Mr. HARDING, of Kentucky. Well, would it have been any better if he had been in the Federal Army? Blackburn, the man in Ohio, had been in the Federal Army, and yet he helped to roast his step child over a red hot stove. A man is neither better nor worse for having been in the Army. The crime, the murder, is neither aggravated nor extenuated because the criminal has been in any army, north or South. Why, sir, the returns from all the eastern States show an increase of crime there. The number of white children who are flogged there almost to death is quite alarming. Then there was that Philadelphia case, of which I am just reminded, where a whole family were cut up. But what of all these things? Every sensible man knows that such instances can be multi plied to any desired extent by whoever will take the trouble to collect all the cases of crime occuring in anyone section of the country, especially now when crime has been so much increased by the Presence in the community of returned soldiers from the armies. [Laughter]. Yes, sir, that is true; and it is perfectly natural that it should be so. Because while it is certainly true that large numbers of good and patriotic men went into the Army, it is equally true that the drift wood floated in too. When war comes it is unavoidable that, however many good men may go into it, the lawless, violent, and reckless will certainly go too; and when peace comes and these reckless men are thrown back into the community, an increase of violence and crime is the certain result. Well, here we are. And what has this reconstruction Committee done? Formed in spite of all that could be said against it, and clothed with almost absolute power, that committee has “investigated “ o: and reported, and and reported, until now it is manifest it has become entirely demoralized, and unless some wholesome reconstruction process is speedily applied to it the Republican party is gone. [Laughter] Now, some friends of that party ought to interpose. Gentlemen of the Republican party, you are in an emergency; your Reconstruction Committee is demoralized; its members are at war with each other, and cannot agree upon anything; and you ought to confer upon the Speaker power to disband and discharge them from the service. They have certainly done enough for their country, and it would be very cruel and hard to insist upon their continued service. Therefore I say the Speaker ought to have power to discharge them and appoint a new committee; having due regard, of course, to the Constitution, taking care to select men good and true, without regard to race or color, [laughter,) and then something might be done. f'; the balance of my time to the Gentfrom Ohio, {Mr. FINck]