New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-01-23
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE,

WASHINGTON, Jan. IT, 1857.
4 The committee of investigation into the alleged
frauds and brberies in the House is hard at work
and will make report. About thirty witnesses
have been summoned among whom are Raymond,
editor of the New York Times, and Bennett, of the
Herald ...
The House on Monday passed the Senate bill of the
last session for the relief Of the officers of the navy
who degraded by the action of the Naval Retir
ing Board. According to its provisions, each officer
who feels himself aggrieyed by the decision of that
Board, may go before Court of Enquiry and have
fair and open opportunity Of defending himself from
the accusations that may be made against him. It
will be remembered that the old Board held its SEES.
sions in secret, kept records of its proceedings
and passed Judgment upon the officers without their
knowing what charges were brought against them,
and without giving them an opportunity for defence,
il the charges had been known. Such an unjust and
tyrannica mode Of procedure was met with the in
dgnation, not of the officers Alone but of the public
at large. Congress has now to some extent repaired
the wrong, by instituting this Court of Enquiry,
which shall investigate each brought before it,
openly and publicly. 10 make it an act of complete
justice each officer should first have been restored to
the position from which he was degraded, and then
let the enquiry be made whether he was or was not
worthy of it. This BILL however, defective as it is in
this respect is great triumph to these matreated
officers Many of them now in the city, celebrated
its passage by grand dinner on Tuesday evening at
the National Hotel.
The Senate, contrary to general expectation, has
decided adversely to the right of Harlan to his seat as
Senator from Iowa. The vote was IS to Is. Harlan
will perhaps be re elected Immediately, without the
trouble ofreturning to Iowa the Legislature of that
State being now in session. Should he be reelected
the decision of the Senate will be of advantage to him.
He will be entitled to some three four thousand
dollars for constructive mileage
When news reached here on Tuesday that Forney
had been defeated for Senator from Pennsylvania,
after having obtained the caucus nomination, and
notwithstanding Democratic majority Of four on
JOINT ballot it created for while an intense excite.
ineht. Decent men of all parties rceiced at it-but
tne democracy were particularly shocked at the i'm
puhity with Which three of their men in the Pennsyl-
wanna Legislature repudiated the obligations of the
caucus, and went over openly to the Black Republican
eahaiute' IL was an act Of audacity heretofore
recorded IN Democratic annals, and has caused an
amount Oh haid swearing here that is indeed terrible
Inc laet s however, in the North the transition from
democracy to Freesollism is not so difficult as some
OF our southern Democrats have been made to believe
Probably these three Democrats who boted, we're of
those who voted for Buchanan and Breckenridge and
Free Kansas and who now maintain their consist
ency by voting for an ayowed Freesoier This is the
| first instalment in payment Of the fraud of Free
Kansas by means of which Buchanan carried the
State at the Presidential election-and for one not
withstanding the Freesoilism of Cameron heartily
rejoice at 1t. decent man, matter how heretcal
his political opinions, preferable to Fogney to seat
IN Sd high body as the United States Senate.
In the House, the most important, as well as the
most gratifying feature of the proceedings this week
the closing of the general debate on the Presidents
! Message and on party politics. The whole subject
was on Tuesday referred to the Committee of the
whoe-and, subsequently, we shall have no further
political debate, unless the House consent to go into