Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-01-18 00:00:00

AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

UONGRESS: THE SENATE; THE NEW SENATE
CHAMBER. THE NEW YEAR AND ITS PROS-
PECTS POLITICAL, FINANCIAL, AND COMMER-
CIAL. POLITICAL'NOTABILITIES VISITING AT
.11TENv YORK. OPENING OF THE SENATE BY A
• 4-,‘°11,07 CATHOLIC PRIEST. APPOINTMENT OF
A REPUBLICAN ADMIRAL. PROGRESS IN
CHRISTMAS OBSERVANCES. CONTINUANCE OF
PREACHING-HOUSES
FASHION OF MAKING THE THEATRES
zREACHING-HOUSES : STRANGE SCENES ; ITS
QUESTIONABLE TENDENCIES. CUBA: HOPES OF
ITS ACQUISITION; FILIBUSTERING MOVEMENT
To THAT END.
There is no Congressional news to remark upon.
The House has only just terminated its Christmas
'vacation. But the Senate has been preparing for
:Work. It has just removed its sittings to the
chamber provided for it in the Capitol.
This proceeding was made the occasion of a
rather ostentatious. .oratorical display. Mr.
Crittenden (of the Opposition) is represented to
two spoken to the august body very affectingly.
-Ile told them, it seems, of the great names and
the great deeds which . had immortalised that
apartment and hoped that his colleagues, in
,rePleving to their new chamber, would carry
with them the inspiration of their prede-
cessors. Upon this the New York Ileratd
to
rues We- think he would have done well
have reminded them that there are habits and
practices inconsistent with the dignity of Senators
which it would be well to leave behind them. We
trust, for instance, that the noble hall which is to
Vrna the future theatre of their operations will be
tree fromthe ungentlemanly personality and,
violence which have occasionally disgraced the old.
Senate Chamber. As the nation has gone to the.
exPense of providing a palace for theirsittings, the
least that can be expected from them is that their,
conduct shall be in keeping with the gentility of
their surroundings." There can scarcely, one.
Would think, be two opinions upon this conclusion..
The New Year is considered to have opened
auspiciously, both in a commercial and a political,
Point of view, in the United States. In New York,
the great commercial capital of the whole American.
Continent, commerce and finance, are looking,
Prosperous again, presenting a pleasing contrast to;
the state- of things,- -in both respects, -at- the
commencement of the past year. The old year, it
has been proclaimed, closed on a firm and rising
Stock Exchange. And this, of itself, was hopeful
for the opening of its successor. '" Capital," as the
New York Tinws well observes, " which was
frightened back a year ago upon its citadels, is
venturing out again along the veins of the body
politic ; and the spirit of enterprise begins to
revive with the conviction that so many of the
perils of the immediate Past have been safely
evaded, and in the presence 'of the magnificent
Future opened to the speculative intellect of the
race by the gradual triumphs in all quarters of the
@obe, of the grand commercial policy of the age."
then, is promising. Wisdom, it is to be
hoped, has been gathered from experience. The
resources of the country are unbounded, and the
progress which still advances must gradually, as,
It will surely, develope them. What is needed is
Prudence and caution in dealing with the often
too rapid results of it. Much has to be rectified,
all admit, in this respect. As the same respectable
public journalist says, upon this point,—" We
have in our railways, our rivers,. our lakes and our
Canals, a complete system of internal communica-
tiof
onre refit and improve. Extravagance, whether
expenditure or of economy—for it is . hard to
say which kind of extravagance has done us most
121.11trY—and a reckless disregard of responsibility
have been the crying causes of -the heaviest dis-
rters
we have known in the past. A nation of
more men
as we are, we have done our business
p cicarelessly-an d more ignorantly than any other
people the world. 1858 has given us leisure to;
learprithis wholesome truth. Let 1859 see us apply
a ourselves to a thorough reform." This is at
once
jacaernednideedsconfession, and a wholesome reflection.'
a reform, commercially and financially,,
Wellpolitically and morally. And hence the
desire, as regards the issues of the .New.
Let it also see the beginning of a new
addedar_ as
sYs.tein of political action—a passing away of the
a Party tricks and objects—the founding of new,
organisations in the interest of principles rather
than of men, of patriotism not of faction, mid we
may safely await the unfolding of the, purposes.
Which Providence has reserved for the twelve-
Month now before us." That is to say, if this can
ever be done under the institutions which now
exist, of which many sensible and independent
Blinded men are beginning to entertain.very grave
doubts.

The City of New York has just been enlivened,
not to say excited, by the presence of three poli-
Teal notabilities,—to wit, Senator Houston of
Texas (and its President when an independent
nepublic),,Mr. Speaker Orr, and Senator Douglas,
tlie popular Southern candidate for the Presidency.
T
he Corporation of the City have extended'
towards them, severally, the civic hospitalities,
and they have also been feted very magnificently'
at private parties. The Speaker and the Presi-
dential candidate have also held levees at their
respective hotels, which have been both nume-
rous'Y and fashionably attended. Of, course there
are political objects under-lying all these social
amenities.

There was a somewhat novel scene at • the
opening of the Senate at Washington, the day but
One before Christmas Day. It was opened, as
usual, with prayer ; but on this occasion the
chaplain was a Roman Catholic Priest—Father
Boyle, who was vested in his surplice, and
accompanied by a large party of his reverend
brethren, similarly:vested. The officiating Priest
read from the breviary. Bishop Caroll's prayer
for those in authority. The chamber was crowded,
and much interest and curiosity was manifested,
With every appearance of devotion in the Senators
and spectators. It is said to be the first occasion
since the foundation of the Government that
the vestments of the Romish clergy have been seen
in either chamber.

The Republic is apparently progressing in
aristocratical tendencies. It has always been
understood that the office of Admiral was
repudiated as of too anti-republican a character.
But now, at length, it has been actually adopted.
The Senate has passed a joint resolution creating
the brevet grade of Admiral, in order that it may
be conferred upon the gallant veteran Commodore
Stewart, as in some degree an offset to the harsh
treatment he has received at the hands of the
retiring. Board. A similar proposition has been
introduced in the House, and it will no doubt pass.
It professes to be but a temporary 'provision. But
Jonathan is fond of high-flown titles •, and having
accepted this most monarchical one, he will not be
Willing to part with it again.
The Christmastide just passed has afforded a
further instance of progress ,in the olnervance of
the ancient customs of CatheliZ: Christendom.
Gradually has Christrna.4 been becoming a gener-
ally recognised festive time ; and now it may be
Saul to have her''ame established as such. The
uAmerb'..an and Roman branches of the
Catholic C'ilurch have, of course, always observed
lt, an _
the great body of the city populations, but
r‘
-.ore especially that of New York, are falling into
it. The New York papers concur in opinion that,
as one of them remarks, " this great Christian
anniversary was more generally observed by all
classes of our citizens than upon any previous
occasion within our remembrance. But few places
of business were kept open, and those were princi-
Pally amongst the venders of food and other
articles of daily necessity. From the immense
crowds which filled all the city markets on the
previous day, it may with justice be inferred that
the obligations of hospitality and charity which
in
all Christian countries are associated with this
festival, were pretty generally, complied -with. t
rejoices us to find that this disposition to return
to one of the most genial and graceful customs of
911 r Old Country forefathers is gradually vanquish-
ing the Puritanical scruples which associated it
With a Particular creed. The causes of hostility
sad vindictiveness IN hich led to this confusion nf.