Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-02-14
From our washington Correspondent.

Bill to be oetoed-Hon. John s. 1Li5zs-A States
Rights Sen0tor-RiUer and Har6or Improvement
6lUs-Rnoao Nothingisno and ats truits-A6oltion
Senators elected-Diplomotic Reform and 7sras
debt bill passed the House-IHr. Breckenridge de-
ctaaes the Mission to Spain.
On Monday series Of resolutions were presented
in the Senate adopted by the Legislature of Mchi-
gan nstructing the Senators from that State rea-
tive to the question of slavery. The resolutions de-
nounce the repeal of the Missouri prohibition, assert
the power of Congress to abolish slavery and the
slavetrade in the Territories and the District of Co.
lumbia and affirm the duty of Congress to pass such
laws Immediately, instruct their Senators to their
best eXertions to procure the passage of act pro-
hlbltlng the introduction and existence Of slavery
into Kansas and Nebraska and ask for the immedi-
ate repeal of the fugtve-slavo law. The Lcgisa-
ture of Michigan is controlled by Fusionists and
Know Nothngs and this is the first demonstration
of these enemies of the Democracy against the
try. Mr.. Cass addressed the Senate briefly these
resolutions, avowed his determination not to obey
these instructions to resign his seat the vacation
of which was the object of the Legislature. He
cognized the doctrine of Instructions but with some
limitations. He was willing to recognize the bind
ing force of instructions received from his own par
ty but not from legislature VIGOROUSLY composed
of his political opponents If the representative of
State in the Senate changed with every change
in the political aspect of its legislature the
alive character of the Senate would be destroyed,
and it would be liable to greater changes than
the House of Representatives-thu virtually annul
ling leading feature of our Constitution, moreover
the Wing party did not recognize the doctrine of in
i
the Democratic party and never to its advantage.
The Bounty Land Bill was further considered in
the Senate Monday, and after the addition of
eral amendments it passed that body by vote of
80 to 10. 1t is even larger and more compre-
hensve than it when | made estimate of the
amount it would require to execute it, and the ex-
pense it will devove upon the Government. But if
the lands are to be given away and squandered, as
appears to be the prevailing tendency to give them
to the old soldiers and their heirs certainly the
best disposition that can be made of them. The
passage of this bill into law will prevent any
the government from the public lands for at
least fifty years. am glad to say that the bill as
it stands makes provision for those who participated
in tile battle of Kings Mountain. The names of the
greater portion of these men who calamity took
up arms in defence Of their country, we're
tered upon the rolls, not being mustered into the
service regularly, and consequently have never been
included in any provision made by revolutionary
services. 1t IS pre-emnently due to these that
their services should be recognized at this late
day.
On Tuesday the House bill providing indcmniffca-
ton for French Spoiatons taken up in the Sem
ate and after considerable discussion and the rejection
of all amendments, passed precisely Il recciE
ell from the House. 1t Is III the hands OF tie
President and the impression pretty generally prevails
that he will it. If SO it will pat end during
his administration to this great effort to despo the
Treasury. One fact alone lis sufficient to expose the
true character Of the bill and of majority OF the
claims. While depredations upon our commerce
were being peIpetratcd by the French, the lnsur-
ance Companies in the habit of taking war
risks, from which they made large profits. Some
times they lost. This bill provides for rcnbursing
these insurance companies for losses sustained in the
usual and regular course of their business. They
knew before hand the extent of the risk received
consideration for assuming it, and now have claim
whatever for decentralization for their losses
The new Senator from New Hampshire, Hon. John
S. Wells, has distinguished his entrance into the
Senate by a very able speech against the RESPONSE
bility of the government for these claims. lie
erred to the history of the county at the time these
deprcdations committed, showed that neither
Jefferson, Madison Monroe, all of whom were
personally cognizant of all the facts recognized
the legality of these claims recommended their
payment. The Reports from time to time made III
their favor in Congress emanated from Representa-
tives of exclusively commercial communities, while
that " body of men in this country Swho hold to
strict construction of the Constitution, who hold to
great principles, such say ought to govern the
political action of this country - whenever they
have been called upon to examine this question with
out reference to commercial interests commercial
influences have, man, declared their oppos-
ton to this measure. Among such men he emu
merates Calhoun, VIM. r. King, Atchison, Bibb
Sas Wright, and host Of others, all of whom have
stood up against the payment of these claims The
quotation l make from Mr.. Wells speech shows to
what class of political men he belongs, and what
doctrines he is prepared to maintain and defend.
The veto of the River and lIarbor bill of last ses
sion by the President, including as it did large
number of appropriations, perhaps proper
enough but many of them totally unauthorized by
the Constitution, has led to the introduction at the
present session of large number of single bills in
Guiding only one object in one bill. Should any
all of them pass the President will be able disn
guis between the meritorious objects and those not
of that character; but the action of the Senate is
precisely the if they all embraced in
one bill. They are passed one by one by comb-
nation among members and Senators, just as If they
were embraced in one bill. Some thirty or forty
have been passed by the Senate, but there will hard
" be time for action in the House during the pres
eat session.
On Monday series Of resolutions against the
Know Nothing Societies offered in the House,
and the taken their reception, resulting yeas
1O3, nays TS-not two-thirds and therefore they
were not received Although not test vote several
known opponents of Know Nothingsm having vot-
ed in the negative, it is sufficient to show-that the
new order is in considerable of minority in the
House. While upon the subject will remark that
the election of Seward, Wilson and Durkee to the
U. S. Senate from the States of New York. Massa-
chusetts and Iowa, all aboonists of the most de-
termined stamp, elected they were by the aid OF
Know Nothingism, settles the point, if it was not
settled already, that the order is active ally OF
abotonism, and therefore it should have no sup
porters at the South. The alliance OF identy rather
is becoming too palpable for denial, and South
ern Know Nothings will be compelled to dissolve
their Chapters be used by the majority of the Or
der at the North to destroy the institutions of their
section of the country The tree is known by
its fruits and what could be more convincing
to the objects of the Order than the election of Will
son?
Two bills of Importance have been acted on in the
House. viz: The bill to reform the Diplomatic aDd
c1-ctor arHt bp he