Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-12-17
WASHINGTON NEWS.

Dec. u.-Senator Bigler in order to cor
rect a Misrepresentation, states IN CONVEX
sations which have been hsd un the sutjeci,
that the meeting TO which he 81 uded in his
saeech ON "Wednesday, as having token
placein Mr. Douglas rcom last year 10
consult on the ToomNs' Kansas bill, was
unofficial and rather a private meeting o.
the committee On Territories and one to
which, the other senaiors had been invited.
The death OF Hon Andrew p. But er, OF
South Carolina, will te snnounced in the
Senate OF Monday accor ling 10 the present
understand ing among the Senators, and the
death of Hon. James Bell, OF New limp
shire, on Tuesday.
A, a caucus of Democratic Members OF
the Senste, which was held to-day. the
Standing Committee were agreed UPON
Mr., Mason will continue as Chairman o.:
Committee on Foreign relations; Mr.. Doug
lass of Committee on Territories; Dir. Hun
ter Of Committee on Finance; Mr.. Stu; IT of
Committee on Public Lands; Mr.. Brown OF
Committee of District of Columbia; Mr..
CLAY TO be Chairman of Committee on Com
merce, vice Dodge; Mr Bayard 0! Commit
tee on Judiciary. vice Butler, arj Mr.. Yu
lee of Committee on Post Offices aGd Post
Roads, vice Rusk.
An effort as made at the caucus 20 eject
new officers Of the Senate, but the PROPOSE
,ion was postponed. The nomination of Il
public printer will come up IN a caucus to
be held on Monday next; much interest 10
manifested concerning the ir aclioE on this
subject.
DISPATCHES from Colonel Johnson were
received a. The War Department to- ay, da-
ted South Pass. Oct 18th. They include
several letters from Colonel Alexander, the
present Commanding Officer of the main
body of the army in Utah. He, it appears,
questions, br the hesitation with which he
assumes them, his RICH, to exercise fully all
the duties of Commander, but Johnson
thinks his authority to exercise them with
out restriction is clearly grated. Johnson
says Alexander, in pursuance of the ~latter's
design, had advanced 10 Hams Fork OF Grun
River, tbirty-fve miles above the crossing,
and there directed the movements to be
msde by his own immediate command, and
the troops in his rear to form q Junction.
which, from an eTroreas supposlIfon, would
be wholly imprscticable. Johnson contin-
'ues: Col. Smith is at this camp with fifty
men, his regiment. overlook him on the
10Th, about twenty miles east of this and
have added my escort, fifteen dismissed ira.
poens, to his force. Lieut. Smith, in CON.
mand OF a squadron of Dragons and fifty o.
the 10th Infantry, a force OF about two hun.
dred men, may be expected here IN three
or four days. He is aware Of the necessity
of promptness aud | am sure will lose nj
time. Col. Johnson notices Macgraw's as
~sistance and enters into minute details o
the supply trains which are expected and o
the state of the weather, for the reasUi
that the order transmitted to,ii lexander ma!
not have been fully comprehended.
Col. Johnson saws in conclusion, | vii
however mention, that unless a large iorc'
is sent here from natives Of the country,
protracted war on the part of the Mormon
is inevitable. The great distance from GU
source of supply makes it impossible to op
crate with O smell force, it in fact require
the employment OF such force to guard tn
numerous trains of the supplies, leaving bu
q small supply if any. for offensive opera
tons. The movement of troops from Ca
ifornia and Oregon and by this route woui
terminate the war with the MJrmons speed
lily and more economically than if at'emp:e
by insufficient means. In five or tx day
think we will have all the force availabl
here for such forward movements. by MA
time all the trains will be up, they shoul
be here sooner. In twelve days from thi
time expect to join Col. Alexander at {
near Fontenelle Creek. The General ma
be assured that no retrograce movemeI
will be made by this force.
This document bears the. endorsement
Lieut.. Gen. Scott, cordially approving Co
johnson's conduct as to the expedition fro