Mr. HOWE. I want to say just this upon the pending proposition: if I regarded this act as the Senfrom Massachusetts and the Senfrom Michigan seem to regard it, as a private act for the relief of individual debtors from the obligation of their debts, then I should agree with the Senfrom Massachusetts that rebels ought to be excluded from the benefits of the act; and I should think that thieves and murderers and all other crim inals ought to be excluded from the act, and I should think that the debtors themselves ought to be excluded from the act, and I should be opposed to the act. But I do not understand that to be the nature or the purpose of the bill. I understand it to be, not a private law but a public law, not a law administering the public charities of the nation or the clemency of the nation to anybody in the world, but a law declaring that upon grounds of public policy, not upon grounds of public charity, it is better that the estates of certain debtors insolvent should be taken possession of by the courts, should be administered for the benefit of all their creditors, and then that the in debtedness of the individual should be at an end. If it be a matter public policy that that should be done with reference to one debtor, it is a requirement of public policy that it should be done with reference to every other debtor, whether he be guilty or inno cent, whether he has committed one crime or another or no crime at all. And as Lunderstand that to be the purpose of the bill I shall vote against this amendment, with no view of encouraging rebels to cease to be rebels. I agree with the Senfrom Maine that there are undoubtedly a great many own in these southern districts who did not the r i nto the great rebellion voluntarily. But none down there who cannot come of the guilt of the rebellion voluntarily; there is nobody compelling them to stay in rebellion, and therefore I am not for encour aging them to come out any further than we have. We have dealt very generously and mag nanimously with them I think heretofore. I do not think we have anything to do with the question of crime in the enactment of this law is a matter which the people of the U.S. demand, which the public demand, for the public good and not for individuals. The question being taken by yeas&nays, resulted yeas 10, nays 30;–12. So the amendment was rejected.