In Washington D.C., the House passes the bill to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia that the Senate had voted through a few days before.  The 92-38 vote, with another thirty-seven representatives not voting, was again highly partisan.  All the votes against the bill came from Democrats and only three Democrats, George Cobb of New Jersey and Moses Odell and Edward Haight of New York, voted in favor.  John J. Crittenden of Kentucky led the opposition with an impassioned speech.  President Lincoln signed the bill five days later.  (By John Osborne)