The Ottawa free trader., 1858-02-20
Congress.

! Ihufsddy, Fe6. l2.-Senate not in session.
In the House, Mr.. Boyce, from the COM
mittee on elections. made report adverse
to granting the petition of Mr.. Brooks, who
| contests the election of Mr.. Davis of Balti-
more, on the ground that the election pro-
ceedings in that city were characterized by
1 gross frauds, and that Mr.. Davis is not right
| fully entitled to his seat. The matter was
laid over till Monday.
Mr. Hoard rose to a question Of privilege.
! He said rumors were aGoat that members
I, of the House were to be, or had been inNu-
entail in their votes on the Lecomption
question by oEtrs Of executive patronage,
and read from the Richmond SonM an ex-
tract alleging that it only needed four more
Northern votes to put the Lecompton Con-
stitution through the House, and that the
President had declared he would have these
votes all right in less than so days. He al
so read from the New York Tribune an arti-
Gle stating that Burns, Of Ohio, who had
been counted against Lecompton up to the
vote on Harris resolution, had been indu-
ced suddenly to veer round by the promise
of the Marshalship of Northern Ohio, and
that his son-in-law should be retained in the
Office of Postmaster at Keokuk, Iowa. Mr..
Hoard offered a resolution for committee
to investigate these statements. The Speak
er decided that the resolution presented no
question of privilege and could not be re-
ceived. The case was debated at some
length, and finally the House sustained the
Speakers decision by vote of loS to IS,
and then adjourned till Monday.
Monday, Feb. 15.-The Senate spent the
day in trying TO come to direct vote on
the contested case of the Senators from In
diana, ending with laying the subject over
till tomorrow.
In the House, Mr.. Campbell asked leave
to introduce bill requesting the President
to negotiate for the purchase of British
North America and Cuba, but the House
refused to grant the leave by 10 majority.
The House, during the balance OF the days
session, was occupied with the case Of Mr..
W o'cott, a witness in the Lawrence, Stone
& Co. corruption investigation case. Mr..
W. admits having had SIS, 900 placed in his
hands and refuses to sag what he did with
the money. The House finally ordered him
to be lodged in Jail until be shall answer.
Eb. 16.-In the Senate, Mr.. Houston
introduced resolution, proposing to esta-
blish protectora.c over CeIftra. America.
The subject was laid over. y joint resolu-
ton was then taken up and passed appro-
priating not more than $50, 900 to be ex-
pended in entertaining the Turkish Vice
Admiral, who is on the eve Of arriving in
this country. The India contested election
case was then taken up. and the resolution
to force an immediate decision upon it was
rejected by % to 16, and an order passed
that all the testimony in the case be laid be-
fore the Senate within 30 days. The army
bill was then taken up and discussed for
half an hour, when the Senate went into
executive session and then adjourned.
In the House, Mr. Boyce called up the
Maryland contested election case-Brooks
claiming the seat occupied by Mr.. Davis, on
the ground that the election vas carried by
fraud and violence. Mr.. Boyce argued
against granting the prayer of Mr.. Brooks,
who asks an exemption from the operation
of the law of 1851, and that the Committee
o-, Eia-.i~..s Z. O~-I - .~i-. .~-s:------
The question was debated by Messrs.
Phillips, Maynard, Wilson, Hatch, Bowie,
and washburne of Ne. No action was
taken, and the House adjourned.
Feb. I'm the Senate, Mr. Chandler
presented the resolutions of the legislature
Of Michigan against the Lecompton Consti
tuition The resolution Of Mr.. Houston was
, then taken uP, proposing the establishment,
by our government, Of a protectorate over
Central America. Mr.. Wilson denounced
it as an extraordinary proposition, cacu
lated to foster the spirit; Of filbusterism, and
to disgrace us in the eyes Of the civilized
world Mr. Houston said it was not intended
to extend our dominion, but to benefit our
neighbors After some further debate, the
resolution was laid on the table. The army
bill was then taken up, the question being
on Mr.. Wilson's amendment, proposing to
raise 5000 volunteers instead of increasing
the army. Without coming TO vote, the
Senate adjourned.
The House passed the resolution of the
committee on elections in the Maryland case.
declaring it inexpedient to grant Mr. Brooks
prayer for special committee to take tcsti-
mony.
The House went into Committee of the
Whole on the Indian Appropriation bill.
Mr.. Atkins made speech favoring tine
admission of Kansas under the Lecompton
Constitution.
Mr. Lovejoy argued that the conflict was
not between the North and South, but be-
tween freedom and slavery; between the
principles Of liberty and despotsm. He
said that the President and the Jesuit Chief
Justice are endeavoring to nationalize slave
~, and are calling the Democracy to the
temple of this demon worship, and the foul
and impious averment that certain human
beings are prophets. 1t was rank and foul
traeson against God and his annointed.
The Committee then rose, and the House
adjourned.
Feb. 1S.-In the Senate, Mr.. Green, from
the committe or territories reported bill
for the admission of Kansas with the Lc-
compton Constitution, acco mpanied by a
long report, which was not read. I'VE have
however, by telegraph to the Chicago papers.
the following synopsis of the report.]
The report recites at length the events that
have occurred in Kansas, and asserts that
the majority Of the people may simply, as
in ancient days, assemble in a mass meeting
and make Constitution, or they may elect
representatives to make one for them, or
they elect representatives to drift one to be