Republican Herald

U. S. Congress.

SENATE.

Tuesday, Feb. 12.

Mr. Tallmadge offered a resolution of inquiry, calling upon the Indian Department for information in relation to contracts, which was adopted.

Mr. Rives addressed the Senate at length against the report of Mr. Wall, from the Committee of the Judiciary, on the bill introduced by Mr. Crittenden, to prevent the interference of office-holders in elections, and at the close of his remarks offered a preamble and resolutions expressing doctrines contrary to those contained in the report, which were ordered to be printed.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Mr. Cambreleng reported a bill for the construction and repairs of certain fortifications for 1839, and the Senate bill allowing a drawback on imported hemp when manufactured into cordage and exported.

Mr. Cambreleng also presented a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, stating that the amount payable to pensioners on the 4th of March, is $1,926,911, and that the Treasury would not be in a condition to meet the current expenses in the first quarter of the year, unless the bill heretofore reported, authorizing the issue of the exhausted Treasury notes, or some other resource, shall be provided by Congress before the warrants for the payment of these persons shall reach the Department. The communication was ordered to be printed.

SENATE.

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 13.

The Senate adopted a resolution to meet at 11 o'clock, a. m. in and after Monday next.

A large number of private bills passed by the House were reported from the Senate.

A bill, relinquishing the reversionary interest of the United States to certain Indian reservations, was taken up. The merits of this bill were discussed by Messrs. Sevier, Smith, of La., Young of Ill. and others. The subject was informally disposed of, and the Senate proceeded to the special order of the day—being the report of Mr. Wall upon Mr. Crittenden's bill to prevent the interference of the officers of the federal government in elections.

Mr. Strange, of N. C. spoke at length in defence of the report.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The rules being suspended for the purpose of receiving reports from Committees.

Mr. Cushman, from the Committee on Commerce reported a bill amendatory of the bill establishing ports of entry, which was read twice and committed.

Mr. Loomis then asked leave to offer the following resolution.

Resolved, That the Select Committee to investigate the defalcation of Samuel Swartwout and others be instructed to transmit to the House, through the Speaker, the journal of their proceedings, up to this time, and daily hereafter, during the residue of their session, for the use of the House; and that so much of the resolution as authorises said committee to employ a printer be rescinded from this date; and that said Committee be further instructed to hold their meetings publicly.

The House refused to suspend the rules in order to consider this resolution on which Mr. Loomis gave notice that he should offer it the next day.

The House went into Committee of the whole on the affairs of the District of Columbia. Mr. Rencher of North Carolina in the Chair.

A bill appropriating $30,000 for the construction of a bridge across the eastern branch of the Potomac to the city of Washington came up. Mr. Giddings of Ohio moved to strike out the enacting clause. He said that he was against expending money to build up and beautify the cities in the district because he did not believe that the seat of government would remain long where it was. He spoke of slave trade in the district as an objection to the continuance of the seat of government in that place. Mr. Giddings was called to order first by Mr. Glasscock and then by Mr. Rives. The Chair however decided that he was in order.

Mr. Giddings resumed his remarks, and returned to the subject of slavery. He was called to order by Mr. Jenifer, but Mr. Rencher again decided in his favor.

Mr. Giddings continued, and said that members of Congress, in passing to and from the Capitol, were saluted with the sound of the auctioneer's voice and hammer, selling men into slavery.

Mr. Howard called Mr. Giddings to order. The Chair decided that Mr. Howard was bound to state his point of order in writing.

Mr. Howard appealed from this decision.

Mr. Bouldin exhorted the House to proceed to the consideration of the business of the District.

Mr. Glasscock said that he was surprised that the gentleman from Ohio had been allowed by the Chair to asperse the District of Columbia. Had he been in the Chair he certainly should not have done so.

Mr. Bell, of Tenn., took part against the decision of the Chair.

Mr. Adams contended that the decision of the Chair was in order. Mr. Adams was proceeding to make good his point by referring to the bill before the House. He showed that the bill involved an appropriation of $30,000 of the people's money.

Mr. Thomas called Mr. Adams to order for irrelevancy. Mr. T. was stating his point at great length, when Mr. Hamer, of Ohio, called Mr. Briggs to order, and the members of the House for a time were engaged in the business of calling each other to order. The excitement was great. Upon several occasions a half dozen members were upon the floor. At length the House decided that Mr. G. was not in order, and that he should not proceed.

A motion was then made to strike out the enacting clause of the bill granting the free bridge. The committee sustained the motion by tellers, ayes 76, noes 56. The enacting clause was therefore stricken out, and the bill defeated.

The Senate Bill to prevent the giving and receiving of challenges in the District of Columbia was then taken up and passed in Committee.

Several other bills relating to the District were also passed in Committee, and reported to the House.

When the Anti-Duelling bill was brought into the House, a discussion arose upon the merits of some of the propositions of Mr. Prentiss, of Mississippi, Mr. Crabb, of Ala. and others opposed the bill, believing it would do more harm than good.

Mr. Bouldin moved the previous question, which was ordered, and the bill passed by a large majority.

SENATE.

Thursday, Feb. 14

Mr. Buchanan addressed the Senate for nearly three hours against the bill to prevent the interference of office holders in elections.

Mr. Preston having intimated his desire to say something on the subject, the bill was passed over informally, and Mr. P. will occupy the floor to-morrow.

The bill more effectually to secure the public money in the hands of agents of the Government, and to punish defaulters, was taken up; when Mr. Rives moved a substitute for the bill, which was ordered to be printed, and laid on the table.

The subject will be taken on Monday.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The Speaker announced the unfinished business of the morning hour to be the reports of the select committee on the subject of the public lands. Mr. Robertson being entitled to the floor.

Mr. Cambreleng asked the gentleman to yield the floor to enable him to lay on the table, with a view to have printed, a memorial.

Mr. Robertson indicated his willingness to do so if no objection were likely to arise by which his claim to the floor would be interfered with.

Objection having been made to the presentation of the memorial, Mr. Cambreleng moved a suspension of the rule.

Mr. Robertson insisting on his right to the floor; And the Speaker asserting that it could not be interfered with except by the consent of the gentleman himself.

Mr. Cambreleng stated the memorial came from the Collector of the Port of New York, and had reference to the proceedings of a committee of this House, and that he should at the expiration of the morning hour again submit his motion.

On leave, Mr. Clark laid on the table, with a view to have printed, an amendment to the bill in relation to the safe keeping of the public money.

The House then resumed the consideration of the unfinished business, [the public land.]

Mr. Robertson continued his remarks, and concluded as the morning hour expired.

The Speaker having announced the Orders of the Day—

Mr. Cambreleng rose and said that he held in his hand a memorial which he hoped he would be allowed at this time to lay before the House. It was respectful in its language, otherwise he would not present it. It came from the collector of the port of New York.

Objection having been made—

Mr. Cambreleng said that, as it was a matter of sheer justice that this memorial should be presented he would move a suspension of the rule. And he asked the yeas and nays on that motion: which were ordered.

Mr. Menefee requested the gentleman from New York (Mr. Cambreleng) to explain what the object of this memorial was.

Mr. Cambreleng said that, by leave of the House, he would explain.

Objection was made,

Mr. Menefee inquired of the gentleman from New York, whether this was a memorial from the collector of the port of New York, protesting against the action of a committee of this House?

Mr. Cambreleng. Not protesting; but merely stating his own case, and asking the House to take measures to prosecute an inquiry in relation to a witness.

Mr. Chambers hoped the memorial would not be presented.

And the question was then taken, and decided in the negative: Yeas 124, nays 73—(not two-thirds voting therefor.)

So the rule was not suspended, and the memorial was not presented.

The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Secretary of the Navy, in obedience to a resolution of the House of the 1st instant, transmitting copies of the charges preferred by Charles C. Barton against Captain Jesse D. Elliott.

Mr. Naylor thereupon submitted a resolution appointing a select committee to inquire into the official conduct of Jesse D. Elliott. Agreed to by a vote of 63 to 59.

SENATE.

FRIDAY, Feb. 15th.

Mr. Clay presented a memorial from citizens of New Orleans, praying Congress to take some measures for the settlement of claims of the citizens of New Orleans against the proposed arbitration. A reference was made to the committee on Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Wall reported a part of the Territorial Bills, which have passed the house.

Mr. Davis, of Mass. presented a petition from citizens of New Hampshire, protesting against the proposed repeal of fishing bounties.

Several bills were passed.

Mr. Preston then took the floor in opposition to the report of Mr. Wall.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The morning hour was occupied in hearing a speech from Mr. Harrison, of Mo. upon the subject of the public lands. The speech was in answer to that made by Mr. Robertson of Va.

On motion of Mr. Cambreleng, the House then resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union, and resumed the consideration of the "bill making appropriations for the civil and diplomatic expenses of Government for 1839."

The question pending was on the motion of Mr. Bronson to reduce the appropriation for the navy board one half, and to abolish the board after the 1st of July next.

Mr. Pope addressed the House at great length.

Mr. Crary of Michigan, moved to strike out the appropriation.

Mr. Pierken advocated the amendment.

Mr. Parmenter, of Mass. also spoke at some length upon this proposition. He was in favor of reforming the Navy Commissioners, if not altogether, at least in part.

The committee rose, when the House adjourned.