Southern shield., 1851-01-25
WASHINGTON. Jan. Is.

WASHINGTON, Jan. l6. S SENArE.-Mr. Seward presented numer- ous petitions for a repeal of the fugitive slave law, and for the abolition ot slavery in Utah, New Mexico, and the District ot Columbia-lad on the table.
 The joint resolution for the distribution of the works of the Exploring Expedition was passed.
 MT. Shields offered resolution, which was agreed to, asking information respect inc certain transactions by British agents off the coast of Central America. MT. Benton submitted a resolution calling for the correspondence with the Spanish minister relative to the Contoy prisoners laid over.
 The Senate then took up the bill to pay the claims for the spoliations by the French Government.
 Mir. Smith addressed the Senate in sup port of the bill, and before he concluded the Senate adjourned.
 HousE-Resoved itself into Committee of the Whole on the Postage bill. The second section was agreed to making the following rates-all printed matter weigh ing two ounces one cent bound books, not over thirty ounces, to be considered mail able; newspapers, delivered in the State where printed, 10 be charged one half the above rate, newspapers to circulate in the county, or within the city, or within thirty miles of the place where printed, 10 be free; magazines to be allowed deduction of fifty per cent when the postage is prepaid.
 tbo, loI h,,, izing the issue of three cent pieces, and Postmasters to be supplied with three cent stamps, the counterfeting of which will be deemed felony.
 Mir. Dickey Intellectually endeavored to substitute the stamped envelopes for post office stamps.
 MT. Crowell moved to abolish the frank ing privilege-lost; yeas A, nays 99 MT. Carter moved to strike out the fifth and last sections of the Postage bill making appropriations one and a half millions of dollars to meet any deficiency which may arise-rejected.
 Many other amendments were offered, some of which were adopted and others re- iected; among the latter was one offered by Mr. Putnam requiring the Postmaster General to reduce the postage on letters to two cents when the revenue of the Depart ment, at the rates established by the act, shall exceed its expenses more than five per cent for more than two years. Several substitutes were offered for the entire bill, one of which was pending when the committee rose and the House adjourned.
 The vote in the Senate to lay the petition for the immediate repeal of the fugitive slave law on the table was decided in the afir- native, by yeas B, nays l6.
 MT. Benton voted nay with the Freesoers.
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 FUGITIVE EREcovERF;D.-The Disunionists, fugitive organs, ct id omne genus, will be grieved to learn that fugitive slave was recovered in Massachusetts, some days ago-aye, in Springfield, a very hot bed of abolitionism. The fugitive recovered was woman, who had escaped to Springfield and married. She was taken before Geo. Bliss, Esq, where the claim was established according to law, and she delivered up to the claimant.-N o. Bulletin.
 
 THE WAY TO THE WoRK-HoUsE.-The
 
 accosted by an elderly female with bot /. tie of gin in her hand: |" Pray, sir, beg your pardon, is this the way to the Work house P John gave her look of clerical dignity, and pointing to the bottle, gravely k said, /" No ma'am, but that is."
 ~~~~~~~~~~ UP A late London paper says: "A sale of O'Connell's furniture, under the Sher- ifs authority, has taken place at Derry 'nane Abbey, and its'results afford an in- structive lesson on the mutability of hu- man fase. In his life time, O'Connelps house was open to all men. "Open house , was emphatically the order of the day ,when he visited his |" Mountain Home." The. furniture has now been sold for the benefit of those creditors who contributed l tohis hospitality. The entire list of his household goods brought but 364 pounds The furniture of his own chamber, inclu- ding his " state bed," sold for about four Eeen dollars''