Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-11-15
From Washington.

Special Dispatch to the Baltimore Sun.
Meeting of Congress-President's nI"ssmgc--
Difficulties of the Adjourned Session &C.
gal Inconsistencies for Cabinet Consider
ation-The Troops in the Department of
Washington.
WASHINGTON, Nov. Tt has been an
nounced that the President is engaged upon
a message to Congress, to be presented
upon an early day to the adjourned session
that cOnvenes on the 2lst instant. This
announcement does not appear to have any
valid foundation, There is, in fact, good
reason for saying Mr.. Johnson has not
commenced the preparation OF any such
message, and that it is not well settled that
he viii communicate to Congress the intor-
nation of the state of the Union, at all
events until some time during the regular
or December session.
It should be borne in mind that the No
vember session can last but eleven days,
including Sundays, and that there will be
but nine working days before the regular
constitutional December session must COM
menca. The constitution provides that
Congress shall assemble at least once in
every year, and such meeting shall be on
the. first Monday in December, unless they
shall by law appoint different day. Con-
gross has not appointed different day,
present regular times of meeting, there
shall be meeting" etc. etc.
The coming November session must
therefore adjourn by noon Of Monday, De-
cember I'd, and commence a regular session
at that hour. If the President shall have
any measure that he deems necessary and
expedient to recommend to Congress for
their consideration, they will be communi-
Gated at about the usual period, probably
in December.
Under the existing provisions of the laws
there are several difficulties presented. ii
Congress shall pass an act even a. carly rs
the Dist day of November, the President
cannot hold the bill for the constitutional
term of ten days, during the November
session, because after excluding Sundays,
there can be but nine days Left so, like
wise, in the tenure of Office law, which pro-
vides that the President shall report the
suspensions of officers and appointments OF
their successors within twenty days after
the first day of the next meeting OF the
Senate By the time that half of these
twenty days shall have expired the Noyem-
Der session must cease by limitation OF law,
Such are some of the legal inconsistencies
which, it is argued, have resulted from the
recent congressional legislation, and which,
it is understood, are to be considered IN
Cabinet tomorrow, with the view OF de-
termining, if possible, what course tho
Executive shall adopt to best meet the re-
quirements of the constitution and the pur-
poses of late acts of Congress.
The report of General Grant, in answer
to the inquiry of the President what num-
Der of troops are stationed within the De
partment of Washington, shows that the
whole force amounts to but little over nine
teen hundred men, all told, in the States Oh
MARYLAND and Delaware, the District OF
Columbia and two counties of Virginia.
A man in Tennessee offers to bet $5O, OOO
that he can whip Coburn and McCooie 10,
gether; that he will knock McCoole a0 W.
in the second round, blind Coburn ia .no
third. decapitate McCoole on the eleventh,
and disable both before the twelfth bis
u anne is GLADDEN..