New-York tribune., 1868-02-19
XLTH CONGRESS-Hp SESSION.
SENATE. To-. WAsHINGToT, Feb. le, 1868.
RENEWAL OF wAsHTNGToS's CHARTER.


RENEWAL OF wAsHTNGToS's CHARTER.
The CHAIR laid before the Senate resolutions
renewal of the charter Committee on the District
RETIRED CoMMoDoREs AND REAR ADBnRALsTuPs.
mOdores praying that ali Commcdores on the retired list
on ne Ist January 1867, be promoted to be Rear Ad
rais' Naval Affairs.
THE PosT-oFFIcE.
4, Nr RAMSEY Rep. MINI introduced bill TO amend
seryee Nc ana ~ ,fs f
~ provides that the existing law shall not be construed
from issuing orders payable by himself, and that the
Term Deputy POstmaser, used in said act sna DC hed
charges for are as follows For an order
not exceeding sO 10 cents for order from $40 to 49,
compensation of Posmasters for payment OF orders
Increased from I to per centIm on tneir amount.
punishment for forging money orders imprisonment at
Eard labor from two TO five years and fine not exceed
PostmasterGenerai TO appoint and employ mail agents
on the steamers running N T a. Geoh Shs @ ana
and TO establish general agency at Shanghai, with
Spnopng posa az agents. derE & as NAV be aeces
saTy for conducting the postal business For the moro
eniceDt management Of the foreign mail service he
authorized 10 appont in his depafiment superntend
ent OF foreign mails at salary OF $1,000 and three ad
OF division for the deadetter office at salary Of $500
Punshments provided for the Of cancelled stamps
from ono 10 tbree eors. other nerons sx months 70 one
year and fine OF $780, sales Of stamps and stamped en-
veopes at discount limited the amount OF 800 at
any time to the same party and such sales to be
restricted TO. designated agents who viii agree to sell
again without discount under rules to be fixed by the
POstmastcrGeneral The last section provides that II
shall not be lawful TO deposit In posOce, 10 be sent
by mail any letter or circular concerning lotteries gift
concerts or similar enterprises offering prizes Of any
kind, ON any preteXt and posmasters receiving what
they have TO believe such letters or circulars,
shall send them TO the Dead Letter Office.
iyy XEw,IANrSlhE TO , her SQLpIERs ,Ii y, ,o
Adjutant General OF NewHampsre TO transmit free of
postage certain certificates OF thanks TO soldiers OF tht
general to apply to all States. The amendment was
Nj SALISBURY Rep.. Dell remarked that Of course
this had nothing do with the Newampshire election
He glad that the Senate had awakened to realizing
of the service Of soldiers who had been greatly
wronged heretofore in being allowed by New Hamp
shireo receive such certificates free OF expense The Dill
was passed
Mr. MORRILL, Rep., W. offered Iesoi1ton, dltecthg ing
library under the direction Of the Library Committee
and appropratng certain rooms IN the Senate Wig Oi
RFpucTToS OF WAR DEPARTMENT ExPESsEs
The House Joint resolution for reducing the expenses Oh
the War Department &c, was takeh up ana passed ON
motion of MI Wilson i provides Tor the ne
in tn the y q bTgSe %h e wST
Department into one building ~ cost not exceeding
$4,000 per annum and the selection ot suitable property
for receiving and storing army stolesa aeg'
irs $4,000 per annuIn. -. -
Mr. CATTELL tKop,, \. Jl Ioielted adyerSsS @ 10 one
House bjl forbdding the deE Ematl0n. as pUg
tory any National bank within 80 miles OF place N'Oi'
Mr. Wilson's bin for the reduction Of the Army and TO
dscontnue unnecessary grades therein, and for other
II confines the appointments Of Second euenaDts TO
graduates Of the Military Academy ae2llses thS grades
tai stewaTd aud Veterinary Surgeon, and reduces the
number OF Coporas 10 each company TO four discharges
"a bands, and Incorporates the provisions OF the BIZ re,
bounty shall be paid TO adesertsr unes c secretary
Of War the Secretary Of tho Navy shall cancel the
charge OF deseron on the ground that II erToneousy
made, and the declaration that officers OF the army on
leave or on the retired list shall not be considered
changing their station when obeyng order for duty
THE MARYLAND sENAIORsHIr
Thomns Senator elect from Maryland was taken MP.
Mr.. JOHNSON Dem, Md had the floor 10 close the
SIr TRUNBULL dsep., M who desired 10 answer re-
marks which were made on MS former speech IN The
mttoe on the subject TO show that they had found moth
taned in the matter relative 10 his son Yet Senators,
even members OF The Committee who signed the report
The Senate is sitting 20 decide the case under the law and
the facts IL Is nota question whether MIR Thomas sym
ary qualified represeniatiye Of the State Of Maryland
He TrumbulD had not selected him. lie replied TO Mr.
and his SON and his denunciations Of them traitors
apd said that the Senate Is not the place for such denun
Citations He TrumbuD claimed TO be az loyal az any
Senator He abhorred treason az profoundly as any one
arand is ~ s sa n at senator WAS shown 10 he
traitor he could be kept out; but he 10 be kept cut
y at all not by pnt on we proof o e
Mr. Thomas. lie denied that existed when Thomas
resigned, as claimed by Mr. Howard III 80, II was only
on our side and he referred the decision In the supreme
Court in the prize cases when judge claimed that war
existed until the firing on Font sumter, ana yet the
Senator said that fragrant war existed.
Mr.. DRAKE Gepp MOI said 1t was Migrant enough on
Mr TRUMBULL continued claiming in the course OF
his remarks that the act of Mr. Thomas In resgnnR the
had such conndence as they did not repose IN him was
not aiding the enemy, but the contrary He read the
statute defining mprson Of treason and argued that TO
apply 1t to the act Of Mr. Thomas aiding bis son. the
treason must first have been cGmtted but hs son did
Mr. FERRY Rep., Comm interrupted Mr. Trumbull. TO
describe the condition Of things at the time OF that
Mr. DRAKE 11ep., MOI interrupted to ask Mr. Trum
bull TO notice the reasons Tor Tesgs9n which were al
vanced SIX afteward and proceeded to quote those
fs a y Fort ser 20 HOu' @er
Mr.. TRUMBULL supposed that the Senator did not
Justify every act Of Mr. Buchannnnsuch, for example
the appointment Of PEACE Commissioners who prom
iscd that Fort Sumter should not be reinforced
Mr.. DRAKE doubted whether the Senator woMd claim
that Mr. Thomas resigned account Of such acts that
Mr.. TRUMBULL continued quoting Mr. Cisco's test
irODy in favor Of Mr. Thomas and concluded by saying
that he would vote on the case simply as warranted by
~" Messrs. HOWARD Rep., Michl. STEWART dep., Ne
vada), aud JOHNSON Dem MAJ rose simultaneously TO
get the floor, but the Chair recognized
Mr. JOHNSON, VINO called upon the Clerk TO read the
remarks which he had prepared. They read being
mainly addressedto the point Of constitutional qualfca
ons saying the only law the subject additional 10
the Constitution that requiring oath though in his
Judgment Congress had not ipower TO pass such law
He thought that as Mr. Thomas who was admitted TO be
man Of high character was willing to take that oath,
that fact was conclusive upon Congress After the read
ing had been concluded, Mr. johnson added a few
words in regard to the = charges against Mr..
Thomas. lie thought Mr. sumner had wholly
misapprehended the act Of April l79 the subject OF
treason The first section defined treason as leyyng war
against the United States, and imposed penalty The
second defined msprisiOn OF treason as knowledge OF
such giving IL aid and comfort 10 bring Mr.
Thomas within that statute was necessary to prove
that when the left home he had committed the crime
of treason. Mr. johnson went TO defend MI Themass
conduct II Mr. Thomas ever had been secessiOnist, II