Alexandria Gazette

Congress.

In the Senate, yesterday, Mr. Sumner presented the petition of Dr. Mahlon Lewis, who asks an appropriation to establish a new system of electro telegraphing, in which no wires are used. Mr. Buckalew introduced a bill which enacts that in the elections for the choice of Representatives to the Congress of the U.S., whenever more than one Representative is to be chosen from a State, each elector of such State duly qualified shall be entitled to a number of votes equal to the number of representatives to be chosen from the State, and may give all such votes to one candidate, or distribute them (equally or unequally) among a greater number of candidates and the candidate highest in vote upon the return shall be declared elected. He moved that the bill be referred to a select committee of seven, of which the President pro tem, should be one, which was agreed to. The bill for the regulation of judicial proceedings, the object of which is to transfer certain cases to the U. S. Courts for trial, was passed—yeas 32, nays 10. After another debate on the Sue Murphy case, the House concurrent resolution, granting the use of the rotunda and other parts of the Capitol for the holding of the inauguration ball, was taken up by unanimous consent. A running debate followed, in which the most diverse opinions were expressed by Senators on inauguration balls in particular, and balls in general. A very strong objection to having the Capitol used for such a purpose was, however, manifested, and the resolution was finally rejected by a vote of yeas 22, nays, 31. [The ball must be held in some other place.]

In the House of Representatives, yesterday, the joint resolution submitted by Mr. Banks, proposing to extend the protection of the U. S. to the governments of Hayti and San Domingo, was taken up. Gen. Butler proposed an amendment, extending the provisions of the bill to the Islands of the Antilles, and urged its necessity in view of the existing revolution in Cuba. Mr. Spalding proposed that its provisions should be extended to all islands lying nearer to the U. S. than to any other country. Mr. Robinson wanted to include Ireland.— Messrs. Shellabarger, Delano, Woodward and Bingham opposed the resolution as violating the American principle of non-interference, and the resolution was finally laid on the table by a vote of yeas 122 to nays 36. Mr. Ashley, from the Committee on Territories, reported a bill organizing a territorial Government for Alaska. Mr. Washburne and other members objected to the expense, and urged that there was no necessity for such a government, there not being fifty white persons in the Territory; and the bill was laid upon the table.