n senators.

A few weeks later, the disaster of the veto--for such it was esteemed
by Republicans--was repaired by the passage of another bill,
originating in the House. This was simply a bill to continue in
force the original Freedmen's Bureau Act, with some enlarging
provisions to make it more effective. The Act was so framed as to
escape the objections which had controlled some of the Republican
votes that sustained the President's veto. Among the most important
of the changes were the limitation of the statute to the term of two
years and a serious modification of the judicial powers accorded to
the officers of the Bureau in the preceding bill. It was not so
elaborately debated in either branch as was the original act, but its
passage was retarded by the interposition of other measures and it did
not reach the President until the first week in July.

The President promptly returned the bill to the House with his veto.
He found it to fall within the objections which he had assigned in his
message vetoing the Senate bill on the same subject. He believed that
the only ground upon which this kind of legislation could be justified
was that of the war-making power. He admitted therefore that the
original Act organizing a Freedmen's Bureau, passed during the
existence of the war, was proper and Constitutional. By its own terms
it would end within one year from the cessation of hostilities and
the declaration of peace. It would probably continue in force, he
thought, as long as the freedmen might require the benefit of its
provisions. "It will certainly," said he, "remain in operation as a
law until some months subsequent to the meeting of the next session of
Congress, when, if experience shall make evident the necessity of
additional legislation, the two Houses will have ample time to mature
and pass the requisite measures." The President renewed in varied
forms the expression of his belief that all the States should be
admitted to the privilege of legislation, especially in matters
affecting their own welfare. The House proceeded at once to vote upon
the reconsideration of the bill, and by 104 in the affirmative and 33
in the negative passed it over the veto of the President. The Senate
voted on the same day with the House, and passed it against the
President's objections by 33 in the affirmative and 12 in the negative.
A measure of very great importance to the colored race was thus
completed, after serious