The national Republican., 1861-01-01
THIRTY-SIXTH CONGRESS,
SECOND SESSION.
Monday, December 81, 1860.

Il,
Mr. Crittenden introduced resolution, that
q portion Of the galleries be set apart for for.
eign ministers and their families.
After discussion, in which Messrs. Seward,
Davis, and Mason, participated,
Mr.. Trumbull moved to postpone the further
consideration Of the resolution until tomorrow.
The motion was not agreed to.
Mr.. Crittenden advocated the adoption of
the resolution which was agreed to.
Mr.. Powell from the special committee of
thirteen, reported that the committee had di.
rected him to report that they had been un.
able to agree.
Mr.. Douglas said he desired to address the
Senate on the subject on Wednesday.
The report and journal were ordered to be
printed; and, upon the question of printing an
extra number, Mr.. Douglas took the floor for
Wednesday.
On motion of Mr.. Bigler, it was agreed that,
wheu the Senate adjourn, it be to meet on
Wednesday next.
The Senate then postponed MI. Crittenden's
resolution until Monday next, at IL o'clock.
Mr.. Wilson, of Massachusetts, introduced
resolution of inquiry as to the places of de.
post, protection, sales, &C., of the public
arms which was laid on the table.
The Senate then took up the bill establish.
ing Territorial Government for Arizona.
After seme debate, the Senate took up the
Kansas bill, and postponed it until Monday
next.
Mr.. Benjamin, of Louisiana, then addressed
the Senate.
He declared that the crisis of the country had
not come without warning; ye' the Republi-
cans had scoffed at and neglected them. Now
they saw the truth South Carolina had become
independent; Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama,
would be independent next week; and Georgia,
Louisiana, and Texas, would soon follow. The
question now was, whether their independence
should be recognised or civil war begin. He
declared that South Carolina had only repealed,
in 1860, what she had done in 1888. She had
q right to do so, because the compact which
bound her to it was compact broken on one
side, and therefore broken on all sides. The
present Union had been formed on this princi.
pie, by nine States seeding from the old Con.
federation. He quoted the debates in the Con.
vention Of 1889 to show the truth of this,
and sustained the position at length, by we'll
considered argument. He declared that the
States had two classes of remedies-one class
against power usurped in the name of the Con.
stitution, like secession and the other against
the abuse of constitutional power, revolution.
He denied that secession was a revolutionary
right, and quoted the Mcleod case, to show
that the individual could not be held respons.
BILE when carrying out his Governments orders
showed that civil process must precede the
employment of military force, and that no civil
process was possible in seeding State. He
argued the subject ct length, and after reci.
tstion Of the wrongs eGcured by the South, de.
clared, "you may bring desolation upon our
homes, but you never can subjugate us-never!
never neverl" Tumultuous applause.
Mr.. Mason. demand that the galleries be
cleared.
Mr.. Bigler moved that the Senate adjourn.
The Chair ordered the galleries to be cleared,
and while the call of yeas and nays was being
made, the gentlemen's galleries were cleared.
The Senate then adjourned.
HOUSE.
The Speaker laid before the House com.
munication from the Secretary of War (the late
incumbent) explaining the nature and charac.
ter, and giving the reasons why he gave certain
acceptances to RUSSELL Majors, & Co. These,
he says, were given, but not to be paid until
the amounts mentioned were due to these con.
tractors. He refers to the usage of the Depart
ment, to the transactions of which he invites
scrutiny. The communication was referred to
the select committee appointed to investigate
the subject Of the abstraction of the Indian trust
funds.
Mr.. Hooper, Of Utah, presented the memorial
of the people of that Territory, submitting a
State Constitution, and asking to be admitted
into the Union as q State. Referred to the
Committee on Territories, and ordered to be
printed.
Mr.. Mexican asked, but did not obtain leave
to introduce resolution-asserting, that the
Union was formed by the people of the States,
and not by the States-that we are not thirty.
three nations, but one nation; and that every
nation has the power of selEpreservation from
enemies without and traitors within and ex.
pressing the belief that this nation has the
power to do SO, and that the power should be
exercised.
Mr.. Stevens, of Pennsylvania offered a reso-
luton calling on the President to inform the
House of the condition of the public property
in the port of Charleston whether any means
were being taken to garrison the forts and put
them in condition for defence, after it became
evident that South Carolina intended to secede;
what troops were there then and now; and
whether any orders have been given to rein
force Fort Sumter since the other forts have
been seized by the insurgents; and what orders
have been given to the officer in command;
also, whether any vessels of war have been or.
dered thither since the seizure of the same by
the rebelious forces.
The House refused to suspend the rules for
the reception of the resolution-yeas 81, nays
62, not two.thirds.
Mr.. Stanton offered a resolution, which was
adopted, namely, that the Committee on Mill
tary Affairs inquire and report how, to whom,
and at what price, public arms have been dis
tributed since January, 1860; and also into the
condition Of the forts, arsenals, dock yards &C.,
of the country, and whether they are supplied