Charles City intelligencer., 1864-12-29
Proceedings of Congress.


a recess from Dec. 22d till the 5th of
January. In the House, on the 22d,
no business was transacted for want
of quorum while in the Senate moth
ing of an important nature took place.
Most of the Senators and Members
have gone home for the holidays. The
Committee on the Conduct of the War
and the subcommittee of the Ways
and Means Committee, will remain in
session during the recess.
A joint resolution was introduced in
the House Oh the 10th, by Representa-
tive Wilson, of Iowa, declaring GER
tain States not entitled to representa-
ton in the electoral college 1t in
cludes the States of Virginia, both
Carolinas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tex
as, Arkansas and Tennessee.
Mr.. Doolittle introduced bill appro-
priating SIC, 100000, or as much as is
necessary for dcfences on the lakes
and frontiers.
Mr. Doolittle said that the piratical
expeditions by land, which might be
organized and carried out if things
were permitted to go on as they had
on the Canadian frontier, would be dis
astrous to the lives and property of
our citizens but any land expeditions
that could be organized were as moth
ing compared with what might be the
result should therebels be able to get
hold of vessels on the bays around
Lake Huron, put cannon on board of
them, and all the enginery of war, to
destroy our cities on the lakes. 1t
would enable them to lay the city of
Chicago in ashes, and the city of Mil
waukee and other cities. There was
no way by which we could prevent
their passage through the Straits of
Mackinac therefore the Senate ought
to put it in the power Of the President
to build floating batteries to defend the
Straits of Mackinac and the commerce
of the lakes. Mr.. Doolittle continued |:
| hope, for one, that the Canadian
Government and authorities are sin
cere in the determination to prevent
in future any hostile or piratical incur
sions from those Provinces into the
United States if they do not prevent
them, we all know what the conse-
quences will be-war. God grant il
may be averted. / hope and trust it
may. | will labor to do all in my pow
er, consistently with the honor and in
tegrity OF the country, to prevent it,
and to preserve the peace of the Gov
ernment and to save civilization and
the world from the great shock which
must follow war between the United
States and Great Britain. Bnt, if the
terrible necessity, through their neg
lect or smothered hostility, must come
let it come. We will end the question,
when it does come, by perfect free
trade between the United States and
Canada, and put an end to the juris-
diction of Great Britain i'm any of her
Provinces of North America. desire
no war. On the contrary, | would do
all that reasonably can be done to pre-
vent it. l believe it can be prevent
ed, but the wisest way to prevent it is
to be prepared for any contingency
that may arise. hope the resolution
will be referred to the Committee Oh
Foreign relations.
Mr.. Grimes, of Iowa, called attention
to the London Times paragraph, and
wished to know about its truth. He
was satisfied that Great Britain had
the power to place large feet on the
lakes. The proper way to defend the
lakes is by arsenals and armories.
We own nearly all the shipping on the
lakes, and, when trouble breaks out,
all we need to do is to arm our steam
boats and take possession of Welland
Canal. Repeal the reciprocity treaty
and we will bring Canada and the 9TH
er Provinces to their knees at once.
He hoped the Committee on Foreign
Affairs would give special attention to
this matter.
The House has passed joint reso-
luton setting forth that the terms of
the Reciprocity Treaty with Great
Britain are not reciprocal and satisfac-
tory, providing for the adjustment of
any matters of difference between the
two Governments, and requesting the
President to give to the Government
of Great Britain and Ireland the notice
required by the 5th article of the
treaty of June 9Th, 1854, for the ter
mination of the same. The vote stood
yeas s5, nays 81. The probability
now is that the resolution will also
pass the Senate,