the State of Tennessee. There has been a large
amount of evidence taken, some part of it conducing to show
that at some localities occasionally there have been some
irregularities and temporary disaffection; yet the main
direction and weight of the testimony are ample and
conclusive to show that the great body of the people in said
State are not only loyal and willing, but anxious, to have
and maintain amicable, sincere, and patriotic relations with
the General Government. Such being the state of the facts,
and inasmuch as under the census of 1860 Congress passed a
law which was approved in 1863, fixing the ratio and
apportioning to Tennessee and all the other States
representation; and inasmuch as Tennessee, disavowing
insurrectionary purposes or disloyalty, has, under the laws
and organic law of said State, regularly elected her members
and Senators to the Congress of the United States, in
conformity to the laws and Constitution of the United
States, and said members are here asking admission; and
inasmuch as the House by the Constitution is the 'judge of
the election, returns, and qualification of its members,'
considering these facts and principles, we offer the
following resolution, to-wit:

"_Resolved_, That the State of Tennessee is entitled to
representation in the Thirty-ninth Congress, and the
Representatives elected from and by said State are hereby
admitted to take their seats therein upon being qualified by
oath according to law."

Mr. Stevens then said: "Having heard an ingenious speech upon that
side of the question, and not intending to make any speech upon this
side, as I hope our friends all understand a question which has
agitated not this body only, but other portions of the community, I
propose to ask for the question. I think I may say without
impropriety, that until yesterday there was an earnest investigation
into the condition of Tennessee, to see whether by act of Congress we
could admit that State to