Mr. HOWARD, “And upon their taking the oaths of office required by existing laws.” Very well, can any member of this body or of the HoRep take a seat in either of the bodies without taking the oath prescribed by the existiu laws? Certainly the Senfrom Illinois will not contend that he can do so. They must necessarily take the oaths; and if we still insist upon the test oath, as I trust we shall for all future time, a Senator here or a Representative in the other body cannot obtain his seat there without taking the test oath. It is objected again that this is an as sumption on the part of Congress to pass upon the qualifications of the members of the HoRep; and that it is not compe l tent for us to assume the authority which, under the Constitution, pertains exclusively to each House. No one pretends that Congress, as a legislative body, can usurp or exercise authority which the Constitution gives to the respective Houses. We may say what we please in astat ute in regard to the election and returns of membere to the 2 Houses, still we know that the Constitution, which is the highest law of the land, gives absolutely to each House the right tojudge for itself of the elections and qualifications otvthe members who are returned to it; and it would be the last thing that would occur to my mind, I must confess, that this clause of the JtResolution could be tortured into a pledge or undertaking on the part of congress or an assumption on the part of Congress to pass upon the questions of the elections and unlitications of the members of the several house.. Certainly it cannot possibly have any such effect, and it is not contemplated by the resolution itself. All that the resolution requires is that the State of Tennessee shall have the right to send Sens&Reps to conress, and that they shal be entitled to take tieir seats here upon under going the tests which exist by the Constitution and laws in regard to their fitness to take those seats; and with this [am content, I confess.