Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1862-01-16
CDSGRE Sc.

cussion was put to vote and lost. Yeas r.
nays rs. In the House nearly the whole ses-
sion was taken up in the discussion of the sur
render of Messrs. Mason and Sli,lell Sir. Val
landigham, Of Ohio, arraignei the Government
for the course which it had pursued, and for
what he styled ''the abject humiliation" to which
it had subjected the nation. lie predicted, in
spite of this surrender or because of it, that this
country will either be at war with Great Britain
in less than three months. or will have to tamely
submit to the recognition of the Confederate
States and the breaking of the blockade. Mr..
Hutchins, of Ohio, in reply, charged that his
colleague had changed his position upon the
question of war-tllat at one time he was OPP
posed to coercion, whilst now he is in favor
benefit the rebels. He, moreover, accused Mr.
Vallandigham of having declared that not a
soldier should leave the State of Ohio for
the purpose of subjugating the South. Mr.
Fallandigham denounced the report as false,
and Mr.. Hutchins accepted the denial Mr..
Thomas, Of Massachusetts, was opposed to the
surrender, but would acquesce. He still be-
iicved England to be in the wrong. Mr.. Dixon.
Of New York, thought that if Great Britain de-
sired to go to war with the United States she
could soon find pretexts enough. years hence"
he said, nobody will feel any humiliation that
may attach itself to this question" He voted
on the resolution complimentiug Captain Wilkes
FOR his act because the latter conceived it to be
his duty to arrest the rebels, and performed it.
Mr.. Dixon closed with a reference to the militia
ry arm Of the service which he said was only
acting as police force to preveLt the escape of
negroes from the service of the rebels He was
in favor Of employing the slaves against their
former masters He closed by Declaring that
before we reached victory we should he in a
condition of bankruptcy, for the Government
was to-day flooding the country with an ire
deemable paper currency.
Wednesday.-In the Senate the House bill
providing for the construction of twenty iron
clad gunboats, was reported back from the Con-
mittee on Naval Affairs. with an amendment,
which proposed that the expenditure should be
made by the President, instead of the Secretary
of the Navy. Mr.. Hale, as chairman of the
Committee, stated that the object of the amend
ment was to censure the Secretary of the Navy,
because of his previous course in the purchase
of ships, through his brother-in-law Mr. Nor
gan of New York, by which the latter had
pocketed, in very short time. ninety-fve thou
sand dollars, in commissions. Mr. Foster thought
the object would not be attained by the amend
ment, as the President would still charge the
Secretary with the disbursements. Mr. Morrill,
thought it was the duty to deal with such cases
directly, and not with side thrusts. Mr. Pow
ell took the same ground, and censured the Pre-
sident for retaining Cabinet officer, against
whom such charges were brought. The dissen-
sion was then abruptly closed by the Vice Presi-
lent announcing that it was time to proceed to
the order of the day, which was on the report
from the Judiciary Committee on the contested
seat of Mr. Lane, of Kansas. The discussion of
the report occupied the remainder of the session.
In the House resolution was adopted author
izing the Judiciary Committee to send for per-
sons and examine witnesses as to the telegra phic
censorship Of the press and to compel the pro-
duction Of papers and dispatches sent or pro-
posed to be sent A resolution was also passed
calling upon the Secretary of the Treasury to
farpish the sum total Of the floating debt Of the
= States sod the heads under which the
said debt may be arranged. Instructions were
given to the Committee of Ways and Means to
consider at their earliest convenience the expe-
diency of reporting bill for raising one hun
tifed millions of dollars by taxation.
:. Thursday.-In the Senate. after number of
petitions and bills were read twice and referred.
the debate was opened on the special order of
the day, which was the reply Of the State De-
partment to the resolution of inquiry in regard
to the Trent affair." Mr. Sumner, as Chairman
Of the Committee on Forei On Affairs, read long
speech in reference to the action of the Govern
ment in surrendering Mcssrs. Mason and Slidell.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Summers speech; the
amendment offered by Mr.. Hale to the bill, pro-
viaing for the construction of twenty iron-clad
gnuboats was debated. The point discussed
was the substitution of the President, for the
Secretary of the Navy, as the person, under
whose authority, the work should be DONE
The amendment was intended to operate as an
indirect censure of the Secretary of the Navy,
Morgan, to make purchases of vessels for the
use of the Government, and for allowing him
the extraordinary commission of two-and-a-half
per cent? instead of the usual commission of
one per cent A sharp debate ensued, which
was finally brought to close by the adoption
of a resolution calling upon the Secretary for
particulars In the House, the entire session
was taken up with the discussion of the bill to
abolish the ranking privilege. A motion was
finally made to lny the bill and amendments on
the table, but the motion was lost by large
majority.
TTIUQy.-lJ Lue koeualc VatUO I JOuLSOU
and Trusten Polk, Senators from Missouri were
expelled to-day on charge of di-loyalty.-
The claim of Mr.. Starke, Of Oregon, to the seat
made vacant by the death Of Colonel Baker, was
also discussed, and his loyalty being called in
question, the Senate refused to allow him to be
sworn in. In the House letter was received
from the Secretary of War, in reply to a resolu-
ton requiring more explicit answer from him
in relation to the disaster at Balls Bluff The
Secretary responds by stating that measures had
been taken to ascertain upon whom the respon-
sbility should fall, but that it was not compati-
bic with the public interest, at this time, to make
the result of those measures known. The CON-
lnuncation was referred to the Joint Committee
on the conduct of the war After some resolu-
tons of minor Importance were disposed of the
House resumed the consideration of the appro-
priation bill. Both houses adjourned till Mon
day.
= onday.-One of the contemplated fnancia
measures for the relief Of the Government was
brought forward in the Senate to-day. 1t is 6
bill to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury
to issue one hundred millions Of dollars in Urea.
sury notes, to run for five years, bearing an in