Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-09-06
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.


- WASHINGTON, Aug. %, 1856.
Mn. EDiroR Congress Is now in extra session,
for the third time, l believe, in its history. BY
the Sd section of article seconl Of the Constitu.
ton Of the United States, the President has the
power to convene both Houses, on extraordinary
occasions, and to dissolve them again ut his
pleasure in case they cannot agree upon a time
for adjournment.
The loss Of the Army bill, involving about
$l3,000,O00, was deemed an extraordinary occa-
sion by the President, and within three hours
after the adjournment of the 18th, his proclaim.
alton for an extra Session was in circulation.
1t is useless to speculate on the probable results
Of this Sessions for before this letter reaches you
the telegraph will have conveyed, in oil proba-
bility, the fate of the Army bill. The somewhat
startling character of the news from Kansas, this
morning, has had q decided effect upon the Repub-
lican portion of the House which has been
evinced by their refusal to recedc from their po-
stion. The country is truly in deplorable con-
diton in regard to Kansas and the Slavery ques-
ton; and if the contest between the North and
the South goes on, the Union must and will be
dissolved; and our great and free government,
reared at so great cost to our fathers, and by
the prayers, the sufferings and the sword of the
immortal Washington, will become mockery and
scorn to mankind. If we have risen from weak
ness to great power and glory, we have also be-
come boastfui and contentious Sand to some ex-
tent corrupt. If ambitious men, aided by the
press, 60 on rewarding INSCRIPTIONS partizans
with the patronage and the power of the govern
ment, as they have done for some (not a great
many years past, the nation will soon be fairly
past the time when it will listen to the parting
| and sincere advice of Washington, or the voice
of justice.
The material interests Of an institution whose
extent can be described only by hundreds of mil
lions, on the one hand, and the wild fanaticism
evoked by cunning and ambition on the other, are
the monsters that are to dash the Union upon the
Rock of Dissolution. Men bent upon their pur-
poses only laugh at the warning, and wag their
| heads in derision the Jews did not believe their
magnificent temple would be destroyed, until a
Roman soldier applied tho torch and they saw the
flames cover it. God grant that WE may never
destroy OUR TExPLE-no other people eper can
changing whims and caprices of the people as
his chart of official action, may remain in power
bnt he seldom leaves name in history that his
posterity are proud to look at. wise man says
'He that troubleth his own house, shall inherit
the Wholesome one has troubled our house
We have civil war in Kansas, and what is worse,
sectional parties striving for the sectional con-
troll of the Union-what an inheritance!
itance!
must now tell you something about the Min
| nesota Rail Road Bill. There are several reasons
why it did not pass. The first is For several
months our Minnesota people could not agree
| among themselves, and after they finally became
| satisfied as to route, to satisfy Galena they had
the Bill so framed as to leave the land to be dis
posed of by future legislation. In addition ia
this, MIR. Washburne insisted upon having a Sec
ton put in compelling the territory to build the
road through part of Iowa to Tete de Morte,
that Galena might be accommodated and Dubuque
excluded. Had this been consented to, the Bill
would then have lost the influence of Iowa.
And then some enterprising individuals, on the
sly, succeeded in getting and keeping the Pacific
Bill before the Minnesota bill and the latter 1.-THE
Pacifc) when it got into the hands of the Com.
mittee on Public Lands, was kept secret until
about the time it was reported to the House, when
it was found to contain provision for tco roads
one to the North Western line of the Territory,
and one to the South Western line. This was
granted to the Transit r. R. Company. Do you
know who heads it? Well, believe this bill
would have taken twenty-five millions of acres OF
land in Minnesota: and when the history of the
transaction is written, as it will be, there will be
Indignation Astounding.
Our Delegate, Mr.. Rice, acted, in my opinion,
most judiciously in the whole matter. He con-
ceived it to be his duty to oppose the Pacific Bill,
as it stood, and he did SO, openly and fearlessly
and refused to make any bargain by which the
Territory would be placed at the mercy of specu-
lators. He was willing Winona should have one
road, but not all and openly denounced the Bill
and all who were implicated or concerned in that
singular enterprise.
In other respects, believe Minnesota has OBJ
tanned double the amount from Congress of any
of the Territories.
HOLE .IN-THE- NIGHT