, 1863-01-24

lice, whether it be constitutional or not.
He qualified his signature Of the bill
abolishing slavery in the District OF
Columbia by 4 message suggesting sup
Elementary legislation to remedy i1e
defects. After sIgnif5ing in1ormaIy 10
Congress that bill amending the Conhsca-
lion and Emancipation Act, SO as to overcome
lis objections, must be passed before 1t could |
receive his signature, he returned both bills |
with message which fell like q wet blanket |
upon his friends, as they were On the point Of |
for the session. That message. as
will be remembered, the Senate neglected
and the House Indirectly refused to order to
be printed; the motion to print, vote upon
which was defeated by the arrival Of the hour
Of adjournment, being pressed by one Of the
bitterest foes Of the administration, Hon.
John s. Phelps, now the so.cal1ed Military
Governor Of Arkansas.
kind Us the others, and eyen more open to
criticism. It comprises signature Of tue bill
Of lecture to Congress for passing it, and a
number Of recommendations relating to mat
ters not in it and in no way connected with it,
except rs being Of financial character. The
signed bill provides for an issue Of a hundred
millions more legal tender notes, the lecture
warns Congress against expanding the cur
rency by such excessive issues, the recon-
mendations urge the taxation Of bank notes
and the adoption Of the " National Banking
Scheme" Mas ever communication Of this
character framed by President before? Mr:
It: he then sets forth tshis objections" the
rcasons why he had not ought to have signed
it, or rather, why 1t should not have been
pasEed; anu adds suggestions whereby to
mitigate its supposed evil effects.
HOW IT Is RECEIVED.
The reception giTen to this extraordinary
message i'll each House VAS such as might
have been expected The Senate referred it
to the Finance Committee without doing the
common courtesy Of sending It to the public
hootcd down, and indignant comments were
heard from all sides Of the Chamber. The
members Of the House laughed or sworc, ac-
cording to their temper, refused to refer the
document to q joint select committee, sent it
to the Ways aad Means, which has already de-
a majority 10 be shaken. Both
Houscs felt their dignity insulted and the
plan, If plan there was, to galyanize the tina
tional banking schemc'' into life by the care
full nursing. Of its friends in committee
Chase, for the message is popularly consid-
cred his message, Overshot his mark when
he attempted thus to coerce legislation
| BY the exertion Of executive influence In a
mode not recognized as customary or proper.
| At such 4 time rs the present, each depart
! ment Of the Government is jealous and justly
| Jealous Of the interference on tue part Of any
| other department.
| It may be added that the friends Of the Adj
| ministration see much force in the remark Of
| Senator Powell appropos Of the message.
| "You Republicans" said he in effect,
! best to hold up his hands in his great office
andto justify ill Lis acts. But lie docs not
seem to do the same By you; he not only does
| not consult with you, but ho fouts mt the
| measures you adopt us the most necessary and
helpful to him."
| THE 1Rosc1ADs EN- VOYAGE FOE CHARLESTON
That the eventual destination Of the avt
ironclads-four Monitors and the new Iron
sidcs-which have sailed southward, is Charles
ton, is known to the rebels, Of course, and
for wonder, to loyal citizens rs well. Pcrhap
the blow will be struck before this letter get
into print; but it Is impossible to say hov
this may be, since it lies with Admiral Dupon
since the voyage Of all ironclnd is problematl
cal both as 10 duration and safety. as the fat
Of the father Of the fathcr Of our little hfoni
; tor fleet admonlEhes us; and since, also, q
opinion obtains, whether we'll or i'll fonnde
it is not proper TO say, that the fleet will sto
1
tion on their route.
There is surely satisfaction in the fact tl,a
the vessels upon whose success much depend
have at length sailed, and that there Is Il re:
sonable probability Of the capture, throng
their means Of Que or more rebel ports. Th
r contractors had made and broken SO mai,
promises to complete their work on or befor
given time, aud the Navy Department, rel,
, ing upon these promises, had fixed so man
days for the capture Of Charleston; that pcopl
were beginning to think OF tho matter almos
as one Of Mr.. sewards sixty-day prophecies
: TIE COMING coSFL1cr-BEAunEGAR AaA1Ss
DUPONT.
The efficiency Of our fleet will be put to 9
severe 4 test as our worst cncmfcs could d
e | sire, upon its arrival in Charleston llarbo
The channel up which it must steam Is con
! .nlanded by Mt leaets140 guns Of heavy calibr,
t aud is clogged with all the obstructions will
: in tho wit Of Beauregard to inycnt. Two iro1
plated rams, on which great hopes arc place.
are ready to butt ut all hostile visitor
Against these formidable means Of dcfens'
the United States pits eight guns, four I
f them carrying the heaviest ball known to n;
, val warfare, mounted on insignificant 1ittl
craft, clad IN armor never yet penetrated, t
t be sure, but never Jet 80 exposed. and sixtee
Hntricd model Notwithstanding the apparc,
}. disparity Of forces, the greatest confidence
/ felt In our success, by most Of those in wl,o1
the country llas q right to contde. No MA
in the navy is better qualified, both by 1aatu1
e task, than Admiral Dupont, who believes, as
= hear, that he can accomplish 1t.
r To this great conflict between stonewal
s and railroad iron walls on land, and iron wal
On water, between nearly hundred aud flf
= guns on land and sixteen guns On water, t
Il interest evoked by the duel between the Me
Il riMac and the Monitor will be surpassed /
that given to this new attempt to solve Il
greet military rroblem Of tAe lines.
u ASSISTANT SECRETARY WATSON TO RENAL
J Since my last it has been determined til
v Assistant Secretary Watson shall remain
the War Department, taking the promine
Is place, which Mr. Wolcott's Illness forces Iii
l. to yacate. Secretary Stanton proposed th
u tion on an understanding with Mr.. Stantt
Is tina: he shal1 be .assisidnf Secretary, not me
!, clerk, shall be thoroughly in the confidence
IL his chief, and in position to rc-organizc Il
'e Department internally upon a working bas
G. aud to influence its policy. It is for tue a
% be made, for it would be difficult 10 fl
Il another man. who possesses Mr.. Watson's G
cellcnt qualifications for his position, WHO
thoroughly above suspicion, aud who cnjo
the confidence Of oil the nti-siayery leade
lack Of a man Of his experience be easily 50
of piled. Whether llr. Stanton remains in OIL
T. or not-and he must, Of course, fall with I
Ii rest Of the Cabinct-it will be desirable to
IS tain the services Of Mr. Watson.
cs THE TAxEs on COTTON AND SUGAR.
;, The Commissioner Of internal Revenue 81
70 that considerable revenue il derived frc
~ the tax Of half q cent per pound On cotton
~ the precise amount Of which he Is, howeva
" / at present unable to giyc-and he thinks IL
n, tile tax might proGtably and advantageous
he be increased. Probably nobody would be
h, 5urcd By such increase, except the swarms
~ Epeculators, civil and military, who inf
10 Helena and other advanced posts,
IL It is estimated by sugar refncrs Of N
York that the government has lost ut le:
s. eco eco by its neglect to appoiut agents
us collect The tax upon Louisiana sugar, frt
is, which source not one dollar has get reach
OF the Treasury. The reason given ut the I
u partment for this neglect to enforce the /
-. is that it was next to impossible to find
Us proper man or to take the necessary measu
for fits collection, But 1t has proved not
be impossible to ship the sugar from n
o. Orleans to New York aud elsewhere.
ut GRAND UNION DEMONSTRATION
- - FRANKLIN COUNTY.
- Correspondence Of the Chicago Tribuuc.1
DENTON, H., Jan. .sth, 1sB
49, In accordance with the call made by nun
~, ous citizens Of franklin county, for N
'ut meeting for the purpose Of expressing Il
'e dcrotion to the Union, without regard pal
and to celebrate thc victory won By RI
,-.xc ,vor fl,a rnhn1s nf hfurfrcesl,Orf