Skip Skip PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS. Mr. WADE presented 2 petitions of citizens of Ohio, praying for the passage of House bill No. 708, to provide increased revenue from imports, and for other purposes, now pending in the Senate; which were ordered to lie upon the table. Mr. WADE. I also present a petition very numerously signed by the cigar manufacturers of Cleveland, Ohio, in which they complain that the inspection of cigars is very irregular, in some districts different from what it is in others, greatly to the detriment of the petition ers, &c. Finally, they request that a specific duty of 5 dollars per 1,000 be levied upon all domestic cigars, and they state that they earnestly approve of the present tariff on imported cigars, and hope it will not be changed. As this subject, I believe, has been reported upon, I move that the petition be laid upon the table. The motion was agreed to. Mr. WILSON presented a petitiqn of Major General George H. Thomas and other officers in the U.S. Army, praying that when officers are withdrawn from active service and placed upon the retired list they may be allowed to retain their service or longevity rations; which was referred to the ComMilAffrs . Mr. WILSON presented 12 petitions of officers of the U.S. Army, praying for an increase of pay; which were referred to the ComMilAffrs .Mr. WILSON. I also present the petition of George W. Paschal, of Texas, praying that the present system of exterminating Indians be discontinued, as it is very expensive to the Government and ineffectual; and that a system for their civilization be adopted by the establishment of missions to feed, clothe, and educate them, both adults and children, and that the privileges of citizenship be conferred upon them at as early a date as possible. I move the reference of this petition, which states many facts bearing on the subject to which it refers, to the ComIndAffrs. It was so referred. Mr. LANE. I present 2 memorials, nu merously signed by respectable citizens of Indianapolis, Marion county, Indiana, praying Congress not to pass any law curtailing the national currency, or providing for a return within a limited time to specie payments; and also that no redemption of the national currency shall be required at the city of NewYork. I ask their reference to the ComFinance. They were so referred. Mr. HENDERSON presented 2 petitions of citizens of Missouri, praying for the imposition by Congress of a duty of at least 30 cents per bushel on flax seed; which were ordered to lie upon the table. Mr. HENDRICKS. I present 2 petitions, signed by business men of the city of Indian apolis, reciting that “the further reduction of the volume of the at present would prove highly injurious to the banking, manu cturing, and mercantile interests of the country, and would entail suffering upon nearly every member of the community;” expressing the opinion “that if such currency shall now be contracted, we are near to the time when the lawful obligations of citizens cannot be met; when the demands of the national government, together with the heavy taxes levied by our State and municipal authorities, cannot be paid, and when many of our good citizens will have to submit to a confiscation of their hard earned property.” They therefore ask Congress to refrain from the passage of any law authorizing the curtailment of the national currency, and also to refrain from passing any law compelling all national banks, wherever located, to redeem their notes in NewYork, or prohibiting national banks from paying or receiving interest on bank balances. These etitions are signed by business men of such high respectability that I feel it my duty to call the attention of the ComFinance to the subject. I ask their reference to that committee. They were so referred. Mr. MORRILL. I present a petition of citizens of Georgetown, in the DistCol, who represent that they are suffering from the delay of Congress in failing to pass the bill already reported by the Committee of the Senate on the DistCol in regard to the aqueduct across the Potomac, and praying action in that behalf. It is numerously signed by highly respectable citizens of that city. I also present on the same point 2 other petitions very numerously signed by respectable citizens of Georgetown. As the subject is now pending before the Senate I move that these petitions lie upon the table. The motion was agreed to. Mr. WILLEY presented a petition of members of Kanawha, Lodge No. 25, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of WestVirginia, praying to be remunerated for the use of and the damage done to the building used by them as a lodge room, and for losses sustained by the destruction of their regalia, emblems, jewels, &c., by U.S. troops in 1862; which was referred to the ComClaims. Mr. CRAGIN presented a petition of Ezra B. Gordon, late a private in company F, 4th regiment NewHampshire volunteers, praying for a pension for disability incurred in the line of his duty; which was referred to the ComPensions. Mr. RAMSEY presented a petition of clerks employed in railway postoffices, praying for an increase of compensation; which was referred to the ComFinance. Mr. SHERMAN presented 7 petitions from citizens of Ohio, praying for the passage of House bill No. 718, to provide increased revenue from imports, and for other purposes, at least so far as it relates to the duties on imported wool; which were referred to the ComFinance. He also presented a petition of journeymen cigar makers and manufacturers of cigars of Cincinnati, Ohio, praying for a specific duty of 5 dollars per 1,000 on all domestic cigars, that the present tariff on imported cigars may remain unchanged, and that Congress will alter the present system of selling stamps to the manufacturers at 5 dollars per 1,000, and increase the penalty for violating the internalrevenue laws; which was referred to the ComFinance. Mr. CONNESS. I present the petition of all the officers engaged in the military service of the U.S. on the Pacific coast for an increase of their pay, either by paying the amount which they now receive in gold coin, which is the currency there in circulation, or its equivalent in paper. They state that coin is virtually the recognized currency in the pay cific States and Territories, and that the coin prices of commodities in those States and territories are greater than the legal tender prices of the same in the eastern States. The allowance for servant hire for officers is less than 1/3rd the amount of a servant's wages on the Pacific coast. They further state what their compensation amounts to when reduced to gold, which is the circulation there, giving the emoluments of a captain at $96 25 a month, and so on. This petition is signed by a large number of officers, and I know of my own knowledge that there is a necessity for granting their request. I move the reference of the petition to the ComMilAffrs , and I invite the attention of that committee to it. The motion was agreed to. Mr. SUMNER. I. present the petition of the National Equal Rights League Convention of Colored Men, held at Washington, January 10, 11, and 12, 1867. In presenting this very important petition, I shall not err if I call the attention of the Senate especially to its prayer. They say this: “Wherever your ioextends, and especially throughout all the Territories lately in lion, rebel where States are in due time to be reconstructed, and the whole subject of the rights and franchises of citizenship is to be adjusted, there we ask you to secure to rights our people impartial suffrage and all the and Foes of American citizens, equality before the laws of our country.” They then proceed to say: "Permit us further to remind you that the loyal whites throughout the portion of our country late in rebellion unite with one voice to implore you to make the elective franchise impartial, irrespective of race or color, believing it to be essential to their own safety as well as to ours, and altogether vital to the effective reconstruction of civil government and the ascendency of loyal citizens intion.” its administra In enforcing this prayer the petitioners dwell with admirable effect on the promises of the DeclarIndep, which they ask Congress to carry out; and they conclude as follows: “We ask a reconstruction, therefore, gentlemen, which, founded on impartial justice, brings safety and peace to the loyal white American, happiness and prosperity to our common country, while it is the shield and buckler, the strong defense of the American freedmen. Our plea is before you.” This petition is signed by John M. Langston, resident of the National Equal Rights League onvention of Colored Men and by the 3 secretaries of the convention. You do not forget, Mr. President, that Lord Chatham, when the papers of the American Congress reached England, declared from his seat in Parliament that there was nothing in the political history of mankind which he had rpeadowoithl. more respect and admiration. He those papers to be master pieces. Iut. venture to say, sir, that among the papers at that time laid before Parliament there were none to which that designation was more entirely applicable than to this memorial and to the resolutions adopted at the same time by that convention. That convention was held here in Washington. Numerous as it was, and composed of delegates from 17 States, it is perhaps not too much to characterize it as in itself a congress a congress of colored persons held here in the national capital in order to plead with you, sir, on the critical condition of the country. I have said that 17 States were represented. These were Kansas, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, NewYork, NewJersey, Maryland, Virginia, North and SCarolina, Geor gia, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and California, and also the DistCol. The number of delegates was 1ten. They represented well nigh all the callings of life. There was one lawyer among them, and he was their Posident John M. Langston, of Ohio. There woe also "; them 2 doctors, B. W. Arnett and H. J. Brown, of Pennsylvania. There were 3 bishops, Wayman, Green, and Talbot; ten ministers of the Gospel; 3 professors of f.colleges; 5 school teachers; 5 from colleges; 3 professional ecturers; 2 editors and publishers of news papers; 2 grocers; one merchant; 2 cotton planters; a large number of mechanics and farmers; one excaptain and 2 exlieutenants of the U.S. service, and 3 exchaplains. Let me add to this characterization that a large majority of the delegates were once slaves, and many of them gained their freedom through the recent war. I think, sir, I do not err when I say that such a convention of colored people assembled here in the national capital is in itself an event; but if you will only carry out their prayer, you will create an epoch in the history of this country and in the history of civilization. Sir, in their prayer. I unite absolutely, and gladly place myself by their side. I ask that this petition be referred to the JtCom on Reconstruction. It was so referred. PAPERS WITHDRAWN AND REFERRED.