New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-08-26
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE,
[rEoM oua srEoIAA ooEnEsr oapaEgI

The two houses of Congress adjourned yesterday
according TO agreement, at IL O'Clock but at half
past four the members were startled by proclama-
ton from The President calling an extra session for
Thursday neqt, the 2lst. Boys were seen running TO
and fro about the Avenue and through tie hotels dis
tributing printed handbls announcing the calling Of
an extra session and this morning the official proc
lamaton appears In the Union.
The cause Of this was the failure Of Congress to
make any appropriation for the army. The regular
army bill It is true was prepared as usual but she
Black Republicans Of Che House tackled on an amend
ment providing that no part of the army should be
employed in enforcing the laws Of the Territorial Le
gis'ature Of Kansas. The Senate of course, struck
out this amendment. The bill then went back to the
House, and the House insisted tlat The amendment
should stand Three different committees Of confer
ence were then appointed but each house adhered
to its determination, and the consequence was that
II o'clock arrived before any conclusion was come TO-
and the two houses adjourned without making any
provision whatever for the army for The ensuing twelve
| months.
Al halEpast IL o'clock Mr.. Hunter, Chairman Of the
Finance Committee IN the Senate, with & view to
seeing II any arrangement could be made with the
other house moved that the session be extended two
hours---that Is. until o'clock. The motion was
agreed TO, Seward and his party voting in the mega
tive. similar motion Was then Immediately made
in the House but the Black Republicans, instead of
agreeing to it at once insisted OH tile ayes and noes
well knowing that u o'clock would ceTae before the
clerk could get through calling theroIE such proved
to be the case for just the clerk had commenced
calling the roll the hand on the dial pointed to Il
O'Clock. Speaker ordered the clerk to stop, ana
he then declared that Congress stood adjourned until
| the first Monday in December next.
| n1oat intauro
Cries Of .trevolutfon were heard o The conserya
tive side of the House, and the Black Republicans
were openly accused Of treason. These last, with a
sicky smirk on their conntenances, stole noseessT
out Of the Hail. as if ashamed as well as they might
be, Of their conduct. Groups Ct members as YelI az
outsiders, collected in the lobbies and in the rc-
tunda, eagerly discussing the subject, and nyeighing
i against the Republicans 1t was, indeed an extra
4 ordinary and and an unprecedented STEP They had
/ tackled on these Kansas amendments to all the other
appropriation bilsbut they had receded from every
one except that to the Army BILL on which it seems
they were determined to make decisive stand. And
they did it.. For the first time in the whole history of
our legislation an unnatural was attached
i to the Army bill, and because the Senate would not
agree to it. they suffered Congress to adjourn without,
providing one dollar for the support Of the army
The question then Eas, how wonId the army be
sustained? Some thought that It would have To liz
| disbanded. Others thought that some Of the rieh
; bankers here or in New York would advance tie
money, and trust to future Congress fol repayment
No one supposed that the President would can an
extra session. But the President with several Of the
Cabinet, it seems, was in one of the committee rooms
Of the Capitol. Cabinet consultation was inmedf-
atey held-and the result was an official proeama-
ton converting Congress together again on Thursday
l+5 T,t, al,
4 by the Presidential manifesto it was amusing to Wit
ness the disappointment and indignation of some Of
i the members who had packed up their trunks and
about to start home The proclamation reached
the Baltimore depot just as the train was about to
start Some Of the members uttering dreadful threats
got out and had their trunks taken ofWhiIe Others
more proane than patriotic; tsEore they'd be d-d
if they went back for every Black Republican ont of
| purgatory. IT, said they, the Black Republicans
chose to carry the country to certain unmentionabe
} place down below let them do it. For their part
they were going homeextra session or no extra ses-
sion, army or no army, rain shine-and home they
7 went. ~
); Isuppose, however, there viii at least be quorum
on Thursday. The members now here say that they
will not permit any other business exec it the Army
bill to come up, so that it is not probable the extra
session will last more than two or three days If the
Black Republicans adhere to their determination the
bill must again be lost. If they recede, as am now
disposed to think they wll there will be no necessity
for continuing the session beyond one day.
find was in error to the provisions Of the bill
: compensating members Of Congress. It gives them
$4,000 year instead of Sc 500 as stated The or-
gnal bill was for $4,000, but the House amended it
so as to make it 1900, and the Senate agreed to the
amendment. The bill also has retrospective opera
tion-paying them that amount for the session just
closed as well as for the next. Under this bill Che
members will get nothing for the extra session just
called, and each absent member is to ~ iocked eight
dollars day for every day of absence.
Among the bills of general interest passed during
! the last days Of the session, were the following:
bill appropriating half million a year for the
n establishment of semi-monthly mail route from
point the Mississippi river, (at the discretio
! of the Postmaster Generally to San Francisco, in
! California
]. bill to regulate the Diplomatic and Consular sys
Y tenn.
: : The Annual Fortihcation bill.
i bill to improve the Patapsco river Passed over
e the Presidents veto)
A bill to improve the Des Moines Rapids in the
Mississippi river. CDtto.} +.
4 A bill extending to dramatic authors the benefit
: of copyright.
bill extending the time for the creditors of Texas
/ to present their claims to the Treasury.
bill to protect citizens of the United States in the
4 4 discovery of guano islands.
d The Senate also ratified treaty with the Greek
d and Seminole Indians, giving them more than mil
L lion of dollars.
- The appropriations made at this session Of Con
d gress amount to between fifty and sixty millions
e. dollars Ii the Army bill had passed it would have
T been twelve or fifteen millions more The total casI
" expenditure of the Government for the present yea
will lnot fall far short of eighty millions dollars Wher
Mr. Fillmore was President the total annual expense
" of the Government were about fifty millions notwith
~ standing the debt incurred by the Mexican war.
t the free trade notions Of the Democracy IS pre
NJ claimed at Cincinnati were carried out, direct taxa
ton would have to be resorted to- The conseuuenc
would be an annual per capita tax of three dollars
ID every man, woman and child in the United State:
Southern planters, who own their hundreds Of slave:
{ would do well to turn this over in their minds Ho,
IS would they like, in addition to their usual State taxe
~ to be required topay three dollars head on the
e. slaves to support the Genera! Government? An
cy yet this is what Democracy is bringing us to.