Mr. MILLER asked and obtained leave to have printed with the debates a speech he had prepared upon the general political questions oft e day. [published in the Appendix.]Mr. MILLER.Mr. Speaker, when the present Congress assembled on the 4th day of December last, among the many important national questions presented, one was whether the 11 States lately in rebellion were in a proper condition to send Representatives to Congress; and in order to have that question fully investigated a concurrent resolution was adopted on the 13th day of December, 1865, by the 2 Houses as follows: “Resolved by the HoRep the Senate ooncurrina] hat at jtcom of 15 membors shall be appointed.nine of whom rhall be memersof the House and 6 of the Senate, inquire who shal into the condition of the Stutes whieh form the so eolled confederate States of America.’ and report whetheran of themare entitledto be represented in either case of Congress.with leave to at any time by bill or otherwise." Under which resolution 9 members were appointed by The SPEAKER of the House, and 6 by the President of the Senate, making the 15 contemplated by the resolution. ThisJtCom on reconstruction, thus appointed, organized and entered upon the duties of their appointment, and after taking a large amount ot testimony and making a thorough examination as to the status of these 11 States, recommended an amendment to the Constitution of the U.S. which tossed the Senate byavote of 33 to 11, and the I HoRep by 138 to 36, (being more than a two‘3rd s vote,) in the following form:JtResolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the U.S. Resolved the Senate and HoRep of the U.S.A. in COlntgrrs assembled 2/3rds of both Houses concurring.) That the to owing article he proposedto the Legislatures of the several Statesas an amendment to the constitution of the U.S. which. when ratified by 3/4ths of said Legislatures shall be valid aspart 0! the Constitution, namely: Anricu:. SR6.1. All persons born or naturalisediin the U.S and so 'eet to the JllflSdiCllOll thereof. are citizens of the U.S and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall rank, or enforce any law which lhall abri o the privileges or Immunities of citizensof the U.S.sr nor shall any State deprive any person of life liberty or property without due process of law. nor denyto spy p on within its jurisdiction the equal pretee tlon o the laws. Sac.Z.Representatives shall beapportioned among the sever ahtotes accordingto their respective numbers.counting the whole number of persons in each State. excluding Indians not taxed. But when the orirl:litfotro President and VEEP of the elect Stat Representatives in Congress, the exe U.S and udicial officersof a State or themembersof the Legislature thereof.is denied to any of the malein habitants of such State bein 21 years of "e, and citizens of the U.S or in any way a ridged. except for participation in rebellion or other crime, the basisof representation thercln shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such rnalecitizens shall bear to the whole number gt male citizens 21 years of age in such tare. At Siveec.in3. Congress shall lcbteoraoSfe Presidernt eapnrdesVEEP or hold any office, civil ormilitary. under the U.S or under any State, who. having previously taken an oath. as a member of Congress or as an officer of the U.S or as a member of any State Legislature, or itsan executive or judicial officer of any State. to support the Constitution of the U.S shall have engagedi ninsurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congressmay. by a vote of 2/3rds of each House removesuch disability. SEC.4. The validity of the public debt of the U.S. mauetnhtoorfizpeedn by law and ncblouidininge debt service rseind suppressing insurrection or rebellion shall not be questioned. But neither the U.S.nor any State shall assumeor payany debt or obligation in currctlin aid of insurrection or rebellion againsttho U.S or any claim for the loss or emancipation ofany slave: but all such debts. Obltgattons mnd claims shall beheld illegal and void. Size.5. The Congress shall have powerto enforce, by t‘nl appropriate legislation. the PIOVISlOHS of this or toe. The above adoption of this proposed amendment is indispensable, especially in regard to representation. Under the provisions of the Constitution of the U.S. of 1787 all colored free men in the slave States and 3/5th s of the slaves were represented, although none of them were entitled to vote. Those States had 19 Representatives of colored slaves, and as the slaves are now free they can add for the other 2/5th s 13 more, making the slave representation 32. Suppose the free blacks prior to the emancipation of the slaves will give at least 5 more, making the representation of non-voting people of color about 37. The full number of Representatives from the slave States at the breaking out of the rebellion was 70. Add the other 2/5th s and it will be 88; thus giving to the late slavcholding States a NO. 20. Political QuesTTmts of the D(t t/ M7‘.Miller. H0 or Rare. large representation for a non-voting population, which may be the means of their having a preponderance in Congress, which would certainly be vesting the States lately in rebellion with a wer that might be wielded with injury and embarrassment to the Government. But why should they be vested with such extraordinary functions? Ifitis inexpedient to clothe the colored man with the elective franchise, certainly no one ought to exercise it for him. Hence the stern necessity of the adoption of the proposed amendment, which also extends protection to that race. A diversity of opinion prevails as to the propriety ofextending to the colored race the elective franchise. To me, Mr. Speaker, this question seems to belong entirely to the respective States to decide, and that evidently is the construction placed by statesmen upon the Constitution of the 17th of September 1787, and as I have said on other occasions it has now become too firmly settled to be shaken. In myown State the constitution confines the elective franchise to citizens who are white free men of the age of 21 years, and that constitution can only be changed in 2 ways: 1st, by calling it convention; and 2nd ly, by an amendment or amendments proposed in the Senate or HoRep, and if the same shall be agreed to by a majority of the members elected to each House, such proposed amendmentor amendments shall be entered on their Journals with the yeas&nays taken thereon and the secretary of the Commonwealth shall cause the same to be published 3 months before the next election in at least one news paper in every county in which a newspaper shall be published; and if the Legislature next chosen shall agree to such proposed amendment or amendments by a majority of the members elected to each House, the secretar of the Commonwealth shall cause the same to e published in the manner aforesaid, and such posed amendment or amendments shulprboe submitted to the people in such manner and at such times, at least 3 months after being so agreed it on by the 2 Houses, as the Legislature shallpreseribe. And if the people shall approve and ratify such amendment or amendments by a majority of the qualified voters of the State voting thereon, such amendment or amendments shall become part of the constitution. While the State I have the honor to represent in part refuses negro suffrage by her constitution, I would not vote for any act of congress to extend that right over any other State, caving that question to the respective States. In the DistCol Congress has exclusive jurisdiction, and may try the experi ment, if an experiment it is. I do not a reliend as much danger in allowing the fiihck man a vote as some imagine. One thing is true, and that is that they are loyal to the government of the U.S., while many whites who claim to exercise that sacred right are the contrary. In Pennsylvania the black man voted rior to the amended constitution of 1838. nd under the constitution ‘of the great State of NewYork a man of color who shall have been for 3 years a citizen of the State and for one year next preceding any elections shall have been seized and possessed of a freehold estate of the value of $250, over and above all debts and incumbrances charged thereon, and shall have beenactually valued and paid a tax thereon, shall be entitled to vote. I understand that at the last presidential electibn several 1,000 colored men voted in that State; yet no apprehension was had that the colored men would be forced into the jury box, raised to ajndgeship, or placed in any office, or be thrust into the social circle of the whites, nor has any party in that State asked for a change of the constitution. Attempted prejudice against the black man is gotten up by demagogue politicians. I am aware, sir, that aspirants for office are trying to get up a prejudice against the Union party in Congress because they want to see the colored man who fought to save this Republic protected. I do not wish to be understood to e in liivor of giving the colored man the right of suffrage against the will of the majority of the people of any State and on this subject I think I speak the sentiments of the majority of this House; that is the spirit of the proosed amendment of the Constitution of the U.S. which we lately passed and submitted to the States, some of which through their Legislatures have already ratified it, among which is Tennessee, which is one of those States lately in rebellion, and we have in response admitr ted her loyal Representatives to seats on this floor, and if the other States that rebelled desire representation they must follow the or ample of Tennessee. The preservation of this Union depends on Congress standing firm and united on this point. It has been said by pelitieians that the colored population will emi grate to the northern States. This is a great mistake. The northern climate is not'siiitable to the black man, while that of the South is comgenial to his nature. What induced him to leave the South in former years was to escape from bond e, but as slavery is now abolished and protection afforded, the South is where that race will emi te, andinstead of southern colored men coming North to live it is more likely that those born in the North will make the South their home. The recent bold and daring conduct of the rebels clearly demonstrates that the policy of President Johnson in regard to the States lately in rebellion is inadequate to afford protection to loyal citizens of the South, and render sulfieient security to the Government, while that of Congress (in my opiniong is the only true mode of reconstruction, and teone that will place our Government on a firm and substantial asis and he a preventive against future rebellions. ltis now tor the people to say whether they will sustain Congress or not in their efforts to rou der our Government secure. This is no time to be week kneed. One side or the other must be taken. flutareh takes notice of a very remarkable though just law of Solon which declared “ every man infamous who in any seditious or civil dissensions in the State should continue neutral and refuse to side with either party.” Surely every lover of his country desires permanent secority andasafeguard against another rebellion. We have expended too much treasure and lost too many precious lives to sustain this Republic to allow rebels to dictate terms to us. lfthe amendment to the Constitution of the U.S. that we have recently passed is ratified by the requisite number of the States we will have a bright future. OURCOUNTRY. The U.S. has 3,000,000 square miles of territory and 200,000 square miles of productive territory, or one 15th of the whole. Each acre contains 30,000 tons of cool, (of which only 20,000 are available or in workable beds in the aggregate.) We now produce over 20,000,000 tons of coal, including home and colliery consumption, and sell 20,000,000 tons annually. Our total resources in coal at 20,000 tons peracre are 3, 740,000, 100,000 tons. Of this amount about 27,078,000,000 tons are anthracite. We have also in exhaustible beds of iron ore and precious me tals. These resources are availably located; they are in proximity with the widest and most fertile plains, the richest soils known to man. They are'open to development by ocean, lakes, or magnificentrivers, and are or will be traversed by railroad frdm ocean to ocean. Their value is inealeulable; their extent boundless; their richness unequaled; and their quantity immeasurable. The wealth they represent cannot be told in fiures. To make our country what. it on ht to e we must have a protective tariff in or or to build up manufactories so as to consume our own agricultural products and put a stop to the immense drain of gold to enrich the manufacturers of Europe. We now produce over $2, 500,000,0000f manufactures annually which consume about $2,000,000,000 of agricultural products in food, raw material, the; yet we are paying the skill and sagacity of the manufacturers 0 Europe nearly $100,000,000 annually in gold over and above our exchanges, value for value; while the manufacturers of Europe never took more than $80,000,000 of our agricultural products, exclusive of cotton, in anyone year, and generally considerably ess. It is said we have incurred a large debt in come uence of the late war in puttin down the rebellion. True it is, but it 18sma l compared to that of other nations, as the following will show when we take into consideration our own resources: Statementof the cliferenl national debts. Together with thipopulutt'onandaverage amountper capitatoeach m Popula Ao’n agn’t Name. Debt. (ton. percuprta. GreatBritain. The followmg is an estimate of the receipts and expenditures of the U.S. government for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1860: Receipts. Customs. 1st. 2nd, and 3rd uarters. act ua. 132.871.51295 Customs.4th quarter.estimated.0 Lands. 1st. 2nd, and 3rd unr tch‘. mean. $188.31 40 Lands. 4th quarter. estimated. Internalrevenue. 1st. 2nd.an 3rd rprnrtorsmclual $215, 360,05701 Internu revenue, 4th quarter.estimated. 64, 141, 85887 Miscellaneous. 1st. 2nd, and 3rd quarters.actual. $18.478.11491 Mqisucaerlltaenr.eoo usstr. mfaotuerd t, hru eludingdirect tax. 18.4fi3, 3 0604 Direct trur. 1st 2nd, and 3rd quarters.actu 309, 510, 9337 66.9414.8505. 1.486.11085 Expenditures. Civil. 1st. 2nd.3rd and 4th quarters. act ual.. Interior, 1st, 2nd, 4th quarters actual. Wqaur.arfitresrts, 2nd.tblrd. actual. Navy. 1st. 2nd.3rd, and 4th quarters, actu‘al. 43, 364, 11582 Interest on public debt. 1st. 2nd and 3rd quarters. act 896, 910.45368. Interest on public debt. 4th quarter, estr mnted. 36, 219, 90532 133, 139, 35990 Total. $ 52 0, 523, +55090 From this statementit will be seen that tl e receipts exceed the expenditures $37, 223, 305 68 after payment of the interest on the public debt, and $284, 449, 701 82 for the War, and $43, 364, 118 62 for the Navy. The large amount ofexpenditures for the past year was caused by the payment of the Army and Navy, and as the greater portion of them are now discharged that expenditure will be small for the next fiscal year; consequently a large sum can be aplied to the nquiation of the national debt. f, Mr. Speaker, our Government is properly and judiciously administered, we will advance in prosperity and stren th. But should those who have for the past our years been endeav oring to destroy this Republic, in council chamber and on fields of'battle, be in power and permitted to mold the destinies of the nation, we will have a gloomy and foreboding prospect. There will be no security forlife or property no permanent faith in the lasting security 6 our institutions. The hccatombs that have strewn the field of carnage or erished in the prison pens of the South will a 1be in vain. God forbid that the leading rebels should lever sit in the councils of the nation or participate in the affairs of the Government. Go to Arlington Heights where once the arch l traitor Lee, who was educated by the U.S., resided, and indulged in all the luxury the land nfforded, and what do we see? Thou “, sands upon 1000s of graves containing the bodies of Union soldiers whose lives this man directed in destroying, and here and there you will find a rave marked “ unknown, " but not uuwept. Vhat a satisfaction it would be to some dear relative to be able to designate the l body which that grave contains; but alas! that cannot be done; it can only be recognized by lfrieuds at the final resurrection. fiow mor‘ tifying it is to every lover of the Union to see leading rebels who caused so much misery throu bout the land stalking about. bold and impu ent, and even asking to aid in the administration of the Government! And now, Mr. Speaker, as we are about to separate and return to our constituents after an arduous session of 8 months, it is for them to say whether they will sustain us in our efforts to save the country. I am aware that many demagogues and aspiring politicians find fault with our proceedings, but am willing to Isubmitthem to the scrutin of a candid people. assert here, as I will be ore my constituents, that Iwill not vote for the admission of Representatives from any of the States lately in rebellion which refuse to ratify the late amendment to the Constitution that we have submit ted to the respective States, for l deem it in dispensable for the security and permanency of our Government. With proper safeguards thrown around, and a firm reliance in Him in whose hands alone a country can prosper, this great nation will endure until time is no more, and be an asylum for the oppressed of all nations, and not like the ancient republics which through their luxur and wickedness fell to rise no more; for, as Mr. Montag'u has said “Greece once the nursery of arts and sciences.the faithful mother of philosophers. lawyers. And authors now lies prostrate under the iron yoke of ignorance and barbarism: Carthage.oncethemigbty sovereign of the ocean and the center of universal commerce, which poured the richesof the nations into her lap, now puzzles theinquisitive traveler in his researches after eventhe vestigesof her ruin: and Rome the mistress of the universe. which once contained whatever was esteemedgreat or brilliant in human na ture is now sunk into the ignoblo feast of whatever is esteemed mean and infamous."