The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-12-18
Thirty-Fifth Congress.


WASHINGTON, Dec. ieth.-iSmote.-0n motion Of
Mr.. Gwin, resolution was adopted calling on the
President for all the correspondence between tae
departments aud the present Governor OF kansas,
together with all orders and Instructions which
have been issued TO the said officer.
Mr. Green then made speech In reply TO Mr..
Douglas, ON Kansas AFFAIR.".
Mr. Douglas said that the Senator from Missouri
seemed to have misapprehended his Mr.. Douglas
position, and he would briefly correct him In one
or two points. First, he did not regard 1t as IA
tai objection that there was enabling act In adj
vance. Secondly, he did not take the position that
t was q fatal objection that the constitution was
not submitted to the people before II was sent to
Congress for acceptance.
The position he did assume was that the regular
mode of proceeding Is by enabling act, but 1t a
Territorial Legislature proceeds to call conven-
ton without the consent of Congress- that 10 ire
guar, but not so irregular that II necessarily fol-
lows that all its proceedings arc vitiated The Le
compton convention was not an unlawful body,
and might send petition to Congress, but 1t as
not convention authorized to establish govern
ment for itself. No constitution could be consi-
dered republican which did not embody the will
of the people who are to be governed by 1t, and
was not formed by their action.
lie agreed with the President that the best
mode was to refer 1t to the people, but that he
could not admit that a constitution forced on a
people against their will was republican consti
tuition.
Mr. Green responded, denying that the people of
Kansas would be compelled to retain their con-
stituton till 1864 and he argued that convention
could be called at any time to make change.
The further consideration Of the subject was
postponed till Monday, and the Senate adjourned.
House Of Representatives. House met in the
new hall pursuast to resolution.
Amid much confusion the members proceeded to
select their seats by lottery
Mr.. Ste Gart presented the memorial OF Mi.
Brooks, of Baltimore, and Mr. Bowie presented the
memorial of Dir. Whyte, of the same city contrasting
the election of Henry Winter Davis and j. Mo-ri-
son Harris. They were referred to the committee
on elections.
The committee on printing having read report
recommending the printing of an extra number Of
the Presidents message and the accompanying
documents
Mr.. Cox. of Ohio, made speech against the Le-
compton movement, and said that the attempt to
force the constitution on an unwilling people was
juggle and fraud. He contended that the en-
tire constitution should be submitted to the people
He characterized the delegates to that convention
as so many Catalines attempting to subJugate the
rights of the people.
Mr. Hughes, Of Indiana, deprecated discussion
thus early on the subject of Kansas. He did not
seem to think that the gentleman's position was
well chosen as to popular sovereignty.
HORRIBLE MURDER OF Two woMEN.-On Tuesday
last, sometime between II and o'clock, two wo-
men, namtd Anna Gerber and Elizabeth Ream,
were found murdered in the house of the former,
situated in by-road, about three quarters of
mile from Neffsvile, near Lancaster, Pa. In the
morning, about O'Clock, Mrs. Ream who lived
about hundred yards distant was seen entering
the house of Mrs. Gerber, by some neighbours
Nothing further was heard or seen OF them until
almost o'clock, when Mrs. Ream, the daughter of
Mrs. Gerber, went to the house of her mother,
where she discovered both mother and mother-n-
law lying upon the floor with their Threats cut
from to ear their skulls mashed and crushed in
a horrible manner. Their clothes were all in dis
order, leaving portions of their persons exposed
Mrs Gerber was fitty-fve and Mrs. Ream about six
BY years OF age.
Two mea, one negro and the other mulatte,
were seen by Mr. Isaac kaufman, ut whose house
they had been. asking aims, to enter the house
about fifteen minutes before eleven o'clock, and
no other person seen around the house until
about one o'clock, when Mrs. Gerber's daughter
made the discovery. Appearance indicated that
they must have knocked the women down with
their clubs in the kitchen. From the kitchen they
must have been dragged into the small sleeping
room, where their throats wei cut to almost
sever their heads from their bodies. From this
room the murderers went into adjoining room,
in which were two beds, two bureaus and large
chest. The beds were not disturbed, but the bu-
reau drawers were pulled out, and their contents
thrown upon the hoor. From q chest about eight y
dollars in silver and gold coin was taken.
A curious Circumstance in this transaction is
that the clock stopped at ten minutes to twelve,
which must have been soon after the murders were
| committed 1t is supposed that the men In their
search for money and articles of value opened the
| clock and in their hunt stopped the pendulum.
After the murderers had left the house they
started towards Lancaster. When they had gone
about half mile they turned back and went across
the fields towards Neffsville They were seen by
| some gentlemen, whose description comedies with
| that given by Mr.. Kaufman. They then passed
| down the pike until they came to the toll-gate,
where they sat down and were seen by the gate
| keeper counting money. They then went to Lam
caster, where two persons answering-to their des-
criptiou and appearance were arrested about 4
O'Clock.