The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-02-04
Our Washington Correspondence.

Our Washington Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, Jan. %, 1859.
Another Account of the Senatorial Democratic Caucus-Eau
Report of What ,oas Said and Dose-The Meeting Breaks
Up in a Ro1, dc.
The caucus Of democratic senators held in the retiring
the Capitol the occasion OF much excitement,
and its proceedings are full of significant points.
Mr. Hunter offered resolution that it was inexpedient
to change the tariff during the present session. Mr. D.
offered, substitute for Mr. H. q resolution, another
That the being insufficient to meet the uavoida-
BILE expenditures of the government is wise and expe-
dent to increase impost duties to meet the deficit
and pay the outstanding debts These propositions were
debated at great length and with much Spirit by Messrs
Hunter, Tombs, Benjamin. Biger, verson, Douglas Gwn,
Brown Green, Allen and Fitch. Mr. Hunter maintained
the tariff Of 1857 had not hada fair trial. expressing the
opinion that if business revived rapidly antci
paed, it would yield sufficient within two years
TO M ct all the wants of the government that it i'm
posi- 10 to revise the tariff properly during tho remaining
part f the session.
Mr. Toombs said he would go for the resolution He
doubu whether the would be increased by
sed rate of duties He said he had always been
spec duties as they are applicable aud preferred
them still, and said he determined the treasury
shou be sustained by cutting down the expenses rather
than Increase the resources that we could never have
my with full treasury
Nj Brown, of Miss. was against everything like the
idea OF protection said he was in favor OF raising postage
on ieuerS ana OF changing The mail service.
Mr.. Gwin against the tariff and against specific
duties and in favor of high postage.
Mr. Biger said the present debt OF the government
S64, ,00O and expressed the opinion that
unless the rates of duty we're raised the
debt would be nearly 500 1000 by the 3oth
of June, 1850, to say nothing about the thirty mil
lion dollars to be placed at the disposition Of the President
to purchase Cuba He against creating debt in time
of peace and wanted the incidents of proper tariff to
the great industrial interests Of the country
Mr. Green was in favor of tariff for revenue, bat moth
ing more He did not like the tariff Of 1857 we'll 1885,
and thought il more protective
Mr. Benjamin partial tn specific duties and Senied
that they must necessarily be protective; OPP
posed to taking up the subject during the present
son
Mr.. Douglas maintained that as we were rapidly ap
preaching important elections IL necessary decide
on the party platform whether it should be specific ad
vaorem duties.
Messrs Biger Fitch and others replied that the party
was for tariff for that that the party plat
FORM that the rates OF duty and whether they should be
charged on the bulk quantity, by per cenlge the
value Of the various articles, had been party test
but that prior to lS46 duties had always been charged
specifically well ad vaorem, that there were
democrats long before that date.
Mr. Allen expressed the opinion that a reaction would
not be complete anticipated by the Secretary
the Treasury and thought the deficiency would be
greater than was estimated by that functonary.
MIR. Iverson said everybody knew that he was free
trade man. he preferred direct taxation but his policy
could not be adoptedIat he did not believe the
would be sufficient under the present tariff He for
changing II. He thought we owed Pennsylvania great
deal, and he would go for so per cent on iron.
Mr.. Bglers amendment was then voted down by very
large majority, and that OF Mr. Hunter adopted.
Mr.. Slidell offered resolution which adopted to
the effect that Congress direct its attention 10 the reduc
ton of the expenditures Of the rather than
the increase Of its revenues.
The caucus broke up in the midst of great confusion
Gov Allen, Messrs Bayard, Thomson, Bger and others
denouncng the proceedings nexpedent and unwse in
every particular and declaring their determination dis.
regard its decisions in every respect.
WASHINGTON Jan. 80, 1859.
The Contested Seat Of General Mandere in the Neo York
State Senate-Evdence that he is not Qualifed-Leter
from the Postmaster General-A Point for the Lawyers
The contesng Of Gen. Mandevilles right to seat in
the Senate of New York brought here
republicans and democrats, who have been rumagng
Postmaster Generals Office for the last two weeks The
'order to act" and hence disqualified hold his seat
Their argument is based upon Art g. g. of the State
constitution. which is as follows
No being member Of Congress- holding judi
cal or military office under the United States shall hold
member of the Legislature elected to Congress APP
pointed to Office CIVIL military under the
the United States his acceptance thereof shall his
The following certified letter from the Postmaster Gen.
era which is to appear as evidence in this at Albany,
will show whether General Vaudeville is disqualified
his seat or not 1t will prove knolly point for the
yers.
Posr OFFICE DEPARTMENT,
WAsnISGroa, Jan. 70, 1859 :
GEsrlExEN-In the matter Of the appointment Of William
patrons Of the Office and the recommendation Of the Post
m.
Vaudeville be appointed siuyvesan Falls
n " and therefore the letter appointment blank
deve executed thereafter before any arer action
notified the department that he decned and was I'm Wiling
to accept sad appointment and that 10 consequence of this
TO said Msndeve under or by virtue of the above proceed
have been Isl has ie or could be
have had apy authority e act S Hs there
hereby certify that the foregoing true statement facts
q he linen NJ n
Msndsvle as Postmas last ira. :; stuyye.snt Fall.
washington in the District Of Columbia the day and
'"'' DIV" HoRXTio KING, First Asst Postmaster General
WASHINGTON, JAN 81 1859.
The Sugar Crop Of Louisiana-Ero,s in Mr.. Branch's
Sugar Statistics in his Report to the Senat-Impoytan
Corrections Of Facts and Figures.
In the statement Of Mr. Branch in his report TO the
House. the Louisiana production of sugar the year 1857
is set down at s7,36o,ooO lbs This is a mistake The
crop of 1885, which is set down at 81 1913 lbs was
almost a total failure That, however, is the only re-
markable failure of the sugar crop since 1850 period Of
over twenty yea s. The crop of 1857, in Louisiana
amounted 279 607 hogsheads about 3O 700 lbs
shown by Champomcrs report of the crop grown and
manufactured in 1857 instead of lbs as set
down in Mr.. Branchs report. The of the report
not, suppose, the Of Mr. Branch but of the
commercial tables which he followed and to which he
refers.
The injury which may result to louisiana from this
error when the tariff question under consideration will
be apparent taken in connection with the remark
made in the report, and in great degree based upon
the effect that sof late years serious apprehensons
have been entertained that 1.-THE sugar of Lous
anais about to be blighted and that, perhaps in few
years whole supply Of sugar from that may
cut off from uncomfortable natural causes"
Now, sir, whatever approximations of the kind spoken
Of in the report be entertained elsewhere say
from personal knowledge that none such entertained
in Louisiana, and that in point of fact such apprehen
sion is warranted by the statistics of the sugar culture in
that State from its origin to the present day. II true
that the sugar cane like other agricultural produce
ton, is exposed TO injury very great injury in unprop
tous But is also true that there have been but
two extraordinary failures of the sugar crop Of LOUISIANA
in period Of thirty years-one In 1885 and the
1s56-and that the failure Of the crop in 1885 follow
cd by series Of remarkably productive years, that
the years following 1856 have been quite favorable
the years following 1885. Prior 1885 largest
crop Of sugar made in Louisiana only reached
100 600 hogsheads Owing TO the great proportion cane
required for seed the increase is necessarily gradual after