Skip Skip PETITIONS and MEMORIALS. wins 1Mr. GRIMES. I present the petition of Albert Greenleaf, who represents that from the 28d of December, 1854, until the 80th of March, 1868, he was the Navy agent at Washington, in the DistCol, and in that capacity was instructed by his superior officers to pay out certain moneys to seamen belonging to the U.S. service; that such service was not contemplated by the law under which he was appointed; that his predecessors in office have been allowed a%age upon the amount that they paid out under similar circumstances; and he claims an allowance by Congress for services of that description remdered by him. I move its reference to the ComNavAffairs. The motion was agreed to. Mr. HOWARD. I presentthe memorial of 175 citizens of Alex and ria, Virginia, in favor of the establishment of a territorial government for that State; and as the memorial is short, I ask the indulgence of the Senate while I read it. It expresses the opinions of the si ners more clearly and distinctly than I should be able to do: To the honorableSenate and HoRepin Ctmnreuassembled. We, the undersigned, citizens of ths U.S., residing in Virginia, respectfully repruent that. as soon as the military power of the nation had conquered the country so long held by the uonfederated rebels. which included Virginia. the same traitors who had not a p ice upon the heuds of many ofus becausewewere lnion ultn, who were implicated in the murder ofour neighbors for thosnuio reason, and had destroyedby starvation and other cruelties 1,000s of national soldiers, possessed themselvesof the political control of affairs within that portion of the lately conquered territory known as Vtr nia and their Legislature now assumestomakelaws inding upon the people. One of the acts proposed, or already passedby that Legislature. provides for taxing the people of ir sinia to pension the widow of Stonewall Jackson. thers aim to disfranohiseloyal men by requiring a residence in Virgiin of 5 years, as a qualifcatiun for votin. others are intended to degradeand hu miliate the colored population, to deprive them of the benefitsof their reedom, and to subject them to the power of the White: by meansof unjust and intol erably oppressivevagrant laws, and others, passed to satisfy the positive requireincnts of the national Govement, oatensibly a 19wcolored persons the right to tify in eases to which such persons are parties, abrubtigtirvaoriplyven Justices of the peacethepowertodecide and peremptorily. upon the credibility of such testimony, and to exclude it from tho jury, Without appsal from such decision. The only comment on the above measuresthat is needed is contained in the fact that the body which is about to enact them into laws receivedwith great applause. only a few days since. a nut; estion fromits presiding officer that RobtELee should bemade Governor of Virginia. Meanwhile the majority of the people who were lately in open rebellion are not he in their Legislature in respectto disloyal conduct. Their feelingstoward the Government of the U.S. are well illustrated by their demeanor toward its friends. The are prearing now indignities for their loyal neigh rs and 2 in an organized and official capacity. through the medium of their socalled courts of justice, already one so far that the Lieutenant General of our Army asbeenobliged to interfere and prohibit the execution of the decreesof these courts during such time as the military power of the Governmentmay extendto us its rotcction. They have. with entire unanimity. exc uded Union men from all participation in the mnnagcment of the socalled stategovernment, and areeven threatening to calla State convention for the purpose of removing its executive liciid. who has at length arrived at a point where heseemsdisposed to act more firmly in dealing with these dangerousmen. They ussuluothnt they have done no wrong. but notednobly and honorally in rebelling against the Government of the U.S and still wearing their confederate uniform, they demand, as "right, admissionat Washington to a full participation with loyal men in the control of the General Government. Final ly. wheroanything more neededto exhibit the state offecling on the part of the people of Virginia, we refer to the report of Major General Carl Schurz to President Johnson, as being a correct and truth ful descriptionofit in every particular. Nor has the Government of the U.S. been an idle spectator of all these things since the surrender of the EllItal? forcesof the rebellion. A part of its Arm, which or 5 years pasthas been employedin ruli duing rebellion in the field, is now employedin subdiiing rebellion in the socalled “ Legislature of Vir“ mug" and its presence amou us is called for only y the notori0usdislo alty of t csopeople, who are so curious to beadmit edto the rights and privileges of State government, The momentthemilitary poweris withdrawn from amongus, and the loyal men of Virginia are lefl. to the protection of the sogalled “ State government.” their only sufctyvnll be in immediate flight. such being the facts, werespeetfully representthat the experiment of State government in irgininAhns proven pu utter lailurc and our only hope lies in n territorial government, under the immediate control of the national Admmistration.” We thereforemay your honorablebodies to set Fido mwvernment of which Fruncisll. Peirpoint is and to establishin its plaoe a territorial emanation. izilLm I present also 11 other petitions of citizens of Aceotink, Fairfax county; Woodlaivn, Occoquan, Prince William county, and other portions of Virginia, of like import with the one which I have just read. I move their ref erence to the JtComReconstruction. The motion was agreed to. Mr. WILSON presented the petition of Ralph Crooker, and others, citizens o Boston, Massa chnsetts, praying for an increase of the duties on foreign imports so as to encourage American industry; which was referred to the ComFinance. Mr. POMEROY presented the petition of Jose Serafin Ramires ensnnoba, a citizen of the Territory of New exico, prayin for the passage of an act confirming to him 519 grant of land known as the enfion del Aqua, in the county of Santa Fe; which was referred to the ComPrivLandClms. Mr. RIDDLE. I present 2 memorials from citizens of Jefferson county, Virginia, prayin Congress to withhold its assent to the repose annexation of Jefferson county toWestVirginia, or, should Congress deem it advisable, in order to obtain be and all doubt the real desire of the people of that county on the subject, to refer tematter of the transfer to a vote of the people of said county, taken, as would be their right in such case, under the laws of the State of Virginia. As the chairman of the ComTerritor has just informed me that the House bill on this subject has been reported to the Senate, and as 1200 of the 1300 voters of Jefferson countyhuve alrcad petitioned against this proposed transfer, I wish to add 50 more petitioners to the list, and let these lie on the table along with the other petitions on the same subject. The PRESIDENTprotm are. That order will be made if therebe no o jectiou. Mr. SHERMAN presented a petition of citizens of Ohio, praying for a reduction of the tax on the sale of agricultural implements; which was referred to the ComFinance. Mr. DAVIS presented the memorial of Char lotte I". Buckner, praying that du licate bonds may be issued to her in lieu of onds stolen from the banking house of Winn d: Simpson, at Winchester, Kentucky, by rebel soldiers on the lst of May, 1864; which was referred to the ComClaims. inn. ninciiorrs ORATION.