Cincinnati Daily Press

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XXXVIth CONGRESS—FIRST SESSION.

WASHINGTON, March 27.

SENATE—Mr. Seward presented a petition in favor of the Homestead Bill from citizens of New York.
Mr. Brown presented a resolution of the Mississippi Legislature, asking for a grant of land to aid in the construction of the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad.
Mr. Slidell introduced a bill giving the consent of Congress to the levying of tonnage duties by the States bordering on the Mississippi River for the improvement thereof.
On motion of Mr. Brown, Saturdays were set apart for the consideration of business relating to the District of Columbia.
On motion of Mr. Salisbury, the resolutions of Mr. Davis, relative to the territories, &c., were taken up, and made the special order for Monday next.
Mr. Doolittle presented a memorial in favor of a Bankrupt Law.
Mr. Johnson, of Tenn., rose to a personal explanation. He had seen in the New York Herald a report of a speech made by the Senator from New Hampshire, (Mr. Clark,) at Dover, on the 7th inst., in which reference had been made to his State and to himself. The extract was read by the Clerk, in which it was stated by Mr. Clark that Tennessee had too little industry or enterprise to develope her mines of copper, &c., and further, in a conversation he (Clark) had had with him (Johnson) he had said something relative to the insecurity of slave property at the South.
Mr. Johnson asked if this was a correct report.
Mr. Clark positively declined to give any explanation in the Senate.
Mr. Johnson would then assume that the report was correct, and answer it accordingly. If the Senator had made himself familiar with the facts in relation to mining in Tennessee, then he stated what he knew to be untrue, and if he had not made himself conversant with the facts, then he spoke of something he knew nothing about. He then drew a comparison between the relative productiveness of Tennessee and New Hampshire, making deductions favorable to the former. As to the alleged conversation he had never used the language attributed to him.
Mr. Clark said that when the proper time arrived he would take occasion to state what he did say in his speech, and when he did he would say nothing in disparagement of Tennessee, nor dispute the fact that she made more horses, asses and mules than New Hampshire.
The bill to increase and regulate the pay of the navy was considered.
Mr. Fessenden offered a substitute, mainly giving lower salaries, but increasing some of those of the lower grades.
Mr. Crittenden offered an amendment to the original bill to increase the pay of midshipmen. Agreed to.
Mr. Slidell offered an amendment that no vacancies in Chaplaincy shall be filled hereafter. Lost; yeas fifteen, nays twenty-three.
Adjourned.

HOUSE.—The House concurred in the Senate's amendments to the bill for fulfilling the treaty stipulations with the Indians of Oregon and Washington Territories.
Mr. Briggs presented petitions from New York, numerously signed, praying for the passage of a bankrupt law.
The House then proceeded to the consideration of the bill to provide for the safety of passengers in boats propelled in whole or part by steam.
Mr. Washburne, of Ill., urged the importance of the passage of the bill. No remonstrance against it had come from the West, New England, or the South, and there was none from anywhere except particular localities. This bill proposed to subject ferry, tug and freight boats, by a local board of inspectors, bringing them within the provisions of the law of 1852. The propriety of this is obvious, as some most terrible accidents have happened on ferry-boats. The provisions of the same statutes extended to sea-going steamers, limiting the passengers to a reasonable extent, and requiring the vessels to be examined by the local inspectors from time to time, in order that the public may know if they are sea-worthy, or mere worm-eaten, rotten hulks. The bill proposes that no ocean steamers running more than four hundred miles shall carry not exceeding one passenger for every three and a-half tons. According to this limit the steamer Augusta can carry 307, the Arago 640, the North Star 530, and the Star of the West 330 passengers, exclusive of the crew. Interested men from New York, however, say that if such a provision be adopted their trade will be broken down, but he (Washburne) would ask whether, in view of all the circumstances the limit was not sufficiently liberal? The bill also provides for a system of lights, following the example of France and England, and four new Boards of Inspectors, one each at Memphis, Oregon City, Paducah and Galena. The entire additional cost to the Government, as compared with the present law, would not exceed $237 per annum.
Mr. Taylor alluded to a substitute he had prepared providing that the insurance shall be vitiated by a failure to comply with the requirements of the present law, and for the prosecution of the master, engineer, pilot or any other officer of any vessel on which life is destroyed by fire, explosion, or at the wheel, said officer not to be again employed on any steam vessel until a verdict is rendered that he is absolutely free from blame.
A debate followed on the merits of the bill. The further consideration of the bill was postponed for two weeks, and the House went into Committee of the Whole on the Army Bill.
Mr. Boteler moved to increase the appropriation for the National Armories to $400,000.
After debate, without taking the question, the Committee rose, and the House adjourned.