Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-02-01
FROM WASHINGTON CITY.
Correspondence Of The Richmond Eoquirer.l
W%AsuISGroN. Jan. 80, 1859.

rc,rre.pcnJ>nce Of The Richmond Enquirer.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 80, 1859.
Messrs. Editors Among other importan,
questions likely to excite the attention and de-
mmand the action of the present Congress, OF
rather of the extra session. (which It Is not IN
nrobablc. will he called is the bill. organizing
= territorial government for Arizona. Should
Lr. Grow offer the amendment. notice Of which
ha, been served OIL the House, il will be the
.i,nal. owing to the peculiar interest felt 10y
the South in a country so well adapted a. .Ari
IONA to African labor, for perhaps one Of tho
b.ttcrcSt contests upo; that absorbing tnlh'
ever witnessed in the capitol.
The events of the past two months OF tho
session have. however. demonstrated that Other
subjects than this can excite intense public in
;err>,. and although il is, Of course. to be re
GREETED that any portion Of the time which
should he exclusively spent in legislation upon
thea. j. t., hc employed i'll 4 renewal Of the
cyeril-iin: slavery agitation. still We can fin'
consolation even for that in the fact-that thu,
a common rallvins point will he offered to Tho
IA, present, almost hopclc>sly scattered Demo
cracy.
For the first tine in its history, the Demo
cratic party, during the last sixty days, has beer
unable to present an united front upon any single
i've issue. Some of them are found advocating
the immediate acquisition Of Cuba, whether by
purchase Or conquest, others opposing it; solnl
Of them insisting upon, others resisting, protcr
ton: 4 portion Of them maintaining the conSti
tntionality and cxpclicncy Of the proposed Pa
cilic railroad. another portion denouncing it as
an inlraction Of the Constitution. Upon all
these questions, their very attempts TO cater iDI
every local interest Of the country, and thu,
vlndicatc their claims to nationality, have served
only To inrncnt apparently irrcconciiablc dlilcr'
cncc, among the Democracy, 50 that somc inca
sure Of peace is absolutely required. Without
any approximations Of the result, we are there
tore almost disposed to hail the threatened
fight on Arizona as furnishing, let us repeat, all
opportunity for Il re union of the party, prcpara-
tory TO Il thorough RI. organization for the StruS.
gle Of 1860. Fortunately for this purpose, the
tariff is likely no longer to present a distracting
issue. The tremendous importationS Of the
past month into New York, made in anticipa.
ton Of the spring trade, furnish the most hope
iml grounds for believing that the revenue ac-
cruing thcrcupon will meet all the demands OF
the Government. Indeed. the Secretary OF the
Treasury is well satisfied that such will be the
case.
II is not now probable that any report upon
that subject will he made from the Committee
Of WAYS and Means. Members thereof may.
upon their individual responsibilities. offer
schemes for the modification Of the Tariff, but
thu Committee is divided so radically in senti-
ment that there is little chance for u conpro.
mise. There is understood to have been Of
fcrrd three different p~rojeciS-onc, proposed by
Mr. Phelps. embodying originally the views OF
Secretary Cobb; another, by Mr.. Phillips OF
Pa. involving Il partial return Nrincipa;ly i'll
he case Of rom to the specific duty system !;
/ third. bv -. $ IggeSting a decided change
in Mr.. Phelps arrangement of the schedules.
while a portion Of the Committee consisting of
| Wr. Dowdcll of Alabama, and another Southern
gentleman. is opposed TO any disturbance
whatever of the Tariff of 1857.
The Finance Committee Of the Senate, it is
also said, will not report ut all upon the qucs.
lion.
The Pacific Railroad Bill is dcflnct for the
present session, and many honorable members.
who would have voted for it in fear and trcm-
hling, are heard congratulating themselves
! npon the prospect Of temporary relief from 4
dangerous subject of legislation thus afforded.
Personal difficulties seem to be all the go
~ lIlIN ScSSlbl, lIdN bSGh iiiailill'liSA si aAbN
ratio Of two to one of bills of a public interest
passed. Extraordinary pains seem, however.
to have been taken to keep from public notice
the recent difficulty between Speaker Orr and
Hughes, of Indiana. But the sensation-mon-
gers ar. not disposed to give II so unccrcmo-
NOUS Il go.by, thinking it well, perhaps, that
| their constituents should know that The repre-
>en'atiyes of the people are continually engaged,
to the neglect Of the public business, in SQUAD
| blcs from which no conceivable good results,
| since no one is ever shot. except sometimes with
paper bullets.
\ subscription has been completed among
the Republican members Of the present Con-
srcsS for the pure ase and presentation to Hon.
Joshua Il. Giddings Of a splendid service of
silver. in token Of their vivid appreciation of
his qualities, and Of their regret at losing so
invetcrate a freedom. shriekcr.
Northern Democrats arc furious at the oppo-
sition displayed by Southern men against the
$40, 900 appropriation for the support and cdri-
cation Of the returned Africans. Mr.. Phclpsi is
much to blame for having endangered the fate
! Of the Diplomatic and Consular bill by its in
sertioa therein.
The Post Office Department is now engaged
in prenaring for the letting Of the mail con-
tracts for virg Mn and some other Southern
States. comprising about 1860 routes.
4 Convention Of the Presidents of the New
York Central. New York and Eric. Pcnnsylva-
MIA Central, and Baltimore and Ohio Rail Roads,
is at present being held at Wizards Hotel. in
this city. 1t has been called with 7 view Of
securing some uniformity in the rates Of charges
for frcishts and transportation of passengers
over these four great ~thoroughfares. As its
sessions are, however, private, nothing has as
vet transpircd rs to what business has been
transacted or what result accomplished.
II appears from an official report that there
are one hundred and thirty three salaricd Con-
| sulS. whose fees, during the past year. amount
cd to SILL 0O, while their compcnSationS
! reached an aggregate Of s25l ,5ii. Would not
a return to the fec system, therefore, be adj
! vantagcous to the Government. while it would
afford those of orr Consols who have really
much business to do, and many claims upon
their hospitality. n fit compensation for the one
| and Sufficient of the whrrcwithal for the other.
Lord Napier gave his farewell ball here on
Thursday night. The saloons. crowded to re-
vIction with the fashion and beauty of the me-
| t~rovoiis, gave evidence of the general esteem
in which this nobleman is held for his courtr-
Gus bearing and unassuming manners. His
ever welcome presence will be missed alike in
| the social and political circle. We wish him
| God speed on his new mission.
Information has been received at the Trcasu-
~ Department Of the payment Of about two
! millions of the new loan. Certificates for a
million will be issued on Monday to such a.
have thus promptly advanced upon their con
! tracts. TERIrAs.
IMPORTANT CEsSIoN TO ALABAMA.
There is now a fair prospect that the area Of
Alabama will soon be increased by the al H.