PAGE [Revision and Consolidation of the National Statutes.
Resolution and Speech in the Senate, December 12, 1861] 1 [Denial of Patents to Colored Inventors. Resolution
and Remarks in the Senate, December 16, 1861] 6 [The National Armies and Fugitive Slaves. Resolution
and Remarks in the Senate, December 18, 1861] 7 [Expulsion of Trusten Polk, of Missouri. Resolution
and Remarks in the Senate, December 18, 1861] 12 [Emancipation and the President. Letter to Governor
Andrew, of Massachusetts, December 27, 1861] 14 [The Trent Case, and Maritime Rights. Speech in the
Senate, on the Surrender of Mason and Slidell, Rebel
Agents, taken from the British Mail Steamer Trent,
January 9, 1862. With Appendix] 15 [Office of Senator, and its Incompatibility with other
Office. Remarks in the Senate, on the Case of General
Lane, of Kansas, January 13, 1862] 105 [Expulsion of Jesse D. Bright, of Indiana. Speeches in
the Senate, January 21 and February 4, 1862] 114 [Answer of a Witness Criminating Himself. Remarks in
the Senate, on the Bill relating to Witnesses before Committees,
January 22, 1862] 152 [Limitation of Debate in the Senate. Remarks in the
Senate, on a Five Minutes’ Rule, January 27 and 29,
1862] 155 [Industrial Exhibition at London. Speech in the Senate,
on the Joint Resolution providing for Representation
there, January 31, 1862] 157 [Order in Business: Each Question by Itself. Remarks
in the Senate, February 6, 1862] 161 [State Rebellion, State Suicide; Emancipation and Reconstruction.
Resolutions in the Senate, February 11,
1862. With Appendix] 163 [Treasury Notes a Legal Tender. Speech in the Senate,
on the Clause making Treasury Notes a Legal Tender,
February 13, 1862] 181 [Loyalty a Qualification required in a Senator.
Speeches in the Senate, February 18 and 26, 1862] 208 [Help for Mexico against Foreign Intervention. Report
from the Committee of Foreign Relations upon the
Draught of a Convention with Mexico, February 19, 1862] 227 [No Recognition of the Fugitive Slave Bill. Motion
and Remarks in the Senate, February 25, 1862] 238 [Our German Fellow-citizens, and a True Reconstruction.
Letter to the German Republican Central Committee
of New York, February 25, 1862] 241 [State Suicide and Emancipation. Letter to a Public
Meeting at the Cooper Institute, New York, March 6,
1862] 243 [Removal of Disqualification of Color in carrying
the Mails. Bill in the Senate, March 18, 1862, and
Incidents] 247 [Ransom of Slaves at the National Capital. Speech in
the Senate, on the Bill for the Abolition of Slavery in the
District of Columbia, March 31, 1862] 251 [Rebel Barbarities, and the Barbarism of Slavery.
Resolution and Remarks in the Senate, April 1, 1862] 301 [Testimony of Colored Persons in the District of
Columbia. Remarks in the Senate, on the Emancipation
Bill, April 3, 1862] 304 [Independence of Hayti and Liberia. Speech in the
Senate, on the Bill to authorize the Appointment of
Diplomatic Representatives to the Republics of Hayti
and Liberia, April 23, 1862] 307 [Final Suppression of the Slave Trade. Speech in the
Senate, on the Treaty with Great Britain, April 24, 1862] 336 [Enforcement of Emancipation in the District. Resolution
and Remarks in the Senate, April 28, 1862] 349 [Conduct of our Generals towards Fugitive Slaves.
Speech in the Senate, on a Resolution of Inquiry, May 1,
1862] 351 [No Names of Victories over Fellow-Citizens on Regimental
Colors. Resolution in the Senate, May 8, 1862] 361 [Bounty Lands for Soldiers out of Real Estate of
Rebels. Resolution in the Senate, May 12, 1862] 363 [Testimony of Colored Persons in Judicial Proceedings
for Confiscation and Emancipation. Resolution
in the Senate, May 12, and Remarks, June 28, 1862] 364 [The Late Hon. Goldsmith F. Bailey, Representative
from Massachusetts. Speech in the Senate, on his
Death, May 15, 1862] 366 [Use of Parchment in Legislative Proceedings. Resolution
and Speech in the Senate, on the Enrolment of
Bills, May 16, 1862] 372
Resolution and Speech in the Senate, December 12, 1861.
April 8, 1852, during his first session in the Senate, Mr. Sumner brought forward a resolution for a revision and consolidation of the national statutes, which was duly referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.[1] Though the resolution attracted attention at the time, the committee did nothing.
Early in the next Congress, December 14, 1853, he presented the same resolution a second time, which was duly referred,[2] and again neglected.
In the succeeding Congress, February 11, 1856, he offered the same resolution a third time,[3] and with no better success than before.
Absence from the Senate and protracted disability prevented the renewal of this effort until the administration of President Lincoln, who was induced to make a recommendation on the subject in his annual message of December 3, 1861.[4] Mr. Sumner followed, December 12th, with his oft-repeated resolution:—
