The State guard., 1848-04-04

from the whigs, and the mallet of the speaker down with view which said, ;hat at all hazards of restricting the right O free debate where whigs were being prob ed, as partisan presiding officer would play the shield to his particular friend.-- The speeches of Haskell have. been such as to provoke and justify the seyerest scrutiny into the propricty of such stric. lures Ion his part) upon the President as came from him. This is the universal opinion in Washington, so few whigs jus. tily the really unjustifable interference of Mir. Speaker Winthrop, to detend II. from lnge's scorpion oratorical lash. He who was so quick to preserve order when a point for his party was to be gained, few minutes afterwards so far forgot his posi- tion and selfrespect, as to interrupt the speaker (Inge) by conyersing with mem Der while in his chair. Inge stopped, and remarking that he would not interrupt the Speakers tete-a-tetc, recalled him to a sense of respect for his position. Win throp, blushing, stammered out request that lnge would proceed. If l am not mistaken, such a rcbuke to a'Speaker has been unnecessary, from the time that Jno. Randolph administered it to MT. Clay, down to this occasion.
 It is subject of general remark in de- mocratic circles, that Winthrop, though permitting the federalists to utter abuse of tho Executive disgracefhl to themselves and the House. never fails to check demo- crats when attempting to hold members of the opposition to a proper account before the House, for such aspersions.
 The quid-nuncs have it, that Haskell has challenged 1ngc !-and that an agree ment as to pistols, coffee, time, place, &c. has been entered into. This is but the last edition of the usual rumor which rare y fails to grow out of a sharp personal oratorical Iencountre in the House.
 They also aver that the Attorney Gen. cralship has been tended to no less per- sonage than one MT. John Van Buren, This story was probably started by some admirer ofphunkeyisln factiousness from jealousy or disappointment-under the name of independence. Mir. J. V. B. would be the last man in the world select ed by the present administration, if he were competent to discharge the duties incident to the Attorney Generalship, as he notoriously is not. He stands in po- sition of barely disavowed hostility to the democratic party, as atpresent organized, and of late has certainly uttered as many base, interruptions, and unfoundeded as pensions upon the Executive, as any other opposition man in the land.
 The debate on the Loan Bill was yes. terday commenced in the Senate, Mr. Atherton, chairman of the finance com. mittec, making the opening speech which was indeed an able elucidation O the condition of our national finances.
 French affairs continue to form the sub. ject matter of nearly all conversation ir political circles in Washington. You will perceive from the tone of the Nation al Intelligencer's comments upon the rev olution, that the whig leaders have nearly as little confidence in the ability of the French people to govern themselves, a: in that of the people of this country. l is questionable, however, whether sucf anti-American comments upon the even as distinguished the central federal organ' pro-royalty leader, upon the subject, vii help the cause of federalism much.
 We had speech from Mir. Webster il the Senate to-day, nominally on the loal bill, but really against "extension." Hi fears are evidently excited concerning thu loss of the influence of the cotton-raiser in this government. He would nave beer funny, even to the points of bufoonery and the coons crowded around to hea
 him and witness his actual grimaces, an, shouted over his every leer or wink. Hi speech was full of $50O,000 per dien statements, and was remarkable only fo the glibness with which he appeared to en ter the arena of oratorical bulfoonery, an ) the boldncss with which he ventured t
 set facts at naught.
 Nothing of interest in the House to day. B. [ WASHINGTON CITy, March 25, l84S. Already the federal press is hard ( work showering praises upon the speec delivered on the day heforn vasta,1o,, h