Mr. BINGHAM. I will yield for aquestion only./ Mr. LATHAM. I desire to ask the Gentfrom Ohio, [Mr. BlKGHAM] whether he proposes to make the adoption of this constitutional amendment by the constitutional majority of the States a condition recedent to admitting the Representatives ot any of the 11 States that are not now represented in Congress? ) Mr. BINGHAM. It is not for me, Mr. Speaker. or, for any member of this House, to suppose any such thing as that and I beg I leave to state further, in which I have no doubt l the venerable Gentfrom Pennsylvania, [Mr. Srsvnxs] the chairman of the ComReconstruction on the part of the House. will join me, that every endeavor has beeninade by that committee.withoutregard to this amendment, to present the case of Tennessee; so that by the sovereign act of the American people, through the joint not of Congress, the constitutional relations of the State of Tennessee as a State of this Union might be restored. [am not at liberty to state, even ifI knew, what the committee intend to do in regard to that State. I do know that the matter is still before us; and that we have given it attention and I may be pardoned for reminding the House at this point of my remarks. that when early in the session the distinguished Gentfrom NewYork [Mr. RAYMOND] introduced his resolution to refer the credentials of gentlemen from the State ofTennessee to the JtCommee, I rose in my place here and asked him to be good enough to accept a suggestion in the form of an instruction to the JtCommee to report to this House as soon as practicable, whether Tennessee bed are organized constitutional government, and was entitled to representation in Congress and I added, that as soon as Congress decided thatquestion I was ready to admit her Representatives in accordance with the apportionment of 1862. There is where I stand now; I am ready to cooperate with the House upon this subject. whenever the committee may report, which I trust will be at no distant day. But that does not excuse us from the consideration of this question. The adoption of this amendment is essential to the protection of the Union men of Tennessee; those grand, true men, who “ unshaken, unseduced, unter rilied, ” their loyalty they kept, amid the howl of treason, whose infernal euginecry shook the continent and every honorable man sent here from Tennessee today and I believe they are all honorable men will hear me witness when I say that the Union men of tennessee to dayhave no security except from the armed presence of the U.S. Govern ment there and when the State shall be restored, and the troops of the Government with drawn, they will have no security in the future except by force of national laws giving them protection against those who have been in arms against them., Sir, the State of Tennessee is perhaps in a better condition today than any other of the 11 States that have been in insurrection, and yet I state afact, which I believe that people will hereafter in no way contradict. when I say that a large majority of the qualified voters of Tennessee. under the former constitution of that State, are the sworn enemies of the loyal State organization and the sworn enemies of the national Government. Will any man tell me how 40,000 loyal and true men in Tennessee can hold the power in that State aguinst 90,000 who, in social position, are equal to them, and who in wealt are reatly superior to them?