M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1859-01-20
GorrrsponOrnte
washington Correspondence.
,WAsnINaToN, Jan. Z, 1859,

Since the reassembling OF Con
gress after the festivities of the holi
days, the regular routine of busines
has been observed, without any par
ticular incident creating topic 0
conversation. How different is th
feeling now from that which pervad
ed the country just year sineel Th,
correctness of the principles Of popu
lar sovereignty, then so bitterly con
tested by the opposition to the Demo
cratic party, is now generally conced
led, and the principle which ther
seemed to cause general alarm in the
rank and file Of the opposition pres;
for tho safety OF the country, is now
claimed as fundamental principle ol
their own platform 4!
The proceedings of the Senate on
the 4th inst. preparatory to Vacatlng
the old chamber and taking possession
of tho new, were very interesting and
impressive. The committee of ar
rangements having reported the New
Hall in readiness for their reception,
Mr.. Crittenden, upon the question OF
the adoption Of the report, made a
very able address, in which he feel
ingly alluded to the memory OF the
illustrious line Of statesmen whom the
Nation delighted to honor and who
have left the impress Of their labors
upon the page Of history. lie was
followed by Vice President Breckin-
ridge, whose remarks on the occasion
were able and appropriate, and are
mentioned by the press in the highest
terms of praise. The Senators then
marched in procession to their new
hall. The Old Hall will not, as has
been supposed, be occupied, for some
time ar IeasE, by the United States
Supreme Court-Chef Justice Tan
ey having expressed II desire to re-
main in the room they now occupy,
50 long as he may remain on the
Bench.
The bill providing a pension to the
soldiers of the war Of 1912 and their
widows, will not probably meet with
sufficient favor TO become a law. No
Tariff of specific duties will probably
be passed during the present session.
OF the assembled Legislators of the
Nation, many are devotiug their at
tentiOn to a rigid economy in the ad-
of the Government, and
it is hoped that good may result from
their labors. The country demands
of them an exercise Of more than or
dinary vigilance. An empty Treasu-
ry cries out against further counten-
ance of schemes of cupidlty and whole
sale plumber; and justice requires at
their hands rigid investigation of
claims presented without legal right,
and without having the merit Of an
equitable foundation. OF this char
acter appears to be the "Carmack &
claim, which will no doubt
be presented during the present sesa-
ion for an appropriation. To be brief,
the claim is this: In the year 1853
these gentlemen stipulated with the
Postmaster General to carry semi
monthly mail in line of Ocean
steamers, for the term of four years,
from Vera Cruz to San Francisco, for
which they were TO receive an annual
compensation of S424,OOO. The
agreement provided, amongst other
things, that the same was not TO take
effect untiIratyfed By Congress and
,ca8 not TO be assigned By the said
CUmack & Ramsey. In July, 1853,
the views Of the then Postmaster Gen
eral Campbell were given at length,
expressing his disapprobation of the
enterprise as increasing TO an unwar-
rantcd degree the expense of the pos
tai routes on the Pacific without a
corresponding benefit. Congress new
er ratified the contract, nor has it
passed the necessary appropriation
bill. Said Carmack & Ramsey con-
veyed all their interest in said enter
prise to "The Mexican Ocean Mail
and Inland Company" yet said COM
pany have not, nor have said Carmack
& Ramsey, performed any part of the
by them made with said
Postmaster General, but have wholly
c,;lnd RI corrv INV of tba poa;la