Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-01-03
From our Washington Correspondent.

ana ats 0peTGtl0nS-Etect10n OF delegate from
Kansas-zHe Var in Europe-Austrian alliance
Mr.. Scale.
WASHINGTON, D. G. Dec. 80, 1854.
The week now closing has been observed by the
two Houses of Congress as usual, as holiday, and
large number of the Members and Senators have
embraced the opportunity pay their families and
constituents flying visits. No business IF special
Importance has been taken up for consideration. 1t
is worthy of remark however, that the ordinary
business of Congress has never, at any previous
session, been so much advanced at present, so
soon after its meeting All the regular appropra-
ton bills, ten in number, have been reported to the
House from the Committee of Ways and Means, and
seven of them have passed that House and been sent
to the Senate 1t has been the practice of Congress
to postpone action on the appropriation bills until
very late in the session. and then everything is done
IN haste with little or no consideration, and many
things to draw money out of the Treasury find their
way into these bills that would not be admitted if
they were submitted to mature reflection. Hasty
and ill-considered legislation is great evil here
well as elsewhere.
The Ocean Mail Steamer appropriation bill con-
tans clause directing the Secretary of the Navy
to give the proper notice to the Collins Liverpool
line for the discontnuance of the increased pay al
lowed it under an act of Congress passed in 1852,
the right to give the notice and discontinue the in
creased compensation having been reserved to Con-
gress in the act referred to- This reduction of the
compensation given this Company is strongly re-
commended by the Postmaster General in his annu-
al report. 1t is understood that if this notice be
given the Collins Company will apply to be released
from their contract for the purpose of disposng of
their Steamers to the French Government, which
has made an offer to purchase them. In this way
the Government will get clear of part of its expen-
sive contracts for mail service, and the Post
Office Department be enabled to afford greater mail
facilities to thnly settled portions of the country
than it now does. The sale of the Collins Steamers
will not interfere with the transportation of the for
eign mails in American steamers, it is said cap
italist of New York is now building several Steam
of very substantial construction for the purpose
of establishing line to Liverpool. These spe-
cial contracts like that with the Collins Company
embrace system of legislative favoritism which
Government should get rid of as soon as possible.
Besides costing enormous sums to the Treasury it
sets up monopoly against which no private CON-
petition is able to contend. The system has been
managed so as to give all these Government favors
to New York, and other cities Philadelphia and
Baltimore have had no share of them and in addi-
ton, the bonus to the New York lines has destroyed
all efforts towards successful competition, indeed,
competition of any Sort by other cities.
The Committee ofWays and Means and the House
of Representatives arc fastening action on the ap
preparation bills that the bill to reduce and amend
the Tariff may be taken up. The crisis in trade now
upon US, and the consequent general stagnation of
business will doubtless greatly diminish the imports
of the country, and consequently the revenue from
that source yet the receipts into the Treasury will
still exceed what is requisite for an economical adj
ministraton of the Government. And here let me
remark, that the amount of expenditure by any adj
ministraton, is withia its control. do not
made by Congress did not considerably, some times
greatly, exceed the estimates submitted by the Ex-
eXutive Departments of the Government. And this
will always continue to be the so long as there
is large surplus in the Treasury. The only way to
secure economy in the management OF the Govern
is to reduce the revenue 20 an economical hg-
ure. So long as there is surplus in the Treasury
there are many members who are ready to sustain
almost anything to deplete it, knowing that the vote
will receive but little attention from their constitu
ents, so long as no actual debt is incurred. Moth
ing short of contracting debt will awaken the peo-
pie to the amount of governmental expenditures.
A bill has been introduced in the House of Repre-
sentatives to refuse the sanction of Congress to
act of the Territorial Legislature of Minnesota in
cooperating certain Rail Road Company. The his
tory of this Company and its operations is by
means creditable one. This association of specu-
lators incorporated by the Territorial Legislature
to build certain Rail Road, and at the same ses-
sion procured the passage of another act that any
public lands given Minnesota for Internal Improve
ment purposes by Congress- should be handed over
to them to help them build their road. Application
was made to Congress by Minnesota for appro-
priation of land, and the bill actually passed. 1t
the intention of Congress- however, not to give
the lands to this Company, and the Committee re-
porting the bill inserted clause that they should
not to the benefit of any Company previously
incorporated or constituted by the Legislature of
Minnesota. By some hocus pocus or other, or was
changed into and, and the intention OF Congress
about to be defeated, the Company referred to
had been incol porated but not c0nstituted lit had
not been organized at that time and the lands would,
therefore still go to their benefit When this fraud
was discovered the first bill repealed immediate
ly The Company, however, has since that time or
ganizcd and claim that the lands became theirs the
moment the bill passed, and that Congress could not
take them away by its subsequent act. A suit has
been instituted between the U. s. and the Compa-
nv and it is said been decided by the local courts
against the U. S. As Congress possesses supervi-
sorry power the legislation of the Territories, it
is proposed to annul the action of the Minnesota Le
JIl-,.o ~, &c
pretty fair sample ofland speculatons by Rail Road
Companies in the North West.
An effort has been made by the abolition papers
at the North to throw doubt upon the election of
Gen. Whitfield, the delegate in Congress from Kan
sas 1t is sufficient answer to all inSinuatons to
say, that of the opposing candidates have the
least thought of contestng his seat 1t seems to be
generally understood that all were permitted to vote
in the recent election in that Territory who had To-
Gated land therein, and declared themselves citizens
thereof although, many individuals of all parties
Immediately returned the States to spend the win
ter rather than endure the privatons of winter in
Kansas, with no houses to protect them. Next
spring an immense emigration will set in towards
Kansas and before the next winter houses will be
put up to enable the real citizens to remain there
permanently.
The last intelligence from Europe brought no &C
commits of additional operations at the seat of
in the Crimea. The besieging army is going into
winter quarters, have thrown up immense earth
works for their protection and become really the
besieged The next arrival will bring weeks la
ter news, and may possibly bring important intelli-
gence as the Russians may at any time fall upon
the Allies and perhaps utterly destroy the Expedi-
ton On all sides it is admitted that Russia has