The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-01-16

MONDAY, Jan. 9.


Congress has resumed its session.
Mr.. Nesmith presented the credentials
of Hon. Benjamin Stark, who was ,xp.
pointed to fill the vacancy occasioned
by the death of Senator Baker. Mr.,
Fessenden moved that the administra
ton of the oath be postponed. and the
credentials, together with certainpapers
in his possession charging Mr.. Stark
with being secessionist, be referred
to the Judiciary Committee. A dis.
cussion on the motion ensued, in which
Messrs. Bright, Bayard, Trumbull.
Sumner and Lane participated, and the
matter was then laid on tire table.
Several petitions were presented, viz
That John G. Fremont be appointed
acknowledgement; that the slaves he
emancipated; that no further agitation
of tho slavery question be tolerated in
Congress. The Judiciary Committee
reported that no new facts had been
submitted to change their former report
that Mr.. Stanton was entitled to the
seat now held by Mr.. Lane. On motion
Of Mr.. Collamer, the committee on the
postoffice were instructed to inquire
into the expediency of taxing kilograms.
Mr.. Davis introduced joint resolution
that the President procure an exchange
of prisoners from the privateer JEFF.
Davis for prisoners taken from the army
of the United States, which was adopt
ed. Mr.. Fessenden offered joint
resolution authorizing the Secretary OF
the Treasury to allow goods coffee and
tea) warehoused before the passage of
the recent act to be Withdrawn with
the duty of the former act paid, and
the duties collected on such goods
under the late act be refunded, which
was also adopted.
In the House Mr.. Roscoe Conklin,
on question Of privilege, called atten-
ton to the resolution lately adopted by
the House with reference to the battle
of Balls Bluff, to which the Secretary
of War had returned. "a he deemed,
an evasive answer. Mr.. Conklin made
a long speech urging that inquiry
should be made as to who was respon-
sible for the disaster, claiming it as a
respect to the memory of the nine
hundred and thirty men who were killed
in the battle. In the course of his re-
marks he censured in severest terms
the way in which the war had been
conducted, and concluded by offering
a preamble reciting the resolution here
ioiore adopted, and theresponscs, con-
Guiding with resolution that the an
swer to it is neither responsive nor
satisfactory to the House, and that the
Secretary of War be directed to return
further answer. A lively debate then
followed. Mr.. Richardson opposed
the resolution, as did Messrs. Critten-
den and Vallandigham. Mr.. Lovejoy,
in advocating its passage, alluded to
emancipation, which brought out Mr..
Wickliffe, who asked if Mr.. Lovejoy
did not vote for a resolution which
passed the House in February last, that
neither the House nor the people of
the North have the right or purpose to
interfere with or legislate on the subject
of slavery in the South. This led to a
discussion on emancipation, in Which
Messrs. Wickliffe, Lovejoy, Mallory,
Dunn and Stevens took part. An in
effectual attempt was made to table the
resolution, and it was passed by vote
of 10 to GA. The joint resolution from
the Senate on the recent act imposing
duties on tea, coffee and sugar, was
then passed and the House adjourned.
TUESDAY. Jan. Z.
The Senate passed resolution to-
day, instructing the Naval Com
mittee to inquire how the practice has
prevailed in the navy of making pur
chases through other than recognized
agents, and, if any such have been
made, whether larger prices have been
paid. Mr.. Powell introduced bill! to
abolish the ranking privilege. The
bill to increase the number of cadets
at West Point was taken up, and after
prolonged debate, the Senate refused
to pass it by avote of ~ to 25. The
bill in relation to the arrest of persons
who claim to be held to service or labor,
by officers of the army or navy, was
postponed for the present.
In the House message was received
from the President, communicating the
papers in the case of the Trent, and
Mr.. Vallandigham availed himself of
the opportunity to denounce the action
of the administration in giving up
Messrs. Mason and Slidell. He pre-.
dioted that in less than three months
we would be at war with Great Britain,
or else we would submit to the recog-
milton of the southern confederacy and
the breaking up of the blockade. Mr..
Eatchins responded that the position
thus taken was open to the suspicion
of a desire for foreign war, which
was Just what the South wished. Mr.
Thomas characterized the demand of
England as unmanly and unjust. MIR.
Kelly urged the vigorous prosecution
of the war at home as the only preven-
tative against foreign war. The
documents were finally referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations. The
House then went into committee on the
bill for the payment of sundry expenses,
pending the discussion of which an
adjournment was effected.
WEDNESDAY, Jan. s.
Mr.. Powell presented to the Senate
several resolutions from the Legislature
Of Kentucky, of which the following
is q summary Asking that the Sena-