New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-01-12
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENTS.
--S = 49,
WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, II

.. WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE.
81 WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, 1857.
The annual festivities of the Christmas season are
over and tomorrow business will be resumed IN both
houses of Congress-. On Friday short session was
held but nothing was done in the House except the
passage of a few private bills; and the Senate was
occupied nearly the whole time in executive session.
Among the appointments confirmed were Floyd Wal
ton District Attorney for the Western District Of Lou
siana, vice Briscoe, resigned and Robert W. Adams
Surveyor of the port Of New Orleans, vice Stark,
resigned. '4 4 HS&@A x ,&aF&- !..r.a-a.E-
As soon as Congress gets fairly under way the most
important subject that will occupy its attention is the
Pacific Railroad. The bill reported by the special
committee will be strongly urged-but the construc
ton of road on the line they propose is so manfesty
impracticable that it is likely to meet with defeat
railroad through cold, bleak inhosptable region,
where deep is on the ground for six months in
the year. would not only cost untold millions of money,
but must necessarily be failure as speculation.
The bill Of the committee has less to recommend it
than any other that could be devised If it should,
however, pass the order Of Congress- it will most ASST
redy be arrested by the Executive veto. Mr. Buchanan
is pledged to approval of afacifc Railroad in one
way or another and the present administration will
that is willing to assume it..
Nor do I think it probable that there will be any
essential modification of the tariff. Two bills have
been reported-one by Campbell of Ohio, chairman Of
the Committee of Ways aud Means, and the other by
! Letcher of Virginia, menberof the committee.
Letchel's bill is step towards free trade, and will
lead to reduction Of the revenue some twenty millions
| of dollars per annum. Campbell's bill, on the con-
trary is only very slight modification of the existing
4 tariff.
! strong effort however, will be made to effect
reduction of the duty iron. We import, annually.
large quantity of ron principally for railroad pur-
poses The progress of our railroad interest has been
50 great that formidable party now exists opposed
to continuance of the duty on iron-lcyied, in the
first instance for the benefit of the iron interest Of
I Pennsylvania, but which experience has shown has
been insufficient to enable them to compete with the
foreign manufacture. We have neNhaustibe mines
of iron ore in several Of the States and it would be
fortunate thing for us if we could be independent Of
the imported article. But the trial has been made,
and it is failure. Iron Of foreign manufacture
has been used even as far West as st. Louis.
While it is likely Congress will ruduce the duty on
this article, there is another proposition bearing
the same subject which will also be strongly urged,
but which is liable to serious objection allude to
the effort which will be made to refund to the I'M
porters the duties which they have paid iron for
the last two years. Independent of the objections
which may he urged to such u measure per Sc, it
will be most perncious as an example. Let Congress
once initiate the practice of retundng duties on any
imported article, and it will be continually annoyed
and harrassed by similar demands, If Government
may violate its contracts, or permit Others to
violate contracts made with it, it will produce nothing
t7ftf fIs;n "a; int +ieflp nd
this very proposition, if adopted, would inaugulate
just such 4 state of things.
The public may judge, from the contemplation OF
such a proposition, of the necessity Of having in
Congress none but men OF stern and inaeXible in
tcgrity. The amount of duties proposed to be re-
funded by this bill is so large that those interested in
it could afford to pay heavily for votes. Thus cor
rupt Congress- or one susceptible of being corrupted
might accomplish an evil from which the nation would
have starting point to inevitable decay and bank
ruptcy.
II was affirmed the other day. but is again denied
by those who are supposed to speak by authority
that the Supreme Court has come to decision Oh
case recently before it, involving the constitutionat
of the Missouri Compromise The report was tina
seven OF the Justices agreed that there speci
warrant in the Constitution for the passage of such
measure, and the other two that there was The cas-
originated IN sun brought by negro IN MissoNf
Tor MS freedom IL was e!lnoFatey argued ny lev
cray JohisoA' on the one side' ana Montgomery ba''
son OF fr@hels T. BAR on inc other
The correspondence which Gen. Scott had will
f. secretary DAVIS, year OF TWO ago relative 70 II
pay as ACKNOWLEDGEMENT was aId before Inc Se't
last week, and will soon lie published. 1t is said t.
be even more shafp ana personal '''ah 'ne l''tou
oco'' ana Marcy correspondence III 'Ee tiiLc WIZ
=. .alJ I :.
marcy urea ID ole"N te o!u lshefi oo"l III 'ieAc'
and spoil the reputation whieh ne was making 10
. hhn7et! tS the greatest military captain Vi Se age
. Inc hiaHu!ac''ue oi eao'ne's ior ME- D''ohau'"
. mere IN washington mas oe5ohle 50 common 'ill
tlao venture Win fe'4c'a'Aoe even upon my ."
= we-fouaded impressions in regard to It, | think i
very certain however as have already stated tina
~, C,s- will ha ca,r,t.r,, of ctoto IF Nr T.,
c1,o, s,n,,ogo, tho+ tho oI canera will MT occe,
al If ton,1aral and that ba will oct tho credit
9 ot,r;o,- II IN hin, ,nouy DESIGNING II far some IN
d o,.o he iii ba ,,or, D,.,ob n,;stol,o, c,on "a.
: has bod rhra,to ofactfo, far of; 20 since he fir
!; yervc1 as Indian Acent in Nicbrap and laid II