The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-02-17
Monday, February IA, 1859.
SENATE

puring the days session, the Senators from
the new State Ct GregGn, Messrs, Lane and
Smith, presented their credentials of election
and were duly sworn in. Mr.. Lane drew for
four years, Mr.. Smith for two.
" Hunter, discussed the question of tariff
revision. Believing the pending issue to be
one between the friends Of low taxation and
reduced expenditures on the one hand, and the
friends of high taxation and profuse expendi-
lures on the other, he sided At once with the
former.
Mr.. H. reviewed at considerable length the
working of our postal system, and invoked the
action Of Congress to check its extravaganza
and restrain the discretion now reposed in the
hands Of the Postmaster General, who had
under his control vast machine, worked by
agents more numerous than the persoHne. COM
posing the army and navy of the whole coun-
Try. be thought, moreover, that the rates of
postage on letters, and especially on printed
matter, should be increased.
Mr.. Collamer then called up the report of the
Committee on the Judiciary in the case of the
Indiana Senator'S, the pending motion being on
the adoption of resolution offered by Mr..
Segayd 10. the effect that Messrs. Lane and
McCarty be alloyea &c defend before the Senate
their right to seats in that body. This resou-
ton Mr.. Pugh proposed to amend hy declaring
of by the decision already rendered in the prem
Uses.
Upon these propositions a long and at times
exciting debate ensued, which was participated
in by Messrs. Crittendep, Cc)laNer, Rayard,
Pugh, Trumbull, Green, Seward, Hale, Harlan,
and Fessenden. On the one side it was main
tanned that the former decision of the Senate
was of the nature of a judicial act, and there
fore Snsl and conclusive. No new question
was raised by the penatLs application, and a
proper respect for itself demanded thai Tue SEN
ate should not revise its own deliberate and
legally-rendered judgment in matter exclu-
sively within its own jurisdiction. On the
a.hser hand it was sontended that the former
decision of the seEi...s vas open to revision on
sufficient cause being shown for 8 nsu hearing.
Such sufficient cause was found in the last
authentic utterance of sovereign State, de-
Glazing .Esst the men who now represented her in
the Senate had never sesI legally elected.
Respect for State rights demanded that her
voice should be heard, if not obeyed.
At the scosc.ps:9n Of the debate, the Senate
disposed Of the subject by adopting the amend
ment OF Mr.. Pugh-yeas 30, nays le.
HOUSE.
The usual bill establishing certain post routes
was passed, after fruitless effort to provide
for direct mail from St. Paul, in Minnesota,
to point in Washington Territory, with
branch to Oregon.
Mr. Phelps, of Missouri, moved suspension
of the rules for the purpose of introducing
bill from tie 6omHittss Always and Means to
revive and continue in force for tws years the
act authorizing the issue of Treasury notes.
The motion was not agreed to-the vote being
81 to ITO.
The House then went into Committee of the
Whole, and disposed Of amendments to the In
dian appropriation bill; after which, the subject
of an increase Of the tariff was discussed at
some length until the hohr of adjournment,
principally between Mr.. Phillips, Of reansylva-
MIA, and Mr.. Garnett of Virginia.