t
change my mind, I shall to-morrow relieve the House from any question
upon the merits of this bill by moving to lay it on the table."

On the 26th of January the discussion was renewed. Mr. Ross,
considering the argument on the constitutionality of the measure
exhausted, endeavored to show that the bill was "in clear conflict
with the action of the party in power during the entire progress of
the war, and in conflict with the clearly-expressed opinions of the
Executive of the nation, the Supreme Court, and the Congress of the
United States."

Mr. Ashley withdrew his amendment to Mr. Stevens' bill that the House
might, in Committee of the Whole, have an opportunity to perfect the
bill so as to send it to the Senate within two or three days.

"I ask the gentleman," said Mr. Conkling, "to state his objection to
having a subject like this committed to a committee which has now no
work upon its hands, and which has a right to report at any time."

"The Committee on Reconstruction," replied Mr. Ashley, "have held no
meetings during this entire session up to this hour. Several bills
proposed by gentlemen have been referred to that committee during this
session, upon which they have taken no action. If the committee ever
gets together again--which I doubt, as it is a large committee,
composed of both branches of Congress--I have but little hope of their
being able to agree. The chairman of the committee on the part of the
Senate, as is well known, is absorbed in his efforts to perfect the
financial measures of the country, and I fear that if this bill goes
to that committee it will go to its grave, and that it will not,
during the life of the Thirty-ninth Congress, see the light. If I were
opposed to these bills, I would vote to send them to that committee as
sending them to their tomb."

"There is no difficulty," responded Mr. Conkling, "in having prompt
consideration of any thing which may be sent to the committee. It was
created originally solely to deal with this subject. It was, at first,
broken into four sub-committees, that the work of gathering evidence
might be more advantageously and speedily carried on. It became one
committee, usually working together, only during a few weeks
immediately preceding the bringing forward of its ultimate
propositions. It would not be decorous for me to praise the committee
or the work it did, but I may say with propriety that if it ever was a
good committee, if it ever should ha