Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1861-02-22
FROM WASHINGTON.
THURSDAY. Feb. ID, 1861

The last event Of the week is the first in
interest Yesterday was the day fixed by
law for counting the votes for President and
Vice President and completing and declaring
their election. At IL O'Clock. after an inn
pressive prayer by the chaplain wherein he
invoked the blessing Of the Almighty upon
the Administration going out and that coming
in, message was sent to the Senate, announc-
ing the readiness Of the House to proceed
with the order of the day. Shortly thereaf-
ter the Vice President and Senate were an
nounccd by the door-keepor, and the members
Of the House arose to receive them. The Vice
President then declared the purpose Of the
joint meeting, and proceeded to break the
seal Of the returns of each State, beginning
with Maine, and delivering each in succession
TO the telers selected by the two Houses
The tcllers examined the certificates, and de-
clared the votes returned, while the Secretary
Of the Senate kept tally and announced each
entry, and the Clerk Of the House recorded
the votes. This process ended, Senator
Trumbull, in behalf Of the tellers, announced
to tho Vice President the votes received by
the several candidates. and the Vice President
declared that Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal
Hamln had received majority Of oil the
votes cast and are elected President and Vice
President of the United States for the term
of four years commencing on the fourth Of
March next The members of the House
then rose, the Senate retired, and the work
II md
without any demonstrations of anger or Joy
There was a very slight tapping Of feet upon
the floor, the usual premonitory of applause,
but it was for an instant only, and seemed to
be repressed by an instructive sense Of the
prophecies of the occasion. The galleries
were crowded by an audience of better men
and women than have been found there on
previous occasions. At an early hour the
crowd was drawn to the capitol. Police Off
GERS were in attendance in the corridors, and
the door-keepers rigidly enforced the rules.
None but ladies were admitted to the ladies'
galleries, and of course the gentlemen who
attended them were compelled to find seats in
the gontemen's galleries. These gentlemen
filled them so completely that the usual crowd
of roughs and rowdies were for the most part
excluded. The Diplomatic gallery full /;
and on the floor of the House were many
members of the Peace Commissioners. -
On the whole, the scene was impressive and
worthy of a civilized country. President Lin
coin will soon be here, attended by the usual
retinue Of cabinet-makers, and crowds of
place hunters. The duty of the first and the
4 Of, "a, 6
the latter will come speedily.
Financial.
The new Secretary of the Treasury has in
formed the House that the treasury has debts
to the amount of ten millions to be met by
the 4th Of March, and only two millions to
meet them with--a deficiency Of eight mil
lions to be made up within less than three
weeks. He proposed on Wednesday to &C
cept the guaranty ofsome of the States to the
amount of the surplus fund deposited with
them; but Mr.. Garnett Of Virginia objected
and the project was thrown over until Mon
day next. Yesterday the Secretary recalled
that proposition, and asked that the bonds
already authorized may be issued in denomi-
nations as low as fifty dollars, so as to enable
creditors of the government to receive then
in discharge of their claims but the objec
tive Mr. Garnett again prevented. He would
give no money to government which is like
" to coerce rebels Mr. Garnetts oppos
ton to coercion seems to be precisely like the
opposition Of a murderer to capital punish
ment, or a thief to imprisonment In fact,
suppose he is secessionist and wishes e
"coerce' the government into completely
with secession.
Hon. it happened.
Simultaneously with the recent letters o
the Secretary of the Treasury, we had a re
port Of the committee appointed TO investi
gate the late robbery OF bonds. 1t turns on
that ex-Secretary Floyd issued acceptances t'
an amount exceeding three millions of dol
lars beyond the amount due to Russell & Co
for their services and that more than tw
millions of this amount was issued after Sen
ator Benjamin had warned Floyd that he wa
exceeding his authority, and Floyd himsel
had promised 10 issue no more. l know q
nobody who can tell where the money ha
gone, nor how it can be recovered. Floy
has published clustering notice that he vii
come uGTt anu Qtluhuu q AildAs MS - ~
way how the deficiency happened.
4 LuH.
Congress has been very quiet for a week
In the Senate there has been a little showing
of hands by Senators Fessenden and King
which distressed the secessionsts, and MI
Lincoln's speech at indianapolis gave ther
no relief The rogues are afraid of the Law
In the House, Mr.. Corwin suspended the de
bate on the state Of the country, much to tn
disappointment Of many members who are bi
with speeches. There is a lull, too in tn
Peace (of a. Congress at the other end Of tn
avenue, il it be possible that in silence ther
Is lower deep. The commissioners hay
done nothing for two days-waiting that tim
for their committee to report. Nothing wi
be done to-day, presume, on account Of tn
death of distinguished member, the Hor
John C. Wright Of Ohio.
gY The Governor of Georgia has issued