Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-01-20
THIRTY-FIFTH CONGRESS.

| from iuriough to leave of absence on the la.
ter list of any officer who may have been drop
ped or retired by the operation of the law o
| lS55, any existing law to the contrary notwith
standing. The Kansas question was made tht
special order for Monday next on motion o
Mr.. Hale, Mr.. Brown, of Mississippi, who wa
entitled to the floor, expressing desire t.
postpone his speech until matters assumed
more definite shape. The Presidents Cen
| trail American message was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations, and the de
bate thereon postponed till it should have mad,
report. The House rejected resolution
for printing 5000 extra copies of the .Coas
| Survey Report. Mr.. Faulkner asked. II
failed to obtain, leave to report a bnp0r
| raising FIVE additional regiments. The 'uSe
then went into Committee of the VIE on
the Message. After speech from y uroeS-
beck of Ohio, in favor of the Pres1ents po-
sition upon the Central Amcritn ques'ion'
the Committee rose, and the HAse ADJOURNED
JAN. l2.-The Senate re<aled the act OF
1856, which authorized tgS Secretary oi the
Navy to change the narp/ OF vessels IN certain
| cases. In the coursef the discussion upon
| the subject, Mr. Bgjamin stated that of 81
vessels whose nauys had been changed within
eighteen months3l had been lost or crippled
at sea- The yint resolution, extending the
| time for the restoration of naval officers to
April next. was also passed. y petition for
the establishment of telegraphic line from
Missouri to the South Pass, via Fort Laramie,
was yresented. In Executive session, the
=. :.
of the Supreme Court by vote of 26 to %.
The House, after receiving the Central A
merican Message OF the President, and res
olution laying the Constitution of Minnesota
before Congress, went into Committee of the
Whole on the State of the Union. After
MessrS. Kellogg, Moore, Thompson, Warren
and Haskin had expressed their views on the
Centr2l-American question and various other
matters, the Committee rose and the House
adjourned.
JAN. 13.-In the Senate Mr. Doolittle intro
duced joint resolution, providing for the
presentation of medal to Commodore Paul
ding, and Mr.. Brown gave notice OF an amend
ment thereto, to the effect that Congress disa-
vowed and condemned his conduct at Punta
Arenas. The residue of the session was de-
voted to debate with reference to the power
of the President in the matter of officers af-
fected by the action of the Naval Retiring
Board An amendment. was finally adopted,
limiting the duration of this power to a term of
6 months. The House, in Com. of Whole. lis
tened until the hour of adjournment to speeches
about Commodore Paulding, Gen. Walker. the
Neutrality laws &c. Most of the speakers
sided with the Administration. Mr.. Zollicof-
characterized Gen. Walker as SEA quiet, mod
est, self-poised man, of fine education
JAN. I4-In the Senate resolution requir-
ing the Secretary of the interior to furnish
an estimate OF the quantity of land granted to
Minnesota for railroad purposes, and resolu-
tion calling for the report of the Commission
on War Claims in Oregon' and Washington
Territories. were adopted. The Paulding med
al resolution was made the special order for
Wednesday. Mr.. Houston gave notice of a
bill to provide for the admission of Kansas
into the Union. The Senate then spent five
hours in Executive Session. A large number
of nominations in the Navy were confirmed.
In the House, Mr.. Kelly presented petitions
from 5000 citizens of New-Yor praying for
q law to give the public lands to actual set
tiers. In Committee of the Whole, Mr. Steph-
ems of Georgia made another speech in favor
of modifying the Neutrality laws, and making
full restitution TO Gen. Walker, whom he
styled the legitimate President of Nicaragua
He was followed by Mr.. Blair cf Missouri, who
gave notice of his intention to offer a resolu-
ton for the appointment of Committee to
inquire into the propriety of purchasing ter
ritory in Central or South America 10 be col
onized with free blacks; and urged the pro-
| priety of the measure forcibly and adroitly
The resolution referring various parts of the
| Presidents Message to appropriate Commit
tees was taken up, and several amendments
we're offered. After some debate upon Mr..
Pheips's proposition to refer the subject Of
the Pacific Railroad to special Committee
of thirteen the Committee rose, and the House
| adjourned.
| JAN. 15-The Senate was not in session.
In the House. the joint resolution proposed
respecting Naval officers was called up, but
objection was made to its consideration. Mr.
| Robert Smith of Illinois, offered resolution
providing fo- the appointment of a Special
Committee to investigate all the facts atten-
| ding the sale of Fort Smelling. 4 resolution
was adopted, authorizing the Committee on
the Judiciary to examine the case of Judge
Watrous Of Texas. Mr. Stanton of Ohio, pro-
posed the appointment Of Select Committee
OF I'VE TO look after the $1,000, alleged to
have been paid by the firm of Lawrence, Stone
& Co., Of Boston to secure the passage of the
Tariff Act; and in case such Committee pres