The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-03-13

Mr. Walker, of Alabama, contended that
Governor Reeder and General Whitfield were
in no legal and technical sense contestants for
the seat of Delegate from Kansas. Governor
| Reeder did not present himself in the attitude
of contestant, and it therefore followed that
| there was no fact in the contest that demanded
the attention of the House. He also argued to
prove the validity of the law under which Gen.
| Whitfield had been elected.
Mr.. Crawford, of Georgia, then obtained the
floor, but yielded to motion that the House
adjourn.
| Numerous bills and resolutions were intro
duced, and the House then adjourned.
Monday March 10, 1856.
SENATE.
The bill relating to punishments in the peni-
tertiary, and the bill for regulating the terms of
the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia,
were severally passed.
The bill reported from the Committee on
Military Affairs, appropriating three millions
of dollars for the purchase of ornaments for
Notifications, and the alteration and manufac-
ture of small arms, &c, in conformity with the
special message of the President of the United
States, was taken up, and ordered to be en-
crossed for a third reading, as follows:
| YEAs-Messrs. Allen, Bigler, Bright, Cass,
Clay, Crittenden, Fish, Geyer, Hunter, Iverson,
Johnson, Jones of Iowa, Mallory, Pugh, Reid,
Sebastian, SGdell, Stuart, Toucey, Trumbull,
Weller, and Yulee-22.
! NAYs-Messrs. Adams, Bell of Tenn, Cola
mer, Fessenden, Foot, Hale, Harlan, Houston,
Seward Sumner, Wade, and Wilson-l2.
Mr.. Bell, of Tennessee, stated that he had voted
against the bill because it was not specific
enough in its appropriations, and also because
he thought there was no such exigency now as
| to require it.
Mr.. Weller was willing to make the bill more
specific. He did not apprehend war, but while
the treasury was full, it was well to make prep
aration for any emergency which might arise.
Mr.. Seward would vote for the bill, if it was
amended so as to make definite appropriations
for specific purposes.
Mr.. Toucey hoped the chairman of the COM
mittee would move a reconsideration Of the vote
| Just taken, in order to make such amendment
as would meet the wishes of other Senators.
The vote was then reconsidered, and Mr..
Weller submitted an amendment making spe-
| cifc appropriations, which was agreed to.
Mr.. Hunter then spoke in favor of increasing
the national defences.
Mr.. Cass said that England had suffered so
much in the Russian war; that it was not at all
unlikely that she might try to retrieve her repu-
tat;on by war on the Western Hemisphere. He
addressed the Senate at some length, in relation
to the aggressons and the audacity of the Eng
lish Government, quotingfromth the London Times
a recent article against this country, and making
q sarcastic running commentary thereon.
Mr.. C. alluded to the proposition of the British
Government to refer to arbitration the Central
American controversy, and said that he did not
see how such question could be referred to
arbitration.
Mr. Hale opposed the bill on several grounds.
He did not believe in the proprety of the national
armories. He could see no more necessity
of having the national arms manufactured in
national machine shops, than of having the
uniforms for the army made in national tailor's
shops Nor did he admit the necessity Of an
increase of the efficiency of the army at this
time.
In order to show the little dependence to be
placed on foreign newspapers, he read an ex-
tract from the London Telegraph, which repre-
scented Seward and Foot as being extremely
belligerent, and another from La Pdtrie, Louis
Napoleons organ, which represented Mr.. Banks
IS black man, and said that in his double
quality of q colored man and an Abolitionist,
| ho bod inspired profound disgust In the South
ern members. These extracts caused great
| laughter.
Mr. Iverson defended the bill. He thought
there was imminent danger of war with Eng
land, and did not believe that the administra-
ton or the American people were in favor of an
arbitration of the treaty question.
Messrs. Bell and Seward defended themselves
from charges of inconsistency made by Mr..
Iverson.
The Senate adjourned, leaving the bill to
come up tomorrow as unfinished business.
| HOUSE,
Mr.. Campbell, of Ohio, reported the con-
sular and diplomatic and the army appropria.
ton bills.
Mr.. Crawford addressed the House to show
the improperly of the Committee of Elections
being empowered to send for persons and pa
pers in the Kansas election case.
Mr.. Crawford argued that Governor Reeder
represented a revolutionary movement outside
of the regularly established Government of Kan
| sas.
Mr.. Campbell, of Pennsylvania, advocated
the resolution of the committee, accusing those
on the other side of an intention of sitting such
an investigation as is necessary to proper un-
Outstanding of tie question.
Mr. Smith, of Alabama, contended that the
committee OF Elections have abandoned the is
sue raised by Gov. Reeder, and call on the
House to give them power to contest the legal
ity OF the election of every member of the Leg
lslature OF Kansas, thus shetering their real
purposes behind the shadow of one man. who
had proved himself an arch agitator.
l. Mr.. kuDkel advocated the resolution IN send
for persons and papers. During his remarks.
he said, Notwithstanding intimidations. emf.
grants from Pennsylvania win continue tn oo
to Kansas. If the time should come when an
invading force from Missouri shall interfere