, 1860-03-15

{Spccin1 Correspondence Of tue rress nnd Tr:'une.1
WA.1lo7os, March 1Nh, l5c0.
The wheels Of legislation moved slowly last
week; there is very little done to show for
weeks work On Saturday there was no ses-
sion. Friday was consumed TO small purpose.
In the Senate. Mr. Hyatt, who figures as I Suite
prisoner, appeared before that august body. to
"purge himself of the contempt" Of disobcy-
ing the Investigating Committees summons 10
appear before it and testify in relation TO the
John Brown affair. lie submitted lis defense
in writing, which the Clerk began to read from
a huge roll OF manuscript. covering several
hundred foolscap pages! This was more than
Senators had barga;ned for. Mason objected
to the farther reading, rcmnrting that ait IVES
apparent that under the prctcxt Of answering
The simple question rroroundcd to him, the
witness had gope into al intermiaable legal mr.
gument denying the Jurisdiction Of the Sennte,
and their power to inforce his attendance" lie
moved that "tbe further reading be dispensed
with, and the witness be incarcerated in Jail
until he will consent 10 oi'ey The mandate o'
tho Senate." As might be expected, a discus
sion on this motion sprung up as long as
Hyatt's special plea. Finally. it WAS compro.
missed by directing the Clerk to read the docu-
sncnt- But not soul staid to listen 10 it.
Tie clerks took turns at reading, to relieve
es=h other. The last page Was not finished un-
til nightf4li. when The pro. tan. Chairman de-
clared the Seoa&e adjourned. Hyatt Was taken
ia custody BY tue Sergcant-at-A Arms, and may
egain appear to-day. If he had defcnsible lc-
gal objection, it was drowned in his ocean Of
words. and will never be 6shcd out. As he
professea to know nothing about Hurrcr's Fer
n or Browns raid, il strikes me that his best
course would have been to have obcyed the
summons, aud testified that lie was know
nothing" No good end il effected By the &C.
centricity or amartness he has exhibited.
In the House, Nr. Gurley, from the Commit
tee on Printing, reported joint resolution, the
object being to give the House the control Of
its own printing. As the law now stands, the
printer Of The branch Of Congress first ordering
the printing of long documents, does the work
for both Houses. The result is, that the Sen.
ate Printer now hus nearly all the work to do,
and the printing has become 3 complete mo.
ro2o.y With the Senate. The consequence il,
that the House cannot get printing donc in the
proper time. The proposed change would add
nothing TO the expense, but would equalize the
work done. The Law in its present shape was
passed last year by the Democrats in anticipa-
ton that they might be beaten in the orsapiza-
ton Of the House. It was =mart trick to al-
low the Sennte printer to do ali the work for
both Eouses, aud thereby keep all the profits
out Of the hands OF the Republican printer,
Stanton OF Ohio immediately objected. ale
could sec no good to be accomplished by the
"resolution; it WIS only = scramble about
"spoi1s, and he had no objection to The Senatt
*printer getting al The plunder." This wa
the sigaal for The fre-eaters to "pitch in" ant
aasail the resolution. The debate took
wide ciscuit and spread orer matter
not before the House. Ever IN ano1
Ssanton would get up, and fire away n
his own party friends, and take sides with til
enemy. The truth is, he has become little BET
ter than doughfaee- lie has got to be an "ot
Of" and boars On the brceching. he does al
he can to embarrnss and injure the Republi
cans, and has lost the respect and confidence c
every Republican ia tue body. What ails hin
is disappointed ambition. He wanted to b
Speaker! Failing in that, he demanded 10 b
made Chairman Of the Committee of Wv. an
Heaus. He mansged to get himself inserted ,
tho head of the Military Committee. where h
ha. been doing n! in his power to thu.rt h
Republican associates. When The Speaker y,
making up the special COMMITTEES on the pacit
pstlruad, be Insisted On being gits Chairman b,