Vermont Watchman And State Journal

From Washington.

Monday, Dec. 4.

First day of the first session of the 25th Congress. In the Senate 36 members appeared, the Vice President in the chair. The usual measures sent to the President and to the House, and the Senate adjourned. In the House, present 163 members, including the whole five from Vermont. The usual messages directed. Mr. Whittlesey of Ohio—the gentleman who has for years exercised fatherly care over claims on Congress—a most industrious member—moved the appointment of the committees forthwith, i. e. without waiting a week as usual. Mr. Ex P. Q. Cushman objected. Whittlesey rejoined: he proposed to begin the session by telling the truth; and the truth was, that the business of the House had for several years past been neglected and unnecessarily delayed—500 bills left on the calendar of the House at the last (regular) session; the excuse of want of time was false. This motion, and sundry resolutions, for information as to the Florida war, for newspapers, &c. were laid on the table.

Tuesday, Dec. 5.

In the Senate, Mr Clay, in the absence of the surviving Senator from Maryland, announced the death of Senator Kent, in an eloquent and touching address. The usual order taken and the Senate adjourned. House—13,000 extra copies of the President's message ordered.

Wednesday, Dec. 6.

SENATE.—Mr. Grundy introduced a bill relative to steam navigation—referred to select committee. The appointment of the committees was assigned to the chair.

HOUSE.—Report of the Secretary of the Treasury presented, and 10,000 extra copies ordered. Mr Whittlesey's resolution further postponed; a resolution for two chaplains, of different denominations, agreed to—also Mr. Underwood's resolution for information as to the Florida war. Wm. Cost Johnson introduced a resolution inquiring the reasons of the delay in the South Sea exploring expedition—lies over. Mr Snyder moved a resolution, instructing the committee of Ways and Means to report a bill repealing the act to postpone the 4th installment of the surplus to Jan. 1839—lies over.

Thursday, Dec. 7.

IN SENATE.

The Chair, in accordance with the passage of the resolution of yesterday, announced the following as the standing committees of the Senate for the present session:

On Foreign Relations—Messrs. Buchanan, Tallmadge, Clay, of Ky, Rives and King.

On Finance—Messrs. Wright, Webster, Nicholas, Benton, and Hubbard.

On Commerce—Messrs. King of Ala., Davis, Brown, Ruggles, and Norvell,

On Indian Affairs—Messrs. White, Sevier, Tipton, Linn, and Swift.

On Manufactures—Messrs. Niles, Buchanan, Preston, Strange, and Pierce.

On Public Lands—Messrs. Walker, Fulton, Clay of Ala., Allen, and Prentiss.

On Private Land Claims—Messrs. Linn, Sevier, Bayard, Martin, and Lyon.

On Post Office and Post Roads—Messrs. Robinson, Grundy, Knight, Brown, and Niles.

On Claims—Messrs. Hubbard, Tipton, Crittenden, Spence, and Young.

On Revolutionary Claims—Messrs. Brown, White, Crittenden, Norvell, and Smith, of Conn.

On the Judiciary—Messrs. Grundy, Morris, Wall, Clayton, and Strange,

On Naval Affairs—Messrs. Rives, Hubbard, Tallmadge, Cuthbert, and Williams,

On Agriculture—Messrs. Smith of Conn., Spence, Linn, McKean, and Black,

On Military Affairs—Messrs. Benton, Preston, Tipton, Wall, and Allen.

On Militia—Messrs. Wall, Swift, Clay of Ala., Mouton, and Smith of Ind.

On Patents and Patent Office—Messrs. Ruggles, Strange, Davis, Prentiss, and Robinson.

On Roads and Canals—Messrs. Tipton, McKean, Nicholas, Young, and Lyon.

On Pensions—Messrs. Morris, Prentiss, Pierce, Roane, and Williams.

On the District of Columbia—Messrs. Roane, Williams, Nicholas, Spence, and Bayard.

To audit and control the Contingent expenses of the Senate—Messrs. McKean, Fulton, and Black.

On Engrossed Bills—Messrs. Clay of Ala., Smith of Ind., and Norvell.

Mr. Wright of N. Y. presented a petition from merchants of New York for the remission of duties on goods destroyed by the great fire in that city, which was referred to the committee on finance.

Mr. Norvell, a petition of citizens from Michigan, for the passage of a pre-emption law.

Mr. Buchanan, a petition from the president and directors of the Union Bank Georgetown, for a continuance of their charter, to enable them to wind up the affairs of that institution, and for no other purpose.

PUBLIC LANDS.

Mr. Walker of Miss. according to notice introduced four bills in relation to the public lands; one authorizing the states to tax any lands within their limits sold by the United States.

Another for reducing and graduating the price of the public lands.

A third for relinquishing the 16th section of lands granted for the use of schools, and the entry of other lands in lieu thereof.

A fourth for granting pre-emption rights to settlers on the public lands. These were severally read twice by their titles, and referred to the committee on public lands.

Mr. Davis of Mass, on leave, introduced bill to authorize the President of the United States to cause the public vessels to cruise upon the coast in the winter season, and to relieve distressed navigators.

A number of petitions and memorials of private character were presented and referred The various parts of the President's message were distributed to the usual and appropriate committees.

The Senate then adjourned to Monday next.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

On motion of Mr. Howard of Md., it was ordered that the clerk of the house procure a new clock.

The Speaker laid before the house a report from the Secretary of the Treasury, in reference to steamboat boilers, accompanied by printed copies of a report on the subject from the Franklin Institute for the use of the members of congress,

Reports were also presented from some of the executive departments on the state of contingent funds.
The resolution offered yesterday by Mr. Johnson of Maryland, calling on the President for information relative to the causes of delay in the sailing of the vessels intended for the exploring expedition, the correspondence, etc. etc. was taken up, and adopted.

MR. UNDERWOOD OF KENTUCKY.

Light For the People. Nothing is more characteristic of the party in power than their contempt of the people—their desire to conceal from the people the situation of public affairs—and blind them as to the conduct of public men.

Hence proceeded their opposition to the Investigating committees of the last session; and their acquiescence in the refusal of Gen. Jackson, Amos Kendall and Reuben M. Whitney, to furnish the information required from them.—Hence proceeded the conduct of the Committee—in suppressing day after day, the most important questions to witnesses—questions to which there could have been no valid objection,

The tories in Congress are still pursuing the same course. Suppress—conceal—keep every thing from the people:—this is their policy. When Mr. Underwood the able whig representative from Kentucky, moved in the House of Representatives on Wednesday to print a journal of the yeas and nays. of that body, to distribute among the People—and to give them an opportunity of judging for themselves of the course of their public servants—whence came the opposition ?

Why, of course from the tory party. Mr. Haynes, a tory from Georgia ; and Mr. Craig a tory from Virginia: and Mr. Hamer, a tory from Ohio': and Mr. Bean, a double-distilled tory from Indiana:—all these gentlemen were against it,—Courier and Enq.

Correspondent of the Atlas:

Washington, 6th Dec. 1837.

"A short horse is soon curried." Nothing is done or doing in Congress. On Monday Mr. Whittlesey of Ohio, introduced a resolution requiring the appointment forthwith, of the standing committees. The object of this was, to proceed immediately to business; for Mr. Whittlesey is a real 'worky.' The speaker decided to day, that absent members. by the rules of the House, could not be appointed; on committees, whereupon this resolution was laid on the table.

Mr. Underwood called up a resolution he offered on Monday requiring that a separate journal should be kept and printed, containing nothing but the yeas and nays on every question where they were taken, and that at the end of the session, an extra number of them should be transmitted to the Governors of the several states for circulation as the laws are now circulated. The proposition produced some mincing, and a decision for the present was evaded." I hope Mr. Underwood on the final question, if he can get to it, which I doubt, will call the yeas and nays. It would be an awful document; and although very unlike William the Conqueror's, yet it might appropriately be called "A Doom's Day Book."

Informed you yesterday that it was rumored that the President had given some assurance to the editor of the Madisonian, that he should have a manuscript copy of the Message. but that his promise was subsequently revoked. A conservative friend who sits in my neighborhood, has given me the facts, which I think places Mr. Van Buren in a position as awkward as that of the conservative printer is mortifying.

The printer of the House of Representatives (editor of the Madisonian) or some one by his authority and in his behalf, addressed a written application to the President for a copy to enable him to have copies printed for the members in readiness when the message should be promulgated, or communicated to Congress. as Blair (of the Globe) would, as printer to the Senate, be able to prepare for the Senators. The President declined, but afterwards notified the editor of the Madisonian that he should be furnished with a copy. On sending to the State Department to obtain it, he was informed that the President had again reconsidered his decision, and would not furnish the House printer with a copy.

These, I have no doubt, are the facts. So much for the conflicting decisions of the cabinet proper and the Kitchen cabinet. The latter, as in such cases is right and proper prevailing. Reader—what is a shuttle-cock ? Did you ever see the game of battle-door?

AN OBSERVER.

For the president's message, see fourth & first pages. A minority president could only be expected to disregard the expressed will of the majority of the people: Mr. Van Buren has done it, in adhering to the sub-treasury, alias Treasury Banks system. Mexico, it will be seen, is threatened and Texas unnoticed: the northeastern boundary remains in statu quo; the treasury is full of UNAVAILABLE FUNDS; and a plan for increasing the army of officeholders is set on foot, ostensibly to obtain a valuation of the public lands.