INTRODUCTION.
May 13, 1870, Mr. Sumner asked, and by unanimous consent obtained, leave to bring in a bill “Supplementary to an Act entitled ‘An Act to protect all persons in the United States in their civil rights, and furnish the means of their vindication,’ passed April 9, 1866,” which was read the first and second times by unanimous consent, referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and ordered to be printed.
July 7th, only a few days before the close of the session, Mr. Trumbull, Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, reported a bundle of bills, including that above mentioned, adversely, and all, on his motion, were postponed indefinitely.
January 20, 1871, Mr. Sumner again introduced the same bill, which was once more referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
February 15th, Mr. Trumbull, from the Committee, again reported the bill adversely; but, at the suggestion of Mr. Sumner, it was allowed to go on the Calendar. Owing to the pressure of business in the latter days of the session, he was not able to have it considered, and the bill dropped with the session.
At the opening of the next Congress, March 9, 1871, Mr. Sumner again brought forward the same bill, which was read the first and second times, by unanimous consent, and on his motion ordered to lie on the table and be printed. In making this motion he said that the bill had been reported adversely twice by the Committee on the Judiciary; that, therefore, he did not think it advisable to ask its reference again; that nothing more important could be submitted to the Senate, and that it should be acted on before any adjournment of Congress. In reply to an inquiry from Mr. Hamlin, of Maine, Mr. Sumner proceeded to explain the bill, which he insisted was in conformity with the Declaration of Independence, and with the National Constitution, neither of which knows anything of the word “white.” Then, announcing that he should do what he could to press the bill to a vote, he said: “Senators may vote it down. They may take that responsibility; but I shall take mine, God willing.”
At this session a resolution was adopted limiting legislation to certain enumerated subjects, among which the Supplementary Civil Rights bill was not named. March 17th, while the resolution was under discussion, Mr. Sumner warmly protested against it, and insisted that nothing should be done to prevent the consideration of his bill, which he explained at length. In reply to the objection that the session was to be short, and that there was no time, he said: “Make the time, then; extend the session; do not limit it so as to prevent action on a measure of such vast importance.” An amendment moved by Mr. Sumner to add this bill to the enumerated subjects was rejected. The session closed without action upon it.