The hydraulic press. (North San Juan, Nev. Co., Cal.) 1858-18??, 1858-10-09
Ex-Gov. WALLACE, of Indiana,

Ex-Gov. WALLACE, of Indiana,
gave an account, at a cable celebra-
ton in Indianapolis, of the manner in
which Prof. Morse was treated be-
fore Congress, when applying for
assistance to establish a line of tele-
graph from Washington to Baltimore.
He said:
Some sixteen years ago had the honor of
seat in Congress as the Representative of
this district. The Wing party had Just
achieved great victory. They held posses.
sion of the Government. In the midst of the
political strife around us two remarkable
persons appeared--Espy, the "Storm King, }"
and Morse, the Electrician. Each was ask
ing for assistance. Each became the butt of
ridicule, the target of merciless arrows of
wit. They were voted downright bores, and
the idea of giving them money was pronoun-
maniacs, and as such were laughed at, punned
upon, and almost despised.
A resolution instructlng the Com
mittee Of Ways and Means to inquire
into the expediency of appropriating
100000 for the above object, was
eventually offered by Mr.. Ferris Of
New York, ga man Of wealth and
learning, but modest, retiring and
diident in his demsanor. Out of
respect to him, the resolution passed.
When it came before the Committee,
which consisted of four Democrats
and five Wings, MIR. Wallace being a
member, and such men as Millard
Fillmore, Thomas F. Marshall, Dixon
H. Lewis and Jos. R. Ingersoll his
associates, it was met at first with ST.
lent inattention, which one of the
Wing members broke by moving that
the Committee instruct the Chairman,
Mr.. Fillmore, to report a bill to the
House appropriating 100000 for the
purpose named. Every Democrat
voted No, and every Wing Yes, ex~
cept Mr.. Wallace, whose vote would
decide the question, and who asked
leave to consider it, which was gram
ted. He believed the telegraph pro-
ject a humbug, but determined to
satisfy himself as to its feasibility by
going to where Mr.. Morse was expe>
in the Capitol on wire
stretched from the basement story to
the ants-room of the Senate Chamber.
The ante chamber was crowded with
Representatives and strangers when
he entered. The Ex-Governor said
he
requested permission to put question to
the 'smadman" at the other end of the wire.
It was granted Immediately. / wrote the
question and handed it to the telegrapher.-
The crowd cried ssread read % In very
short time the answer was received. When
written out the same cry of ''read read p
came from the crowd. To my utter astonish-
ment found that the mailman at the other
end of the wire had more wit and force than
the Congressman at this end, He turned the
laugh upon me completely. But, as you
know, we Western men are never satisfied
with one fall; that never less than two out of
three can force from US an acknowledgment
of defeat. So I put second question, and
there came second answer. If the first
raised a laugh at my expense, the second
converted that laugh into roar and shout.
was more than satisfied. 1 picked up my
hat, bowed myself out of the crowd, and as l
passed along the halls and passages of the
Capitol, that shout followed me. As matter
Of course, 1 voted in the affirmative of the
motion then pending before the Committee,
and it prevailed. The Chairman reported
the bill. The House, if mistake not, passed
it mem con, without asking the Yeas and
Nays. And thus concurring, the Wing por-
ton of that Committee, and that old New
Yorker, played the part of Isabella towards
Mr.. Morse in this his last struggle to demon
strate the practicability of the most amazing
of the age, the Magnetic Telegraph!