Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-03-19

Our Warrington OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Last Hours OF Congress.
WASHINGTON, D. G., March 4.
10 ~ Edissrs erss Ns~nSsOssa~:
From II o'clock yesterday until - o'clock
to-day the Senate was in continuous session,
night and day and then adjourned, the wee
Presidents gavel coming down amidst noisy,
angry, and excited debate, suddenly putting
an end to the S5th Congress. Toombs had
the floor raving and pitching, looking more
like an excited lion, with his disheveled hair
following the wild motions of his head, than
becomes the gravity and dignity of Sena-
tor.
The subject of this real or fictitious excite
ment, was the report of the Conference Com
mittee upon the Post Office Appropriation bill,
"A mere punctilio between the two houses.
The bill which originated in the House of Rep
resentatives was amended by the Senate, and
returned in usual form. The House struck
of an important amendment, and returned
the bill to the Senate. That body adhered to
its amendment, and asked for Committee of
Conference, which was granted. The Senate
Committee yielded to the House Committee,
and upon their report the debate sprung up
between II aud IL o'clock.
Mason, Bayard, and Toombs took positive
stand against the bill. Mason characterizing
the course of the House as revolutionary
Bayard would see the whole Post Office sys-
tenn fall to the ground before he would yield.
Douglas made feeble attempt to persuade
the Senate to waive for the present all abstract
questions Of constitutional rights of the CO.
relative branches and come to vote while
they had time Seward said he would force
the thing to test, and see, if one or two..men,
by interposing objections could arrest legisla-
ton, and disorganize the working of the gov
eminent. Fessenden told the Democracy that
his side of the Chamber would stand by the
country till the last instant, and sustain the
friends Of the bill, if they could reach a vote.
Hull said, in reply to Mason, that the House
should not, without contradiction, be charged
with originating the first revolutionary step.
That step was taken some weeks ago by the
Senate, when it dragged into that body two
illegal representatives (Messrs. Bright and
Fitch) In spite Of law, constitution or justice.
Then and there the example was set, and that
example would yet work out its effects.
Toombs now got the floor, and kept it with
wild, furious, mad harangue until the hands
of the dial pointed to IL NJ, when the gavel
fell amid the tumultuary uproar, and all was
over. The 35th Congress ceased to exist, and
carried with it perhaps the existence of the
present system Of mail service for all time to
come.
VII there be an Extra Session.? Nobody
at this moment can tell. Toombs told me be-
fore he left the Senate Chamber there would
not. l understood him to say he had this
from the President. Seward also thought
there would not be; perhaps he thinks the
President will follow his advice, given the
other day in the Senate, to keep himself out
of the hands Of the next Congress as long as
he can.
Now l must pause a moment to do Toombs
what justice believe he deserves in the pre-
misses. His course defeated the appropriation,
and it may be has destroyed our mail service
He has given proof sufficient in times past to
show that he is fully convinced, that the en-
tire government, from the heart, running
through every artery, and pulsating with
every motion is diseased, rotten and foul with
corruption. He is fearless, noble, generous
old man, of great and long experience, and
in friend or foe, abominates fraud. Last year
he siekened at the sight of the filthy slough,
but in hopes of some reform, allowed his in
dignation to die away in furious growls and
angry murmurs But this year the results Of
Investigating Committees, duplicating in fraud
even the President himself, and his higher
subordinates, aroused the old man to despe-
ration, and determined him to destroy what
he was unable to reform.
really know not whether to censure OF
commend this act 1t was rash, and bold, for
he openly scorned any subterfuge to shift, OF
even divide the responsibility with any other.
1t may result in breaking up the whole post
Office system, and for a time subject us to
great inconvenience, but tlis will soon be rem
edied by express companies, and if it destroys
the .trGnking pricilege in toto, God DO praised
From little inconvenience we will derive an
inestimable blessing 1t will also rout out the
army of $4,000 postmasters, who are the spies
and tools of the Executive, and the subtitle
creatures of those at whose will they hold
Office.
No figures have yet shown the extent of the
frauds and corruptions of this post-office de-
partment. A single Democratic candidate for
reelection last year, sent at public cost 345,-
900 speeches and reports. These were en-
closed in the Senate folding room, the envel-
opes costing government $4,000, beside the
labor of folding, and they had no more legal
right in that room, than your newspaper
This is but triAing specimen of the uses
Congress makes of this department, and if it
cannot be reformed under this administration,
break it up, and let it be reorganized, though
TooNBs said in private conversation, that the
private enterprise Of the country would in his
belief manage it much better and cheaper, and
with more responsibility than any system
government could adopt.
Democracy is, l see, beginning to make .
virtue Of necessity, and to denounce openly
the infamous corruptions of the party. PRIOR,
Of the States, says it is political death any
longer to conceal them and chastises the Union
for attempts to slur them over. But me-
thinks, in the language Of Queen CArHAR1sE.