The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-01-29
Conversational SYNOPSIS.

Congressional synopsis.
| Thursday, Jan. 20.-The Senate passed
the Invalid Pension bill. The Pacific Rail-
road bill then came up in order, and Mr.
Davis moved to amend by striking out all
after the enacling clause and inserting his
. substitute, the main features Of which are
an appropriation of ten million of dollars
and ten sections Of land per mile to con-
. struct the road, the said ten millions to be
refunded in the form Of nett proceeds into
the Treasury No termin is named, and
no monopoly to be given to any special
company. The road Is to run from the At
, lantic to the Pacific States. Mr.. Gwn ap-
proved this. lie said the Senator's road
would commence no where and end at the
same place. Mr.. o.. conceded that there
vas little prospect that the road would now
be built. Then We arrive at the point - here
all parties will concede a portion Of their
prejudices, und,r the coercive power Of pub
lie opinion, SO as to unite all sections, then,
and NOT TIL then, viii Pacific Railroad be
built.
Mr. Dsoi,,lc spoke in favor of taking
three estimates for contracts First for a
road north of the parallel of IL; second for
a road between the 31th and Add; third, for
road south Of the 31th. The President to
seRd all such estimates 10 Congress for their
action.
The speeches Of Messrs. Davis, Gwin, and
Doolitte took up most Of the day, and the
Senate again adjourned without coming to q
| vote.
The House occupied the morning hour in
Buncombe speeches. The bill to amesd the
I L.,
amendment was adopted keeping all public
lands ten years after their survey open to
pre-emptionels before they could be sold
The bill, however, was defeated by tour
majority.
The balance of the day was spent in Bun
oombe speeches on the Presidents message.
Friday, Jan. 2l.-The Senate spent the
day on private claims, aid passed 10 bills,
out OF 200 on the calendar
In the House, Mr.. Farnsworth asked leave
to offer long preamble, setting forth the
importance of our possessing all Of the
British American provinces, concluding with
a resolution iEs;ructing the Committee on
Foreign Affairs to inquire into the eXpe-
diency OF initiating measures to secure the III
By honorable treaty.
| Messrs. Garnett and ethcrs, objected
| The House then took up the private
calendar.
Saturday, Jan. 22-senate not in ses-
sion. The House spent the day again On
private bills, of " ic.i u number were cnn-
sidered, and then adjourned.
Wonday, jan. 24.-ln the Senate, the
/ Vice President presented the memorial Of
the Indiana legislature, representing that
MessrS. Bright aud Fitch are rot the legally
| elected Senators from that State. but that
Messrs. II. :. Lane and VIM. VI. Mccarthy
are, &c. Mr.. Seward gave notice Of a reso-
! luton to give Messrs. Lane and Mccarthy
/ the privileges of the heor while their claim
| to seats is pending. The memorial was re-
! ferred to the Judiciary committee.
/ A short sParring match took place be-
tween Messrs. BigleI and Cameron, Of Pa,
on the tariff question.
! Mr.. S!ideli, from the committee on Foreign
Affairs, to whom had been referred the 3d.
600, 900 bill for the purchase Of Cuba, made
an elaborate report, aguing in favor OF max
( ing the appropriation.
/ Mr. Seward made minority report, &C.
| companied by bill requiring the President
to transmit to Congress at the commence
NEXT of the next session, statement OF the
| relation then existing between the United
States and Spain. The bill also requires the
! statement Of the condition of the Treasury
and effective condition efthe arm, and navy
at the time. Mr.. Seward proceeded to argue
at length against the majority proposition,
| said it was now unwise and ridiculous, and
! characterized the purchase as much Of ne
! cessity as that Of the auction woman in the
play, who thought that it might come so
handy.
Mr.. Bayard briefly advocated the passage
Of the bill as reported. He thought it mi- hit
be passed whether the objections obtained
or not
Mr.. Toombs replied to Mr. Seward, argu-
ing the constitutional objections He tho't
7 the Senator is mistaken in saying that the
Senate was obliged to ratify the treaty made
By the President was no dcrogation of sena,
! tor,al power, as any Senator could exercise
his constitutional powers by opposing it
when it came before the Senate.
Without action, the Senate went into cx-
ecut;ve session, and adjourned.
In the House. after another Intellectual ef-
fort on the part of Mr.. Stephens to have a
day fixed for takeing up the Oregon bill, the
| House went into committee of the Consular
and Diplomatic Appropriation bill. The day
was spent in discussing an amendment Of
fered by Mr.. Sherman, to discharge all the
foreign ministers except those to Great Brit
ain, France, Russia, Spain. Brazil, Mexico,
China, Peru, Turkey, and Nicaragua. The
amendment was finally adopted,s and thu
House adjourn d.
Tuesday, Jan. 25.-In The Senate, Mr..
Pugh rose to question Of privilege on the
subject of the report of the executive session
winch had appeared in the New York pa
pers, and especially in the Herald. Mr.
Pugh expressed in moderate, but decided
| language his dsapprobation of such breach
Of the confidence of the Senate.
Mr.. Davis characterized the correspondent
as untrue, and said that he had applied to
the Senator from Illinos( Douglas) no such
language as was therein reported.
Mr.. Douglas agreed in this assertion.
After some further conversation the mat
ter was dropped. The Pacific Railroad bill
was then taken up.
Mr. johnson, of Tenn, occupied the whole
day in explaining why he would vote against
the bill, which he considered neither a nee
essary act under the war-making power of
the constitution, nor as test Of Democracy.
The discussion of Mr.. Slideirs Cuban re-
port was assigned for Monday next. Ad-
jouned.
] In the House, Mr.. English, from tho post
Office committee, submitted reports adverse
to various me MORALS that had been referred
to the committee, and also reported a bill
regulating the payment Of the postage on
newspapers and periodicals. 1t provides
that periodical dealers may receive their bum
dies on paying postage thereon, the same as
regular subscribers. Maps, engravings, pho.
tographs, ETC., pay postage of enc cent
perounce or fraction of an ounce. The bill
proposes to punish persons who receive
money for postage, but fraudilently with
hold it, or who fail to deliver letters taken
out Of the Office addressed to others. The
bill was referred to the Com. of the Whole
on the State of the Union.
The House then resumed the Consular
and Diplomatic appropriation bill. An ap.