The U.S. Senate passes the initial version of the "Tenure of Office Act" on a vote of twenty-nine for and nine against.

On the first day of the "lame duck" session of the Thirty-Ninth Congress, U.S. Senator George Williams of Oregon had introduced the Tenure of Office Act, a bill Republicans had crafted to limit the ability of President Johnson to dictate policy by removing officials from office without the consent of the legislative branch.  On this day, two weeks later, the Senate apporived the bill by a vote of 29 to 9, with 14 senators not voting. The House passed the measure soon after but disagreement over the inclusion of certain officials, specifically members of the Cabinet, upon which the lower House stood firm, delayed the final passage of the bill until February 19, 1867.  As expected, President Johnson rejected the bill but both chambers easily over-rode his veto on the same day, March 2, 1867 and the bill became what would be a very important law during the Fortieth Congress.  (By John Osborne).