Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-02-10
THIRrY-FIFrH CONGRESS.

FEBRUARY LIN the Senate, zen. houston
spoke in opposition to the proposed Army
bill, and Mr.. Wilson offered an amendment, in
the nature of substitute therefor, author
izing the Executive to enroll 5000 volunteers
for certain enumerated purposes. The further
consideration of the matter was postponed
till to-day. The Pacific Railroad bill was the
special order, but Mr.. Douglas pressed the
Senate to take up the bill providing for the
admission of Minnesota into the Union, and
was seconded by Messrs. Crittenden, Seward,
Hale and Wilson, and opposed by Mcssrs.
Gwin, Green, Bayard, Brown. Fitzpatrick and
Mason, the latter of whom said that 1t might
be found necessary for fhe Southern States,
ssin order to determine where they stand In
this Union,' to take up the Minnesota and
Kansas questions together. Mr.. Crittenden
made an eloquent reply to Mr.. Mason, which
ELECTED applause from the galleries. With
out taking the question the Senate adjourned.
In the House, Mr. Stanton Of Ohio, from the
Tariff Investigating Committee, offered res
oiution, which was adopted, requiring war
rant to be issued for the Apprehension of j. b.
Williamson of New York, for contempt in re-
| fusing to give testimony. After discussion,
bill appropriating $500 900 to cover an acci-
dental omission in the Army bill of the last
Session was passed. On motion OF Mr. Boyce
| of South Carolina a resolution was passed,
| providing for the appointment of Select Com
mittee of seven to examine into the character
| of the Navigation Law, the expediency OF
reduction of the expenses of Government,
and of gradual repeal of all duties on imports,
with view to resorting to direct taxation.
| Further discussion was had on the Printing
| Deficiency bill, after which Mr.. Lane of Ore
| gon presented her State Constitution. Kan
| sas then made its way into the House. Mr..
/ Parrot presented Joint Resolutions of the
| Territorial Legislation of Kansas, protesting
against the acceptance by Congress of the Le
compton Constitution. Mr.. Craig of Missouri
;aA TO- shut ttnr,, nnta and frnn
being read, but the Speaker first and the
House after him overruled the motion, and
had the papers read They then laid on
the table and ordered to be printed.
| FEBRUARY 2.-In the Senate, Mr.. Wilson
presented the application of E. r. Livingston,
| of Massachusetts, to be appointed to superin-
tend the cataloguing and indexing of the ori-
ginal documents and papers of the United
States. Mr.. Mason, from the Committee
Foreign Relations, reported a bill appropria-
ting $50, GOO to the long pending Amistad
claim. and Mr.. Seward submitted minority
report against its payment. The Senate then
took up the Army BILL Mr.. Seward was in
favor of its passage, if he could be assured
that the troops would be withdrawn from Kan
sas and the new levies disbanded so soon as
there was no necessity for their employment
to put down the Utah rebellion. Mr.. Hale
, was surprised that Republican Senator
should take such position; but Mr.. Seward
cared nothing for party, and said the mistake
was in supposing the battle not already won,
now that there were l6 Free to 10 Slave States,
while there would be before the end of the year
10 Free to Is Slave States. The Message of
President Buchanan upon Kansas affairs, to-
gether with the Lecompton Constitution, was
then received and read. Mr. Bigler moved its
reference to the Committee on Territories.
Mr.. Trumbul preferred to examine its facts
and reasoning before it passed from before the
Senate and proceeded SO to do. In the course
1t.,I
braska bill severely. This brought Mr.. Dou-
! glas to his feet who said that he would reply
at another time, as he was in favor of the i'm
mediate reference of the Message to the Com
mittee on Territories. After speech from
Mr. Toombs in defense of the Message, the
Senate adjourned. In the House, Mr.. Harri:
: of Illinois gave notice that he should to-day
b move the consideration of the contested elcc
4 ton case between Messrs Campbell and Val
n landignam. Several hours were spent in tht
!, consideration of the Printing Deficiency bill
!. which, after having been amended, was rejec
It ted by a decisive vote. The Presidents Mes
g sage was received and read. Mr.. Stephens o
! Georgia moved its reference to the Commit
n tee on Territories, and suggested an adjourn
: ment. An exciting struggle for the floor fol
lowed, in the midst of which two motions t.
: adjourn which were made by Messrs. Letche
l. and Bocock of Va, and voted for by the ad
n herents of the administration, were negatived
IF After some difficulty, Mr.. Hughes of Indians
D managed to get off speech concerning alleg
ed frauds perpetrated in his State by the Re
publican party. which he vilified to the best O
a his ability. Mr.. Hughes proposed to submit
+, the Message TO select committee of thrteeI
! to report on the propriety and expediency @
admitting Kansas into the Union, and subse
quently modified this proposition so as to re
l. fer the Message without Instructions to tn
:, committee. Mr.. Harris of Illinois democrat
'i finally secured the floor and offered resolu
-. fo. q, Of fhn and To
n compton Constitution to a select committee G
: thirteen, appointed by the Speaker and in
III structed to inquire into all the facts connec
ID ted with the Constitution, the election of tn
e members Of the Convention which passed il
is its character, the number of votes cast agains
it, its satiSfactorness to the people Of tn
y Territory, and all other matters connecte
re with the subject. Pending this proposition
10 the House adjourned.
FEBRUARY 3.-The Senate was urged b
Mr.. Trumbull to take up the case of the tw
pretenders to seats from Indiana-SeatS t
s. which they and all men know they were neve
&c legally elected. Mr.. Bayard of Delaware trie
lie to parry the demand, pleading that the LIE
80 compton Constitution should first be put thr,
I'd before the right to vote of those by whom it
ne carried is determined! 1t is manifest that LIZ
as compton is pass the Senate, if at all. b
I'd keeping out the undoubted Senators from Mir
&C neSota and keeping in the pretenders who o
nc this question grossly misrepresent Indian;
d, Mr.. Bright had even the hardihood to say th5
he was surprised at the persistence of NJ
h Trumbull in questioning his claim to his seat
No Has Mr. Bright never read the solemn prote:
~ Of majority of the Senate of Indiana agains
his claim to seat /? Gen. Wilson of Mass
oe who had previously offered an amendment
W refer the Presidents Message to the Commi
~ tee on Territories, similar to that introduce
in i, in the House by Mr.. Harris on Tuesday, OF
or posed the Lecompton Swindle, and was replie