Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-12-28
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE STANDARD.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 25. 1858.

til the 4th prOxlmO in order to afford members an
opportunity of spending the christmas holydays
with their families and friends. A large number
have gone to their homes and among them, Messrs
Reid, Branch Shaw and Craige, of North Carolina.
Messrs. Scales and Ruf6n will remain in this city
during the short regret to state that the
latter named gentleman has been confined to his
lodgings for the last ten days more, by severe
attack of eryspelas; ; he is now, however, rapidly
recovering and will be able to resume his seat in
the House, on the reassembling of Congress
The Pension Bill, introduced by Mr.. Savage of
Tennessee has finally passed the House by large
majority. 1t will require about eighteen millions
of dollars to meet the provisions of this BILL and at
a time when the finances of the country are disor-
dered and the executive branch of the government
perplexed to devise satisfactory mode of providing
means to meet our current expenses. Where is
this money to come from? Borrowing will not do
for the President will scarcely approve bill author
izing loan. How then is it to be obtained unless
who voted for this bill vehement opposers of the
Presidents specifically ies" policy BE-.
The whole pension system is decidedly wrong
and it is an evil which is constantly growing and
spreading its baleful influences. ''Old soldier" has
been the war-cry OF demagogues for years past and
aided by its magic sound many dwelling fool has
obtained position which he dishonored, and grasp
ed power which he had not the sense wisely to ex-
ercise
am gratifed in announcing that the entire dele
cation from North Carolina, except Vance and Gil
mer, voted against this bill and I quite conf
dent that the Senate will sanction legislation
reckless and unstatesmanlikc A large number
of these very men who voted for this bill and were
most strenuous in its advocacy, would were to
ceive the approval of the Senate and President, be
the first to yell themselves hoarse in denouncing
the administration for extravaganza and profigate
waste of the public money.
After the holydays the consideration of the Paci-
fc Railroad bill will be resumed. As its most az
dent supporters are far from harnonizng in regard
to the details of this great work, there is but
slight chance of its being successfully carried
through Congress at this session.
number of naval officers, retired and fnrlough-
cd by the famous Retiring Board" have been
stored to the active list by the Senate.
learn from reliable source that the President
has nominated Major A. j. O'Bannon, of Virginia,
as 4th Auditor of the Treasury to fill the vacancy
created by the death of A. c. Dayton, Esq. The
Major is at present the popular Chief Clerk of this
Bureau, and is eminently deserving promotion.
A resolution has been adopted by the House in
structing the Committee of Ways and Means to re-
port bill making appropriation for taking the
next census in 1850. The census will be taken I'M
der the existing law adopted in 1850; it was pre-
pared with great and it has been practically
tested and found we'll adapted for the purpose de-
signed it would be sheer folly to tinker it some
proposed doing. Doubtless under the census
there will he great changes in the representation of
several States In the last Presidential election the
State Of Illinois with nine members OF Congress
pollcd nearly $50. 600 votes, while Massachusetts,
with eleven members cast only 10000; the dis
crepancv between several other States still greater.
Mr. Branch of North Carolina has introduced
bill into the House, apprOprating one million OF dol
lars to enable the President to settle all difficulties
with SPAIN obtain the peaceable cession of Cuba,
and effect permanent treaty of annuity, while Mr..
Davis of Mississippi proposes that we shall demand
of Spain payment of certain claims and on her fail
urc to comply that attachment issue with directions
to nava. force to seize the island of Cuba. The
country is scarcely prepared to entertain seriously
the proposition of Mr. Davis; while that of Mr..
Branch is much more feasible and proper in view
of present relations to that power that it will
at once receive the hearty sanction of all.
Senator Douglas is expected here at an early day,
and Judging by "the work which has been cut
out" for him, he will have his hands full for while
Senator Slidell has "a crow to pick" with the
"Giant" and Mr.. Senator Jones of Iowa has already
denounced him in the bitterest terms. 1t that
Douglas introduced bill into the Senate, pending
the Illinois Central Railroad grant, which provided
for a railroad from the southern terminus of the Iii
nos and Michigan Canal to the mouth of the Ohio
river with a branch to Chicago, and another to Ga
lena, the northwestern terminus of the road Sen
ator Jones desired the road extended to Dubuque,
and it seems from his version that Douglas not
only willing to this arrangement, but even thanked
him for proposing it. The road was extended to
Dubuque and the constituents of Douglas murmur
ing at this action he sought to pacify them by rep
rcsenting that Jones and his colleague had declared
their purpose to defeat the bill unless he consented
to amend it in this way, and he (DOuglas) thought
it best to submit rather than lose the bill altogether
This Jones cmphatically denies in spicy letter,
closing with the following severe paragraph: "This
sir is the third time that you have made "1tmous-
ly f,lse" accusations against me, and that I have
been compelled to fasten the lie upon yoM Though
you may at the sacrifice of Democratic organization
have effected a triumph in your State as you say
lover Executive and Congressional dictation," can
but look with contempt upon any fame or position
you may have acquired by union with 'whitc
spirits and black blue spirits and gray" Black Re-
publcans, South Americans, disappointed office
seekers, &C., as l do upon the miserable resort to
opprobious epithets connected with my name but
covered with a contingency which gave es-
cape" Very little ambiguity about what the SEN
ator MEANS should think and if the Giant quiet
ly swallows this, he will have to gulp allapathic
doses of the same kind all minimum, hereafter
While touching upon these personal matters may
allude to the English-Montgomery affair; of the
particulars of that personal collision your readers
are doubtless already appraised The difficulty is be-
LEVIED to have been caused by ileeling entertained
by Montgomery, and growing out of the settlement
of the famous Kansas question at the last session.
English is sparc-built Montgomery colus-
stls English exhibited pluck Montgomery seemed
deficient in this requisite of an NJ c., and so he in
voked the law as a salve to his broken head and a
protection from further chastsement The probabili
ties are that we will have to chronicle another in
stance of "he eloquence Of his oacant chair" and
publish daily reports of the state of the injured
gentlemans health, under the Partisan system of
cauterizing" for weak heads.
The new Senate chamber will be occupied after
the holidays. On the motion to vacate the old
chamber and remove to the new, Senator Houston
remarked that he strongly in favor of it as his
senatorial term expired on the 4th March next, and
unless he was reelected, he would never have an
opportunity of claiming seat in the beautiful edi-
fee. The old veteran regarded his chances rath-
slim to return and so 'went i'm for the new bull
ding
The committee of Ways and Means are reducing
the amounts estimated for various objects by the