Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1865-02-09
From Warrington.

passed the Niagara Falls Canal Bill,
for connecting Lake Erie with Lake
Ontario, by large majority. By this
bill, the President is authorized to APP
point Typographical engineer, to be
associated with two civil engineers
and surveyors, and from them shall
determine and locate the route of the
canal. In order to accomplish the
early completion of the canal for mill
tary purposes, and to relieve the treas
ury, as far as practicable, from a large
expenditure of money, the President
is authorized to contract with any com
pany he may deem advisable, which
shall be hereafter chartered for such
purpose by the Legislature of any one
of the United States for the construc-
ton of the canal, and to convey to
the company the right of way and all
lands which the United States may
acquire under this act. The canal and
the Niagara river shall be military,
naval, postal and public highway,
connecting Lake Erie and Lake Onta-
rio, and shall be established as such
to the United States and the people
thereof forever. The canal is to be
free to the United States but not to
other parties. Sixty millions dollars
are to be loaned by the United States,
advanced and paid in bonds in denom-
nations of $1,000 each, payable in
twenty years from date the interest
Of six per cent. to be reimbursed to
the federal treasury from tolls. The
bill is yet to be acted on by the Sem
ate. ...... ...... .... ...
Col. North, arrested for frauds on
the soldiers votes, has been released
by order of the War Department. He
was convicted by the Court that tried
him, but the pressure for his release
was irresistible
A committee of ladies representing
$4,000 working women of Philadel-
phia, employees of Government con-
tractors, waited on the President a
few days ago to tell of their sufferings
and wrongs. Simon Cameron, John
w. Forney, and other Pennsylvanians
accompanied them. The President,
deeply impressed, sent for Acting Quar-
termaster General Them~s, end after
telling him the story he had heard, re-
marked with feeling : l shall consid-
er myself personally obliged if you
can hereafter manage the supplies of
contract work for the Government
made up by women, SO as to give them
remunerative wages for their labor"
The General replied that if it could be
done it should be-
On the 30th ult., in the House, res.
olution was passed declaring that Vir
ginia, North and South Carolina, Geor
gia. Florida, Alabama, Mississippi
Louisiana, Texas, and Tennessee are
not entitled to representation in the
Electoral College.
On the 3lst, in the Senate, a resolu
ton advising retaliation upon rebel
prisoners was adopted.
On Feb. LIST the credentials of Sena-
tors from Nevada were presented. Mr.
Stewart drew the long term and Mr.
Nye the short one.
On Feb. Cd, in the House, the I'LL.
nois Ship Canal bill was passed by a
vote of II to SO. 1t appronriates five
millions dollars in twenty year six pei
cent. bonds, in aid of the work also
two millions dollars to improve the
upper and lower rapids in the Missis.
sippi river.
Feb. Sd, in the Senate, the Niagara
canal bill was referred to the military
committee. 1t is not believed that eli.
Their of the canal bills will pass the
Senate during the present session.
The present century has known nc
such scene as that witnessed in Wash.
ington, on the 3lst ult, when, by a
two-thirds vote, the House of Repre-
sentatives exercised purely constitu-
tional right of saying there shall be
neither slavery nor involuntary servi-
tude, except for crime, in these United
States. The grandeur of that vote
neither tongue nor pen can tel, and
men now close their eyes thinking
themselves in q dream. Slavery, SO
far as Congress can do 80, is abolished
in these United States The final an
nouncement of the vote was the sequel
for whirlwind of applause wholly un-
precedented in Congressional annals.
The galleries led of, giving cheer at
ter cheer.
The members on the floor then join
ed in the shouting, throwing up their
hats and clappiDg their hands, while
the ladies in the galleries waved their
handkerchiefs, and the very pages OH
the floor joined in the demonstrations
of delight. The Democrats had been
very fierce in their demands for order,
when there had been some applause
| over the affirmative votes Of some Of
their own number, and had very i'm
periously demanded the enforcement
of the rules, but the storm of applause
that now swept through the chamber
was too much to resist, and Therefore
they sat silent and solemn in their seats
Well may those whose memory stretch
es back but even five short years, tc
.ho Jax, ,ybon alayo hold ,,s "a q,