New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-02-28
Correspondence Of The Tribune.

WA'liISCroN Monday, Feb IA NJ
THIS morning opens the last week OF the Second
session OF the XXX,h Congress. Six days only
remain Of it, and in those days how much must be
done or left undone IS yet not even single
Appropriation bill has been perfected for though
the House has passed them all, (earier than usual
We, the Senate las only completed one lthe In
disn.l aud that has come back to the House for
concurrence IN q very important amendment ap-
propria,ing One Million and a Quarter Of Dollars
in payment Of arrears said to be due the Chero
sees on account of their iorcible expulsion from
their ancient homes The Civil and Diplomatic IS
coming back stuck all over with alterations, re-
storing Flogging in the Navy, cutting off hundreds
Of dollars here and putting hundreds Of thou
sands there and if TO these be added las is proba
be al anti Wilmot organization Of a Government
for California and New Mexico, there will be work
enough for the balance Of the session on the APP
preparation bills alone But when it is considered
that Cheap Postage with nearly all the legislation
proper of the session. including the Abolition Of
the District SlaveTrade, and everything that looks
like Retrencbment and Reform, is still behind, the
prospect is gloomy indeed
In this connection Icannot refrain from once more
during the first month ofthc Session the Senate did
not average ten hours of actual legislation 10 each
week, while from one-iourth TO one third Of its
Members were habitually absent, and the House
did not certainly sit more than fifteen hours per
week sixty hours in all the month of December
The Senate habtually adjourned over from Thurs
day TO Monday, the House from Friday to Mon
day. January was somewhat better improved
and February has been better still and yet the
precious hours wasted by these meager sessions
aud long APPOINTMENTS would now be Of priceless
worth. But when rcmonstrance was made to
any Member who voted to adjourn at midday or
adjourn over, he would answer, % we shall pass
bills enough before the end Of the Session-and
now the very men who reiterated this excuse for
laziDess down to the last two or three weeks, are
dssuading from any resolute effort 10 get through
sChesp Postage BILL alleging rant Of time =
Yet these men profess to be favorable to Cheap
Postage So with the District Slave Trade bill
aud all the good this Congress might have done.
And now as to Slavery in the Territories
what is 10 be done | have bestated for days to
speak this subject, the scales hanging so doubt
fully poised that nothing could safely be promised
now believe that the project of organizing all the
new Territory, with underlined boundaries, into
State is 50 desperately pressed IN the Senate
with determination TO succeed aud with a mora
certainty that 1t can sacceed far as that branch
is concerned. I believe the whole matter has
been caucused and sctiled-the noses counted
the triumph secured Certainly Mr.. Walker Of
Wisconsin would not have been put iorw ard 10
violate 1agrsntly hs Frees pledges to his
constituents upon mere chance OF ehecting
something. Not is fixed and settled that some
such measure as he proposes is 10 be fastened 10
the General Appropriation bill in the Senate, and
the bill thus sent back to the House with the PLAN
intimation, Pass this we send It or there shall
be no Appropriations made, and Gen. lay Tor
shall be forced to call all Extra Session. Il ap-
prehend the machinery is very nearly adjusted
which within two DAYS will send back the bill to
the House With Nicholson-letter organization OF
the New Territories imbedded Ia II and very
lucid hint that the bill must pass so or not at all
this Session. And what will the House say to
that We shall see BE not high-mindcd but
fear Meantime family hope the House VIII
put through Mr. c. b. Smiths California Terrific
rial bill before 1t adjourns today.
The encounter of Messrs. WEBSTER and CAL
RouS in the Senate on Saturday is spoken OF with
admiration by all who witnessed IT, Mr. Web
ster never bore himself better and never more
thoroughly discounted an adversary 1t was the
Webster and Hayne contest over again, aud the
great Expounder of the Constitution showed that
the last twenty years. in abstracting something
from the elasticity of his frame, have taken no
thing from the vigor of his vast intellect, the CO.
l. -. will pubtlpsS Ip
more such encounters ere the Session closes