Mr. HISE. I will proceed, Mr. Chairman. In the very beginning of the Constitution you will find it is declared that the legislative power hereby granted shall be vested in the Senate and HoRep. The qualification of a member of this House in regard to age Iis, believe, that he shall be 25 years of age, and of a Senator of the U.S. 35. The power was lodged in 2 Houses instead of one, with the hope that one branch of the Legislature might operate as a check upon the other in order to preserve a constitutional government and prevent unconstitutional usurpations. But as the present Congress is constituted, both branches unite and harmonize with an overwhelming majority. They have created a Jtcommit.tee, of which it appears I am a member, a most agreeable circle, called a ComReconstruction. That committee it seems devises the whole scheme of policy which is to be pursued by the party in power on this subject of representation. After being agreed upon in the committee the schemes are ratified in both Houses. Now, this valuable check is overthrown. The Constitution is to be put into execution by the official machinery therein provided for. It has provided that the Legislature should constitute one branch of the Government, the executive another, and the judicial another. Why was it thus distributed? Because it was believed that there was no security that the Constitution itself would be respected, and that a Government outside of the Constitution inaugurated by a series of acts of usurpation might be instituted regardless of its limitations and guarantees, conservative of the powers of the States and the liberty of the citizen, therefore, in order that it should conserve itself, that there should be a principle of conservatism within its own provisions, the framers of the Constitution divided the powers therein granted between 3 separate and independent depts; and in regard to the legislative power provided that it should be placed in 2 Houses, with the hope, as I said, that one would check the other, and if not, here was the Executive with the veto !.provided, so that it might be interposed to prevent congressional usurpation. Then, here was the judicial power, created in the hope that if there should be usurpation of power or an attempt to control the Government regardless of constitutional inhibitions, that power might check it. The Supreme Court was established with authority and power to pronounce all such acts null and ". " These checks and balances were indispen sably necessary in order that the Constitution should be preserved inviolate. We know from former history, we know from present events and signs that the greatest possible danger to a republican government and to free institutions proceeds from its legislative branch. There lies the danger to the maintenance of the rights of the States and of those guarantees intended to protect personal liberty. If the Government is already free it remains free so far as the judicial and executive branches of the Government are concerned. The people should be lightly burdened, and not oppressed with a revolting system of taxation such as this country is laboring under now; but what dept is it that imposes this grinding taxation upon them? It is the legislative branch. It is by and through the o.ment of the Government that nearly all the usurpations take place by which free governments are overturned. Therefore the party controlling the legislative dept and seeking to overturn free government always strike down, if possible, judicial independence. During the last 6 years we have seen a party striking at the judicial dept of this Government, and we have seen the judicial power shrink and cower until it became the servile agent and mercenary tool of the congress of the U.S. in sanctioning or refusing to interpose to prevent, the enslavement of the American people, in permitting the unlawful suspension of the writ of habeascorpus and the institution of military domination throughout the whole land. We have secn the judiciary of the country tamely and servilely submitting and becoming the subser vient instrument of these usurpations of power by the legislative and executive branches of Government, not choosing to interpose to check it and to protect the rights and liberties of the citizens., Now, sir, I put this before the country. I want it to understand what you are doing, and I want to know if the country will continue to put a congressional majority in both branches of Congress which will sanction your headlong career toward the destruction of all constitutional Government. Look at the ruin that this Radical party have brought othe country since they came into power. Look at the deplorable condition of the times now, and contrast them with what they were when through sectional agitation they succeeded in carrying the elections by which they became entitled to the possession and control of the Government. They found the authorities of the Government in the hands of men respecting the Constitution.