Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-01-25
Tbtrty.dfth Cougress-..2r,d session.

MONDAY, Jan. IL, 1859.-Senats.-A joint
resolution appointing Commodore Stewart SEN
ior Flag Officer, was passed yeas 81, nays IA.
! The death OF. Mr.. Harris, of Illinois, was an.
nounced, and Mr.. Douglas, to the apparent dis.
appointment of the 1000 persons who thronged
the galleries of the Senate chamber, and many
of whom had been waiting two or three hours
to hear an extempore GRAFTON, read, in low tone
of voice, brief eulogy of the deceased. Mes
srs. Shields and Davis also pronounced euloges.
Houe.-Eulogies were pronounced on Mr..
Harris. Nothing else ofinterest.
TUEspAY-Senate.- Seward introduced
resolution, which was adopted, calling on the
President for all the correspondence between
this government and Spain relative to the pro-
posals for the purchase of Cuba.
The Pacific Railroad bill was then taken up
and several amendments were rejected, among
them two offered by Mr.. Pugbs
House-After some business of no interest,
the House went into Committee of the Whole
on the Presidents Message. Mr.. Cox, of Ohio,
made speech in favor of the acquisition OF Ou'
ba and of foreign territory generally. Mr.. Hlck-
man made tariff protection speech.
WEDNESDAY, Senate.-Mr. Browns motion
to lay the Pacific Railroad bill on the table was
negatived-yeas 10, noes SO. The rest of the
day, till 4 o'clock, when the Senate went into
executive session, was occupied on Mr.. Pughs
amendment, on the constitutionality of carry
ing the road within the limits of the States, in
which Messrs. Pugh, Simmons, Benjamin and
Davis participated.
House.-In Committee of the Whole, Mr..
Keitt advocated the acquisition OF Cuba. At
the evening session Mr.. II. Marshall, of KY,
made speech against the Republican sectional
issues, Mr.. Scott advocated the Pacific Railroad,
and Mr.. Andrews made a speech against free
trade.
THURsDAY.-SenGte.-M Benjamin reported
q substitute for Mr.. Mason's bill which author
lied the President to use the public forces of the
United States in certain cases. 80
The Pacific Railroad bill as amended coming
up, Mr.. Davis moved to strike out all after the
enacting clause, and adopt as substitute his
minority report, the main features of which is
to appropriate $1O,O00,0O0, and also ten sections
of land per mile to construct road and said
ten millions of dollars to be refunded in the form
of nett proceeds into the treasury. No termini
are named and no monopoly given to any spe'
cial company. The road is to run from the At
lantic to the Pacific States. Mr.. Davis made a
long speech in support of his views.
Mr.. Green, in reply, deprecated the tenor OF
the Senator's speech.
Mr.. Doolittle spoke in favor of taking three es
Inmates for contracts Mr.. Iverson repeated his
arguments in favor of two roads. Mr.. Brown
spoke to the consttutionality of the question.
House.-The Speaker announced Messrs Sher-
man, of Ohio, Bocock, Richie, Groesbeck and
Ready as the Select Committee to investigate
the charges of alleged corruptions in connection
with the Navy Department.
The bill ameDdatory of the presumption laws
was taken up, and the House refused to order
its engrossment. ~
FRIDAY.--Senate-The private calendar was
considered. Adjourned till Monday.
House.-Mr. Farnsworth asked leave to offer
long preamble setting forth the importance of
our possessing all the British American Provin-
oes, concluding with resolution instructing the
Committee on Foreign Affairs to inquire into
the expedieney of instituting measures to secure
them by honorable treaty. Mr.. Garnett and
others objected, and the House proceeded to the
consideration of private business.
SATURDAY.-House.-Mr. Morris, of Pennsyl
vania, presented the resolutions of the Legisla-
ture of that State in favor of protective tariff.
Mr. Jones, of Tenn, and Mr.. Garnett, of Va,
objected to the reading of the resolutions, and
some sparring took place, but the resolutions
were read aud ordered to be printed.
| The bill to pay the losses of citizens of Ala
bama and Georgia by the Greek Indians was re-
iected