Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-05-28
LATEST NEWS.
BY TELEGRAPH
70 THE WORCESTER RAItY SPY
xxxvrItn Congress-First Session.
WASHINGTON, May p.

A reduction of the tax on tobacco was re-
fused. An amendment striking out the tax on
cotton, was adopted, yeas 90 nays Is. The
tax on auction sales was modified to one per
cent on merchandise, and one tenth of one
per cent on bonds, stocks, &c. Pending
motion of Mr.. Wilson's to strike out the
license to retail liquor dealers, on the ground
of the immortality of the traffic, he stating
that he would vote against the bill if such
section was contained in it, the senate adj
journed.
HOUSE,
Mr.. CRIsFIELD from the committee on pub
lie lands reported a bill granting California
the tract of land known as the Colorado Des-
ert, for the purpose of introducing sufficient
supply of fresh water upon and over the
same The bill was referred to the commit
tee of the whole
The house passed the senate bill providing
contracts for surveys of public lands, not to
be binding until approved by the commission
er of the general land office, and that conf
compensation of registers receivers be each
500 with fees commissions, &c. The bill is
to reduce the expenses of surveys and sale of
lands.
The speaker laid before the house a mes
sage from the president, briefly referring to
the history of the commencement of hostili-
ties, and his exercise of the broad powers of
the constitution to preserve the capital of the
country during the absence of congress. In
cidentally with this he refers to the arrange
ments with Gov. Morgan, Alexander Cum
mings, and Others with view to speedy and
efficient protective measures. BY this means
he believes the government was prevented
from an overthrow He has no knowledge
that even dollar was lost or wasted The
president quotes the house resolution censur-
i
self but all the heads of departments are re-
sponsible with Mr. Cameron for whatever er-
ror, wrong, or fault, has been committed.
The message was referred to the committee
of the whole on the state of the Union.
Mr.. DAWES made an exposure of the fnan-
cial condition of the treasury to show that
Mr. VOORHEES, widely overshot the mark as to
expenditures, &C. Mr.. VOORHEES, spiritedly
replied and maintained his former position.
The following is the presidents message,
sent in to-day =
TO the Senate and House of Representa-
tires The instruction which is yet existing
in the United States, and aims at the over
throw of the federal constitution and the
Union, was clandestinely prepared during the
winter of 1860 and 1861, and assumed an open
organization in the form of reasonable pro-
vislonal government at Montgomery, Ala
bama, on the 18th day of February, 1861. On
the 18th day of April, 1861, the insurgents
committed the fragrant act of civil war by the
bombardment and capture Of fort Sumter,
which cut off the hope of immediate concilia-
ton. Immediately afterwards all the roads
and avenues to this city were INSTRUCTED and
the capital was put into a condition Of siege.
The mails in every direction were stopped
and the lines photograph cut off by the inSur-
gents, and the military and naval forces
I h.
for the defence of Washington were prevented
from reaching the city by organized and COM
bined reasonable resistance in the state of
Maryland. There no adequate and etfec
tive organization for the public defence.
Congress had indefinitely adjourned. There
was no time to convene them
1t became necessary for me to choose
whether using only the existing means, agen-
cies, and processes which congress had pro-
vided, | should let the government fall into
ruin, or whether awaiting myself of the broad
er powers conferred by the constitution in
cases of instruction, | would make an effort
to save it with all its blessings for the present
age and for posterity. thereupon summoned
my constitutional advisers, the heads Of all
the departments, to meet on Sunday, the 10th
day of April, 1861, at the Office Of the navy
department. and then and there, with their
unanimous concurrence, | directed that an
armed revenue cutter should proceed to sea
to afford protection to the commercial marine,
especially to the California treasure-shps then
on their way to this coast. | also directed the
commandant of the navy yard at Boston to
purchase, or charter and arm as quickly as
possible, five steamships for purposes Of pub
lie defense. | directed the commandant of
the navy yard at Philadelphia to purchase, or
charter and arm an equal number for the same
purpose. | directed the commandant at New
York to purchase. or charter and arm an equal
number. | directed commander ellis to pur-
chase, or charter and arm and put to sea two
other vessels. Similar directions were given
to commodore Dupont, with a view to the
opening of passages by water to and from the
capital
| directed the several officers to take the
advice and obtain the aid and efficient
vices in the matter of his eXcellency. Edwin
ID. Morgan, the governor of New York, or,
in his absence, George ID. Morgan, VIM. M.
Evarts, II. M. Blatchford, and Moses IL.
Grnnel, who were by my directions espec
tally empowered by the secretary Of the navy
to act for his department in that crisis, in mat
tiers pertaining to the forwarding of troops
and supplies for the public defence. On the
same occasion | directed that Gov. Morgan
and Alexander Cummings, of the city of New
York, should be authorized by the secretary
of war, Simon Cameron, to make all neces-
sary arrangements for the transportation of
troops and munitions of war, in aid and as
sistance of the officers of the army Of the
United States until communication by mails
and telegraph should be completely re-estab-
lished between the cities of Washington and
New York. No security was requested to be
given by them, and either of them was au-
thorized to act in case of inability to consult
with the other.
On the same occasion authorized and di-
rected the secretary of the treasury to ad-
vance, without requiring security, two mil
lions of dollars of public money to John A.
Dix, George Opdyke, and Richard M. Batch-
ford, of New York, to be used by them in
meeting such acquisitions as should be directly
consequent upon the military and naval meas
ures for the defence and support OF the gov
eminent, requiring them only to act without
compensatOn and to report their transactions
when duly called upon. The several depart
ments of the government at that time contain
ed so large a number Of disloyal persons That
it would have been impossible to provide safe
ly, through official agents only, for the per-
Torrance of the duties thus confided to cltl-
zens favorably known for their ability, loyalty,
and patriotism. The several orders issued
upon these occurrences were transmitted by
private messengers, who pursued circultous
way to the seaboard cities, inland, across the
states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, and the
northern lakes | believe that by those and
similar measures taken in that crsls--some OF
which were without any authority OF law-the
government was saved from overthrow