The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-02-06

WAsHmoroN. Jan. %.

81 Congressaenal.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28.-
SENArr.-Mr. Foot introduced proposi-
ton az an amendment to Davis Pacific Rail-
road bill, in case that the majority of the Sc
lect committee shall fail. The amendment
adds . claim for the northern route.
Mr.. SIdell, from the Select Committee ap-
pointed to consider the banking system of
the District of Columbia, reported bill pro-
hibiting the issue of bank notes Of any denom-
nation less than $50, within the District, BY
located beyond its limits. The
bill was made the special order for the second
Tuesday in February.
The bill for increasing the Army was taken
up, and Mr.. Toombs made an earnest and able
speech against it.
The special order being the subject of q
medal to Commodore Paulding was taken
up.
Mr.; Pearce made q speech justifying Com.
fauiding, who had his hearty thanks, and no
doubt those OF the mass of the country but
he would not vote for medal, for his ser
vice was not Of class which had ought to be
made historical
MI. SlIdei earnestly di@pproved Of Com
modore Paulding's act, and concluded by Of
fering An amendment to the bill reported by
the Committee on Foreign Relations author
Using the President to suspend the neutrality
laws at his discretion, not exceeding twelve
months, and in case the President should do
so to communicate his reasons therefor to
Congress.
The subject was postponed to the 9th of
February.
The consideration Of the army bill was re-
sumed.
Mr.. Stewart supported it.
Mr.. Fessenden made speech to show that
the freemen of Kansas were not guilty of
treason, and that Senators might approve the
army bill without desiring civil war there.
Without taking the question, the Senate
adjourned till Monday.
HoUsE.-The House went into Committee
on the printing deficiency.
Mr.. Shaw, of ILL.,, commenced speech on
the Kansas question, when Mr.. Burnett rose
to point of order, saying that the rule re-
quires members to confne themselves to the
subject under consideration. The Chairman
remarked that if this question was now pre-
sented for the first time he could decide the
point when taken, but different usage has
prevailed.
After debate Burnett withdrew his objec-
ton, and Shaw proceeded, =
MIR. Hickman made long speech in OPP
position to the position of the Admins
tration and the Lecompton Constitution,
without any decision the committee rose and
the House adjourned.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 90.
HoUsE.-Mr. Howard called attention to
the fact that the bill providing for the def
cheney in the appropriation for the printing,
now before the Committee of the Whole on
the state of the Union, had not been discus
sed, but the debate was devoted to general
subjects. He offered resolutions for extend
ing debate on the bill till tomorrow, and
contining speeches strictly to the subject.
MIR. John Cochrane objected, for the SIM
pie reason that it was now too late to insist
on such course, the Committee of the
Whole on the state of the Union having dis
tinctly refused to enforce the rule:
Further proceedings on this subject were
terminated, by the House going into Com
mittee of the Whole on the Printing Def
cheney bill.
Mr.. Burnett said that the public printing
had been charged as q source of corruption,
through which the Treasury had been robbed.
Also, that gentlemen who hold the Office of
Public Printer, had realized princely for
tunes and extensive combinations are form
ed through which the printing is controlled.
lie did not make these charges, nor did he
know how far they were true. It had been
advanced in favor of their election that they
had given thousands of dollars, and freely
opened their purses during the Presidential
election. The printing had grown enormous
ly for o few years past. For thc +h;-tv-eec-
ond Congress it was nearly S95000O-
Amongst othdr citations Of extravaganza. ne
said that $45,548 was spent for pictures Of
woodcock, squirrels, mice and other an,nais,
to be worthlessly put into the pe:ent 02ra
report. He was for stopping this draft On
the treasury, by paying for ali WORK compile
ted and dispensing with thai rot yet perform
ed. He moved to amend the bill b. rednc-
ing the proposed appropriate Of $4,000
to $4,000.
Mr.. Letcher showed that the amount in
the bill was to pay for labilities Incurred by
the last two Congresses. He alluded to tue
fact of the publication of the report of Gjllis
Astronomical Expedition costing $4,000.
and that of the Pacific Survey nearly $685.
600 and Emery's Report $347 900. He
hoped that in some way astop would soon be
put to this system of printing. The publica-
ton OF these and other reports amounted to
nothing more than that the government was
to be the publisher. Some of these books
were utterly worthless. He appealed to the
committee to take some means to put an end
to such shameful extravaganza in the future.
Their constituents should not be taxed for
such unjust and wasteful purposes.
Mr.. Phelps explained that the bill is to
provide for the payment of the amount due
under contract made by the House. Those
contracts should be met, and Congress
should not undertake to repudiate them, and
the present Congress should be held respon-
sible for its expenditures for printing, and
should govern its future course by its expen-
ditures of the past.
Mr.. Crawford was willing to pay for work
already done to the amount of $4,000.
and no more.
Mr.. Nichols thought that it was proper
that the House should manifest its sense as
to what should be done relative to printing,
but he was opposed to the suggestion of the
gentleman from Georgia.
After further debate the committee rose.
without coming to a conclusion upon the
subject, and the House then adjourned till
Monday.
st. Paul Markets.
MrNNEsorrAN OFFICE,
Rah