The national Republican., 1861-12-05
TlIIRTY.sEVENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION.
In SENATE.
WEDNESDAY. December 4, 1861.

WEDNESDAY December 4, 1861.
NJ, SALISBURY desired to submit q joint
resolution, which WAS read, as follows: f
wHEARAs, the people ofthe States Of Virginia,
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Flori'
da, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas,
Arkansas, and Tennessee, are in revolt against
the constitutional Government and authority
Of the United States and have assumed to Sc
cede from the Federal Union and TO form an
independent government uCder the name OF the
Confederate States of America: and whereas
the Congress of the United States, approving
| the sentiments expressed by the President In
his annual message, that the Union must be
preserved, and hence all indispensable means
| must be employed" and believing that kind
| and fraternaI feeling between the people OF all
| the States Is indispensable to the maintenance
| of q happy and prosperous Union, and being
| willing to manifest such feeling on their part,
| to the end that peace may be restored to dis
| trac,ed country, and the Union and Constitu.
tion he preserved and maintained, and inviting
the cooperation Of the people of the aforesaid
| States in the accomplishment of objects 50
beneficial TO each and ali, do resolve as follows:
Resotued, &C., That Millard Fillmore, Franklin
Pierce, Roger B. Taney, Edward Everett, Geo.
N. Dallas, Thomas Ewing, Horace Binney,
| Reverdy johnson, John J. Crittenden, George
are hereby appointed commissioners on the
part of Congress to confer with like number
| of commissioners, to be appointed by the sta es
| aforesaid, for the preservation OF the Union
1
that they report the result OF said conference to
Congress, for approval or rejection.
| Resolued, That upon the appointment OF COM
| missioners, as hereby invited by said States,
and upon the meeting of the joint commission
for the purpose Of conference as aforesaid,
active hnstities shall cease and be suspended,
and shall not be renewed unless said commits
sioners shall be unable to agree, or, in case Of
| An agreement by them, said agreement shall be
rejected, either by Congress or by the afore-
| said States.
Mr.. SUMNER OBJECTED to the reception of
the paper.
Mr.. HALE thought the list Of commissioners
was an excellent one as far as It went, but In
order that 1t might be rendered complete and
perhaps more acceptable, he would suggest the
addition Of the name Of James Buchanan. IA
Mr.. SALISBURY could have no objection
to the suggestion.
The resolution was then laid over inform
ally.
Mr.. SUMNER desired to submit resolution
and ask its present consideration:
Resolved, That the Secretary OF War be re.
Quested to furnish to the Senate copies Of any
general orders IN the military department of
Missouri relating 10 fugitive slaves.
Mr.. 8. observed that his attention had been
directed to this subject by letters from st.
Louis. which referred to the acts of Major
General Halleck In relation to slaves found
within his lines. Now, the General might be
good tactician, an experienced military COM
mander, but something more than that was re.
quisite In times like the present. Every slave
surrendered, who had sought protection In his
lines, would rise in judgment against him,
and cover him with reproach that no victory
achieved could remove.
The consideration of the resolution having
been objected to, 1t was laid over.
i COMMITTEES OF THE SENATE.
Mr.. COLLAMER moved that the Senate pro-
ceed. to the election of the standing commit
tees Of the Senate which motion was agreed
to.
Mr.. COLLAMER then submitted the follow.
ing, to be the standing committees of the Sen.
ate during the present session which motion
was agreed to:
On Foreign Relations -Messrs. Sumner, Col
lamer, Doolittle, Wilmot, Browning, Polk, bar
ris.
L On Finapca-Messrs. Fessenden, Simmons
Sherman, Howe, Pearce, Bright, McDougal.
On nCommerce-Messrs. Chandler, King, Nor
rill, Wilson, Ten Eyck, Salisbury, johnson OF
Tennessee.
On Military Affairs and the Militia-Messrs
Wilson, King, Lane OF indiana, Lane OF Kansas
Rice, Latham. Nesmith.
On Naval Affairs-Messrs. Hale, Grimes, Foot
Sherman, Thomson, Kennedy, McDougall.
On the Judiciary-Messrs. Trumbull, Foster
Ten Eyok, C0wm, Harris, Bayard, Powell.
D On Post Offices and Post R0ads-Messrs. Col
lamer, Dixon, Wade, Trumbul, Rice, Bright
Latham.
; On Public Lands Messrs. Harlan, Clark
Pomeroy, johnson of Tennessee, Rice, Nesmith
Carlile.
l On Private Land Claims-Messrs. Harris
: Foster, Sumner, Polk, Bayard.
On Indian Afairs-Messrs. Dooittle, Wilkin
son, COwan, Lane of Kansas, Harlan, Nesmth
Starke.
On Pensions -Messrs. Foster, Lane ofIndians
InIS hnr
On Revolutionary ClaimS-Messrs. King
Chandler, Wilkinson, Hale, Nesmith.
!, On Claims-Messrs. Clark, Simmons, Howe
! Wllmot, Pomeroy, Polk, Thomson.
On District Of Cnlumbia-Messrs. Grimes
! Dixon, Morrill,, Wade, Anthony, Kennedy
q Powell.
On Patents and the Patent Ofice-Messr,
g Simmons, Sumner, Cowan, Thomson, Sault
bury.
On Public Buildings and Grounds-Messri
d Foot, Anthony, Chandler, Bright, Kennedy.
On observation-disclosures. Wade, Wilkinson
Hale. Browning, Johnson of Tennessee, Cal
9 lille, Pomeroy.
TO Audit and Control the Contingent Ex
penses of the Senate-Messrs. Dixon, Clarl
johnson of Tennessee.
d On Printing -Messrs. Anthony, Harlan, Pow
ell.
's On Engrossed Bills-Messrs. Lane Of Indian,
On Enrolled Bis-Messrs. Browning, Willie!
salisbury.
Oh tne LioTdry-MessTs' ledroe, Sohaiho
% Fessenden.
" SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.
The VICE PRESIDENT appointed Hon. wi
liam Pitt Fessenden and Hon. Lyman Trumbul
a. In accordance with the resolution Of the Sena
10 Of yesterday, as Regents of the Smithsonia
y, Institution.
. NOTICE OF A BILL
10 Mr.. FOOT gave notice that he would as
leave to introduce bill to authorize the Pre-
u. ident of the United States to fill up the corr
10 Of cadets " in the United States Military Aca
es emy at West Point
10 EXPULSION OF Mr.. BRRCKINRIDGE.
" Mr.. CHANDLER submitted the followir
- resolution:
Resolped, That John @. Breckenridge be, al
On he is hereby, expelled from the Senate.
Mr.. POWELL intimsted that Mr.. Brecki
ridge had already resigned his seat In the Sc
as ate, and he did not see how they could w
"A expel Senator after his resignation.