The daily Wabash express., 1862-01-10

Mr. vallsndigham said ,his wss the day o.
small reforms. and rs the day aud as th,
measure nov pending was emineniIy ono ol
the very smallest. IL would doubtless meet
With iAser. He read from the specisl
Committee. Of which he was a member, the
views therein expressed against the abolition
OF the iranking privilege. maintaining. among
other things. that there should bc the freesl
communication betw cen Congrcssmen and
their constituents. ropudiating the principle
that the fostcffico Department should be
se's-snstaining. aud showing that tho incroas
ell expenses were owing mainly To the in.
crease OF mail facilities
SENAIE.-Mr Collamer, from tho L. q
Committee. reported back the bill to pro
mote the efficiency OF the Dead Letter Office
The bill provides that all dead letters be
returned to tho writers .nstead OF being dis
lroyed.
Alter long discussion the bin was po.,
poned until to-morrow.
Mr.. Trumbull reported from the Judiciar,
Committee in favor of the resolution to ex-
pei Waldo III. johnson. of Missouri.
Mr.. Hale introduced a bill : punish frauds
on the Treasury. The bill provides that II
any person obtain money fraudu e tly. he
shall be punished by hne and I'M sisunment
TO hard labor for not more than ten wears:
u any officer of the Govemmerl do il he
shall be discharged and punishe and ever
after held Ineligible for any onice-reier-
rod.
a communication Was received from the
War Department transmitting the report of
the sanitary ommlssion--referred.
The House resolution, ia regard 10 bond.
ed sugar and coffee. laid over yesterday. was
taken up and passed by yeas %; nays 10.
The communications from the Secretary of
State In regard 10 the Trent affair were IA
ken up.
Mr.. Sumner proceed 10 address tho Sen
ate tie took the ground that Capt. Wilkes
was not legally justified in searching the
trent and taking from her the rebel Ambas-
sailors. though In making the seizure the
gallant Captain was actuated bv the puresl
motives, and acted ia strict accordance with
British precedenls and with International
law as eNpounded by the highest British au
horities. lie contended that the uniform
policy OF the United States, AS well as the
States OF Continental Europe, has been op
posed to the pretentions of the British Gov
ernment, and has maintained liberal inter.
probation OF the rights OF neutrals, and that
III many solemn treoties. in many most i'm
portant and authoritative State papers from
the foundation of the Republic 70 the pres
ent time, the American Government has
Committed itself fully and unreservedl, 20
the right of a neutral dag to cover civil pas
sengels. Tho question, he continued. has
been srgued with the greatest ability aad
thoroughness by the most eminent of our
statesmen, including Jefferson, Madison.
Monroe. and other Presidents, and the whole
record OF our diplomacy is luminous with ar
gumeats against such acts as that OF Captain
Wilkes
Mr.. Sumner proceed 10 show that we had
protested again and again that a naval Cap.
tam had no right to constitute himself on a
deck of a neutIal ship and take from her at
sole pleasure and discretion what he might
think was contraband.
lie was bound if he suspected her OF car
rying contrabands, to carry her into port and
the question decided BY competent courts.
but No court in this country. recognizing our
national and long established position on the
law Of nations. could have lawfully con-
demned the Trent. or held the captive Am
bassadors. in taking them from under the
British flag.
Mr.. Sumner held that Captain Wilkes,
misled by British legal authorities and by
British law books, had violated the Ameri-
can principle of the right of search. while
the British government on the other hand has,
by demanding the surrender of Mason and
slidell, stuluied its own history, renouncing
rs own principles, and virtually acknowlcdg-
sd the justice of the position 40 long main
tained by the United States This was a
political apd diplocauc triumph Of the high
sst value, Tor which We are deeply indebted
- fl.ar
" Wilkes snd the enlightened craftsmanship Of
Nr Seward