Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-02-06
DoINGs In eoaGREss.

The time of the two Houses of Congress dur
ing the past week, has been, as heretofore, &C.
cupied in debate the speeches being made up,
web and wool, Of Kansas and Lecompton. Il
This being the sll-absorbing topic, and the
subject which occupies every mans mind, it
viii press itself forward to the exclusion of all
others. g sTs si 5ds afnU f6is,s
OF the admission of Kansas, either as n free
or as a slave State, we may say, in the Ian
guage Of Shakespeare, K ,1hsY inEains
"1fit were done, when tbs done, then 'twere we'll
ltwere done quickly" $50 q. ..,
s. In the debate upon the bill to increase the
army, in the Senate, several Senators having
intimated what would be the fate of the Union,
disruption of it, in certain contingencies,
Mr.. Crittenden rose and in most eloquent and
impassioned speech of twenty minutes or half
an hours length, severely rebuked these con-
slant intimations and threats, and thanked
God that the Union was SO enshrined in the
hearts OF the people that it was not in the
power OF Congress- even were Congress so
mady and fatuitously disposed, 10 sever the
bonds which bind the States together He
hoped the Union would last forever and If no
hand were raised against it till his was raised,
it would last forever
These patriotic sentiments, coming warm and
gushing from heart whose every impulse is
devotion to the Union, touched the hearts of
the crowd in the galleries, who gave vent to
their feelings in the most unmistakeabe manner,
though in a manner not justified or allowable
in so grave body 1t was, however, most
significant sign, and we are sure the sentiments
as they flew with lightning speed along the
wires to the remotest parts of our country,
will have struck responsive chord in the
hearts fthe people everywhere.
In the same debate, passage at arms took
place between Mr.. Hale, of New Hampshire,
and Mr.. Seward, in which both spoke under
the prompting of very deep feeling, and both
spoke better and more eloquently than we
have ever heard them on any former occa-
sion. ~
The Presidents message, transmitting to
the Senate the Lecompton Constitution, and
urging the admission Of Kansas under It, was
in on Tuesday, when debate Immediately arose
phase, and has continued in the Senate during|
the whole week, on the motion TO refer theI
message and Constitution to the Committee ON
Territories. T te
Mr.. Simmons, on Wednesday, made an i'm !
portant report against allowing certain duties
claimed as over paid, upon quantity of i'm i
ported brandy, to be repaid, and showing tina
the duties paid were some twenty Thousand
dollars less than should have been paid II tn
views contained in the report ARE sustained bj
the Senate, as we think they will be, ver1
great leak Of the Treasury viii be, cffectually
stopped, and many prevented from maxim
fortunes out Of similar claims, Of which u
amount is very large. It is said that ID
amount already wrongfully drawn out of III
Treasury, upon similar claims, Is over half
million Of dollars ~ g
In the House, the contested election case
Messrs Campbell and vallandngham, thin
district of Ohio, has been under consideration
Mr.. l.. d. CampbelI's seat is contested.
The right. Of Messrs. Bright and Fitch,
Indiana, TO seats in the Senate, has not
been determined. Whatever may be the
cision of the majority, they have no more rig
to seats in that body, than they have in
House Of Lords in England Msjorities, no
ever, decide nowadays as they think best
seldom against their friends and co-laborers
4 he party. AS the votes of these m6n
needed by the administration party on
tain measure, and win DO given even sgsi
the wishes and views Of the people Of Indis