Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1856-03-15
CoRREsPoNDENCE OF THE
INTELLIGENCER

for several days, woke up this morning tuil OF
war. Inthe Senate, at an early hour, the bill
providing for an appropriation of three millions
of dollars to be expended under the direction of
the President in supplying Notifications with
arms and munitions, was taken up. o6jcetons
being made to placing the appropriation at the
k,iiy,oSalof the President, specific bin was in
toduced for applying the three millions as tol
Ipgs; For refitting with percussion locks old
small arms now possession of the several States
81, 100000. s*z
For seacoast and gr-rrison guns, $500, GOO 7
For making small arms of improved mod
els, $25O,ooo.
For makingsmaIla accoutrements, q 90, GOO.
For ammunition for small arms and ammuni-
ton sea coast, garrison and fields guns, $780,
0oo ~
For increasing capacity of arsenals, 100000.
A very spirited discussion cnsucd. Mr. Hum
ter Of Virginia, thought that portion of
the money of the present full treasury could
| not be more prudcntIy and economically expcn-
ded than in putting the country ina condition
! of defence. He did not desire war nor see any
certainty Of it, but now was the most proper
time for increasing our national dcfenccs. He
1 wished to see us in such a condition that when
a hostile gun was pointed at us we could give
any nation on earth 'Roland for its Oliver. -
He made brief but very ablc review flour for
| eign relations. 81,
/ Gen. Cass followed in a long and exceedingly
war.like speech: One well calculated, and per-
haps designed TO
/ "Trigkt he souls Of fesrtpr adversar!ss.''
1t was he said, natural, and it was highly
| probable that England having. lost so much Of
her boosted military glory in the Russian war,
would seek toretrieyc herrepu in the West
crn Hemisphere. szss
He referred with great severity to the tone of
the British press, and said it was a great mis-
take to suppose that the papers from which he
read extracts did not, in great measure, eS-
press the feelings of the Government and the
people, one Of these papers, the Post, uttered
the sentiments of Lord Palmerston more fully
and distinctly than the noble lord uttered them
in Parliament. The papers would not dare thus
| to speak if they had not the Government and
the people behind them. I'VE were slow to go
to war; said the London Times. Why, Eng
land had been at war for the last 100 years; she
had made war on Burmah for the trihing sum Of
$50 pounds sterling; she was prowling in every
ocean, seeking territory to devour. He was op
posed to arbtration-thc was nothing to arbi-
trate but the meaning of one word--'occupy,"
and that with England meant to get and hold all
she could. Gen. Cass speech throughout, was
defiant, bcligerent and bellicose (the latter word
according to Mr.. Hale, having been rendered
classical as he said it had hecn used twice in
Scnatc,)
Mr. Hale opposed the bill in any shape. He
had no confidence in what the English press said
He read an extract from French paper, the
''Let P,strie," speaking of Mr. Banks as black
and this, said the French paper-a negro pre-
siding over the House of Representatives of the
United States-it was expeete5, would give great
offence to gentlemen from the South! This pro-
duced great merriment in the Senate. Mr.. Hale
said such was the knowledge of this country
possessed by Louis Napoleon's organ. General
Cass replied that Louis Napoleon never made
such a blunder--he knew this country too well.
Mr. Tvcrson, of Georgia, called Mr.. Seward to
account for his inconsistency and want of a due
sense Of national honor. He had, short time
since, made war-like specch;-now he was as
gentle as a sucking dove, and very much afraid
of offending the delicate scnsitivcness of John
Bull. True he voted for increasing the cfficion-
Ecylof5thc army, but he was careful. at the same
time, to notify. England that he would not resent
any insult which she might offer to our national
honor Mr. Seward explained that he would
! vote for the appropriations, but would do Moth
! ing more He was for arbitration TO the very
verge ofthe possibility offs peaceful adjustment.
The bill was not disposed of when tho Senate
adjourned.
| a visit to the Navy Yard afforded me an OPP
Iportunity of inspecting the U. S. frigatc Min
nesota, now nearly completed. She is perfect
..oak Leviathan'' with tremendous machinery.
and viii carry sixty guns and can carry 100
Great. improvements and extensions arc going
On at tie Navy Yard. Whatever may be the
deficiencies of our navy, in the event of a war,
we have the resources to supply them. The
/ Naval committee of the House have still under
consideration the bill which has passed the SEN
ate providing for the construction Of ten sloops-
of-war. to cost $50, 900 each, and will, it is
said, report in Eavorof the biil.i -
A great amount of quiet work is going on in
relation to Presidential nominees. In the Dem
ocratic ranks, while TIC friends of Pierce arc
mot inactive, many influences are at work
for Buchanan. How many persons archere Op-
Grating TO secure his nomination, is a matter
known only to the initiated This is said to be
the last chance for Buchanan-!the year which
will decide forever his hopes for the Presidency;
but of all the persons spoken of in connection
with tho Democratic nomination, 1 hear no one
more avorablv mentioned in high and .infiusn-
tial places than Senator Hunter OF our own State
He has immense personal popularity and is con
sidercd sound and acceptable on all the issues
which the Democracy are likely topresent. His
srnnnh ,,, our relations With Great Brit