Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-02-19
From washington.
The following is from the special correspon
dent of the n. Y. Heyuld.


WASHINGTON, Feb. Is, 1858.
The caucus of democratic Senators held
this morning, being an adjourned meeting
from Thursday, resolved first TO dispose of the
Army bill, and then take up the bill for the
| admission of Minnesota, to which will be Of
fered an amendment to admit Kansas at the
same time.
The bill or amendment to the Minnesota
bill for the admission of Kansas will contain
provision recognizing the right of the peo-
pie of that State to change their constitution
at any time they please. The proposed clause
is intended to meet the objection raised
against that provision of the Lecompton con-
stitution which prohibits the change of the
constitution till 1864. The bill will pass the
Senate by majority of eight or ten certainly.
1t is expected the bill will be brought up on
Tuesday. and nothing else will be done till
that is disposed of.
\ democratic caucus met in the hall of the
House this evening at half past seven o'clock
John Cochranc, of New York, was called to the
Chair, and j. III. Reagan, of Texas. acted as
Secretary. Mr.. Stephens, of Georgia stated
the Object of the meeting to be to effect if pos
sible concert of action in the democratic
party relative to the business before Congress
1t frequently happened, be said, that the re-
publicans were in majority and the reason
why it was so was that they were always ON
the ground when the roll was called: whereas
the democrats often absented themselves from
the hall after certain hour in the day. He
desired to remedy this in some manner He
moved that committee of five be appointed.
with power to call meetings and attend to
business generally. Speeches We're then made
by Messrs. Clemens, of Virginia. Taylor, of
New York; Stewart, of Maryland; Caskie, of
Virginia; Clark, of Missouri; Barksdale, of
Mississippi; Burnett, of Kentucky; Clancy
Jones. of Pennsylvania and Savage, of Tenn
essee, in which considerable latitude of debate
was INDUCED in. They discussed the Lecomp-
ton constitution, the Pacific Railroad, the
Army bill. and in fact almost every measure
before Congress. Mr. Barksdale pitched into
the Douglas democrats who were present. He
thought no person should be allowed in the
caucus who does not intend to be bound by It's
action This caused a little uneasiness on the
part of Messrs. Marshall, of Illinois; Mont
gomery and Riley, of Pennsylvania; English,
of Indiana; Mckibbin, of California, and Cox,
of Ohio; Mr. Marshall desired to explain why
he was there. which he was permitted to do.
But without coming to any determination as
to what the caucus intend to do in future re-
lative TO those gentlemen, after adopting Mr..
Stephens proposition to appoint committee,
&C. the caucus adjourned.
There is an impression abroad that the mo-
ton of Mr.. Stephens, of Georgia, to refer the
message OF the President relative to Kansas
to the Committee on Territories was lost by
one vote. as the ayes are reported l13, nays
Ia. But it will be seen by reference to the
ayes and nays, Chat Mr. Speaker Orr did not
vote. His vote would have made the ayes
Ia, nays ia. BY the rules of the House the
Speaker does not vote unless the House be
equally divided, or unless he vote, if given to
the minority viii make the division equal
and in case of such equal division the ques-
ton shall be lost. As his voting would have
made the vote equal and the motion would
still have been lost, it appears that the name
of Mr.. Speaker Orr was not called. This
therefore, clearly shows that the opposition TO
Mr.. Stephens proposition had no vote of
majority TO brag about. The honOrs were
easy, as they say in whist.
Information has been received at the Mexi-
can legation that Jucrez had formed minis
try as well as Zuloaga, aud that two regular
ly organized governments exist in Mexico.
Three ont of the four of Zuioaga's Cabinet
are enemies of Santa Anna.