New-York tribune., 1869-01-14

KANSAS. o.o
WASHINGTON, Wednesday. Jan. lS 1867
vTo ncoccediucs i'm the Senate to-day were tor 'io
post port monotonous and unimportant MI DUN,
alev who wonld like to sigalize bis re'ne,''"'
from the Senate by putting into practice lis io"h
cherished theory of cumulative suffrage "'iC
mill with that purpose in view WHICH ." S -,
ton was referred to a select comu''',oT ~, m -
from which il is not probable th'' .ne "', tiS1s
,,,orco nice lob for land SPECTATORS Hes hiooe"
IN the modest resolution OF MI Coioo'' p'o's
e. a,,no;rtroent of a commission to select sulta-
be LEGATIONS for lighthouses on the coast Vi OIeso
,,,d Alaska and Washington Territories. AS usuai
II oysrytbing that emanates from the Pacific
ooo,t the resolution was passed without question.
Tho important House bill allowing express and
tear,boat companies to carry suits brought against
them in the State courts for goods lost or eonscated
in transitu IN the Rebel States during the war; INTO
the Federal courts was passed. Mr. Edmuhds op-
posed H. on the ground Of cOnstutionality and IN
timated that il had not been very carefully cOnsd-
cred by the Judiciary Committee; and IT was
noticed that both he and Mr.. lrum-
bull voted against it, The Southern Senators
have now a representation on the Committee on the
Pacific Railroad, and it seems they are determined
70 lose no time in getting their slice of the public
land. and their share of the public bonds. Already
several railroad bills asking for subsidies have been
magnificent proportions to-day proposing to build
railroad and telegraph from albuquerque on the
Rio Grande to San Diego California, with capital OF
100000. with $4,000 of Government funds
per mile, and 20 alterate sections OF
the public lands each side The
Sue Murphy case was debated for a couple OF
hours. While Mr.. Howard was speaking, an old man
in the galleries named Richard b. Dorsey, and who
has for years been noticed as daily attendant oi
the debates, suddenly dropped from his seat. lie
was carried ont by the dOOrkeepers, and placed on
the Reporters table, when lie expired almost IN an
instant The House resolution giving the use of the
rotunda and other portions Of the Capitol
for the Inauguration ball, came to grief
after a very spicy debate The Senate
voting it down by a majority of nine. The Senators
mostly based their opposition on the point that it
would be inappropriate and undgnifed TO use the
Capitol for such purposes. Mr. Fessenden seemed to
regard il as understandable that there should be
anv opposition from the Republicans, especially as
the two Democratic members of the Committee on
Public Buildings and Grounds, MessTs. Whyte and
Davis, had cheeTfully given their assent. Mr.. Pom
eroy gave notice that he wculd ask for an Executive
session at Al o'clock tomorrow.
The proceedings in the House. to-day, were ex-
ceedlngly interesting, Two very important meas
ures were carefully considered and disposed of.
Banks bill to provide for the establishment of a
protectorate over the Governments of San Domingo
and Hayt occupied the attention Of the first two
hours Of the session, Messrs Banks, Butler, and
SpaldiDg favoring the project, and MeSsrs. Shela-
barger, Bingham, Robinson, Delano, Judd, and
Brooks opposing it. The speech of Mr.. Shellabarger
gave the reasons for the objections to Mr.. Bankss
ideas in a very clear and forcible manner. Those in
opposition followed in the same strain, and
the bill was finally tabled by large
II
establishment of a Territorial Government in
Alaska was next disposed Of Ashley supported the
bill in a brief speech but Washburne and Price
fercey attacked the proposition, saying the Govern
ment had already sQuandered several millions on
this piece Of worthless land and it proposed
to burden the Treasury with an expense of several
hundred thousands of dollars year to keep up the
show of Government among the icebergs and Es-
quimaux. The bill was killed by twO-thIrds vote
without a call Of the yeas and nays. Lynch's bill
proposing plan for resumption Of specie payments
was postponed till Saturday next, owing to the i'll
ness of Mr.. Lynch. Mr. Burt Van Horn made a
speech advocating the Niagara ship canal and Mr..
Sidney Clark a speech denOuncing the Usage treaty
swindle, now pending in the Senate.
Senator Morrill, returned here this evening from
Maine. He says the Senatorial question in his State
is by no means settled. His friends insist that there
was no choice in the caucus and he and Hamlin
must go before the Legislature and there settle the
matter. The business of the Appropriation Commit
tee. Of which he is Chairman, has accumulated so
rapidly that he was compelled to return.
very curious petition was presented TO the SEN
ate to-day by Mr.. Sumner The memorialist, Mahlon
Looms Of this city claims to have discovered and in
vented a new system Of teegaphing, by which cable
wires and batteries may be dispensed with alto
gether and desires the Of $4,000 to complete his
experiments. Mr.. Sumner thought it was either
moonshine or very important, and several Senators
seeming disposed to throw ridicue upon the matter
Mr. Wilson thought it was better not to sneer Just
yet. Some of the greatest men of the country had
laughed when the magnetic telegraph was first sug-
gested but the laugh now on the other side of
the mouth.
The petition which'was presented to the Senate
yesterday by MI Frelnghuysen, in relation to the
Pacific Railroad. signed by Messrs Franklin la
Ven' George B. Upton, John T. Coolidge, s. s. Dana
Henry }. Gardner, George Baty Blake Gldden A. |
Williams, Joseph Nickleson g. Co., John J. Blair |
and W. 5 Williams. The petitioners SET forth that
they understand that proposition is pending before
Congress to endow the Northern Pacific Railroad Co
and the eastern division Of the Union Pacific Rail
road Company with Government subsidy of $4,000 |
S5|ooo and S48OOO per mile, according to the nature
Oh the territory; and they further informed that
these Companies have already had granted TO them
forty sections or 1900 acres Of land per mile
and that it is proposed 70 Give thor, 4be
privilege OF moTtgaging the road for an |
amount equal TO the Government subsidv and
that IN ADDITION to the grant Of lands these snbsidea
al the rate named Wil for both roads anount n tbe
enormous aggregate Of $l2j,OOOOOO and very nroh.
Dy SloVOOVV. That the memOrialsts will under !
take the construction of either or both Of tbese raS
with the same land grants, and with a Governmen,