Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1858-02-11
Proceedings Of Congress.

LII euc DeHdtc oH the "a, maJoTlCy anu
minority reports were presented from the
Committee on Foreign Relations in favor
and against the indemniication for the
| Amistad negroes The House bill making
appropriations for the national armorles
was passed The Senate then resumed the
consideration of the army bill, and whilst
engaged on it received a Message from the
| President on Kansas affairs, accompanied
by the Lecompton Constitution. 1t Is an
earnest statement of the Presidents views,
but furnishes nothing new, either in fact or
aroument, in relation to the much vexed
subject. A motion was Immediately made
to refer It to the Committee on Territories.
Mr.. Douglas presented protest against the
admission of Kansas, signed by the Gov
ernor and State officers Gree State) elect
cd in that Territory, and also moved its
reference to the Committee on Territories
The Presidents Message states that no
official returns of the election ON the 2lst
January, at which State officers were elect
ed, have yet been received After brief
debate, without coming to vote, the Sen
ate adjourned.
The House was engaged with the print
ing deficiency bill. After amending the
bill in various important points, it was put
upon its passage and rejected. The Mes
sage from the President on the subject of
Kansas and accompanied by the Lecompton
Constitution was received. Propositions
to refer the Message to Select Committees
were made, and then the House adjourned
In the Senate on the Sd, Mr.. Wilson of
fered an amendment to the motion refer
ring the Kansas Message and Lecompton
Constitution to the Committee ON Terrific
ries, the object of the amendment being to
provide for its reference to special COM
mittee with authority to inquire whether
said Constitution had been framed in accor-
dance with law and with the consent of
majority of the people of Kansas. Mr..
Trumbull made an Intellectual effort to call
up the report of the Judiciary Committee
upon the right of the Indiana Senators,
Messrs. Fitch and Bright, to their seats
A debate on the Kansas question followed
In the House, j. ID. Williamson, arrest
ed as witness in the tariff bribery case,
was brought up and given until next day
to purge himself Of contempt in refusing
to answer the summons of the investigat-
ing committee. From the Committee on
Naval Affairs 4 majority and minority re-
port was made in relation to Commodore
Paulding's arrest of Gen. Walker, the for
mer condemning, the latter applauding the
act. The House then debated the report
of the Committee in relation to the con-
tested seat of Mr.. Campbell of Ohio.
In the Senate on the 4th, Mr. Jones, of
Iowa, presented the resolutions of the Le-
gislature of that State instructing its Sen
ators to oppose the Lecompton Constitution
or resign, and though he admitted that
majority of the people of Iowa would APP
prove these resolutions, yet he declared
that he had not the most remote idea OF
obeying these instructions Mr. Mason
submitted a resolution, which was referred
to the Committee ON Foreign Relations, in
quiring into the propriety Of extending to
the Turkish Commissioner, who it is under
stood will shortly visit this country, an ap-
propriate reception. The question of the
contested seats of the Indiana Senators was
then taken up.
In the House the Speaker announced
the appointment of Messrs. Boyce, Quit
man, Trippe, Garnett, Mott, Wortendyke
and Spinner as the select committee to
consider the navigation laws Of the United
States, the reduction of the expenditures
of the Government, and the existing duties
ON imports and the expediency of gradual
repeal On all duties on imports, and resort
exclusively to internal taxation, as proposed
by Mr.. BOyce's resolution. Mr.. j. B.
Williamson, the recusant witness in the
tariff fraud case, was brought before the
bar of the House and after being examined
was allowed further time to amend his an
swer. The consideration Of the case of
Alr. Campbell, of Ohio, whose seat is con-
tested, was then resumed
The Senate was not in session on the 5th.
In the House resolution offered bv
Gen Quitman was adopted calling on the
President for information as to the number
OF soldiers engaged in the late war with
Great Britain and in the Indian wars of the
same period, and also for an estimate of the
expenditure of extending to them the ben
eht OF the Revolutionary pension laws
The resolution declining to give Mr. Camp
bell further time to take testimony in the
contested election case involving his seat
was adopted.
A letter was received from j. D. Viii
hanson stating that when subpened he
was under bonds in New York and was
advised by counsel that if he left volunta-
rily his bonds would be forfeited, which
fact, and not any intention to commit con-
tempt, was the cause of his disobeying the
mandate. This statement being deemed
satisfactory, he was discharged from custo-
dy. Mr.. Harris, of Illinois, moved the
appointment of a select committee to en-
quire generally into the facts attending the
adoption of the Lecompton Constitution
He moved the nrevions nnastinn In order