ge, they assume that
for which there is no foundation whatever."

The question being taken whether the bill should pass over the
President's veto, the Senate decided in the affirmative by a vote of
twenty-nine yeas to ten nays.

The next day, January 8th, the bill was passed over the veto by the
House of Representatives, without debate, by a vote of one hundred and
thirteen yeas to thirty-eight nays. The Speaker then declared that
notwithstanding the objections of the President of the United States,
the act to regulate the elective franchise in the District of Columbia
had become a law.

CHAPTER XXII.

THE MILITARY RECONSTRUCTION ACT.

Proposition by Mr. Stevens -- "Piratical Governments" not to
be Recognized -- The Military Feature Introduced -- Mr.
Schofield's Dog -- The Only Hope of Mr. Hise -- Conversation
Concerning the Reconstruction Committee -- Censure of a
Member -- A Military Bill Reported -- War Predicted -- The
"Blaine Amendment" -- Bill Passes the House -- In the Senate
-- Proposition to Amend -- Mr. Mcdougall Desires Liberty of
Speech -- Mr. Doolittle Pleads for the Life of the Republic
-- Mr. Sherman's Amendment -- Passage in the Senate --
Discussion and Non-concurrence in the House -- The Senate
Unyielding -- Qualified Concurrence of the House -- The Veto
-- "The Funeral of the Nation" -- The Act -- Supplementary
Legislation.

Soon after the passage of the bill extending the elective franchise in
the District of Columbia, Congress was occupied in devising and
discussing a practical and efficient measure for the reconstruction of
the rebel States. The germ of the great "Act for the more efficient
government of the rebel States" is to be found in the previous session
of Congress in a proposition made by Mr. Stevens on the 28th of May
"to enable the States lately in rebellion to regain their privileges
in the Union."

The Constitutional Amendment had been eliminated in the Senate of
features which Mr. Stevens regarded as of great importance. There was
an indisposition on the part of the House to declaring by an act of
Congress that the rebel States should be restored on the sole
condition of their accepting and ratifying the Constitutional
Amendment. The bill proposed by Mr. Stevens was designed by its author
as a plan of restoration to take the place of the proposition which
accompanied the Constitutional Amendment. This bi