The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-03-15
.DI0URNmErT or CONGRESS-.

No ReVisi0n of the IarV 10 Rdtse M0mfy--
Post Ofcs Appropriation Bill Lost-No Er-
ira Session to be Called
fFrom the New York Tribune, March 6th.1
Tar LAST NIonr!-Congress has adjourned!
Thank the Constitution Tor that! The XXAVth
Congress expired by law on the Sd of March,
but the breath OF life was kept in its poor car
cas- until noon Of Friday, March 4th, when not
even impudence could pretend that it had
right longer to exist, 90 it malodorously ex-
pired. It seems pity that its most popular act
adjournment without day-should be one for
which il can claim no credit whatever.
Its last hours we're marked BY most igno-
minious surrender-or rather betray yal-of those
who stood tor the right. The House had early
and properly determined not to lend its coun-
tenance to any more borrowing or shining for
the support Of the Government, but to insist on
having the income made to balance the expen-
ditures. In this determination, nearly every
Republican, nearly every American, and the
Democrats from Pennsylvania with perhaps
few others) professed to be heartily agreed
But the Senate, utterly controlled by the Pro-
Slavery interest, resolved that the Tariff should
not be increased, and that, while the expendi-
lures were kept at high figure, the Treasury
shoald be replenished only by an augmentation
Of the rates Of postage, and by the reissue o:
twenty millions Of Treasury notes. Meantime
the House Committee Of Ways and Means kept
shilly-sballying for weeks-to-day Phillips, OF
Pa, would vote with the Opposition members
TO report q Tariff bill, and Maclay, of New York.
wouldn't-and to morrow Maclay was ready to
vote it, and Phillips wouldn't-while Phelps, OF
Missouri, (Chairman), who wants TO be Speaker
OF the next House, land will be-when he gets
votes enoughl, kept speaking smoothly and Ia
king care that nothing decisive should be done,
nil -. fnr ftap tn
bill in order, when Phillips and Maclay both
voted to report a fair bill, and Phelps declined
TO vote at all, saying that the Committee had de-
cided to report without him. But now vote
OF two-thirds in the affirmative was required to
give leave to report bill; and, though the mo
non for leave received l2S yeas to So nays, it
could not be carried. Thus perished the san
guine hopes of Revision at this session.
Still, a majority of the House professed TO be
immovabe in their hostility to any more Dor.
rowing, and we cherished hopes that no Loan
bill could pass. Even during the last nights
sitting, the House three times voted, in defiance
Of majority OF the Senate, that it would not
authorize reissue Of Treasury notes. But the
President and most Of his Secretaries were in
the Capitol, and they successfully manipulated
aud mesmerized the Pennsylvania and other
stiff necked Democrats until they constrained
them to eat the leek; 80 at 7 o'clock Yesterday
| friday morning, the Hnuse-that is to say, the
Pennsy lvana Democrats-backed square down,
and the Senate's Treasury note attachment to
| the Miscellaneous Appropriation bill was con-
Cured n-Ycas, "a; Nays, S3. Our correspon
dent tslegraphs that the reconsideration was
| moved by Florence, (who filter y and that ellis,
| Dimmick, Landy, Leidy, and White, voted with
him for the Loan; while Phillips and Montgom-
| ery lodged Owen Jones, Dewart and Reilly
4 4 -. ~ hoi Thnrn
| sharp and flor time) doubtful struggle in the
Senate, where Mr.. Broderck revolted at the
| sacrifice of the Pacific Mail Steamer Appropria-
ton and eyinced determination to talk the bill
| to death by talking out the Session, but he was
| finally induced to relent, and the Senate voted
| f27 to 22) TO let the Mail Steamers 60 and hold
| on to the Treasury notes. So the bill was wor-
ried through, about half pasH i o'clock yester-
day; and the President swallowed his vaunted
determination not to sign any bills that he was
not allowed time to read and carefully consider,
| and affixed his name instanter. So the Treas
ury notes were carried and Tariff Revision lost.
| This is in effect proclamation by the slave
power that the forty millions borrowed under
Mr. Buchanan shall be carried over to the next
| Administration for payment The President
urged and reurged Revision; Secretary Cobb as
sented to it; Pennsylvania begged for il most
1 of the Northern Democrats desired it. But the
| Southrons have the ordeal of their elections
| Just before them; and they dreaded, or profess
| ed to dread to meet it on the back OF an in
creased Tariff, recommended by Democratic
President and enacted by q Democratic Con
gress. At all events they resolved that the
borrowing. shining policy should be maintained
and the paying postponed, and they had their
way, as usual
On another point, however, they were baf
l n i - A. oF ha
Slavery interest had determined that the rates
Of postage should be raised, and the Senate re
gistered it's edict, of course. But the House haG
| q will OF It's own on that subject, and, on mo
ton Of Mr. Grow, resolved, by lit to 76, that
| as this was a measure to raise revenue, whict
the Senate was forbidden by the Constitution tc
originate, the bill should be returned to thu
Senate unacted on. The Senate fred up, o
course, and stood on its dignity; but, finding tn,
task about as pleasant standing on one foot
it was obliged to come down, not very gracious
ly. Toombs, sulky on account of this surrender
objected to second reading of the new com
promise Post Office Appropriation bill, (whcl
was simply the original bill, as it first passe,
the Senate, without the provision which raise
the rates OF postage, and pretends to abolis
franking, but DOESN'T and struck it dead. Ma
son and Pearce backed Toombs. So no Pos
Office Appropriation bill at all has passed, an
an extra session would seem inevitable.
The Appropriation bills were considerable
T pared down in consequence OF the exposure
made by Investigating Committees and the lo'
state OF the Treasury. Those which passed ar
as follows:
Military service: appropriates, Sl5.5oo.oo
Naval service: appropriates, 100000
Indian service: approprates, l,791,36
Pension service: approprates, unknow
Lighthouse service: appropriates, $4,000
Isthmus (Panama) Mail service, s64.OC
: New Ocean Mail from Charleston
to Havana, 10000
Diplomatic and Consular, l,041,74
: Expense Of Investigating Committees, lO,O(
Miscellaneous, amount very larg
These are not all but they are nearly co.
!. And, beside the admission of Oregon, passiI
\ Appropriation bills is nearly all that has bee
n accomplished at this Session, and even this,
seems has been but half done. The bill to a
i the establishment of Agricultural and Mechal
cal Colleges in the several States lies crushe
Il beneath the Presidents veto. The Homeste;
4 bill, which passed the House by l20 to 76, "
" not allowed to come up Tor decisive action
o the Senate, having been repeatedly STAYED oil
"a once by the Vice Presidents casting vote i
i. fact that the President stood ready to veto
n aided, doubtless, to inspire its enemies and d
~ hearten its friends. Ihe several attempts
ic abolish franking, to reform and reduce I
10 mileage OF Congress, to reduce the number
- Custom Houses and the cost Of collecting I
d Customs revenue, to codify the laws which
x gulate commerce, &C., &C., all failed for sol
IN reason or other.
"a In short, no reform has been Effected, exec
10 by cutting down appropriations for the Ma
10 Yard, etc, which will very probably be put
J. again so soon as the exposures OF Mr. Sherma
IN Report shall have been necessarily forgoti
A. by the public. Indeed, the only item Of reio
a. embodied in the last Congressional Compen
ton bl-the stipulation that no member st
receive mileage for more than two sessions
70 the same Congress-has been overturned by
co Senate, which, on motion Of Mr.. Bright, has
ne ted to pay the new Senator's mileage for the
ira Session just caled-that is mileage tw
n in the same year. The rule being thus brol
on over, We presume both Houses will pay tht
ne selves extra mileage for the Extra Session VII
the President is expected to convoke for Jul,
he August next.
. The session has not resulted in half the r
chief that was urged upon ii. The thirty