The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-01-29
THIRTY-F NGRES
THIRD SESSION.
Thursday, January y, 1857.


Thursday, January y, 1857.
SENATE.
The Senate proceeded to the consideration OF
the special order, being the bill to expedite tel
egraphic communication for the uses of the
Government in its foreign intercourse, the
amendment pending being that of Mr.. Pugh,
that the arrangement should not take effect IN
til the matter was guarded by treaty in the
same manner as that relating to Central Amer
lea.
Messrs. Pugh, Hunter, Weller, Thompson OF
Kentucky, and Butler, opposed the bill and
Messrs. Benjamin, Rusk, Douglas, Seward,
Toucey, and Bayard, advocated it; when MIR.
Pugh withdrew his amendment.
The bill was then amended in several impor-
| tantsparticulars, and Messrs. Crittenden, Geyer,
and Pearce, continued the debate against the
bill, and Mr.. Mallory in its favor; when the
question was taken on its passage, and decided
in the affirmative, by the following vote
YEAs-Messrs. Allen, Bell of New Hamp-
shire, Bell of Tennessee, Benjamin, Brodhead,
Brown, Collamer, Dodge, Douglas, Durkee, Fes-
sender, Fish, Foot, Foster, Hale, Houston,
James, Jones of Iowa, Mallory, Pratt, Rusk,
Seward, Stuart, Thomson of New Jersey, Tou-
cey, Wade, Wilson, Wright, and Yulee-29.
NAYS : Messrs. Biggs, Clay, Crittenden,
Evans, Fitzpatrick, Geyer, Green, Hunter, liver
son, Mason, Pearce, Pugh, Reid, Slidell, Thomp-
son of Kentucky, Toombs, Trumbull, and Wei
| ler-l8. Il I
A bill was received from the House of Rep
resentatives, more efectually to enforce the at
| tendance of witnesses on the summons of either
House of Congress, and to compel them to dis
cover testimony which was read, and referred
| to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr.. Toombs subsequently, reported this bill
| without amendment, and asked its immediate
| consideration which motion was objected to,
| and the bill was laid over.
HOUSE.
| The question was stated to be on the mo-
! ton of Mr.. Orr, of South Carolina, to lay on
the table the motion, submitted by him, to re-
consider the vote adopting the following reso-
| luton: I-I
j. w. Simonton having appeared at the bar
of the House according to its order, and the
| cause shown for the said contempt being insult
| fcient Therefore,
Resoloed, That the said j. W. Simonton be
| continued in close custody by the Sergeantat-
| Arms, or, in his absence, by William G. Flood,
during the balance of this session, or until dis
charged by the further order of the House, to
| be taken when he shall have purged the con-
| tempt upon which he was arrested, by testifying
| before said committee.
| Mr.. Marshall, of Kentucky. Where is the
man who was yesterday before this House? l
desire to know whether or not he is now in Gus
tody, and if go, by what auth ority? IL
The Speaker 1t is not a question that is
properly before the House.
| Mr. Marshall l respectfully suggest to the
Chair that it is most pertinent question to
know whether the party upon whom we are
about to pass sentence is or is not in custody.
The Speaker. The Sergeant-at. Arms informs
the Chair that the person arrested and brought
| before the House yesterday, is in his custody.
Mr.. Orr And he cannot go into his custody
until the resolution shall have been finally dis
posed Of
Mr.. Clingman. I hope the gentleman from
| South Carolina will withdraw the motion to lay
on the table, and let us see if we cannot recon
| slider and amend the resolution.
| Mr.. Orr. The motion to reconsider would be
| debatabe. If there is a majority of the House
who desire to reconsider the vote adopting the
resolution, they will vote against the motion to
| lay on the table. n
| Mr.. Il. Marshall, of Kentucky. Before we vote,
/ desire the prisoner to be brought to the bar of
| the House. Ell
The Speaker. The Sergeantat Arms informs
the Chair that the accused is present and in his
custody. |l
The question was then taken on the motion
| to lay the motion to reconsider on the table,
/ anu IL was QtCluSu III OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES lilo,
nays H.
The House then resumed the consideration
OF the bill more effectually to enforce the at
| tendance of witnesses on the summons of either
House of Congress, and to compel them to dis
| cover testimony, reported yesterday from the
! select committee, the question being on the mo-
ton that it be referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary, and, if that reference should fall
upon the motion that it be reeommitted.
MIR. Davis of Maryland, said he was instruct
| ed by the committee to submit q substitute for
the bill, only differing from the original in the
| alterations which he had brought to the atten-
| ton of the House. II
Mr.. 81. Marshall then withdrew his motion
to refer the bill, when Mr.. Davis submitted the
| substitute; whereupon, Mr.. M. renewed his mo-
ton. III
Mr.. Millson, of Virginia, desired to make
suggestion to the gentleman from Maryland,
viz: to strike out the word |" penitentiary," and
insert the words common Jail"
Mr.. Letcher, of Virginia, also suggested the pro-
priety of an additional section, making it the duty
of the Speaker to direct the Clerk of the House
to report to the United States Attorney for the
District of Columbia any violation of the law,
in order that prosecution might be instituted
against the offending party.
MIR. Davis, of Maryland, stated that he was
directed by the committee to substitute the
| words common Jail " for penitentiary," as
suggested by Mr.. Mison, and also to add the
following section, as proposed by Mr.. Letcher ::
"And be 1T further enacted, That when a
witness shall fail to testify, as provided in the
previous sections of this bill, and the facts shall
be reported to the House, it shall be the duty
of the Speaker of this House or the President
of the Senate to certify the fact, under the seal
| of the House or Senate, to the District Attorney
for the District of Columbia, whose duty it shall
be to bring the matter before the grand jury,
for their action" -
The previous question was them moved and
seconded.
The question was then taken on the motion
to refer the bill to the Committee on the Judi
ciary, and it was decided in the negative-yeas
II, nays 1872. u
The substitute was next agreed to, when the
bill, as amended, was read q third time, and
passed-yeas 1873, nays IL
1t is printed in another column
Friday January %, 1857. Il
SENATE II
Mr.. Toombs moved take up the bill more eff.
fectually to enforce the attendance of witnesses
on the summons of either House of Congress,
and to compel them to discover testimony
which motion was agreed to. Il
The bill having been read
Mr.. Hale took various excenfiona to tho hill