New-York daily tribune., 1843-02-10
81 .aTCE Tsson,s Kasief BfiR, &c.
social correspondence OF The Tribune.

c,a-;,I ICorrespOnde3ce OF Inc
| WASHINGTON, Tuesday, Feb. 4, ls4'
| ...n. of most unusual and impressive charac-
%, ,ook place in the House Of Representatives to-
d.v Mr.. SUMMERS, q members from Virginia.
rose in his place soon after the expiration OF the
morning hour, and, in behalf of one of his consti-
| tuents. Samuel T. Washington, of kenhnwa Co.
presented to Congress, and through that body 10
tbe Nation, the battle-sword of WASHINGTON
that sword which he bore with him from his osy-
bood in RI. perils of Indian and French warfare
during the colonial days, and afterwards through
the long and terrible trials of the Revolution. Mr.
S. gave minute description of the weapon, and
clear and interesting account of the manner In
which the precious rsic had come into the posses
sion of the donor, and recapitulated evidence
showing it to be the yeritabe weapon always used
bv Washington while in active service Mr. D.
then presented the staff which was bequeathed oy
FRANKLIN to Washington, and by MIN TO the an
cestor of the present donor.
The remarks of Mr. Summers were conceived
and uttered in the most appropriate good taste,
and were full of most touching and beautiful elo-
ouepce. He was followed by the venerable ADAMS,
who poured forth most beautiful and impassioned
tribute to the memory of these two great men, whose
very spirits seemed to have been called hither
from the past, and to live for the brief hour in our
very midst.
You will have the remarks of both gentlemen IN
the In,egencer Of tomorrow, and | will not,
therefore, mar their beauty by attempting even an
outline of their substance. 1t is enough to say
,ha. they were fully appropriate to the OCCASION
You will of course give them to your readers IN full.
l have never witnessed in Congress nor, in
deed, elsewhere, so impressive and interesting
and solemn scene as this of to-day. Although
the spacious hall and galleries were crowded to
excess, the most profound silence prevailed, and
as all listened, and gazad on the precious relics
which spoke such eloquent memories of the past,
holy feeling of patriotism, that scared far above
all considerations of the present, seemed to live
and move in the hearts of all. And it was not
alone among the softer sex, who thronged the gal
eres, that these emotions proved too strong for
the cemposure Of many present, but the stern
Statesman and the hardy soldier evinced by his
moistened eye that the fountain Of his feelings was
touched as with sacred wand, and that his
thoughts were holding communion with the spirit
Of the Patriot and the Sage. 1t was an occasion
fraught with the purest sentiment-bringng men
back to that deep feeling of love of country and
of its greatest and purest and most heroic bene-
factors, which is sometimes hidden but never long
cxtnguished amid the exciting contentious OF
party strife. This scene has left, l doubt not, q
~ h. md of oil
who witnessed it, not to be easily cfaced
The House then passed resolution of thanks,
to be signed by the Speaker and by the Presiden,
of the Senate, and presented to the donor of these
treasured relics and directed that they be deposit
ed in the State Department.
Mr.. McKennan then rose, and remarking that
the House was not in fitting condition after the
scene jus. witnessed proceed to business, moved
an unanimous adjournment, which Immediately
! took place.
You will see that the motion to reconsider the
vote upon tho passage Of the Oregon bill failed in
the Sonaie by u-rie vote.
The Post Office bill, to prevent private ex-
presses on mail routes &c. was passed to its en-
yrossment in the Senate with all its crudities and
unjust and imprac,cable provisions unaltered and
| unamended.
have the report of Mr.. Ingersoll from the
Committee of Ways and Means of the House,
| upon certain memorials asking the issue of two
hunred millions of National Stock at such interest
as shall command capital at par, TO be distributed
among the States and Territories. 1t is too long
winded to be condensed into this letter, so will
merely state that it goes dead against the whole
plan and gives plenty of reasons for doing so, and
winds up with resolution thatit is inexpedient to
grant the prayer of the memorialists and that the
| Committee be discharged from its consideration.
There is also minority report signed by three
members of the Committee (Messrs. Pckens,
Jones and Atherton) but it gives still less comfort
70 the memorialists than that of the ma jorty. 1t
agrees with most of the reasons presented by the
majority and urges the additional objection that
Government has no constitutional porer to assume
the Debts of the States, or to lay taxes or impose
| luties for their payment-denounces the rhele
scheme as unconstitutional ,ciM and visionary,
aud full of fraud and The grossest injustice" and
ends with resolution that to adopt the recon-
mendations Of the said memoriasts would be un-
constitutional and dangerous to the harmony of the
Union.'' You may have observed a commuaica-
,ion in the Intelligencer from MIR. VIM. Cost John
.en on some DAY Of last week, in which he denies
that this report answers or was intended by the
Committee to answer his proposition to issue two
hundred millions Of stock upon the pledge of the
revenues Of the public lands, inusmuch those
lands already the property of the Seates-whe
,hese memorials suggest no such pledge. ] will give