The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-12-29 00:00:00

AMERICA.

ARRIVAL OF THE ARABIA

The British and North American royal mail
itearriship Arabia, Captain Stone, which sailed
frchn Boston on the 17th and Halifax on the 19th,
entered the Mersey about 10 o'clock yesterday
forenoon. . She brings sixty-four passengers, the
usual mails, and specie on freight amounting to
268,930 dollars.
The steamship Africa had arrived at New York.
On the 25th inst. passed a laru'e steamer steering
west, in lit. 51, 28 W., long. 22,45 W., supposed to
be the Niagara ; and at 10 p.m. on SaturcliTt7;
between Tuskar and Holyhead, passed the R.M.S.
Asia.
By this arrival ~ve have a variety of interesting
We epitomise the leading events in
:the. subjoined

SUMMARY.
CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS,—The proceedings in
the United States Senate were not of an important
character. General Cass had delivered a speech
reiterating his ideas and sentiments on the squatter.
.questien, after which Mr, Hale stated that the
republican party meant to apply the principle of
the exclusion of slavery in the territories in 1860,
as he believed they would then possess the power
to do so. In the House of Representatives
the chairman of the Post-office Committee
Teported a bill authorising the postmaster
'General to make a ,contract with Vornelius Van
•clerbilt to carry the mail between New York and
Liverp, of forjbe sum of 16,608 dole. for the round
-trip. In case the steamers employed by Mr. 'Vey-
tdertkik tare unable to make as good time as ti-
" '` Kw, then 1,000 dollar.- •
fog. ell
(I
houro '
deductednert"Or ery are ..aose of
same;43,.
i to be
ve
aetention. In the
InS (' teetering that all suggestions
u—nri.etecron, t
th f ;lave trade would subject the
Christi:ralesto the 'execration of all civilised and
unwise
_eople, nd that it is inexpedient,
,latrary to the settled policy of the
and C,
rep the laws 41,61,prOibiting the
Qf - d' states to re
fr
.9., slave . . s trade, wv:4 1" adopted by a vote
k.
i 52 to 67. The President had sent in a letter
.om Governor' Geary: of Kansas, recapitulating
his doings in the territory. He says peace has
been restored regardless of expense, and he expects
Congress will pass the bill. He eastigates Governor
Shannon and Judge Lecompte for their alleged
delinquencies. It was expected that a resolution
would be brought forward calling for information
as to the cost of carrying on .the war in Kansas,
together with the expense of the prosecution of the
Free State prisoners. A bill, providing for the
extinguishment of the possessary rights of the.
Hudson Bay and Paget Sound Companies in the
United States, has been matured ; a quarter -of a
million of dollars will be required for this
object. It is said that a new French Spoliation
Bill is in course of preparation, which its sup-
porters are confident of passing in spite of the
President's veto A resolution had been passed in
the Senate, calling fir the correspondence of Col.
Sumner with the Secretary of War, and Governor
Shurword, relative to Kansas matters, and a bill
had been introduced into the House of Represen-
t ttives for paying bills caused by the recent dig
turbances in that territory. , It was understood
that the struggle upon the general subject of mo
difying the tariff. including wool, railroad iron, and
sugar as free, shall commence on the first Tues
day of January, and continue until the.question•is
disposed of. The opposition to free wool is much
more decided than 'has been supposed. Wool-
growers are operating silently, butjudiciously and
with power. The iron interests are pursuing the
same course. The committee- of ways and means
of the House of.-Representatives will soon report
a bill giving to each branch of Congress entire
control over its contingsrit fund ; in effect making
the auditing of the committee of accounts final,
without interference by the first comptroller of the
treasury, who, by virtue of his office, claims a
supervisory power (as has been heretofore), and
which the committee resist.
THE SOUTHERN CONVENTION.

This body met at Savannah. About 800 mem-
bers attended. At the first sitting, a number of
resolutions was offered, among which was one in-
structing Southern members of Congress to vote
for the repeal of the tariff and of all laws interdict-
ing the slave trade, which was laid on- the table by
a nearly unanimous vote. A resolution was also
brought forward for a Southern Pacific railroad.
Other resolutions were also introduced, viz , to
make Southern, State, county and city bonds,
payable at home ; for a line of steamers to Europe ;
to encourage Southern literature, &c. On the fol-
idwing day there was an important debate ou a
resolution to re-open the slave trade, which was
warmly acii,"eated by several of the members, and
as strenuously dpnosed by others. The resolution
was finally lost by art overwhelming vote. Reso-
lutions were offered relative to a railroad to the
Pacific. The first, whick declares that government
has no power to construct a railroad, was adopted.
The second, that a real should be made along the
line of the thirty-second parallel of lavtitude by
States, individuals, subscribers, and grants of land
tor the federal government, &c , elicited much
debate. The subject was finally recommitted,
There was, also, a warm debate on a proposal being
made to everything of Northern manufacture from
the 'South,.