Virginia Free Press & Farmers' Repository

Thursday, May 8.

In the Senate, the resolution offered the previous day by Mr. Foot, requesting the President to communicate, at the next session, a plan for a reorganization of the Treasury Department, was agreed to. A communication was received from the Secretary of the Treasury, enclosing printed statements, one for each member of the Senate, in part reply to the resolution sent by the Senate on the preceding day, requiring a statement of duties which would be repealed by the bill recommended by the Department, and by the bill reported by the Committee on Manufactures. The Senate then resumed the consideration of the unfinished business, viz: the Post Office Bill. Mr. Holmes concluded his remarks in favor of the amendment of Mr. Bibb, abolishing the postage on newspapers. The debate occupied the Senate till the hour of adjournment.

In the House of Representatives, the whole day was consumed in debate upon the question arising upon the case of Samuel Houston; the motion of Mr. Huntington declaring him to have been guilty of a contempt of the House being under consideration. The following gentlemen addressed the House in succession: Mr. Polk, Mr. Ellsworth, Mr. Drayton, Mr. Eleutheros Cooke, and Mr. Doddridge. After which, at half past three o'clock, the House adjourned, without having come to any decision on the question.

Wednesday, May 9.

In the Senate. Mr. Foot from the Committee on Pensions, reported the bill from the House entitled an act in addition to an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the Naval and military service of the United States during the war of the revolution, without amendment, and moved to lay the bill on the table, but the motion being out of order, was withdrawn. The Senate resumed the Post Office bill. Mr. Bibb concluded his remarks in favor of his amendment, and the discussion consumed the day.

The House again proceeded to the consideration of the resolution respecting the case of Sam'l Houston, with the amendment proposed thereto; which was debated by Messrs. Doddridge and Beardsley. After several ineffectual attempts to postpone and adjourn, further proceedings were postponed until 11 o'clock, A. M. to-morrow. Before Mr. B. had concluded his remarks, and at 6 o'clock, the House adjourned.

THURSDAY, MAY 10.

The Senate resumed the unfinished discussion on the Post Office Bill. Mr. Clayton and Mr. Holmes spoke in favor of the amendment, (to abolish the postage on newspapers) when the question was taken and decided as follows-Yeas 22, Nays 23. So the motion to amend was decided in the negative. The bill was then further amended in its details, and thus amended was reported to the Senate. The amendments were then concurred in.

The House resumed the consideration of the case of Samuel Houston, now in custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms for an alleged breach of privilege, and spent the remainder of the day in debate thereon.

FRIDAY. May 11.

The Senate resumed the consideration of the unfinished business: and Mr. Bibb having renewed his motion to amend, by abolishing the postage on newspapers, which was again negatived-ayes 22, noes 23-the bill was then ordered to be read a third time. The Senate then took up the bill supplementary to the act for the relief of the surviving officers and soldiers of the Revolutionary War. It occupied the remainder of the day, and the Senate adjourned to Monday.

In the House, Mr. McDuffie having obtained leave, presented the Report of the Minority of the Committee appointed to investigate the proceedings of the Bank of the United States, and moved that it be laid upon the table, and be printed. He withdrew the motion at the request of Mr. Cambreleng. Some conversation then took place between these gentlemen, in reference to the answers of the President of the Bank to certain interrogatories. Mr. Adams stated that the separate Report he wished to submit to the House on his own behalf would be in readiness on Monday next.

The House of Representatives had no far advanced in the disposal of Gov. Houston's case that, at nine o'clock on Friday night, it decided by a vote of 106 to 89, that "he has been guilty of a contempt and violation of the privileges of the House."

The House sat until nearly eleven o'clock on Friday night, when the case of Houston was finally disposed of by the adoption of the following resolution:

" That Samuel Houston be brought to the bar of the House on Monday next at 12 o'clock, and be there reprimanded by the Speaker, for the contempt and violation of the privileges of the House, of which he has been guilty ; and that he be then discharged from the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms."

The following resolution,—the effect of which would have been to exclude Mr. H. from the enjoyment of the privilege accorded to those who have been members, of admission to the floor of the House, was also offered, and negatived by a vote of 90 to 101

Resolved, That Samuel Houston be excluded from the exercise of the privilege conferred by the 13th standing rule of the House