Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1847-12-23
WAsnINernN- Dec- 10.

Yesterday and the night before ''the street, was
full of rumors of intention the part of the oppose
ton dispute the legality the of the vote by
which Johnson, dem was elected p N. Of the House:
and Also concerning design entertained by the fed
ernl leaders to the abrogaton of the contract
with Wendell Van Benthuysen, to do the COMPRESSION
al printing. have every reason to believe that no.
thing save the moral certainty that Johnson would
receive many federal votes at the next trial. pre-
vented an attempt to Gust him in Ills Bolts
did not vote against him until satisfied that his ballot
would not defeat him. and PendetOn absented himself.
Both these gentlemen. with three other south
ern feds. stand ready to vote him in, if all effort Of
this kind to throw him out is made. This being
known to the wre-pullers. they will hardly make
asses of themselves by essayng the trick.
The proposition to give the publishers of the Ma
tional Intcligencer the printing of the House, If
brought forward, it will be based the plea that the
last Congress had no right to elect officers for this.
In this manner you will recoect Blair g. Rives were
once Ousted from the printing of the Senate. That
act was universally reprObated as gross outrage on
right-a political fraud unbushingly perperated for
partisan end. In this case, however, the violation
of private right would be far more glarlng, as the
present printers are contractors and not officers of
the House. They have signed, sealed and delivered
articles of agreement between themselves and the
House, under which they have rghts-legal rights
of which they cannot be Invested except a failure
to come up TO their agreement. However, even Il
the contracts were abrogated the Integencer people
could hardly get party vote, with the exception
of "Young America" all other wings of harmonious
federalism rather the central federal
organ.
! Besides the project of abotionism to force in an
opening wedge for the acknowledgement of the right
of Congress to egisate upon the subject of the do
nestle slave trade, which Mr.. Vinton's proposition
for the establishment of a standing committee
internal commerce" doubtless contemplates; it is
capital. Though voted down yesterday, it will again
be brought forward, as federalism proposes to make
too much by it to consent to its unceremonous rejec
ton. If the representatives from the slave-holding
States can be made to swallow it, this committee will
be charged with the duty of carrying the Chicago
convention scheme. 1t will labor until the close
of the session to ndite formidable and specious re-
port the necessity for, and consttutonality of,
spending the public money on internal Improvements
wherever the defeat of such a proposition appears
likely to strengthen federalism This report will be
presented with bill squandering millions in this
manner; and after it is defeated in the Senate as
they know it will be, the question will be adjourned
to the stump in the section of country where they pro-
pose thus to disafect the democracy.
The whole scheme has been cut and dried after this
fashion.
COL Benton's duties in connection with the Court
Martial for the trial of his son-in-law, bid fair to re-
quire much of his attention, and for so long time,
that he is forced to forego election to the chair
manship of the committee Military Affairs of the
Senate, which he has been called on to, fill for some
years past. The fact that he will not serve will be
generally known after Monday next, and must give
rise 10 all sorts of surmlses those of the opposition
pointing to a supposed hostility to the administration
as the Of this declenslon This is not SO
and desire put your readers their guard against
any such stories. So far Col. BIS political friends
know his sentiments-and you should be aware that,
fropIl,, his f,olinnS nd ~
his strongest characteristics-he is quite well af-
fected to the administration at any time since the
Inauguration. Ii hoped by the federalists that
the trial would terminate in wide and permanent
breach between the Missouri Senator and the Execu-
tive and Secretary of War, and their newspaper eff
forts directed to this end The result, far,
has certainly disappointed hem thanks to the caution
of the administration and the good sense of COL B.
who has certainly ostonshed every one here by the
moderation which he has displayed in conducting bis
share of the affair.
am sorry to write you, also, that Senator Aliens
post at the head of the Senate committee OH Foreign
Relations will be filed by another, his health being
so broken to force him to decline station on any
of the committees. Mr.. Calhoun, as usual, declines
all active committee duty.
WASHINGTON, Dec 9, 1S47.-Secretary Walker was
attacked in the Treasury Department at 3 o'clock
NJ to-day with fantng, some say apoplexy, but prob
ably by extreme exhaustion. He fell aud was taker
home, where he now lies very ILL., He had been il
for the past days. with the discharge of blood from
the bowels and had slept but little for the five las
days, being constantly in the department. He a
his Office all last night and slept none till six th
morning, when he took short nap sofa. He
at the capitol previous to the attack, on the pre-
sentation of his Annual Report to Congress. Every
thing was in admirable order in his report, with vo
luminous accompanying documents and tables. HI
had personally superintendent all