New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-02-07
THE NETWORK PETITION-DEFENC OF
WASHINGTON.

LIE NIN -lOhh hA'Nh Va
WASHINGTON.
Correspondence Of The N. Y Tribune.
WAsHISGToS, Feb. 4, 1861.
bill for the better protection OF the lives 81 passen-
gers travelling on ocean steamers, which passed the
House in May last, and which is now before the Sen
ATE Committee on Commerce il likely to meet with
much secret opposition from those engaged in the trans
portatiou of passengers This bill hns some good and
wholesome provisions in il, which will remedy
evils long and js,tly complained Of The OTpo.
rition TO it is led by the son-in-law Of
Cornelius Vanderbilt, now in Congress. When
the North Star on French Keys il will he remeu-
ber,d that The public were informed by Capt Wander
bilts agent in New-York that the steamer had about
seven hundred souls on board, while she really had
over twelve hundred passengers TO say nothing Of the
crew. To place tlat number OF perrons board Of a
steamer not sxteen bundled tuns burden, in warm
and ticky climate like that Of The Gull in certain
sons Of the year. should be forbidden by law like that
before Congress
TIE ChiIiqu men confident in Tie final success VI
their drap on the Treasury for 600 GEO. having formed
alliances with every other clique having fimilar balls
with If. in them TO be parsed this session 81 Con
erees provided the Secction excitement lasts. Tie
great Convention meets here to-day willaris Hall.
be giving them wrong name. If they do anything
it will he done not to the interest Of tie Union, but
with view of staying proceedings the part Of tie
President who will be appealed for the sake Of tie
Union to do certain tbingswbch will tend strengthen
the hands of the Seoessioniss, sneh tie with
drawal Of the troops from Washington and the
surrender Of Fort Sumter Ii il ssid tbat the great
States are in favor Of tbis II they are certainly
Al aH..l. II
the Union, and don't preach aud prJfe,s Union se.t
ments like the Cotton men OF New-lok viii, theJ are
unwilling to do anything in it, defense.
A number of highly respectable citizens cane
to this city from New-York the other day
with what they termed monster petition signed by
the commercial cass in favor Of adjustment Of the
present seeming difficulties The effect Of presertng
petition Of such large proportions and claiming for it
the credit Of representing the merchants OF New
York alone, when they don't amount 70 more than
than 10 900 men, while the petition contained nearly
10 600 names, caused many Of the friends Of
Southern secession here 10 denouIce the whole
thing as a bsrefaced cheat, gotten up by few
Southern traders in molasses and cotton who
came on here TO get their in print in order 10
stand right with tleir Southern brethren Among thu
last batch Of cotton compromsers there were se'era
reported supporters Of Mr.. Lincoln, who repudiate
their former acts and il said 20 with the South In
order that these oades 20 the South may know what
Southern men think of them, beg leave 10 state that
distinguished and intelligent citizen Of one Of the Cotton
States to whom they all bad been introduced, declared
to-day that IN cOnvertaon with them he failed 10 dis
GOV er anything which approached 10 ordinary
tegence and us n the history Of the country whose
welfare they protested to have 70 seriously heart be
believed he did not do them Injustice when lie raiC he
could select from almost any primary school in this
city child not twelve years Of age who could surpass
them on that particular point.
Wheu these men have discovered what every reason
ably Informed has done already, they will find that
the SecesoDisls do not want comrromires-that they
despise them much they do the oaeies who offer
them II these gentlemen desire TO preserve this Gov
eminent, they must do something else beside come
10 Washington and Join in denOunoing and nsrepre.
sentiug the position of Mr.. Lincoln, who, we told
by these vice and great men, will be all right when he
gets here, they having secured Senator Seward who
. will do the rest.
While this is going on, and the greet City of
New-York is being positively disgraced Gen. Scott
continues to bring ali available forces at CON.
mand within the District that by the l5b Of
this month an informed by officer to-day, the City
will contain a we'll drilled and well disciplined army Of
5000 men. Companies of soldiers are dropping into
the city almost hourly, and tho timid are leaving or
preparing 10 leave the city 70 be out Of the way
when the bullets and traitors meet. The House Com
nee thus far have made few If any discoveries that
would lead 10 the detection Of those engaged in the se
cret plot Of Selling the Capitol. The time ia
too shor, for them to accomplish anything and the ring
LEADER Of that enterprise too fer out Of their reach
Still Gen. Scott may be able 10 hand them for al
examination before the 18th Of March.
Mr.. Sickles made speech in the House yesterday in
favor of the Chiriqui grant purchase, which the
Committee Of Ways and Means reported unanimously
against, regarding the whole thing as Il swindle.
SOUTH CAROLINAS NAVY, AND WHAT Be
CAME OF II
To The Eliior J The N. Y. Tvitahs
Sin: Allow me to give you an account OF the Navy
South Carolina built IN 1850, and wha, became Of 10
You will remember how, in 1850 the little State Of
South Carolina became ubilant over the prospect Of
Secession and direct trade with Europe. Diyer learned