, 1856-02-01
washington Corrc.pondenco
oF rHE rIoSEER AND DEMOCRAT.
WAsHTYcroN Cry, DIST. Col, !
DecemJer 1871, 1855. I
n. PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT:

SH:-MemOerS OF the HOUSE oil Repre-
sentativcs are beginning to propose plans
for an organization. They have spent thr.
teen days, and balloted sixty-fve times TO
no purpose. Ingenuity is now being called
into service to effect what an open, caudia.
expression of opinion has thus far failedtO
do. To-day we are TO have a proposition
which is to test the sense Of the House asa
to whether the speaker shall be chosen by
plurality vote or not. If they deter
mine to submit to the plurality vote,
there is bound to be speaker to-day.
Who it will be is matter of great dohbt,1
Seventy-fye and perhaps cighty-fve memih
bers will strk to Gen. Richardson like
pitch to pine board. The Banks med
are confident that he can beat that TheI
think his one hundred and six, votes viii
be cast for him on such ballot doubta
it much There is a great want of cohsi
sive attraction in the elements Of that kin,
ky.head- organization. And then / am a.
little supergtifous.l A member has dSslar-
ed he saw distinctly the form and Usage
Of Old Hickory lowering over the ball du-
ring the ballotings, when Banks was at
his highest, and heard his voice exelaim
"by the Eternal we shall have no Baals,7
So says q correspondent Of the Herald-
If that is true do not believe we ever will
have any Banks. There is an Immense
power in that-"by the Etefnal"--when It
comes from the spirit land. All Joking
aside, Richardson's chances seem To- be the
best on plurality vote. -' ''' 80
The senate has done nothing further than
to coYPlebe its organization. All the com.
mittcds- are selected, except that On'print-
ling Tho selection Of that committed, Is
all other business IN the senate, awaits the
Organization of the House Some anim-
portant measures have been presented 70
the Senate, and referred to their appro'ss
pirate committees. TfR4 =
OF all other news there is Q wonderful
scarcity. Everybody and everything seems
to await the movements Of Congress- E0tT
only are the wheels of government checked.
but very many Of the avenues of business
seem to be closed by the failure Of Con-
gress to begin its routine Of business.--s
Many heavy operations in commercial af-
fairs have stopped for the Presidents Mes,
sage OF course hundreds Of movements
in the Army Navy, Land and Indian De
partments are checked to hear the reports
of the different heads Of these departments
The responsibility Of thus holding ID cheek
the affairs of the country. must fan upon
the opposition to this administratioa-up0u
what ioas the knoy-potbing-party. That
party is now the scattered fragments Of
Observation-Disclosures in all its various shapes
The responsibility will prove fearful and
fatal one, when they appear again before
tho people. \ = u f3hA0TTk
The prospects Of the democratic party,
were never brighter than at this time, The
position taken in the present disotganized
Congress- by our men, commands Che adj
miration of the whole country. The pco,
pie ip those states, where the A@edcantN
fraud humbugged them, WI now look and
see for themselves, the contrast between
the two parties. Whenever and wherever
that is done-calmly, the, democracy win
never suffer. Pennsylvania has already
seen the folly Of her course. Ohio and
New York ore wakening up, and even
Massachusetts, begins to wheel into line
We have every reason 10 be eheodraged
The Nicaraguan minister, Col. Parker
H, French, Is in the city. 2 Ho shpercedNc
MarcOleta, by Gen. Walkers appoiPtpept
Some papers have sprung the, question,
whether he is the proper minister or not.
If he is acknowledged by the President, w8
may look for some interesting Developments
from the Isthmus- Republic sooh.
h A New York letteFFritey { not very
good authority, has learned that Mr.
Pierce recommends strohgly'tho purchase
Of the Hndson's Bay Co.'s property and
possessions in Washington and Oregon
OF course we know nothing Of the message,t
IN fact, yet would not be surprised Il this
surmise is correct. Something will.doubt-
less be, done 10 rid the TWO Territories Of
all possibility Of inAuenee from that comr,
pany. The two Delegates viii act in conc (.
cert on that subject, as on oil Others.
The California mail Just in, brings tho
news that thellast Oregon ste9merIdid not
connect at San francisco This accounts
for the want Of news in the California pal
pers from the Indians above on the Coldm
bia. Efforts are now being made to change
Postmaster General Campbell's decision
on The subject Of direct mail service 10 the
Sound IT It succeeds, We win have an
other chance for regular mails f-a.r
p Col Collier, who was reported defanll.