The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-01-24
Thirty-Seventh Congress,
CW iC FIRST SESSION.
WAsHINGTON, Jan. IA.

*'f t FlAS1 SENSlON.
WASHINGTON, Jan. IA.
SENATE.-Several petitions for the eman
cipation of slaves, &c, were presented
| MIR. Powells resolution was taken up, ask
ing the Secretary of War for an answer tc
the resolution in regard to contracts, &c.
MIR. Powell of Kentucky urged the adop
tion of the resolution at some length.
Mr.. Cowan of Pennsylvania, hoped the
resolution would not pass, which he though
was as vicious as the whole. He was op
posed to calling for the general reports from
the departments, though he was willing to
have any details called for if anything was
suspicious. I.. .,.......
MIR. Powell contended that it was spe.
cific. He wanted the people to know about
these contracts. H
Mr.. Trumbull of Illinois, thought the
resolution should be answered. 1t now ap.
pears that two and half millions of dol.
lars were given to Mr.. Cummings, civil.
ian, to make purchases Mr.. Trumbul
read at some length from the report of the
House Investigating Committee the evil
dence of Mr.. Cummings in regard to the
purchase ofstraw hats, pantaloons, &c. sc.
and Halls Carbines for SIS piece, which
the Government had sold before for So each
Afterwards they were resold for $3.50
apiece afterwards in August, they were re.
purchased for the Government by the agent
for $3.50 apiece, and turned over finally to
the Government at 1922 apiece. The Com
mttee OF the House are trying to prevent
this last payment.
The resolution was adopted, yeas "a
nays g. Nays-Messrs. Browning, Cowan
and Harris.
A communication was received from
United States Marshal Lamon, stating that
he had made certain regulations with regard
to admission into the Jail of the District of
Columbia, as follows; Admitting freely
the President and members of the Cabinet
the Judges OF the Supreme Court and the
President of the Senate and the Speaker Of
The House. Admitting members of the
Senate Oh pass from the President of the
Senate, and members OF the House on a
pass from the speaker of the House. All
other persons are excluded without pass
from Marshal Lamon.
MIR. Grimes OF Iowa, said Marshal La
mons statement was not true one. He
| (Grimes) was refused Abundance to the jail
yesterday, because he had no pass from the
foreign satrap who was brought here from
Illinois and imposed upon the inhabitants
OF this district.
On motion OF Mr.. Grimes, this bill was
taken up. Mr.. Grimes explained the bill
at length, and spoke of the disgraceful char
acter of the Jail, where all classes of per.
sons were huddled together. MIR. Grim es
here read from the Reports of the House
Committee in regard to Mr.. Lannon's un-
warranted intrusions. He Uamon), in St.
Louis, had appeared as Brigadier Gener-
al, and had sent regiment of troops to
Maryland, when it turned out that he was
not Brigadier General. and had no author.
ity to remove the regiment, the expense oil
which was thirty thousand dollars. This
Marshal, instead of attending to his duty in
that district, was engaged in business at St
Louis, without the authority of law. At
ter he (Grlmes) had made some remarks on
this bill last Friday, on the following day
this foreign satrap (Lamon) issued an order
that no person should be admitted to the
District Jail unless he applied for admission
to him. On hearing of this order a NUNS
Der OF Senators offered to go to the Presi'
dent and demand the removal of this Mar,
shall but he (Grimes) went to the Jail yes
terday and was refused admittance.
He then went to the President, but the
President was engaged, so he (Grimes) stat
ed these facts to the Senate, which he should
have stated to the President.
MIR. Pearce of Maryland, said that the
laws in regard to the Jail were the laws
which were in force at the time of the ces
sion of the district. The bill proposes q
delivery from the Jail OF all persons if moi
indicted, for that is the old law of Maryland
He thought that the bill was especially de.
signed for other persons. There was pow
er here higher than the law that released
other persons. He (Pearce) had list O.
seventeen persons released by the Provost
Morshal Such being the case he did moi
know how soon Congress would be told, al
Cromwell told the british Parliament -" thu
Lord has no mead of you" This bill gives
certain persons their liberty. 1t is sor1
of Emancipation bill. He thought it shoule
be modified so as to release such persons
from confinement. The Union could moi
be restored if the policy Of the Government
was known to be emancipation /; if such was
known to be the policy, there would not bs
Union man at the South left.
Mr.. Powell contended that the common
law was the remedy for all the abuses which
this bill proposed to abolish. There was NJ
necessity for this law at all unless it was
intended for all the slaves
Mr.. Pomeroy, of Kansas, agreed with
the Senator from Kentucky that the faul
was not so much the fault of the law as i
was the want of its proper execution.
Mr.. Garlic, of Va, hoped that they
would come to a vote 30 that slavery in thu
District may be practically abolished
Time enough had been spent on the bill. ant
he wanted it passed so as to remove one
peg on which to hang sympathetic treas
tise on the negro race.
Mr.. Morrill,, of Md, said he could not le
the correction of an abuse 60 with fins
at this side of the Chamber. This wa
simply bill to correct an abuse agains
the liberty Of every man, and he morrill,
could not rest under the imputation of dis
turbing the delicate relations of the negro
question. a..
| ;aMr Wilson of Mo,.o.Ir,o<t, <L.rrh