CONTENTS OF VOLUME XI.

PAGE
[Exclusion of Witnesses on Account of Color. Report in the Senate, of the Committee on Slavery and Freedmen, February 29, 1864]1
[The Mission to Belgium. Speech in the Senate, on an Amendment to the Consular and Diplomatic Appropriation Bill, March 15, 1864]43
[Consular Pupils. Speech in the Senate, on an Amendment to the Consular and Diplomatic Appropriation Bill, March 15, 1864]49
[The Late Hon. Owen Lovejoy, of the House of Representatives. Speech in the Senate, on the Resolutions upon his Death, March 29, 1864]54
[Colored Suffrage in the Territory of Montana. Speeches in the Senate, on an Amendment to the Bill for a Temporary Government of that Territory, March 31 and May 19, 1864]62
[Claims on France for Spoliations of American Commerce prior to July 31, 1801. Report in the Senate, of the Committee on Foreign Relations, April 4, 1864]70
[No Property in Man: Universal Emancipation without Compensation. Speech in the Senate, on the Constitutional Amendment abolishing Slavery throughout the United States, April 8, 1864]173
[Caste and Prejudice of Color. Letter to the Young Men’s Association of Albany, April 16, 1864]228
[Final Repeal of all Fugitive Slave Acts. Speech in the Senate, on a Bill for this Purpose, April 19, 1864]229
[The National Banks and the Currency. Speeches in the Senate, on Amendments to the Bill providing a National Currency, April 27 and May 5, 1864]245
[Branch Mints and Coinage. Speech in the Senate, on the Proposition to create a Branch Mint in Oregon, April 29, 1864]263
[Reform in the Civil Service. Bill in the Senate, April 30, 1864]278
[Colored Suffrage in Washington. Remarks in the Senate, on Bills to amend the City Charter, May 12, 26, 27, 28, 1864]284
[Vote of Both Houses of Congress Necessary to Readmission of Rebel States. Resolution in the Senate, May 27, 1864]296
[No Tax on Books. Remarks in the Senate, on Amendment of the Internal Revenue Bill, June 2 and 6, 1864]297
[Creation of the Freedmen’s Bureau: A Bridge from Slavery to Freedom. Speeches in the Senate, on Bills and Conference Reports creating a Bureau of Freedmen, June 8, 14, 15, 1864, and February 13, 21, 22, 1865]301
[Make Haste Slowly: Irreversible Guaranties. Speech in the Senate, on the Recognition of Arkansas, June 13, 1864]351
[Means for the War the True Object of the Tariff. Remarks in the Senate, on an Amendment to the Tariff Bill, June 16, 1864]376
[No Tax on Education. Remarks in the Senate, on a Proposed Duty on Philosophical Instruments for Colleges, June 17, 1864]378
[Abolition of the Coastwise Slave-Trade. Speeches in the Senate, on an Amendment to the Civil Appropriation Bill, June 24 and 25, 1864]380
[Opening of the United States Courts to Colored Witnesses. Speech in the Senate, on an Amendment to the Civil Appropriation Bill, June 25, 1864]389
[Reconstruction, and Adoption of Proclamation of Emancipation by Act of Congress. Remarks in the Senate, July 1, 1864]397
[National Academy of Literature and Art; also of Moral and Political Sciences. Remarks in the Senate, on a Bill creating these Two Academies, July 2, 1864]401
[No Final Adjournment of Congress without Increased Taxation. Speech in the Senate, on the Resolution of Final Adjournment, July 2, 1864]405
[Rejoicing in the Decline of the Rebellion. Remarks at a Public Meeting in Faneuil Hall, September 6, 1864]414
[Republican Party and Democratic Party. Speech at a Public Meeting at Faneuil Hall, to ratify the Republican Nominations for President and Vice-President, September 28, 1864]418
[Slavery and the Rebellion One and Inseparable: Issues of the Presidential Election. Speech before the New York Young Men’s Republican Union, at Cooper Institute, November 5, 1864]433

EXCLUSION OF WITNESSES ON ACCOUNT OF COLOR.

Report, in the Senate, of the Committee on Slavery and Freedmen, February 29, 1864.

February 8, 1864, on the day of introducing his Amendment of the Constitution, declaring that “all persons are equal before the law,” Mr. Sumner asked, and by unanimous consent obtained, leave to bring in a bill to secure equality before the law in the courts of the United States, which was read the first and second times by unanimous consent, and, on his motion, referred to the Committee on Slavery and Freedmen. This was in harmony with other efforts on an earlier day.[1] February 29th, he reported the bill to the Senate without amendment, accompanied by the following report, of which three thousand extra copies were ordered to be printed for the use of the Senate. The success of this measure appears at a later date.[2]

The Committee on Slavery and the Treatment of Freedmen, to whom was referred Senate Bill (No. 99) entitled “A Bill to secure equality before the law in the courts of the United States,” have had the same under consideration, and ask leave to report.

Before making a change in our laws, it is important to consider the nature and extent of what is proposed; especially is this the case, if the change will be far-reaching in influence. Therefore the Committee have thought best, in proposing to prohibit all exclusion of colored testimony in the courts of the United States, to exhibit with some particularity the considerations bearing on the subject.