The Press.
London, England, 1858-02-27 00:00:00

A FIGHT IN CONGRESS.

A COMIC scene occurred in Congress during a long
sitting on the sth and fith of February. The
house had met to consider the President's Mes-
sage, and the Lecompton Constitution. The
favourers of • the policy recommended by the
President found themselves in a minority. All the
strategy of party was immediately put in operation.
They hail the house called ; they moved adjourn.
ments, and insisted on taking down the names of
the "Yeas " and " Nays." Nothing could move the
phalani of the opposition. Night came ; midnight
and a new day, and these fierce party tactics were
continued with unfailing vigour. It should be re-
►narked that there were on the Administration side of
the house some twenty Democrats who followed the
star of Smator Douglas, and who, while they sat on
that side, always voted with the other. This did
not improve the temper of the " Southern chivalry."
One of the renegade Democrats was Mr. Hickman, of
Pennsylvania. Now the leader of the Republican
Opposition was also a Pennsylvanian, Mr. Grow.
About four in the morning he crossed the house to
speak with his ally, Hickman. Something occurred
during his stay which caused him to raise an objec-
tion to some manoeuvre of the Democrats. There-
upon Mr. Keitt, "the South Carolina gentleman,"
who formerly assisted the felon Brooks, called out
with an oath that Mr. Grow should speak on his own
side, and asked what business he had there at all.
Grow replied that it was a free ball. The word free
of course grated harshly upon the slave-driver. He
was a bigger man than Grow, and as Grow was
returning to his seat Keitt met him and asked him
what he mean, and called him a " damned Republican
puppy." Mr. Grow said, "No nigger-driver shall
come up from his plantation to crack his lash
about my ears." " We'll see about that," said Keitt,
and seized him by the throat. Grow shook him off,
and friends interfering the row ended for the moment.
But not for long. The hot blood of Keitt was
up. The words •• free hall " still rung in his ears.
He again rushed at Grow and seized him once more.
Grow had kept his temper; and apparently knew
what he was about, for in an instant a well-d►rected
blow from his right hand knocked down the South.
ern chivalry. Then ensued a regular melee. Demo-
crat and Republican brawn and muscle in the hail
of argument and deliberation struggled and fought ;
Barksdale, of Mississippi, and Reuben Davis, of the
same State, and M'Queen, of South Carolina, en-
countered the Northern IVashburnes, and that
terrible Potter, of Wisconsin, w•ho " bounded into
the excited group, dealing blows right and left," and
one Washburne, clutshing the " her " of Barksdale,
with dread intent to put the head under it in °ban-
chery, found the said " liar " in his hand, and
Barksdale wigless but free. What the Speaker and
the Sergeant-at-Arms hail vainly attempted to do
quell the row, was done by the Washburne in ques-
tion ; for the house, combatants and all, roared w►th
laughter at the sight of the un.haired Democrat
from Mississippi ; nor was that laughter diminished
when, on Washburne restoring to Barksdale his
scalp, that respectable party put it on " weong side
foremost,"