Sits franchiseany citizen without due process of law! That is, a man must have been tried for, and con victed of, desertion, before he can be punished as a deserter. Was Mrs. Grind er, the murderess, hung before she was tried and convicted? And are men ac cused of the crime of desertion, to be disfranchised before they have been tried and convicted? Judge King did not decidethat "Congress cannot, with out trial, disfranchise a deserter ," but that no man can be deprived of his cit izenship without due process of law, and, therefore, that no man can be dis franchised as a deserter , until he shall have been convicted as such by due process of law. Did the Pittsburg Ga zette never hear of the old legal maxim, "Every man is presumed innocent until proved guilty?"— But, says our astute legal critic, the decision of Judge King "has been reversed by theStateSenate!" Whoever heard of the State Senate be ing a part of the Judiciary! Whoever heard of an appeal being taken from the Court of Common Pleas to a eom mitteeof theStateLegislature! "Here's 1 richness for you." as Mr. Squeers would have said. It is true that a majority of the committee of the State Senate, drawn to decide the contested case ol Meosrs. Duncan and McConaughy, did oust Mr. Duncan, on the ground that his majority was composed of the votes of deserters. But this was a mere par tizan decision, all the "Republican-" on the committee holding one view, and the only Democrat on the commit tee entertaining the opposite. It is well known, and the writer for the Pittsburg Gazette knows it, if he knows anything, that committees drawn to decide eon tested election cases, have no great re gard for fairness, and much less respect for legal points that happen to project across their path. They decide the cases that come before them, according to their political bias. Their decisions are not authority, for a committee drawn to-morrow, opposed in politics to Mr. McConaughy, could and would give the seat to Mr. Duncan, and their report would be as binding upon the Senate and all interested, as that of the former committee. Again, we are informed, by the knowing fellow who perpetrated the above, that "the decision of the Senate was reached under the advice of the Attorney General." In the first place the Senate made no decision. Six "Republican" members of theeommit tee drawn to try the case referred to, reported that McConaughy was entitled to the seat of Mr. Duncan; the only Democrat on the committee, reported that McConaughy was not entitled to the seat, but that Duncan rightfully j held it. The Senate took no vote upon either of these reports, and never will vote upon them, because the report of the majority of the committee is con clusive of the case. Therefore, this "decision" is not that of the Senate, but only of six "Republican" Senators. Secondly, the Attorney General was not consulted by the committee. The prop osition to refer the "deserter" question to the Attorney General, was made by I Mr. Duncan and the Democratic Sena-, tor on theoommittee, Mr. Montgomery. It was voted down, all the "Republi- 1 can" members of the committee, except Mr. Lowry, voting against it, whilst the last named gentleman and Mr. Montgomery voted for it. It was well understood that the Attorney General j would take the same view entertained by Judge King, which would have been j equivalent to Mr. McConaughy's defeat. It was for this reason that the commit tee refused to refer the matter to Mr. Meredith.—We have made this notice of the mendacious article copied above, in order, first, to shield the judiciary from an attempt to degrade that impor tant and dignified branch of our state government beneath the petty author ity of a legislative committee, appoint ed from a partizan majority, to assure theattainmentof partizanends. Again, we deemed it our duty to expose the ill-contrived, but malignant trick, by j which the ability and honesty of Judge Kingasajurist.aresoughttobe broughtj into ridicule. Whether we have accoua-1 plishedour purpose, let the candid read er decide. JIUtiE KING ON THE ELECTIVE FRAN t il ME. We publish, in another column, the decision of His Honor, Judge King, in the contested election case of Howe vs. Stenger, which was heard by the Court, at Chambersburg, on the 16th ult.— Messrs. Rowe and Stenger were oppos ing candidates, at the late election, for the office of District Attorney. Mr. Stenger was given the certificate of e leetion, by the board of Return Judge-, it appearing that he had received a ma jority of the votes returned. Mr. Rowe, however, filed a petition in Court, set ting forth, among other thing.-, that the majority of Mr. Stenger was com po-ed of the votes of "deserters," and, therefore, was not a legal majority.— To this allegation, Mr. Stenger respon ded: Ist. That the election laws of this : Commonwealth are exclusively within the complete and absolute control of the State authorities and cannot lie modi fied or changed by Congress. 2nd. That the act of Congress t>f March 3d, 1860, so far as relates to all persons drafted into the military service of the ! United States, prior to the passage there : of, is an ex post facto law and therefore | unconstitutional and void. 3d. That if the act be Constitutional, the voters referred to, in the petition, | could not be disfranchised, without I hearing and trial according to the law 1 of the land. • Judge King declined to give an opin- j ion upon the first two points of the re spondent, but sustained the third one, and upon the grounds therein stated, quashed Mr. Howe's petition. We have read with more than ordinary pleasure, the Judge's noble words in defence of the rights of the citizen. Thank God, that we have a man upon the bench, who dares to say, in these degenerate times, u No man can be deprived of life, liberty, or property. unless by the judg ment of his peers, or the law of the land.!'''' These are words that contain a princi ple eternal as liberty itself. They should be engraved upon every freeman's j heart. They are like "apples of gold in pictures of silver," alike beautiful I and precious. Let Judge King be hon ored and respected for this decision.— : Though differing from him politically, we feel it our duty to commend his con duct in this case and to bespeak for him the thanks of those, who, like us, do not approve his politics, yet must ad mire hL course as ajurist. P-H-E-W ! Phansy our pheelinks! We have been prosecuted for libel by "Governor" Cessna! We, Meyers and I Mengel, together with that other awful reprobate, O. E. Shannon, have been ! held, severally, in three hundred dol lars bail, for publishing sundry "ma i licious and defamatory articles" on the character of the future chief mag istrate of this great Commonwealth.— Well, all we ask is to IK 1 permitted, up -1 on our trial, to give the truth in evidence, and if we don't prove ail we ever said j or printed about the gentleman, he may, in future, give railroad passes to whomsoever he pleases. Now, all whom it may concern, take notice, that [ if the Court will permit us, ire will prove ! to be true all that ire ever said of John Cessna, AND'A GOOD DEAL, MOKE! If j Mr. Cessna wants to vindicate himself, let him demand that we prove what we alleged against him,—and let him not i hide his character behind any legal quibbles. The public shall see whether he will face the music. ISN'T it a little queer that two of the most prominent men in Mr. Lincoln's cabinet, are now acting with the Dem ocrats? Hon. Edward Bates, Attorney General under Mr. Lincoln, is doing noble service in favor of the repeal of the oppressive constitution, forced upon his State, Missouri, at the point of the bayonet. Hon. Montgomery Blair, Mr. Lincoln's Postmaster General, is also battling nobly for civil liberty in Maryland. These distinguished gen tlemen have both been driven out of their party, and into the Democratic ranks, by the radicalism of the men who control the "Republican" organi zation. Messrs. Cowan, Doolittleand Dixon, three of the ablest men in the U. S. Senate, are also compelled to act with the Democrats, on the leading is sues of the day. When these men find it necessary to pursue this course, there must be "something rotten in the Ab olition Denmark." WE publish elsewhere "a card" from Col. Fr. Jordan, and as it reflects rath er severely upon our future Governor's character for truth and veracity, we hope he will at once bring anoth'er libel suit to repair this additional damage to his reputation. But, please, John, don't include Jordan in the prosecu tion, as we want him for a witness. THE BLACK LIST. Keep it before the people that all the "Republican" members of Congress from this State, except Mr. Culver, of Venango, who dodged, voted for the bill to force Negro Suffrage upon the people of the District of Columbia. The names of these Congressmen are: 0. O'NEILL, U. MERCUR, L. MYERS, G. F. MILLER, W. D. KELLEY, A. A. BARKER, M. R. THAYER, S. F. WILSON, J. M. BROOMALL, G. W. SCOFIELD, THAD. STEVENS, J. K. MOOREIIEAD, THOS. WILLIAMS, G. V. LAWRENCE. TIIE Philadelphia Age has unearthed a letter written by the hon. johu eena to a citizen of Southampton township, this county, which will be found elsewhere in this issue. V edoubt not the injured j. c. will at once proceed to prosecute the proprietors of the Age for libel. It is an outrageous thing to publish this letter and thus to prove that the people of Southampton township have at last known its author long enough to find | out that he did "deceive them" and i "lie to them." Besides, it is manifest ; ly gotten up "for the purpose of injur j ing his election." It is really too had that this patriot should be so much in ! terfered with in his efforts to serve his i country. WE are under obligations to Hon. | G. W. Householder, of the State Senate, for copies of the Ley'ishitive Recoref. .. -. L- i l ■J.tu- L. U-J. POLITICAL M:\VS. —Preacher Evans, of Bedford, Indi ana, an elector on the "Republican" ticket, during the last Presidential campaign, although a married man, has run away with the wife of one Thomas Johnson. He isopposed to the "twin relics of barbarism, polygamy and slavery," especially the former. —Hon. Geo. Sanderson has been re nominated by the Democrats of Lan caster city, for the office of Mayor, and Samuel Huber, for High Constable. Col. Sanderson is one of the best men in the state and deserves to be Mayor of Lancaster the remainder of his life. —The Cambria county Democratic Convention has elected Philip Collins, Esq., delegate to the coming State Con vention, with instructions to support Hon. R. L. Johnson, of that county, for the nomination for Governor. —E. B. Dougherty, Esq., is the rep resentative delegate from Beaver coun ty, to the Democratic State Conven tion. S. B. Wilson, Esq., is the sen atorial delegate. —Geo. R. Snowden is the senatorial delegate to the Democratic State Con vention, from the Venango district, and Gen. Alfred B. McCalmont, repre sentative. —Alexander Cummings, of "red her ring, scotch ale and straw hat" memo ry, has been appointed, and confirmed by the C. S. Senate. Governor of Colo rado territory. —At a special election held in Queen Anne's county, Md., on the 15th ult.. for member of the House of Delegates, Lemuel Roberts, Democrat, was elect ed over D. H. Crane. "Republican." —The whole Democratic ticket, from Mayor to ward officers, was elected in Wheeling, W. Va., the other day. Ab olitionism is evidently on the wane in ! Western Virginia. —A bill is before tiie Legislature to disfranchise persons who evaded the j draft. Whilst negroes are given the 1 right of suffrage, white men are being deprived of it. —A State Convention of the people of Maryland, to urge the repeal of the i Registration law, has just been held in I the citv of Baltimore. -Geo. A. Smith, Esq., Ims been elec ted delegate from Fulton county, to the Democratic State Convention, without instruction-. —Hon. John G. Davis, long 1 a distin guished member of Congress from In diana. died of apoplexy, a few days ago. —Secretary Harlan will retire from the cabinet very soon. He has recent ly made a Negro Suffrage speech. —The "Republicans" of Allegheny county have nominated Hon. J. K. Moor head for Governor. —The Kentucky Senate has resolved to postpone the election of United States Senator. BOOKS AM> PKKIOOK AI.S. THE OLD GUARD FOR FEBRUARY. —The February number of this maga zine is before us. It has a steel plate portrait and a sketch of Gen. Stonewall Jackson. The leading article is on the late "Lord Palnierston and his Policy." The feature of this number, however, are the fir.-t chapters of an original and thrilling romance of the war, by a south ern author, entitled 'BERTHA SEELY, THE HEROIXE OF THE OLD I >OM I XIO.V.' Among the other articles may be men tioned, "Review of President Johnson's Position;" "Pen Pictures of Puritan ism, chapter II.," and several pieces of poetry. The Editor's Table is also full and piquant as usual. Van Evrie, Hor ton A- Co., publishers, New York. Single copies, 25 cents ; .*:{ on per annum. PETERSON'S MAGAZINE.— The Feb ruary number of ''Peterson" is full of interest, especially to the ladies. The fashion-plate, 'bv Illman brothers, is a fine engraving. The "Little Strawber ry Girl," is also very pretty. "My Philip," a story by F. L. Benedict, is decidedly good. "Peterson" is always readable and entertaining. THE LADY'S FRIEND. —The Februa ry number of this beautiful magazine opens with a touching picture (steel en graving) entitled "News from the War." The large colored Double Steel Fashion Plate in this number, is refined and el egant. The literary matter is also good. HARRISBITKC BETTER. Siul i iimlifloii of llu'Miiti- Finanrosi: Stall! j linnila kvliiH par; Partiznu and Clasa loffUlation ; IMiiifnb<>rm>nt of a Judi cial district; The "more iuijiartial" se lection of iurnrs: Xiejrr© suffrage in the Senate: llottseholder's bill to rovolii tionizethet otnnioii School system: The '•Old Hostile" purified. Ac.. Are, HARRISRTRG, Jan. 30, 1860. EDITOR GAZETTE:— Of all the poor, contemptible, drivelling legislative bo- j dies ever inflicted upon the State capi- ! tal, the present G-neral Assembly is \ certainly ahead. Vs characterized by j one of its membeis, a few days ago, it j is "lying around loose.'' Nothing has j yet been done, of importance, in the; way of legislation. The financesof the I Commonwealth ar- in a sad condition, but nothing is sugfested by our legis-; lative Solons to reuedy the trouble.— | Pennsylvania Statr bonds are now quo- 1 ted at 86; that is a bond of u thousand j dollars can lie bought for eight hundred j and sixty! Thisdoreeiationshould not necessarily lie; for the Commonwealth is good for all she owes, and it is a (lis- \ credit to her name that her stocks are , so much under pai Instead of attending to the real wants of the people and legislating for the i masses, the presontLegislature occupies j its time almost wildly with special and | class legislation. For instance, a new I | judicial district is about being erected out of the counties of Washington and j Beaver, though it is generally conceded that there is no earthly necessity for this j I proceeding. Tlumotive which operates j in the mind- . Walton BWf v, Win. H I Kteiitjcr. This case comes before us on the pe tition of twenty or more of the qualifi ed electors of the county of Franklin, complaining that Win. S. Stenger was not duly elected to the office of District Attorney; thattheelection was undue, and 1). Watson Itowe was duly elected to said oftice. The respondent has filed a motion to quash this; petition for the following reasons; Ist. Because said petition was not fi led within ten days after the election j for said office of District Attorney, held ! on the loth day of October, 1865. 2nd. Because said petition was not filed until after the time of sw earing j the said Win. S. Stenger into office had ! expired, nor until he was in fact sworn into said office without any objection being made. fid. Because the said petition is too vague, indefinite and imprecise to enti tle it to a hearing. ttli. Because it does not appear that, if all that is stated upon the face of the petition was proved, the result of the election would be changed, or that the Court would be compelled to declare the election an undue election. sth. Because, even, if it be true that the alleged persons named in the peti tion. were deserters from the military j seviee of the United States, and that they did vote for the -aid Wm. S. Sten ger" still said persons were qualified e lectors of Franklin County and this Commonwealth, notwithstanding any thing in the Act of Congress of March fid, 1865; entitled "An Act to amend I the several acts heretofore passed,_ to ! provide for the enrolling and calling out the National forces and other purpo- ses." A The first reason assigned has not been pressed, and but little stress has been laid on the second, by the counsel for the respondent; and the views we are about to submit on the principal ques tion in the ease, as presented by the fourth and fifth reasons, render it un necessary to express any opinion upon the third reason assigned. Wecome, therefore, to consider wheth er the votes of Curtis Dulabon, George Miller, John Tallhelni and Abraham Sheely were illegal, on theground that these voters, had been drafted into the military service of the United States, and had failed to report to the provost marshal of the 16th District Pennsyl vania, composed, in part,of the county of Franklin. The counsel for the respondent make these J mints: Ist. that the election laws of this Commonwealth are exclusively within the complete and absolute control of the State authorities and cannot he modified or changed by Congress. 2nd. That the act of Congress of March fid, 1865, so far as relates to all persons drafted into the military ser vice of the United States, prior to the passage thereof, is an ex po*t facto law and therefore unconstitutional and void. 3d. That even, if the act be Constitu tional, the voters referred to, in the pe tition, could not l>edisfranchised, with- : out hearing and trial according to the ; law of the land. The first and second of these points \ involve questions of very grave im-1 portance and require time for their in vestigation ; and having arrived at the conclusion that the provisions of the act of Congress cannot be enforced in this case; for the reasons we shall presently note, we express no opinion in regard to them. That Congress has no power to pun ish desertion, or refusal to report when drafted, or for evading the draft by leaving the jurisdiction of the United States, we entertain no doubt; and no punishment that can lawfully be inflic ted for such offenses can be too severe. These are crimes against the country of the most dangerous tendency, and admit of no palliation or excuse; and it is on account of their very enormity, that we hold that no man ran justly anil lawfully be deemed guilty of them, until such guilt has been judicially es tablished. No man can be deprived of life, liberty or property unless by the judgment of his peersor tin* law of the land. Both the federal and State con stitutions guarantee this fundamental right to every citizen. Have these safeguards been provided, in the organ ic law of the federal and State Govern ments, for no purpose? is there any dearer rightthan the elective franchise, and is that left entirely without protec tion? We can best answer these preg nant questions by quoting the eloquent language of Justice Coulter, in the case of Brown vs. Hummell. 0 Barr 61— "The talismanic words. I am a citizen of Pennsylvania, secures to the indi vidual his private rights, unless they are taken away by a trial, where he has an opportunity of being heard, by himself, his counsel and his testimony, man majoriuai , according to the laws and customs of our fathers, and the se curities and safeguards of the Consti tution. .Sir Edward Coke defines the meaning of the words, hy the lair of the Iwiil —for they were used in mayiui chart a, and have been sprinkled with the tears and blood of many patriots— to be a trial by due course and process of law. *" it is against the princi ples of liberty and common right to deprive a man of his property or fran chise, while he is within the pale of the Constitution and with his hand on the altar, without hearing and trial by due course and process of law. 1 ' In anoth er part of the same opinion he speaks of the right of suffrage as the most im portant of all a man's franchises and asks: "Who does not feel its value; and who but would turn pale if he thought he could he deprived of it without hearing or trial." These fun damental principles of civil liberty, cannot be overlooked or disregarded by the courts, to which we all look for pro tection, without seriously imperiling the safety of the people. It is a thou sand times better therefore, that Mr. Rowe should lose the office heclaims than that hi.> right thereto should bo declared by trampling under foot the sacred right, to which we have just adverted, that no man shall be condemned with out an opportunity of being heard in his own defence. For the reasons we have thus hastily and imperfectly presented, we sustain the motion to quash the petition. -The "trichine disease," a malady resulting from worms found in pork, is raging in Prussia, and causing a terrif ic panic. At last accounts about three hundred persons had been attacked, of whom eighty died in great agony. —There is a frightful mortality a mong the negroes at Macon, Ga. Gut of a black population of eight thousand, five hundred have died in one week. — This is in a community ruled by the Freed men's Bureau. —Many Ohio "Republicans" made heavy bets on 30,000 majority for Cox, their* candidate for Governor at the late election. These bets were lost by just 01 votes. —The Kentucky House of Repre sentatives has again defeated the con stitutional amendment abolishing sla very*. Spunk to the backbone! From the Bedford Inquirer A CARD. BEDFORD, Jan. 13, 1866. 1 take this occasion,and method, to: tender my cordial and grateful thanks to the political friendsin ltedford Coun ty who so faithfully sustained me, un der a storm of misrepresentations, in the contest just closed. In Mr. Cessna's reply of the 6th inst.. to my address of the 4th, are many un warranted statements and personalities, which I will allow to pass unnoticed. 1 may have been gravely at fault, as he suggests, in not staying at home du ring the war, to help him fight the par ty battles in the county, and in not ad dressing War meetings, and in aiding in the trial of causes in court here, whilst ! was absent in the public ser vice; and I am willing to be punished for such things, without making any complaint. But, in his reply, he raise a question of veracity in such a shape and of such importance, I feel compell ed to notice it briefly in vindication of myself, and in justification of those who so manfully -tood hy me. The substance of my allegation was, | that in May, 1865, 1 had an interview and understanding with him, in Bed-; ford, to the effect that he was to -up port nic for the nomination and J was to have a clear course in the county. In his reply he trails this a "mistake;" and endeavors to make it appear that he only promisedtosupport me if nom i hinted. 1 submit, if it la- not evident from Iwith the flat* 1 and object of said interview, that the subject matter of it would naturally be, as it was, support for the nomination, ond not support af terwords. At that time I vou/d here had no reason to doubt the latter. II 'hits/ professing to reply to what oc curred at that in'territ ir , he says: "On the contrary, I told him distinctly that that question'" (of being a candidate) "would be left with ray friends, and that when they determined it 1 would inform him." Now the unfairness of tiiisstatement, to use no harsher term, must be mani fest. when it is known that this quota tion is what he told me, not at the Bed lord interview, but at another interview :at Washington about./?n: months after- I wards. It occurred in this way : After ! the last October election. I heard a ru mor that Mr. Cessna intended to be a ! candidate for Governor. 1 did not be lieveit; but when he came to Washing ton about the latter end of that month, j or first of November following, 1 call | ed upon him, and told him of the ru jmor,and inquired if it was true. lie : then told me what I have quoted above ] from his reply; and then, for the first | time, did I know of his intention to be | a candidate. At the same time 1 asked i him when he would let me know his | determination, and he replied at the j meeting of Congress the first Monday in December. He came to Washing ton at or about that time, but did not inform me; and when he next came 1 enquired of him whether or not he had ! concluded to be a candidate. Herepli i ed in the affirmative; and that was on i the 20th of December last. FR. JORDAN. < OV4.KKSMO.VAI. \E\VV SENATE. FRIDAY, Jan. 26. A resolution was adopted instructing ! the Finance Committee to inquire into ■ and report as to the expediency of re quiring directors of National Banks to | give bonds for the performance of their I duties. The House bill extending the time for the withdrawal of goods for consumption from public stores. Ac., was passed. The resolution offered for appointing Provisional Governors in the Southern States was then taken up and discussed by Mr. Howe. He was interrupted by a motion demanding a reconsideration of the bill toenlargethe Freedmen's Bureau, and asking a with drawal of it from the House, to which it had been sent, which was refused, hy a vote of 22 to 18. The debate on Mr. Howe'- resolution wa- then resumed, and was continued for sometime. The j hill to protect and maintain all persons | in their civil right:- was next called up; j hut. pending a speech on the subject i from Mr. McDougall, the Senate went ■ into executive session. IlOt'SE OF REPRESENTATIVES. FRIDAY, Jan. 20. A petition was presented from ten thousand citizens and soldiers of the United States asking for the equaliza tion of bounties, and increase of pen { sions, and in favor of confiscating the lands of Southern Rebels and donating them to soldiers. A resolution was passed directing the Committee on Mil- I itary Affairs to report on the expedien j cy of securing the construction of a i military road from the western boun ! dary of Minnesota to the gold fields of | Idaho and Montana, and of establish i ing military posts along the line of | route. A resolution was agreed to di j reeting the Committee of Ways and 1 Means to inquire into the expediency of revising the law of 1865, which prohib its drawbacks on articles exported into any foreign State immediately adjoin . ing the United States. The considera tion of the proposed amendment to the Constitution, providing that represen tatives and taxation shall go together, and excluding negroes from the basis <>l I representation where they are not al j lowed the right of suffrage, wasresum- I I ed. The question was debated until tin ! hour of adjournment with the under standing that a vote was to he taken to day, Saturday. The Election Committee reported in favor of the right of Alexander H. Cof ! froth to the seat from the Sixteenth j Congressional District of Pennsylvania. I The report was laid over. iKon u i:\ii o. ' Thf I'rrui'h Troops not to l>t- ittiUruo 11 unless Mnximiliaii be exempt from A nierie.-ni Intervention—The Af fair—Protest of the Kreneti 4'oniinnnder —The I niteetween tin- President anda distinguished Senator; The President said that he doubtt ii tin- propriety, at this time, of making any further amendments to the (Yinstf tution. < ne great amendment had ui ready lx?en made, by wliich slavery had forever been abolished within thV limits of the United States, and a na tional guaranty thu- given that that institution should never again exist h, tiie land. Propositions to amend the Constitu tion were la-coming as numerous preambles and resolutions at town meetings called to consider the m.,-t ordinary questions i-onnected with the administration of local affair-. ,\u this, in his opinion, had a tendency a, diminish the dignity and prestige' B j_ tached to the Constitution of the coun try, and to lessen the respect and con fidence of the people in their great charter of freedom. If, however, amendments are to L made to the Constitution, changing the basis of representation and taxation, (andhedidnotdecmtheniat all neces-an. at the present time , he knew of nom betterthana single proposition.embrac ed in a few lines, making in each State the number of qualified voters the bas is of representation, and the value of property the basis of direct taxation. Such a proposition could he embraced in the following terms; Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States which maybe included in this Union, according to the number of qualified voters in each State. Direct tax shall he apportioned among the several States which may be includ ed within the Union, according to the value of all taxable property in each State. An amendment of this kind would, in his opinion, place the basis of repre sentation and direct taxation upon cor rect principles. The qualified voter were, for the most part, men who were subject to draft and enlistment when it was necessary to repel invasion, sup press rebellion and quell domestic vio ! lencc and insurrection. They risk their lives, shed their blood and peril their all to uphold the Gov ! eminent, and give protection, security and value to property, it seemed but j just that property should compensate i for the benefits thus conferred by de j fraying the expenses incident to its pro : teetion and enjoyment. Such an amendment the Presidental ; so suggested would remove from Coc -1 gres- all is.-ues in reference to tin- ;>>- I litieal equality of the races. It would I leave the State to determine absolutely the qualifications of their own voter ! with regard to color, and thus the num ber of Representatives to which they j would be entitled in Congress would I depend upon the number upon which j they conferred the right of suffrage. The President, in this connection, ex j pressed the opinion that the agitation ' of the negro franchise question in the ! District of Columbia at this time was the mere entering wedge to the agita tion of the question throughout the State*, and was ill-timed, uncalled for, and calculated to do great harm. He believed that it would engender enmity, contention and strife between the two races, and lend to a war between them, which would result in great in jury to both, and the certain extern:' i nation of the negro population, j Procs-deuce, he thought, should lie given to more important and urgent matters, legislation upon which was e*- sential for the restoration of the Union, the peace of the country, and the pro i perity of the people. ITEMS OF NEWS. —The Canadian reciprocity delegation have had several interviews with Sec retary McCulloeh, and have produced I a very favorable impression. There i i a growing feeling in favor of some sort of reciprocity, to he provided for by mutual legislation. Five hundred and fourteen emigrant vessels arrived at New York during I the year 1865, bringing 200.061 pu**en ger*. an increase of 17,115 over the pre ! vious year. —A very large -windle. implicating d-'tective Lafayette C. Baker, i- alleged by a New York paper. Some s-io l l,ooo it is said were fingered. The capture of Bagdad, in Mexico, by filibusters, is confirmed. Heavy Im perial reinforcements are on their way to the Rio Grande. —The ravages of thesma l-pox have created a panic in Moi>ilo. The record ed deaths from that disease for the week ! ending the 14th inst.. were twenty-two. -Re-olutions have been introduosl in the Georgia Legislature recommen ding the President to grant a general : amnesty. —Mrs. Stephen A. Douglas was mar ried in Major Williams, of the regular army, at Washington, on Tuesday lift week. —Twenty-eight candidates for tlx i the New York collectors!]ip arc now in Washington urging theirclnims. Sow*' of them are not citizens of New Vwk State. j —The War Department ha- is uedan order for the muster out of thirty ad ditional regiments, about half of win' ' 1 ; are colored. —The Governor of South Carolina has written to the President urging b" ; transfer to their owners of lands no* occupied hy negroes. —lt is reported that tlu* President ' contemplates changes in the lead* l '- Federal appointments in New V>rk, Philadelphia and Boston. —The re]K>rt of Mr. Conkling" :l l'" pointnient to the New York Collci't"!- ship is unfounded, as no appointmen. has been made. —General Terry lias i-sued an ordci investing all military officers with tlu authority of provost marshals. —llcavy rain storms prevail hi da interior of California, and a great fI ,M " i* feared at Sacramento. —The filibustering General Cniwi"^ 1 is eon fined in Fort Jack *oll, at N<'W ( leans. Bagdad sou ren irs aresai dto hm* been found in his papers. —The Louisiana House of itepn—u , tives has resolved to appoint a sS'f iw j committe to amend the State Const'' 1 . tion of 1864. —The Pa vonst ruction Com 111 iUeeluO' suhpenaed Governor Brownlow. tt ; tify as to affairs in Tennessee. I —The I". S. Telegraph l oinpany hav*- ' completed their line of telegraph from I Boone. lowa, to Omaha City. —The difficulty of making contracts with the negroes* in Louisiana contin ues.