Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-06-08

! The New York Ir7JUReS Washington
correspondent epitomizes the dOings in Con-
gress on the Goth, as follows
ATTENDANCE OF WITNESSES.
! The Judiciary Committee OF the Senate
/ have agreed upon bill to compel the attend
! ance Of witnesses who may be summoned by
! a Committee Of either House, and to provide
/ ministerial means for carrying it into effect
! Until process Of the Senate was recently
resisted, the existing legal authority was
! always regarded as sufficient, and had never
| before been seriously disputed. No one will
hardly question the policy or propriety oi
such an enactment.
The HARPER S FERRY INVESTIGATION.
Just now the Harper's Ferry Committee
are at 4 stand-still. No witnesses have been
called for several weeks, and the investigation
may be regarded as substantially closed.
What course the majority of the Committee
mean to adopt, has yet to be indicated. They
have not expressed any purpose to submit a
report, though some such document may be
expected, If only for form sake. 1t Is now
admitted that no evidence has been produced
in any way sustaining the original charge,
that the John Brown affair was the result OF
a combination or conspiracy among Northern
people, iustigated by hostility against the
South. All proof confines it to the deluded
men who paid the penalty Of that rash and
indefensibe enterprise, and few foreign
synpathiz rs, who have already fled to cs-
cape the consequences.
THE HOMESTEAD BILL.
The senate. by 9 majority, disagreed to the
Homestead bill Of the House, which was re-
turned as a substitute for its own. 1t will be
sent back tomorrow, and the House will
insist on the amendment, having little or no
appreciation of the miserable scheme proposed
by the Senate They may. or may not ask a
Committee of Conference, but no beneficial
result is now anticipated if that experiment
should be tried.
THE PACIFIC RAILROAD.
After 4 Ling day of discussion on the Pa
cifc Railroad bill, Winter Davis, who was
on the Committee which reported it, made
an effective speech, urging legal objections to
the trustees, which the bill proposes for
executing the grant, which caused it to be
recommitted by Is majority. This movement,
though it imperils, is MT necessarily fatal to
the project. There are various modes by
which it may be reached and the division
was by no means a test on the merits OF the
enterprise.
The Committee are called together to-mor-
row morning. and will, within few days,
bring forward a new bill, intended, as far as
may be practicable, TO meet the points Of
embarrassment which have been raised. II
Mr. Davis idea, however, Of creating a cor
poration shall be adopted, it is easy 10 fore
see that the old Bank issue will be revived IN
another form in the Senate by the democratic
enemies Of any road. No great measure OF
this sort, with so many novel features, which
are 10 some extent experimental, can be ma
turcd without being open 70 technical or
other exceptions.
THE HoUMAs GRANT.
The Senate consumed the whole day IN
discussing the Houmas Grant, which Mr..
Benjamin defended with las yerly plausibility
and ingenuity. addressing himself manly to
the title, but keeping adroity in the back
ground the peculiar circumstances attending
the passage OF the bill through Congress tor
the benefit of a few speculatlrS.
Mr.. Slidell stood upon his royal dignity,
and spurned the idea Of his admitted interest
in the grant. affecting his Senatorial course.
Mr.. Toombs, who made the report from
the Special Committee, and who deserves
great credit for his manliness IN assuming
the duty Of defending the settlers, replied
/ with powerful effect to Mr.. Benjamin, com
pletely riddling his sophistries, and holding
/ the claim up as a fraud. His exposition OF
| the case produced much impression The
whole history of this grant Is worse thar
/ suspicious, and every department OF th'
! Government has been piled with political IN
! G,o,o. 70 eacure It's confirmation until II wa,
finally smuggled through the last Congress
under the cover of another bill, without th'
remotest alluslon to the name or nature
the claim.
The special Committee, consisting OF Messrs
Toombs, Crittenden, Pugh and Chesnut, re
ported unanimously for the repeal OF the law
and that is the only way in which Congress
can redeem its credit.