The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-22 00:00:00

CONGRESS.

The congressional proceedings on Jan, 7 related
almost exclusively to the great question agitating
the country, and were extremely interesting :

In the Senate, Mr. TEN EYCK, of New Jersey, presented
a petition of citizens of that State, which was referred to
the Judiciary Committee, requesting Congress to authorise
a National Convention to meet at Philadelphia on the 4th
of March, Thirty-three memorials asking for the submis-
sion of the Crittenden resolution to a vote of the people
were presented by Mr. Bigler, Pennsylvania. Mr. Crit-
tenden then spoke at some length in favour of his proposi-
tion, and was followed by Mr. Toombs of Georgia, who
made a characteristic speech, full of " fire and fury," gene-
ral dissolution, and the " tramp of armed men"—conclud-
ing with a declaration that if the South was denied her
rights " she would invoke the God of battles, and trust to
Him for security and peace." The Senate then went into
Executive session, and subsequently adjourned until Wed-
nesday.

In the House, Mr. COBB, of Alabama, in correcting a state-
ment to the effect that ho was present at a conference of the
Alabama and Mississippi delegations on Saturday, and had
sent home a telegraphic despatch advising immediate seces-
sion, declared that he hoped something would be done to
save the Union, and called upon men of all parties to make
efforts to do so. Mr. Etheredge, of Tennessee, asked
leave to submit a proposition substantially the same as that
agreed upon by the Committee of the Border States on
Saturday, but he did not succeed in obtaining a suspension
of the rules. [We give this proposition below.] Mr.
Adrain, of New Jersey, asked leave to offer a resolu-
tion approving of the bold and patriotic act of Major An-
derson in evacuating Fort Moultrie and occupying Fort
Sumter, and pledging the house to sustain the President in
all constitutional measures to enforce the laws and preserve
the Union. After an ineffectual appeal to Mr. Adrain from
Mr. Barrett, of Kentucky, for a withdrawal of the resolu-
tion, a vote was ordered on a motion to suspend the rules
for its reception, and resulted 134 for and 53 against sus-
pension. The resolution was then put upon its passage,
and received 124 votes, while only 53 were cast against it,
The scene in the house during the calling of the roll was a
very exciting one—almost every member as he cast his
vote, for or against the resolution, giving his reasons for
so doing.

The motion was almost exclusively supported by Northern
members ; nearly all the Southern members present voting
agaiist it.
The Washington correspondent of the Arm York Hsrald
says—" The vote upon the resolution approving the course
of Major Anderson, and sustaining the President in not re-
calling him, is regarded by the Southern men as indicating
a majority favourable to the passage of a force bill. They
are intensely excited this evening, and threaten vengeance
if a force bill is attempted to be passed. The Republicans
also regard it as showing a majority in favour of such a
measure."

THE NEW COMPROMISE PROPOSED.
BORDER STATE CAUCUS.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 1861.

The Committee of the Border States, including
Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri*
and North Carolina, from the South, and New Jer-
sey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, &c., from
the North, to-day agreed upon propositions for an
adjustment of pending difficulties, by amending the
Constitution as follows :

1. Recommending a repeal of all the Personal Liberty
bills.

2. That the Fugitive Slave law be amended for the pre-
venting of kidnapping, and so as to provide for the equali-
sation of the Commissioners' fee, &c.
3. That the Constitution be so amended as to prohibit
any interference with Slavery in any of the States where it
now exists.

4. That Congress shall not abolish Slavery in the South-
ern dockyards, arsenals, &e., nor in the district of Colum-
bia without the consent of Maryland and the consent of
the inhabitants of the District, nor without ccmpensation.
5. That Congress shall not interfere with the inter-State
slave trade.

6. That there shall ba a perpetual prohibition of the
African slave trade.

7. That the line of 36 deg. 30 min. shall be run through
all the existing territory of the United States; that in all
north of that line slavery shall be prohibited, and that
south of that line neither Congress nor the Territorial
Legislatures shall hereafter pass any law abolishing, pro-
hibiting, or in any manner interfering with African
sla-
very ; and that when any territory containing a sufficient
population for one member of Congress in any area of
60,000 square miles shall apply for admission as a State, it
shall be admitted, with or without slavery, as its constitu-
tion may determine.

We read in a Washington letter :
Tho compromise proposed by the Committee of Border
States is not accepted by the South. The South will not
consent to leaving the Territories south of 36. deg. 30 min,
to be free or slave as the people may elect, believing that, by
leaving the question open, the scenes of Kansas will be re-
vived, and the country overrun with an-slavery people
through the agency of the Northern emigrant aid societies,
They demand the unequivocal recognition by the North

that slavery shall exist in territory South of the proposed
line, until it shall be divided into States, when, in their sove-
reign capacity as States, they may alter or confirm their
status in regard to Slavery. In other words, all territory
North shall be con<idered free, and all South slave, unless
the people shall 'loose to change the condition after their
government shall be clothed with State authority. Nothing
else wilt be accepted by the South; and, as false impres-
sions Duty be formed from the favour in which the proposi-
tion of the Border Committee are received in some quarters,
it is proper that this explanation should go before the coun-
try as soon as possible.
A REPUBLICAN CAUCUS.

The Republican members of the House caucused in the
Post-office Committee-room again on Jan. 5 upon the pre-
sent state of affairs—Speaker Pennington in the chair.
There was a full attendance.
The unfinished business of the day before was resumed,
being the report of Mr. Hale of Pennsylvania, from the
sub-committee of the border States, who said that he
believed the members of his committee representing the
border slave States would agree to his proposition, that all
the territory of the United States north of 36 deg. 30 min.
should be free, and all south of that line to remain as it is
with liberty to the people to organise into States whenever
they please, with or without slavery. He was of opinion
that it might be better for the north to take this proposi-
tion than to precipitate the country into war.
Mr. HOWARD, of Michigan, said he objected to any com-
promise.

- Mr. LOVEJOY, of Illinois, speaking of the malcontents of
the slave States, and the proposed compromise of dividing
the territory between freedom and slavery to the Pacific,
said—" There never was a more causeless revolt since
Lueifer led his cohorts of apostate angels against the throne
of God ; but I never heard that the Almighty proposed to
compromise the matter by allowing the rebels to kindle the
fires of hell south of the celestial meridian of thirty-six
thirty."
This outburst of the eccentric member from Illinois
created a deal of sensation and some movement.
Mr. DewEs, of Massachusetts, moved that no vote be
taken on any of the propositions, and that the caucus ad-
journ sine di., which was carried.
The caucus was fully attended, and was harmonious at
the close against all compromise.
SOUTHERN CAUCUS.
The Senators of those Southern States which had called
Convention met at Washington and adopted the following
resolutions : —First—We recommend to our States imme-
diate secession. Seeond—We recommend holding a Con-
vention at Montgomery, Alabama, on a day not later than
the 15th of February, and establishing a Southern Con-
federacy. Another resolution was passed, considered confi-
dential, but understood to pledge the Senators to remain at
Washington, and defeat army and navy appropriations, and
other bills, if proposed.