e, which finally
became a law, providing that, for the purpose of redeeming and
retiring compound-interest notes, the Secretary of the Treasury should
issue temporary loan certificates, to the amount of $50,000,000, at a
rate of interest not exceeding three per cent. per annum.

While the greater share of the attention of the Thirty-ninth Congress
was occupied with efforts to reconstruct the eleven States which had
forfeited their rights by rebellion, the Territories of Colorado and
Nebraska applied for admission to the Union. Congress voted to admit
both, but the President obstructed their entrance with his vetoes.
Congress, on reconsideration, admitted Nebraska, the objections of the
President to the contrary notwithstanding. Colorado was not so
fortunate, since her people had been so unwise as to prejudice their
cause by restricting the enjoyment of political rights by ingrafting
the word "white" into their fundamental law. By this mistake they
forfeited the favor of the "Radicals," who refused to champion their
cause against the President. Incidental to this, Congress ordained
that political rights should not be restricted in the Territories on
account of race or color.

The manifest evils of unrestricted Executive patronage--the bane of
American politics--early enlisted the efforts of the Thirty-ninth
Congress to provide a remedy. A bill to regulate appointments to and
removals from office was introduced by Mr. Henderson into the Senate
near the close of the first session, and referred to the Committee on
the Judiciary, but never saw the light as an act of Congress.

The President's power of removal and appointment having been
unsparingly used during the recess of Congress, the country became
convinced that a remedy should be applied which would be effectual for
time to come. On the first day of the second session, Mr. Williams
brought before the Senate a bill to "regulate the tenure of offices,"
which was subsequently referred to the joint Committee on
Retrenchment. On the 10th of December Mr. Edmunds, chairman of this
committee, reported the bill to the Senate, with amendments. In
bringing forward the measure, Mr. Edmunds asserted that they were
acting in no spirit of hostility to any party or administration
whatever, but for "the true republican interest of the country under
all administrations, and under the domination of all parties in the
growth before the nation in the future." After grave consideration a