The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-29 00:00:00

AMERICAN NEWS

MONDAY, DEC.
.6.—The Second Session of the Twenty-
seventh Congress, commenced this day, at 12 o'clock.
with a full attendance of Senators. The President pro
tern. having announced that there was a quorum present,
a Message was sent to the House of Representatives to
communicate that fact, and a Committee was appointed
to wait upon the President of the United States, with a
joint Committee from the House of Representatives, to
inform him that the two Houses were ready to receive
any Message which he might have to communicate.
The customary resolution for furnishing the Senators
wit newspapers was then adopted, and the Senate ad-
journed until twelve o'clock to-morrow.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The Speaker took the chair at 12 o'clock, and the
names of the members were called over, when a quorum
was found to be in attendance. Governor Dodge, of
Wisconsin, and Mr. Granger, of New York, took the
oaths and their seats.
A. Dickens, Esq., Secretary of the Senate, appeared
below the bar with a message from the Senate, to inform
the House that the Senate was ready to proceed to
business.
THE BOUNDARY QUESTIONS—COMMENCE-
MENT OF THE ABOLITION DEBATE—THE
RULES OF THE HOUSE.
Mr. W. Cost Johnson requested the Speaker to dis-
connect his name from the Committee on the Public
Lands, of which he was Chairman. He intimated that
the great question of distribution, in which he had taken
a deep interest, had been disposed of, and therefore his
services there would be the less required ; but he was de-
sirous to devote himself to another important subject, and
he gave notice, that at the earliest opportunity, he proposed
to move that a Select Committee be appointed on the
subject of oar national boundaries. Whilst he was up,
he would make an effort—whether it would be successful
he knew not—to proceed with the immediate organiza-
tion of the House, and therefore he moved that the rules
of the 26th Congress be adopted as the rules of this Con-
gress, until otherwise ordered by the House, or until the
Committee appointed at the last Session to revise the
rules and report thereon to the House, shall have com-
pleted their labours. He moved the adoption of the rule:,
which were hi foree at . the close of the 26th Congress,
because he knew there were many who disapproved of
the rules of the last session—to the one hour rule in par-
ticular, and he hoped his motion would be adopted.
Mr. Adams said he had an amendment to Aim to that
proposition. He was perfectly willing to adopt the rules
of the twenty-sixth Congress, as they existed at the
close of its second session, with the exception of the
twenty-first rule.—(Laughter.) The amendment which
he had to offer proposed to adopt all the rules. of OR,
twenty-sixth Congress, with the exception which he had
mentioned.

Mr. W. C. Johnson said that the operation of the
rules which he proposed to adopt raried but little in re-
spect to abolition petitions from that of the rules of the
last session, for under neither of them did one single abo-
lition petition reach the table. As, then, there was no
material difference in their operation, why not adopt the
rules of the 2Gth Congress for a few days, so that the bu-
siness of the session might be proceeded with ?—(Cries of
" Question, question.")
Mr. Adams said the gentleman's statement was in-
complete, and calculated to mislead. The rules of the
last Session extended to all petitions—and not to aboli-
tion petitions alone—on all subjects that were not dis-
tinctly mentioned in the President's Message, and certain
special exceptions.
Mr. Fillmore foresaw .it was indispensable that this
question should now be settled. Thu only question was.
which was the best mode to settle it. Ile was in hopes
that sonic rule would be adopted to govern the House dur-
ing debate, before they entered upon the discussion of
the 21st rule; and for that purpose he was in hopes that a
middle course would be taken, and that they should then
take up the Report of the Committee made at the last Ses-
sion, and make it the special order until it was disposed
of. If, however, they went into a debate on this exciting
subject in the state iu which the House then was —with-
out rules to guide and govern them—they might see
seenes of excitement and disorder unbecoming the dig-
nity of the House, and of the nation which they repre-
sented. He hoped, therefore, that the rules of the last

. -
Session would be adopted fora limited time, and that in
that time the Report of the Committee at the last Session
would be passed upon.
Mr. Stanley hoped the proposition of the gentleman
from New York (A:r. Fillmore) would meet the sanction
of the House, and he therefore made the motion, as sug-
gested by that gentleman, that the rules of the last Ses-
sion be adopted as the rules of tkis House for fifteen days,
and that the Report of the Committee, appointed to revise
the rules at the last Session be printed fur the House,
and' be made the special order for to-morrow, and each
subsequent day, until disposed of. He hoped they should
then go on with the organization of the House, and make
a fair start with the business of the country. To promote
this object, he would now move the previous question.
Mr. Protlit saw no serious objection to entering upon
this discussion at an early period.
Mr. Adams—l object to the proposition now made by
the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Stanley) be-
cause it will prevent the presentation of all petitions for
fifteen days, which will be in direct opposition to a rule
which provides that the presentation of petitions shall
be the first business of every morning for the first thirty
dap of the session. If you take away the right of pe-
tition from Abolitionists, you take it away from all other
persons.

Mr. Charles Brown said he perceived that they were
about to commence the same circuit as that in which
they, ran the last session. He had hoped that the tem-
per in which they had appeared to meet would have led
them to adopt a different course. He then expressed
his desire that this question should be fully discussed,
and that then the rules should be adopted which should
best secure order, and restore peace and harmony.
Mr. Wise said he perceived if they continued that
debate they would delay the business of the session for
an unreasonable time. He would, therefore, with the
general consent of the house, move that a Committee
be appointed to join the
Committee of the Senate,
and wait upon the President of the United States,
to inform him that the House Was in session and
ready to receive any communication he might desire
to make. He made this motion at this time,
because it was the most favourable time ; and perhaps
the motion could not be made at all if it were nut made
then, and they should not in consequence be able
to get
the Message to-morrow.
The motion was unanimously atillPtuti,.-aml Messrs.
Wise, Briggs, and Clifford were appointed the Committee
on the part of the House.
i
The Speaker then recalled the House to the, question
before it, namely, the motion of the gentleman from Mag.
sachusetts (Mr. Adams).
The amendment of Mr. Adams was negatived—Ayes
84, Noes 87—majority 3.
Mr. Wise reported that the joint Committee of the two
Houses had waited upon the President of the United
States, and informed liiin that they were ready to receive
_
any communication which he might desire to make, and
that the President replied that he would send a Message
to the two Houses to-morrow, at twelve o'clock.
On the motion of Mr. Wise the House adjourned.

HOME-MADE CONS. AND FAR-WESTERS.
1. Why is a lady's boa dropped in the street like a
blind devil ? Give it up ?—Because it is a loose fur
(Lucifer) with the i (eye) out.
2. Why is an old dog like a shipwrecked mariner.?—
Because he has lost leis bark.
3. SOMNAMBULISM FOR BROTHER JONATHAN.—There
is a man in Landoll now who once walked so far in his
sleep, that when he waked he could net find himself any-
where.
4. A friend of ours lately caught such a cold that he
sneezed himself away till there was nothing left of him
but his snuff-box and pocket-handkerchief.
5. A man in the Strand wore his trousers so large, that
he fell into his own pocket, and did not drag himself out
till he had been dead some time.
6. There is a finger-post at lighatn that not only
points you the way, but walks by your side till you get
there, and pulls Wits hat to make a bow.
7. A. drover, going to Smithfield, ran so fast after a
cow, that he kept before her all the way, and they reached
Smithfield together.
8. The mutual hostility of wild and domesticated ani-
mals NV :1S StrallZAy exemplified in the late inundations,
when, if we are to believe the papers, thousands of loose
rats were drowned by the tied (flue).—Literary Gazette.

DISTURBANCE AT THE BILSTON COL-
,
LIERIES.-A report is ii circulation, which we have every.
reason to believe is correct, that two troops of the Ennis-
killen Dragoons, stationed in this town, have been order-
ed to Bilston, in consequence of a fear being entertained
of an outbreak on the part of the colliers in that neigh-
bourhood. We have not henrd whether any actual riot
has occurred, but there can be no doubt, from the above
circumstance, that apprehensions are felt by the autho-
rities of the town.

(Further extracts from the American papers.)
ABOLITION IN THE HOUSE—TEMPER OF
THE WHIGS—THE MESSAGE.
___

WASHINGTON, DEC. 6, 1841.—We are to have a pro-
tracted fight on that most refreshing topic, abolition.
The go-by was given to it for to-day, but it is to be met
and settled before any other business can be acted upon.
It is difficult to say,whether the Northern or Southern men
are most fanatical on this subject. A majority from all sec-
tions of the country are disposed to consider it tem-
perately, and without reference to personal objects; but
there are always a few men in Congress who have some
petty interest to subserve by keeping alive an excitement,
and they uniformly make a parade of the championship
of the right of petition on the one hand, or of slavery on
the other. If this class of men could be kept quiet, the
difficulty would be settled at once. Let a Select Com-
mittee be raised, to which all abolition petitions shall
be referred. Let Mr. Adams be the chairman, and let
the Committee be composed entirely of rational men
from the free States, and we shall have a unanimous
report, which would be acceptable to all parties •in the
House, with the exception of ten or a dozen red-mouthed
Abolitionists, who are bent on mischief. Unless some
such plan is agreed upon, we shall have the same scenes
of agitation and irritation year after year. A report
from such a Committee would put an end to all discus-
sion and excitement for ten years to come.
The question of the right of petition has become so
mixed up with abolition, that, with hardly a dozen Aboli-
tionists in the House, about one-half of the members are
arrayed against the South on the question of the recep-
tion of petitions. At the extra session there was a pro-
position for the adjustment of this question, but it was
never fairly presented, and the whole matter was laid
over by common consent.
From present indications, but a small portion of the
Whigs will support the fiscal scheme of the Adminis-
tration. There is more bitterness towards the President
among the Clay-men than was anticipated.
TWENTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS, SECOND
SESSION.—SENATE.
_ _

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.