Mr. POMEROY. I voted to adjourn because I supposed that there were Senators who desired to discuss this matter at considerable length, not because I was not willing myself to take the vote, and take it now, or because I desired to occupy any long time in the discussion. During the time I have been here I have never known at this stage of the session any effort to pass a bill when there were Senators like the Senfrom Vermont, the Senfrom massachusetts, and the Senfrom Pennsylvania, who said they desired to discuss the question. It was only out of courtesy to them that I voted to adjourn, because that courtesy has always been extended I think at this stage of the session. I admit that toward the close of a session when we are obliged to press measures, that courtesy is not always, and perhaps not often, extended; but at the commencement of a session, when there was no great pressure upon us, and when the shadow of a bill has come over us that looks as though the next Congress was going to be joined on to this, there can be no great pressing necessity foring this measure tonight; at the same time, if it is insisted upon, I have no objections to staying. I certainly shall vote for this bill; and I can state in a single word why I cannot vote for the amendment. I am embarrassed by the previous action of Congress. The Senfrom massachusetts, who believes just as I do upon this question of suffrage, is not embarrassed. I am embarrassed for this reason: when this Territory was organized, it contained precisely the same qualifications as the Territory which has since become the State which I have the honor in part to represent. Congress in that organic act said that over the question of suffrage, for the 1st Legislature, voters should have certain specified qualifications; but that the qualification for voting in this Territory for all subsequent Legislatures after the 1st should be made by the people of the Territory in their legislative capacity. Now, when we delegated this question of suffrage to the people of those Territories in the organic act, i. it not pass from us? Again, when we passed an enabling act in 1864, we said that the law of the Territory should be the qualification of voting..We had previously said that the people should have the right to fix it, in the organic act in 1854. Then in 1864, ten years from that time, we said that the law of the Territory should be the law of suffrage, that they should define the qualifications for voters. Now, the Senfrom Massachusetts comes in and says that this question of voting shall be settled by an act of Congress and the State Legislature when that is called together. I submit that neither Congress nor the State Legislature to be convened under the call of the Governor of the Territory have anything to do with the question. It is a question of making a portion of the constitution, and neither Congress nor that Legislature can make any portion of the constitution. If they can make any portion they can make the whole. Therefore I say I am embarrassed. to let everyman who is a citizen of the U.S and who has the qualification of age and residence vote, irrespective of color. If this was a new question there would be no di. vision among us. But I say I am embarrassed by having previously voted that the qualification for voting in this Territory should be decided by the Legislature of the Territory. I do not believe that we can come in now and say that the new Legislature of the State together with Congress can make a part of the constitution on this subject; and therefore I shall have to vote almost against my own convictions; I shall have to vote against this amendment of the Senfrom Massachusetts and then the amendment of the Senfrom Missouri, because I believe our hands are tied up by previous legislation. This question oi to us in this light does not apply to the rebel States at all. I shall not be embarrassed in my action in reference to the rebel States by my action on this bill. These people have vested rights by previous acts of Congress, and they have net forfeited them. They are loyal now and always have been. They have lived up to every contract we have made with them. We cannot come in and take any advantage of their action to repudiate our own. On that ground, I say that the question of suffrage for the people of that Territory is not with us. We lost it years ago. It is with the people, I admit, but it is not with us in any sense, so that Congress and the territorial or State Legislature can fix it. The people in their original capacity can do it, I admit; but that is not the proposition before us; that is not the proposition of the Senfrom Massachusetts; and it is on that account I have to vote against his amendment.