Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-05-17
IRWIN coNeREss-FIRsr skss,oy



In THE SENATE, yesterday, after our report
closed, Mr.. Hale offered a resolution instructine
the Postmaster General TO inform the Senate when
the Post Office Department first had any knowl-
edge that any defslcation existed on the mart of
the postmaster Of the city Of New York, and also
10 inform the Senate IL the Sixth Auditor of the
Treasury has faithfully performed in reference to
the post Office in the city of New York, the duties
Imposed upon him by the act of March 81 Is5f
and especially by the 10th section Of said act.
Adopted.
contracts, which he said he originally Intended TO
have offered an amendment; but as IL had not
met with the sanction of the Committee on Mill
tary Affairs, he offered IL a separate bill, and
which was agreed to-
This bill provides that all purchases and con-
tracts for supplies In any Of the departments of
the Government, except 10, personal services,
date delivery, shall be made by advertising a
sufficient time previously for proposals for the
same. Where Immediate delivery is REQUIRED,
the articles may be procured by open purchase
No contract hereafter to be made unless the same
Is authorized by law, or be under an appropria-
ton adequate TO Its fulflment, except in the war
Department, for clothing, subsistence &c which
are not to exceed, however, the necessitv of the
current year. No arms nor military supplies of a
patent Invention, unless the same be authorized
by law, and the appropriation therefor explicitly
SET lOtln tnat III is Tor SUCH patented I
On motion of Mr.. Lane, the bill for the pay-
ment of the Oregon war debt was made the snscial
order for Monday week.
The special order, the Democratic caucus reso-
lutions, introduced by Mr.. Davis, being taken up.
Mr.. Douglas proceeded With his speech com,
menced the day before. He remarked that he
was somewhat troubled by disease in the threat
having almost lost his voice In consequence of his
exertions In the open air, defending the doctrine
OF popular sovereignty. He then took up and an
swered some objections that had been made to his
positions, and quoted from a speech of Senator
Bayard In 1856, denouncnp the attempt at Com
Sresslonai Intervention as an act of usurpation;
Out the resolutions Of the Senator from Mississipp
ask us to do the same thing. He wanted the
question left to the courts where the Constitution
leaves 1t, and where the Senate had once agreed
to leave 1t, and thus Danish ii from the halls of
Congress forever IL the court has made deci-
sion, Will 1t be any stronger after the Senate shall
nave passed these resolutions? IL it has not,
what right has the Senate to PREJUDICE the case
III the court has made decision and there lis
dispute about IL, who is to be the Judge of the
case? Can the Senate determine by resolutions
what the decision is, or what 1t ought to be- No.
The Constitution has wisely separated the politi-
cal from the judicial departments Of the Cow.
eminent -
MIR. ID. said he was willing to take the Cincin-
natl Platform, or the letter of acceptance of Presi
dent Buchanan, or Vice President Breckinridge,s
speech after his nominatiOn-he would take any
OF these for platform, and let them conStrue
themselves III the democratic party stand now
If they have changed, he had no complaint to
make. He thought he had right to ask that he
should be furnished with the new light they had
obtained, so that he might change too, If ne
should see cause. The Charleston Convention
having sustained non-ntervention, be was no
longer hereto, a rebel. outlaw. He was the
choice Of majority of that Convention for Prtsi-
dent, and desired no higher endorsement He
would sccrn TO be the standard bearer of any party
II he was not the first choice of majority He
closed his remarks at half past three o'clock
having spoken five hours and a half in the two
days.
MI Davis replied, stating that the Senator from
ilhols had not met the questions at issue between
them he set out by saying that he should arraign
no senator, but he had arraigned everybody Not
ohly that, put ne had brought up sovereign States,
70 answer at his bar on charge Of inconsistency
lie had assumed the air Of the monarch of France
who exclaimed, L'etat, c'est moi -, aud under
took to dictate to the National Convention on
what terms he would accept their nomination
he nad also assumed that Senator could not
aliuue 70 the doctrine Of popular sovereignty
without meaning hin:-a doctrine Of which he
was neither the author nor the exclusive posses
sot' MI d. went on to reply TO those remarks Of
NM douglas In reference TO the action of Missis-
slppi, and vindicated the action of Southern
democrats generally in demanding recognition
OF thelr rights under the Constitution What
they asked was nothing more than the Constitu-
ton intended to give them, and he was willing
70 let the question come fairly before the country
Whether tney were not entitled to It, Without
concluding his remarks he gave way; and
ne senate proceeded to the consideration of
therein the doors were reopened and the Senate
adjourned.
In THE HOUSE, the Post Office Deficiency bill
having been perfected In Committee of the Whole.
II was reported TO the House, whereupon that
body adjourned.