Wheeling Daily Intelligencer

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CONGRESSIONAL.

WASHINGTON, March 5.

Senate—Mr. Hunter reported a bill from the Com., making appropriations for fortifications and other works of defence, and also for repairing barracks and quarters.

A bill establishing collection districts in the U. S., was passed.

After some debate, Lyman Trumbull was confirmed in his seat for six years from the 4th of March last.

Yeas—Adams, Allen, Bell of Tenn., Bright, Brown, Butler, Collamer, Crittenden, Dodge, Burke, Evans, Fessenden, Fish, Foot, Foster, Geyer, Hale, Hamlin, Harlan, Houston, James, Mallory, Mason, Pearce, Reed, Rusk, Sebastian, Seward, Sumner, Toucey, Wade, Wilson and Yulee.

Nays—Clay, Iverson, Johnson, Jones of Iowa, Pugh, Slidell, Stuart and Weller.

Mr. Butler defended Mr. Atcheson from the alleged interference in Kansas affairs.

Mr. Hale replied, drawing a sketch of some of the New England politicians, who seemed to think the curse originally pronounced upon the tempter belonged to them, namely, "upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat," (laughter) thus they bow down before the slavery power which dispenses a large share of patronage to the country, making great pretensions to devotion to the Constitution themselves, they accuse every man of treason who dares assert his manhood and claim the right to speak and act for himself. After further debate the Senate adjourned.

House.—Mr. Hickman, from committee on elections, made a report presenting reasons for renewing the demands for authority to send for persons and papers in the Kansas contested election case. It starts out by representing that the allegation on the part of Gov. Reeder is that the legislature which passed the election law under which Gen. Whitfield was chosen was imposed upon the people's territory by a foreign invading force, who seized upon the Government, and have exercised it ever since, and that the people there are in a subjugated state.

It then discusses at length the following questions:

1st. The necessity of having an investigation of the facts in dispute.

2d. The effect of the act of Governor Reeder, in issuing certificates of election to a portion of the Legislature.

3d. Whether evidence to establish the facts can be had satisfactorily by depositions.

Upon the first it is urged that the state of affairs there has excited the feelings of the whole people of the Union; that it is the theme of a Presidential message and Proclamation; that the sovereign States in the different portions of the Union have considered the propriety of interference by men and arms; that the question to be settled is, whether a military power has seized upon the Territory and governs it by a strong hand; and that this question involves the existence of self-government, and cannot be settled by groping among assertions and denials, but only by proven facts.

Upon the second point it contends that the people of the territory cannot be prejudiced by what Gov. Reeder did as Governor, that the people are now contesting the seat through him and that if it was not so, still Congress could and should investigate it, if a reasonable doubt exists as to the right of Gen. Whitfield to a seat.

Upon the third point it argues that a commission to take depositions would be fruitless. That the President regards the presence of arms as necessary to preserve peace and the execution of the commission would bring the belligerent parties face to face and incite to hostilities that it would be equivalent to an effort to obtain testimony on the battle field and that the commissioners would be powerless to preserve peace.

In the course of the argument the Com. alluded to the fact, that ordinarily in depositions their subjects enjoy some degree of peace and quiet, while in Kansas the settlers are not only alleged to be reduced to a state of vassalage to a foreign power, but that personal safety is unknown and murder and outrage are said to be of almost daily record.

Its history report is voluminous and argumentative, and is concurred in by Messrs. Watson, Washburn, Spinner, Hickman, Colfax and Bingham.

After reading this report, Mr. Stephens submitted the minority report from the same Committee.

The minority report says Reeder's sole object in his application seems to be to devolve on the committee to cause inquiry into the validity of the territorial law, under which Whitfield was elected, and this hinges on the ground of members who passed that law, not themselves properly elected and returned, is to be established thus. Reeder wishes to send for persons and papers, making the House not only the judges of qualifications, and returns its own; but the members of the territorial and State legislature, which of course follows, this would be assuming the position not properly pertaining to the House, and establish a precedent dangerous in its tendency. If the House conclude that the examination shall be gone into, the end would be better attained by sending Commissioners to Kansas to take such testimony as may be pertinent and competent, whereas sending for persons, and papers would occasion much delay, inconvenience and trouble, if not proved impracticable.

Accompanying the report is a paper from Gen. Whitfield, who submits that Reeder has no right to be heard, not having been a candidate when Whitfield was elected; nor was Reeder a candidate at any election authorized by law. The testimony proposed to be taken is not competent to prove the truth. Reeder was Gov. when the members of the Legislature were chosen: the election was conducted by Judges appointed by Reeder, and who took the prescribed oath to reject the votes of non-residents. The members of the Kansas Legislature took seats without cavil or complaint from Reeder, who commissioned those very members by whom was passed the law under which Whitfield was elected. The pretext of Reeder, that the Legislature was illegally elected is contrary to the facts herein stated." It was signed by Stephen Oliver of Mo. and Smith of Ala.

Further consideration of the subject was postponed till to-morrow.

The House went into committee.

Mr. Grow assailed the President's Kansas message, maintaining that the people have a right to call a Convention to form a Constitution, and earnestly condemned the effort to extend slavery in the Territory.

Mr. Cadwallader argued that legislation under the Constitution had always been to make mutually beneficial partition of territory between the North and South, or leave the people free to mould their own institutions, and defended the Kansas act.