Mr. Rounds offered the following joint resolution : WHEREAS, The Congress of the United States, pursuant to Article Five of the Constitution of the United States, has proposed to amend the said Constitution by adding thereto the following, viz: "ARTICLE 14. "Sec. 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States, and of the state wherein they reside.. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. Sec. 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, representatives in Congress, the executive and judicial officers of a state, or the members of the legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such state, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such state. Sec. 3. No person shall be a senator or representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold an office, civil or military, under the United States or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each house, remove such disability. "Sec. 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for service in suppressing in surrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any state shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void. "Sec. 5. That Congress shall have power to enforce by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article." Therefore :-Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives, That the said proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States, be and the same is hereby ratified by the Legislature of the State of Vermont. Which was read, and the question being, Shall the resolution be adopted on the part of the House? on motion of Mr. Rounds, said resolution was referred to the select joint committee raised on that subject. Mr. Brigham presented the remonstrance of Loomis Wells and five others, legal voters of the town of Granby, against the right of John W. Buzzell, the returned member from said town, to take his seat in the House; Which was referred to the Committee on Elections. Mr. Parker introduced a bill entitled H. 26. An act in amendment of section forty-four, chapter one hundred and twenty-six, of the General Statutes, relating to jailors' fees; Which was read the first and second time, and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Clark, their Secretary, as follows: MR. SPEAKER: I am directed to inform the House of Representatives that the Senate have adopted, on their part, a joint resolution granting the use of the Hall of the House of Representatives to the Vermont Officers' Society; also A joint resclution providing for a Joint Assembly, to elect Judges and Reporter of the Decisions of the Supreme Court: In the adoption of which the concurrence of the House is requested. Joint resclution from the Senate, as follows: Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives, That the use of the Hall of the House of Representatives be granted to the Vermont Officers' Society, for the delivery of their annual address, on the evening of October 25, 1866; Was read, and adopted in concurrence. Joint resolution from the Senate, as follows: Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives, That the two Houses meet in Joint Assembly, on Thursday, the 18th instant, at three o'clock, P. M., for the purpose of electing Judges of the Supreme Court, and a Reporter of the Decisions of said Court, for the year ensuing; Was read, and adopted in concurrence. Mr. Johnson, of Rockingham, offered the following joint resolution: Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives, That the use of the Representatives' Hall be granted to the Vermont Bible Society, for their annual meeting, Wednesday evening, October 17, 1866; Which was read, and adopted on the part of the House. Mr. Silas Mason presented his credentials as the representative of the town of Readsboro, received the oaths of office, and was thereupon admitted to take his seat in the House. The hour for the Joint Assembly having arrived, the Senate appeared in the Hall of the House. The Joint Assembly having concluded its session, the Speaker resumed the chair. On motion of Mr. Armstrong, the House adjourned. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1866. Reading of the Scriptures and prayer by the Chaplain. Mr. Pease presented the petition of L. R. Eaton and seventy others, citizens and tax-payers of the town of Charlotte, praying the General Assembly to grant to Moses Knowlton, of Essex, in the State of New York, the exclusive right of wharf and ferry from the McNeil wharf, so called, in said Charlotte, to said town of Essex ; Which was referred to the Committee on Roads. Bills of the following titles were severally introduced, read the first and second time, and referred, to wit: By Mr. Barton, H. 27. in named ; An act to pay Norman Millington the sum there To the Committee on Claims. By Mr. Drew, H. 28. An act to amend section nineteen of chapter one of the General Statutes; To the Committee on the Judiciary. By Mr. Wheelock, H. 29. An act to incorporate the Cambridge Boro' Park Association; On motion of Mr. Wheelock, to the Committee on Roads. Mr. Butterfield offered the following joint resolutions: Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives, That laws ought to be in force in all of the United States, guaranteeing equal and impartial suffrage, without respect to color. Resolved, That it is the duty of Congress to pass laws giving this right in all places where it can be done constitutionally. Resolved, That we hereby request our senators and representatives in Congress to use their influence for the passage of a law giving equal and impartial suffrage in the District of Columbia, as early as possible at the next session of Congress. The question being, Shall the resolutions be adopted on the part of the House? Mr. Butterfield moved that the same be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary; Which motion was agreed to. Mr. Ross, of St. Johnsbury, introduced a bill entitled H. 30. An act relating to the limitation of actions against banks whose charters have expired; Which was read the first and second time, and referred to the Committee on Banks. Mr. Johnson, of Rockingham, moved that the House excuse from service on the special committee to visit the Ver mont Reform School, Mr. Johnson of Wardsboro, a member thereof; Which motion was agreed to. Whereupon the Speaker appointed, to fill the vacancy thus made in said committee, Mr. Converse, of Townshend. Mr. Walker, of Dummerston, offered the following resolution : Resolved, That when this House adjourn on Friday next, it shall be until Monday, at two o'clock P. M., of next week; Which was read, and the question being, Shall the resolution be adopted? on motion of Mr. Miner, the same was Ordered to lie. Mr. Hubbard, of Stockbridge, from the General Committee to whom was referred House bill entitled H. 16. An act to protect fish in Stiles's Pond, in Waterford ; Reported adversely to the passage thereof; whereupon the engrossment and third reading of said bill were refused. Mr. Hubbard, from the same committee to whom was referred House bill entitled H. 19. An act for the preservation of shad and whitefish in Lake Champlain and its tributaries; Reported in favor of its passage; whereupon said bill was Ordered to be engrossed and read the third time to-morrow morning. Mr. Walker, of Ludlow, presented the petition of Sewall Fullam and fifty others, inhabitants of Ludlow and vicinity, praying the General Assembly to enact a law requiring fences to be erected along highways; Which was referred to the General Committee. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Clark, their Secretary, as follows: MR. SPEAKER: The Senate have considered, and adopted in concurrence, the joint resolution from the House, granting the use of the Hall of the House of Representatives to the Vermont Bible Society. On motion of Mr. Ross, of Brandon, the House adjourned. |