OF THE

SENATE

OF THE

STATE OF NEW YORK:

AT THEIR

NINETY-FIRST SESSION,

BEGUN AND HELD AT THE CAPITOL, IN THE CITY OF ALBANY, ON THE

SEVENTH DAY OF JANUARY, 1868.

ALBANY :
C. VAN BENTHUYSEN & SONS, PRINTERS.

1868. Exchange Distrate, L. 6

SUPLICATE

JOURNAL OF THE SENATE.

STATE OF NEW YORK:

SENATE CHAMBER, IN THE CITY OF ALBANY.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1868.

Pursuant to the sixth section of the tenth article of the Constitution o the State of New York, designating the first Tuesday in January in each year for the time of the meeting of the Legislature, the Hon. Stewart I Woodford, Lieutenant-Governor, and the following Senators from th several districts of the State, appeared in the Senate, to wit:

The Senators having taken and subscribed the constitutional oath o office, the President declared the Senate organized and ready to procee to business.

The President then rose and addressed the Senate as follows: Senators: It becomes my pleasant duty at the opening of our session to bid you welcome.

We stand at the threshold of duties, upon the just discharge of which the welfare alike of our State and Nation largely depends. Although the harvests of last autumn were abundant, although no pestilence has visited our land and no organized armed resistance to the law exists within our borders, still we must all realize that general anxiety and distrust pervade commercial circles, paralyzing business activity and industrial enterprise, and that all our people await the future with solicitude.

It is your privilege as well as your duty to do much towards allaying this alarm. You can labor for the restoration of an absolute and actual economy in the public expenditures, an economy which shall be seen in the next tax levy, and thus be appreciated by the people.

You can largely insist upon a rigid accountability of all public servants. You can arrest hasty legislation; prevent the enactment of needless and cumbersome laws; initiate wise and considerate reforms ; and resolutely maintain the existing safeguards cf public order and personal security.

I know that these are threadbare axioms and seem but idle platitudes. And yet unless we make them actual verities in our official action, we shall not only fail in our duty, but the State will suffer hurt.

Not only are our people apprehensive in regard to our State interests and legislation, but there is much in our National affairs to awaken patriotic solicitude.

Partial disorder and an unnatural, deplorable but still necessary subordination of the civil to the military law prevail in the States lately in rebellion. The restoration of those States to their just and Constitutional relations with the Federal Government, and to their normal condition of self-rule, is delayed by an unfortunate collision between the President and Congress. As Senators of New York, you may not be called upon to act directly upon these questions; and yet, should circumstances arise requiring action, we may remember that the voice and influence of this State are always powerful in the councils of our Nation. May our old State plead moderation, mercy and reconciliation. God in his loving providence gave us the victory and stayed from our villages and hearthstones the red tide of battle. May we in our hour of triumph be generous and forgiving to our vanquished foemen, remembering that even for the crime of rebellion large excuse is due, alike because of the early education and political training of Southern men, and because of our own long continued complicity at the North in the sin of Slavery. But while we are thus forgiving, and seek to bury from our sight the sad relics of our unhappy strife, let us also remember to be resolutely true in the hour of the Nation's triumph to all who were true to our flag in the time of our Nation's danger. Let us see to it, that the repentant foeman obtains no right, as an act of mercy, which is not at the same time firmly assured to the constant loyalist, as an act of justice. Thus, upon the sure foundations of mercy, loyalty and justice, shall we rebuild the shattered temple of our Union, making it stronger and fairer for the days to come.

And now, invoking upon all our deliberations the spirit of unity, and trusting that as our session passes all our hearts may but become more and more closely knit together in friendship, I bid you again a cordial

welcome.

Mr. Kennedy offered the following resolution:

Resolved, That James Terwilliger be and he is hereby appointed Cler of the Senate.

The President put the question whether the Senate would agree t said resolution, and it was decided in the affirmative.

Mr. Williams offered the following resolution:

Resolved, That John H. Kemper be and he is hereby appointed Ser geant-at-Arms of the Senate.

Mr. Beach moved to amend by striking out the name of "John H Kemper" and inserting in lieu thereof "Abram J. Meyer."

The President put the question whether the Senate would agree t said motion to amend, and it was decided in the negative, as follows:

FOR THE AFFIRMATIVE.

The President then put the question whether the Senate would agre to said resolution, and it was decided in the affirmative.

Mr. Campbell offered the following resolution:

Resolved, That Charles V. Schram be and he is hereby appointed Door keeper of the Senate.

The President put the question whether the Senate would agree t said resolution of Mr. Folger, and it was decided in the affirmative. Mr. Folger offered the following resolution:

Resolved, That Nathaniel Saxton be and he is hereby appointed Assist ant Doorkeeper of the Senate.

Mr. Murphy moved to amend said resolution by striking out all afte the word "Resolved," and inserting as follows:

"That a committee be appointed by the President to consider and report to this body what further officers of this body are necessary, and the amount of compensation to be paid each in lieu of all services." The President put the question whether the Senate would agree t said motion to amend, and it was decided in the negative, as follows:

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The President then put the question whether the Senate would agre to said resolution, and it was decided in the affirmative. Mr. Humphrey offered the following resolution:

Resolved, That David L. Shields be and he is hereby appointed Assist ant Doorkeeper of the Senate.

The President put the question whether the Senate would agree t said resolution, and it was decided in the affirmative.