The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-12-19

WASHINGTON, Dec l6, l6lH
1hs Bustmess Of Comgress-7hs JVl,not Provuo-
The Sfate Of the Qnsstton- The Tarig-L,,us
Of Stock, &c.
Congress has now been in session nearly tvo
weeks, ont Of which must be deducted six hol,-
days for the Senate, and five for the House, ex-
elusive OF Sundays. As, by a resolution pas,.d
last session, all the business which land over il IA
be taken up where 1t was left off, these HOLIDAYS
are inexeusable; and as consequence, nothing
has as yet been done in either house
The question which will, in ali probability. IN.
gross the attention OF Congress this session wf,,
be the proviso and the tariff As to the frat ~
are confirmed in the beliefwe expressed som. d,v.
SINCE, that no compromise will be agreed to-by Tn.
House, at all events. The news of the gold m,n..
in California, if it has any efleet-which we Doubt
will be to render each party more firm, in thu
hope that the Importance OF the territory NAV in
duce their opponents to sacrifice, in measure,
their particular views, so as TO secure some kind
OF government tor the country. If the subject of
slavery. as applied to California, possessed tho
slightest tanglbllity, there might be some hope of
arriving at a compromise; but the chivalry of
both North and South is awakened and sooner
than give way one lota, fifty CALIFORNIA;, with
diamond mines, In place OF gold, would be pitched
into the Pacific. There is one seli-evident fact.
however, which 1t would be well for the South
to reflect upon. Ii Is this-the North is npoues-
tonably IN the majority, and Is Increasing Its
strength with amazing rapldlty every hour The
ultra views OF Messrs. Calhoun, Foote. and others
have materially increased the number of onpo
nents 70 any extension OF the institution of slavery
Through the agency of a southern man (Mr Stc
vens, OF Ga), the compromise bill of last session
was thrown out. Would the same me asure mass
now, even If supported by every southern man!
We do not believe 1t would. The feeling against
compromising the question of slavery was strong
last Juy-it is greater now-it will be still greater
next session. 1t the South wishes any cOmpro-
mise of the question, 1t must descend from its
high horse, and al once agree to a settlement The
cry of separation" Is no longer needed 1t u
Z" mere sound and fury, slgnifyIng nothing" The
difficulty in the matter consists In the fact that
this repugnance to the extension of the peculiar
institution IS not confined to abOlitonsts Some
OF its tirmest opponents are men who despise, as
cordially as the southern men detest, the canting
abohuonist. But there Is an innate feeling IN
the breast OF every man, who, by CUSTOM has not
become reconcled to it, which recoils at the idea
OF extending, beyond ITS present limits, an insti-
tuition which has blghted the land where it now
prevails Disguise 1t as you may, this is the feel
ing. and every day strengthens 1t.
AS to the tariff question, nothing, Of course, will
be done by the ,prolecuonists beyond an endeavOr
the Treasury How far they will succeed remains
to be seen but with Mr. Walkers arguments,
backed up as they by unquestlonable facts, the
Job appears an uphill one Several calls have al
ready been made upon the Treasury Department
for particular returns, and we may, therefore, very
soon expect an explosion. Ii the opponents of tho
present tariff succeed better thus session. in DIS
proving MIR. Walkers positions, than Mr.. Rock
WE'LL OF Connecticut, did last session, they will
have no great reason to congratulate themselves
upon the result.
AS the books remain closed till the LIST of JaRu-
airy, there are at present issues of stock on
foreign account. Messrs. Corcoran 81 Riggs, how
ever are having issued to them a very largo
amount ofthe stock, which they purchased. 1t is
in coupon form, and will all go to Europe,
where the coupon stock Is preferred, as being ess
to collect the interest on, than the
plain stock.