CONGRESS.
MONDAY, March 1. Senate.—Mr. Dawson presented the resolutions passed by the legisla- ture of Georgia, in favor of neutrality and non-intervention. He said that he agreed with the sentiments expressed therein. The resolutions were read and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Underwood notified the Senate of his in-tention to introduce a bill for the relief of the Orange and Alexander Railroad Company.
Mr. Mallory notified the Senate of a bill to authorize the employment of steamers for trans-porting the mail between New Orleans and Key West.
Mr. Underwood endeavored to get up the bill making land warrants assignable, failing in which, the Iowa land bill was taken up. Mr. Dawson spoke at some length, replying to the strictures on his former speech, strenuously op-posing the bill, and earnestly advocating the adoption of Mr. Underwood's amendment. The policy, said Mr. D., of building up new states at the expense of the older ones, would serious-ly disturb the harmony of parties, and for one he should never consent.
The Senate adjourned until Wednesday.
House.—Mr. Pitch moved a suspension of the rules for the purpose of introducing a resolu-tion recognizing the binding efficacy of the com-promises of the constitution, declaring it to be the intention of the people to abide by them and sustain the laws necessary to carry them into effect, but including the one for the capture of fugitive slaves; also deprecating any further agitation of the question of slavery as unneces- sary useless and dangerous.
Mr. Goodenow moved that the resolutions be laid on the table. The speaker replied that the question was on the suspension of the rules.—Mr. Goodenow then asked for the yeas and nays.
Mr. Cabell inquired if the Mormon church was one of the measures of the compromise.
Mr. Stevens, of Pennsylvania, desired a mod-ification of the resolution, so as to read, "we deprecate all further agitation, except this reso-lution."
Mr. Stanly moved a call of the house, which was agreed to, and 190 members answered the call. Many were excused on account of sick-ness. The question on the suspension of the rules was then decided in the negative by 119 to 74, not a two-thirds vote. After a long dis-cussion on a private bill, Mr. Stanton, of Ten-nessee, moved that when the house adjourned it be until Wednesday ; agreed to by 87 to 74, and the House on motion adjourned.
Neither House was in session on Tuesday.
WEDNESDAY, March 3. Senate.—Mr. James of Rhode Island submitted a memorial for the pre-liminary organization of the territory of Ne-braska, and the settlement of certain lands.—Mr. Broadhead presented a memorial from mer- chants, ship-owners and others in Philadelphia, praying for additional aid to the Collins line of steamers ; also, a petition against the importa-tion of foreign convicts, felons and paupers.—Mr. Morton of Florida gave notice of a bill for the right of way and land for the construction of a railroad in that State.
Mr. Davis reported a bill amending the acts regulating the carriage of passengers in mer-chant vessels, and the limitation as to the num-ber of passengers. He briefly explained the bill, which provides that alien should attach to vessels in all cases. The bill was ordered to be engrossed. Mr. Seward introduced a bill to provide for the safety of emigrant passengers in merchant vessels. The bill regulating the as-signability of land warrants was then taken up. Mr. Hunter moved that the Senate disagree to the amendment by the House, Mr, Borland said that the committee were unanimous in recommending a disagreement, and insisting upon the bill as previously passed by the Sen-ate.
After considerable debate the amendments of the House were disagreed to.
The Senate then resumed the consideration of the Iowa Land bill. Mr. Dodge of Iowa spoke at some length in favor of it. He quoted Calhoun and others in support, and argued most strenuously against Mr. Underwood's amendments, as being fatal to the bill. Without concluding, Mr.Dodge yielded to a motion of adjournment.
House.—Mr. Dinsey of Ohio presented a reso-lution of the legislature of that State for the construction of a canal around the falls of Ohio.
The bill granting land to Missouri to construct certain railroads, was next taken up, when Mr. Bennett resumed his speech. He moved an amendment to the motion to refer the bill to the committee of the whole, with instructions to report a bill granting land to the several States on equitable principles. He contended that the old States were as much entitled to the public lands as the new ones, and favored the equalizing of grants.
Mr. Stanly followed. He said the subject had now occupied the attention of the house for three weeks, to the neglect of other and equally important business. He would there-fore move the previous question.
Mr. Campbell asked Mr. Stanly to withdraw his motion, to permit him to answer grave charges preferred against Illinois and other States. Mr. Stanly declined.
The previous question was seconded, when the yeas and nays were taken, amending the motion to commit the bill to the committee of the whole, and lost—70 to 96. The yeas and nays were then taken on committing the bill as previously proposed, and adopted 97 to 71.
Mr. Breckenridge moved to proceed to the consideration of the bill granting to every head of a family 160 acres for a homestead on condi-tion that they occupy the same. Agreed to.
Mr. Dawson, of Pennsylvania, spoke at con-siderable length on the subject, and gave way to Mr. Breckenridge, who took the floor, but yielded to a motion to rise.
THURSDAY, March 4. Senate.—Mr. Wade, of Ohio, presented resolutions of the legislature of that State, in favor of a ship canal around Sault St. Marie. Mr. Smith said a bill was al-ready reported on this subject, and he would move an amendment that the work be con-structed by government. He also moved that it be laid on the table.
Mr. Gwin presented a memorial in favor of building a great national railroad to the Pacific; also a remonstrance from the citizens of Sacra-mento City, against Whitney's projected rail-road.
Mr. Davis, of Mass., submitted a memorial from numerous merchants, manufacturers and ship owners, in Boston and New York, against the appropriation of any further moneys by this government to mail steamers.
The bill granting land to Iowa for railroad purposes was then taken up, and Mr. Dodge resumed his speech.
Mr. Stephens, of Ga., introduced a series of resolutions from the Georgia legislature, against the intervention of this country in the affairs of Europe.
The committees were called on for reports.—Mr. Hall reported a bill granting lands to the States of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, for the construction of a railroad from Toledo, Ohio, to Springfield, Illinois ; also, a bill granting Illi-nois and Indiana lands for certain railroads, re-ferred to the committee of the whole. Mr. Hall also reported a bill giving land to Indiana for a ship canal around the Falls of St. Mary ; like-wise a bill granting land to Wisconsin for a rail-road from Chicago to the head of Lake Superi-or.
Mr. Cobb reported a bill granting the right of way and land for the Tennessee and Alabama Railroad, and advocated the same. Before con-cluding his remarks the House took up the Sen-ate bill for the assignability of land warrants.
Mr. Jones moved to insert the amendments previously proposed by the House, and appoint a committee of conference. Pending the mo-tion, the House went into committee of the whole on the homestead bill. Mr. Brecken-ridge spoke for upwards of an hour in reply to the remarks of Mr. Cahill.
FRIDAY, March 5. Senate.—A large number of adverse reports on private claims were con-curred in.
Mr. Bradbury notified the Senate that he should on Monday call up the French Spoila-tion bill.
The Senate adjourned until Monday.
House.—The House, by a vote of 78 to 62, went into Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union, and resumed the consideration of the Homestead bill.
Mr. Campbell, of Ohio, resumed his speech. He said that it was equally important to know the opinions of the Presidential candidates on the Land question, and on slavery; he favored giving lands to States for indigent, insane, and educational purposes, and argued that we have the Constitutional power.
Mr. Brown, of Mississippi, moved a substitute for the bill.
Mr. Davis, of Mass., then obtained the floor, but yielded to a motion to adjourn.
