, 1859-02-11
ARRIVAL OF THE NORTHERNER.
WRECK OF The FILLIBuSTERS!
COngre ssiOnaI Matters.

- :
By the arrival Of the mail steamer
NOrtherner, on Wednesday night, We have
dates from New York to the 9th, and from
New Orleans to the 18th January.
We are indebted to T. NJ. REED, Esq,
Agent for Wells, Fargo & Co., at this
place, for files of San Francisco and New
York papers.
The Illinois Legislature met on the Sd
Jan, and organized. On the 5th the Leg
islature proceeded to elect United States
Senator, and elected Stephen A. Douglas
The vote stood: Douglas, 54; Lincoln, 46.
CoNGREssIoNAL-Co Congress assembled on
the 4th Jan, after a recesso Of ten days, and
have gone to work in good earnest.
Mr.. Faulkner, from the Military Com
mittee, has nearly completed the examina-
tion Of the war debts of Oregon and Wash
ington Territories, and will soon call the
attention Of Congress to the subject, unless
some provision be made to meet the heavy
uSnuuuo NuCoO uSDJo luNOltG'
In the Senate Mr.. Gwin has introduced
bill in relation to ocean mail transporta-
ton between the East and California,
which authorizes the Postmaster General
to make contracts for FIVE mail services, by
the following routes, viz: From New York
to San Francisco, and Astoria, in Oregon,
via Panama, once a month, at compen-
sation not to exceed $3.50, 900 per annum
time "a days. From New York to San
FrancisO o and Astoria, via Nicaragua,
once month, at the same compensation; :;
time % days. From New Orleans via Te-
huantepec, to Acapulco, once month, so
as to connect with the Panama steamer,
and make the through time to San Fran
cisco in II days, at compensation not to
exceed $l50,000 per anuum. From New
Orleans via Vera Cruz to Acapulco, month
ly, there to connect with the steamer from
San Juan del Sur, at an annual compensa-
tion not to exceed $l43,000 per annum.-
The bill proposes such arrangement of the
days of sailing that the Nicaragua and
Vera Cruz lines shall readily meet once
month at Acapulco-and the New York
and Tehuantepec lines once a month at
the same port-alternating so as to form a
semi-monthly system of through service.
1t further provides that the contracts shall
be given to the lowest responsible bidders,
and requires stipulations which shall secure
to passengers suitable accommodations on
board the ocean steamers, and gives the
Postmaster General power to impose fines
to punish the contractors for any just cause
of complaint in this regard. The bill fur
ther provides that in the event OF either of
the routes named being closed, from any
reason, the mails shall be carried by one Of
the others, SO that there may be no inter
ruption in their regular transmission. In
introducing this very important measure,
Mr.. Gwin submitted few remarks to show
that while the bill, if it become law, will
open four routes to the Pacific, the cost
will be quarter of a million less than the
present cost of the mail service between the
Atlantic and Pacific States. He urged
the advantage to flow from this multiplied
ty of routes-and assumed that if the pro-
posed contracts were entered into, the
United States Government would not tol-
crate any interruption of the transit routes
by the weak aud distracted governments
which claim jurisdiction over them.
The Senate Committees on Territories,
it is said, will not report q bill foHythe Or
ganization Of the Arizona, unless bill or,
ganizing Dacotah as territory can go with
it. And as that cannot be done on account
of the non-confrmation of the Indian trea-
ties, extinguishing their claims to the terri
tory, there is little chance for Arizona
An effort will be made in the House to in
troduce a resolution instructing the Com
mittee on Territories to report q bill re-
pealing the clause in the English bill, which
prohibits the admission of a new State un-
til it has sufficient population to be enti-
tied to a representative in Congress.
On the llth Senator Mason reported n
bill authorizing the President to use the
land and naval forces of the United States
in certain cases, giving authority to the
President to do so whenever it is, in his
judgment, necessary to secure respect for
American rights by Mexico aud the Cen
trail American and South American States.
A bill for Territorial Government for
Celony is to be introduced by Mr.. Colfax
1t embraces I'll the recently discovered
gold regions at Pixies Peak, and parts of
Kansas, Nebraska, Utah and New Mexi-
co-nearly all being taken from Kansas
and comprising about l22, 900 square miles
The House, by two to one, rejected o
resolution censuring Commodore Paulding
for his arrest Of Gen. Walker, on Ncara-
guam territory, and then tabled the whole
subject.
In the House, Barksdale, of Mississippi,
offered preamble and resolution (Which
were adopted) as follow:
WHEREAS, Foreign journals have an
nounced that the Courts Of France and
England have given notice to our Govern
ment that the cession of the island of Cuba
to the United States wi | not be tolerated
even with the consent of Spain