The GAZETTE believes . . .

. . . about as much as we do in there being such an organization here as it refers to. – Dubuque Herald.

The only difference is that the GAZETTE believes it and the Herald knows it.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Morning, May 21, 1862, p. 2

Drafting In Connecticut

We copy the following articles from the Hartford Times:

Men who had hitherto been supposed to be in the enjoyment of perfect health, were found, to the astonishment and grief of their friends, to be so afflicted with chronic complaints, as to render them unfit for militia duty.  Physician’s “Certificates” were in great demand both in this and adjoining towns.  Many, who had been regarded as enjoying the vigor of youth, were found to be on the shady side of five-and-forty, and on the other hand, many of our youth were found to be yet in their “teens,” even those who had claimed for themselves the rights and privileges of manhood.  ‘Twas no use to say that those drafted would not be called into active serviced, the very word seemed filled with horrors unspeakable.

In Stratford, where 29 men were called for, the drafting took place yesterday (Thursday.)  We learn that there was quite an excitement over the matter in that quiet town.

Drafting also took place yesterday in Trumbull, where 18 was the number called for.

The New Haven Journal of the 30^th, speaks of the effect of the drafting in other localities as follows:

The victims of the “active” militia draft are showing a decided “activity” in getting their names off the list.  Of the 127 drafted of New London, all but nineteen had, from one pretext or another, begged off at the end of the week.

Ten men were drafted in Salem.  All of them got excused on the score of not being “able-bodied.”  The Selectmen will now have to draw ten more.

Out of the twenty-six persons drafted in Preston, twenty-three have already either paid up or got excused.

The Middletown Sentinel says that the entire quota of men drafted in East Hampton, paid their fines, as they didn’t like to be soldiers.

The number drafted in Meriden was 78, of whom 60 have already paid their fines, rather than serve the state.

LEDYARD. – Out of twenty men drafted in Ledyard under the provisions of the military law, thirteen stood, three paid their fine of $10, and four were proved to be exempt.  A new draft of seven men were to supply the deficiency.

– Published in The Dubuque Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, Friday Morning, February 7, 1862, p. 2

Effects Of A National Debt Upon The Condition Of A People

The prospect of an American National debt is alarming to even those who have been the principal cause of inflicting it upon the people.  Hear what the New York Tribune, which had no small influence in bringing into practical development and manifestation the “Irrepressible conflict,” says on the subject.

The commencement of the period of Public Debt in England found the people in a comparatively happy condition; a numerous class of landed proprietors; an independent yeomanry; an industrious and well paid manufacturing population diffused through several districts.  The agricultural laborers lived, for the most part, in their own cottages, on the borders of the common lands belonging to every township.  Every man able and willing to work had good, substantial fare, and strong, home-made clothing.  The poor-rates were small in amount, though distributed with liberality.  Bankruptcies seldom occurred, for the gains of labor and of trade were sure and constant.  As the debt increased in magnitude the small landed proprietors disappeared, as well as the cottages and gardens on the borders of the common lands; the very name of “yeoman” was lost; the laboring population, agricultural and manufacturing, was crushed into pauperism and crime, and the traders were continually driven into bankruptcy.  Out of this widespread ruin and desolation grew up a class of speculators in funds, loan-mongers, contractors and commissioners, who drew into  great heaps of wealth of which the people were despoiled by the customs, officers and tax-gatherers.  The number of bankrupts increased fivefold, while population doubled; the cost of living – the barest subsistence – increased twofold, but wages were enhanced only one-half; and while wages thus lagged behind prices, taxes increased in fearful ratio.  A constant and corresponding increase in the poor-rates testified to the ruinous nature to the revolution going on, and afforded an exact measure of the descending career of the people, indicating faithfully the successive levels of degradation to which they were forced.

Here, in a few periods, are the outlines of the history of a people loaded with a great Public Debt.  Let those who speak flippantly of fastening this national malady upon the people of this country explore the heartrending detains of this epitomized account of a nations woes.

The phenomena here exhibited are the inevitable concomitants of a great Public Debt.  The tax placed upon the commodities which enter into general consumption is sure to come mainly from the people of small or moderate means, and is so much dead weight placed upon Labor, only increasing the gains of those who have money to lend.  The system, in its perfection, is the denial to the working people of adequate wages and proper food, and yet requiring them to supply the revenues of the State.

The most fallacious of all the arguments put forward in its favor is that it strengthens the government by directly interesting the people in its continuance.  A strong moneyed interest is undoubtedly thereby committed to its maintenance; but in times of peril and disaster it is in the masses of the people that a government finds its main support or encounters its most dangerous enemy.  The great funded debt of England is held by but an inconsiderable portion of her population.  One third of the whole amount is held by about 150 loan-mongers, many of them foreigners; fully one half is held by about 2,000 persons; while considerably less than 300,000 hold the entire debt.  So far from being an element of strength, the Public Debt of England is her one vulnerable point.  Before the exigencies of public credit, England, haughty and defiant as she now seems, has more than once quailed, and borne patiently, as every student of her history knows, invasions of her traditional policy, which, under other circumstances, she would have resented with war.

Let the events of the last six months rebuke those who speak with complacency of the fastening upon our people of that great national calamity – a public debt.  There is no support for a Government so sure as that which is found in millions of intelligent, prosperous, and happy freemen, each one of whom is found to it by consciousness of rights held sacred, and unequalled opportunities for progress.

– Published in The Dubuque Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, Friday Morning, February 7, 1862, p. 2

Infant Slavery In England

“Slaves cannot breath in England,” says Cowper – but we all know he was of unsound mind.  Truly, there are slaves in England, who have scarcely time to breathe.  Children of the ages at which even little helots in this country are rooting in the dust and making dirt pies, are systematically worked in the English pin factories, potteries, lace factories, and various other manufactories, from dawn till dark.  Thousands of little creatures from three to six years of age, are made to slave for the food that barely sustains them, the rags that scantly cover them, in all the great manufacturing towns.  We derive this information from the statements of commissioners employed by the British government to inquire into the abuse, and it is fair to presume that their testimony is veracious.  These investigations have furnished some striking instances of the style in which infancy is sometimes turned to account in merry, prosperous England.  For example, they found an infant, under two years of age, slaving regularly in the lace weaving business from six in the morning until six in the evening, while the mother with her two older children, of the respective ages of six and eight, labored sixteen hours a day.  These miserable creatures were not compelled thus to toil.  Oh! no.  They were free – free to starve.  The wolf was at the door – that was all; and to keep him partially at bay, they wove the thread of their said lives into the dainty wool with shuttles that never rested.  The commissioners found multitudes of children, engaged in employments to which the ten-hour law did not apply, who worked from six in the morning until ten at night.  They had no time to play – scarcely to eat their meals, which however were not so ample as to detain them long.

And yet “slaves cannot breathe in England.”  If such slaves were here, they would undoubtedly breathe more “free and deeper.”

– Published in The Dubuque Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, Friday Morning, February 7, 1862, p. 2, and also in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Morning, April 9, 1862, p. 2

A Horse Sell

Many incidents connected with the horse purchases for Government will probably become matters of history hereafter, and we will add one just learned from a friend, which we think will stand pre-eminent among the evidences of the honesty of the loyal men who acted as agents or the Government.

A number of horses were purchased at various prices in the Juniata region, which were examined and passed by an inspector named Sherbourne.  As the Government had no forage the horses were placed among farmers in the vicinity to board.  Among the rest, an old farmer on Shaner’s creek was allotted six head.  He took excellent care of them, and was getting along finely, until one day one of them slipped his wind and his spirit soared away to where oats is plenty, the pasture forever green, and no driver’s lash to goad him on to labor – fabulously known as horse heaven.  The farmer was alarmed, because, honest, conscientious man as he was, he feared Government might hold him responsible for the loss of this fine army nag.  In order to clear his skirts, if possible, he summoned half a dozen of his neighbors to hold an inquest and post mortem examination over the dead body of the charger, that they might testify that he did not die of neglect or inattention.  The conclave assembled, and after due deliberation, decided that the horse had died of old age – one of the jury of inquest testifying that he had known the animal personally for twenty-seven years. – Harrisburg Patriot.

– Published in The Dubuque Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, Friday Morning, February 7, 1862, p. 2

In accordance with . . .

. . . his usual annual custom, Baron James Rotchschild hasplaced thirty thousand killogrammes of bread at the disposal of the general administration of public assistance in Paris, to be distributed among the poor of the capital.

                                                  

– Published in The Dubuque Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, Friday Morning, February 7, 1862, p. 2

Postage on Printed Matter

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 1862. – Mr. Colfax introduced the following bill this afternoon, which substitutes several simple rates of postage on printed matter for the 320 rates under existing laws:

A BILL TO RENDER MORE UNIFORM THE POSTAGE ON PRINTED MATTER.

SECTION 1.  Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled, That from and after April 1, 1852 [sic], the postage on all printed matter sent through the United States mails, and on which postage is now payable by law, shall be as follows:  For newspapers not exceeding two ounces in weight, and issued not oftener than once a week, and carried not exceeding 2,000 miles, 4 cents per quarter; when issued twice a week, 10 cents per quarter; three times a week, 15 cents per quarter; six times per week, 30 cents per quarter, payable quarterly or yearly in advance at the office were said newspaper is mailed or delivered, at the option of the subscriber.  And for newspapers exceeding two ounces in weight one additional rate of postage shall be collected for every additional two ounces or fraction thereof.

SEC. 2.  Be it further enacted, That from and after the same date the postage on magazines and periodicals sent through the mails shall be, for the same distance, half a cent per ounce or fraction thereof, to be paid quarterly in advance, and above prescribed, provided that small newspapers and periodicals published monthly or oftener, and pamphlets containing not more than sixteen octave pages each, when sent in single packages weighing at least eight ounces, shall be charged at the same rates, notwithstanding the postage calculated on each separate article of such packages would exceed that amount.

SEC. 3.  Be it further enacted, That from and after the same date, books, bound or unbound, unsealed circulars, pamphlets, except as allowed in the preceding section, maps, engravings, lithographs, blanks, envelopes, and all other matter now mailable and on which postage is chargeable by law, shall, when sent through the mails, pay postage at the rate of one cent per ounce for all distances under 2,000 miles, to be prepaid by stamps, and each circular shall be charged a single rate.

SEC. 4.  Be it further enacted, That for all distances over 2,000 miles, one additional rate of postage shall be charged and collected for such excess on all printed matter sent through the mails.

SEC. 5.  Repeals conflicting acts.

This bill is very objectionable to the county Press, inasmuch as it favors the large city papers by carrying them a distance of two thousand miles from the place of publication for the same rate of Postage as is proposed to be charged for any less distance beyond the county in which Newspapers are published.  The country Newspapers will not be able to exist when subjected to this discrimination, and to the proposed tax upon Newspapers.  They might as well prepare to wind up, or to oppose, as they ought, the carrying of Newspapers through the Mails a distance of two thousand miles for the same rate as the country papers are charged within gunshot of their place of publication.

– Published in The Dubuque Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, Friday Morning, February 7, 1862, p. 2

Suggestions To The General Assembly

NO. X.

THE REVENUE SYSTEM CONSIDERED.

If there be a gentleman in the General Assembly who has ever had anything to do with the assessment of property, he will be able to appreciate the remarks we are about to make on that subject.  It is almost impossible to have a uniform and fair valuation of personal property under the existing revenue law, for the reason that no two assessors value alike.  In the case of real property, the difference which may exist between Assessors in their estimates of value is partially, but not only partially, corrected by the equalization which is prescribed by law to take place; but there can be no such equalization of the value of horses, cows, hogs, &c., and consequently while the people of one township may be assessed for the full value of their stock, those of other townships may be let off with an assessment which is not half the value of the assessed property.  We have been thinking of some means to remedy this defect both of the existing system and of the abuses to which it leads, and we have come to the conclusion that the best way to assess stock is to rate horses, cattle, hogs, sheep and other stock over a prescribed age at a fixed uniform value all over the State.  This would take away from the Assessors both the power and the opportunity to under estimate this species of personal property in value.  It would make the assessment on stock uniform all over the State, while it would not be so otherwise, and it would be nearer to fairness all round than the present system is, or than any other system which we have been able to think of will be.

Besides this, it will have the effect to improve the breeds of stock, and to get rid of that which is comparatively valueless, for no one will like to pay taxes on a horse valued at say a hundred dollars if he be not worth half that sum.  Every one will try to have the best horse, the best cow and the best hog or sheep that he can find if the tax upon a good animal be no more that it will be on a poor one.

We therefore suggest that in amending the Revenue Law, the General assembly will either prescribe at what rate per head each horse, mule, cow, bull, steer, hog, sheep, &c., shall be assessed, or prescribe that it be done by the Census Board from year to year, leaving the Assessors only the duty of enumerating the taxable number of stock of all kinds in their respective jurisdictions.

Objections will, of course, be made to this proposition, and it is, we admit, liable to the objection that stock would not be assessed according to its real value.  But to this we reply, neither is it so assessed now.  For the one owner of stock who gives in a fair valuation, there is probably a hundred that puts the value as low as they can possibly get the Assessor to take it at; and even were it left to the Assessors themselves to estimate the value of stock, they would not be able to do better, for the reason that scarcely any two men, and Assessors are men, agree upon the value of one single animal.  Hence, under the existing system, the assessment of this species of personal property is not equal or fair, while in the system we suggest, it would be uniform and comparatively fair.

A TAX ON DOGS.

It is the almost universal opinion of the farmers of this State that sheep cannot be raised successfully till the dogs which infest almost everr farm be destroyed.  To effect this purpose, they should be taxed, and to ensure the effectiveness of the tax it would not be a bad plan to devote a portion of the proceeds to the Agricultural Societies of the respective counties in which the dog-tax may be collected.  A very considerable revenue might be raised from this source, without hurting any one but the dogs.  It is a matter of experience that where a local tax is levied upon dogs, but few comparatively are assessed.  This is owing to the great carelessness of the Assessors, and to the human sympathy which almost every one feels for the canine race.  To over come this, it will be almost necessary to make it an object with some local beneficiary, as Agricultural societies, to be interested in the proceeds of the dog-tax.  By resorting to this means, such a tax will be assessed and collected, but scarcely otherwise.

– Published in The Dubuque Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, Friday Morning, February 7, 1862, p. 2

British N. A. Provinces

Reliable returns of the personal census of the British North American Provinces show the following result:

Canada	2,506,755
New Brunswick (over)	250,000
Nova Scotia	330,000
Prince Edward Island	30,857
Newfoundland	122,638
Total	3,360,250

The population of the United States when they became a nation was scarcely so great as this.  In 1790 it had not reach 4,000,000.

– Published in The Dubuque Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, Friday Morning, February 7, 1862, p. 2

True

The Chicago Tribune says that “Congress is made up of lawyers and politicians,” which is true, and worse still, most of them are of the poorest kind, as for example, Vandever of Iowa, who could not make salt for his porridge at his profession; yet he is sent to congress to manage affairs of State.  No wonder the country is going to pieces.

– Published in The Dubuque Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, Friday Morning, February 7, 1862, p. 2

“Type" Of The Pervading Passion

An employee of the government printing office, who formerly published a republican paper in Indiana, has been caught stealing type, 200 lbs., of which was found in his boarding hours.

– Published in The Dubuque Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, Friday Morning, February 7, 1862, p. 2

The State Democratic Convention . . .

. . . of Pennsylvania will be held on the 4^th of July at Harrisburg.  When will ours of Iowa be held.

– Published in The Dubuque Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, Friday 

Why Does Congress Not Tax Bank Notes?

While Congress is taking hold of almost every object that can be made to yield a dollar of revenue for the purpose of subjecting it to a tax, it does not seem to contemplate the laying of a tax on Bank Notes, one of the most legitimate as it could be made a productive source of revenue.

There is about $200,000,000 of bank paper in circulation in the Northern States, and this exists by the sufferance of the people who lose not less than ten per cent. per annum on an average by depreciation of this paper money.  There is a loss of some twenty millions a year sustained by the people at large in consequence of this depreciation, and if Congress would only say the word, this amount would be saved, by superceding Bank Notes by Treasury Notes.  Or, if the Bank Notes would stand the tax imposed on them, so much would be made to the Government.

Then again, the Banks do not pay the people interest on their notes, while the Banks charge interest on the people’s notes.  The Banks issue their own notes without interest and loan them to the people for their notes at interest.

Thus the Banks make money on their own evidences of debt.  Now, all this advantage should be taken by the Government and given to it by the people because every dollar made or saved by the Government is a dollar made and saved for the benefit of the people themselves; while what the Banks make is for the interest of the few who own them.

Congress should therefore tax Bank Notes at once.  Government is not bound to respect the kind of money put in circulation by the Banks.  It is, and always was, an illegitimate, unconstitutional currency.  There is no currency legitimate but that which is made so by the Federal Government, and the Federal Government has not legitimatized nor authorized, in any way, bank paper.

So, then, it is proper to tax it, even if the tax drives it out of circulation.  So much the better for the Government and for the people if such should result.  Government Treasury Notes, of Uniform value all over the country, will take the place of the retired Bank paper, and even if it should depreciate, it will be no worse at worst than the Bank Notes.

– Published in The Dubuque Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, Friday Morning, February 7, 1862, p. 2

Hot Work In Kentucky

There is every appearance that the campaign in Kentucky has opened in full earnest, and the result cannot be long in doubt.  The first demonstration is to be made it appears on Ft. Henry, a point important only as a strong out post, but whose reduction is necessary before proceeding to the attack of the enemy strongholds of Bowling Green and Columbus.

Every hour is now big with the fate of the Nation, and every mind is turned towards Kentucky as there might the pending contest be decided.

The following description of Ft. Henry, the point of the attack, will be interesting.

DESCRIPTION OF FORT HENRY.

The only fortification on the Tennessee river, of much importance is Fort Henry, situated near the line of Kentucky and Tennessee, on the east bank of the stream.  It stands in the river bottom, about the high water mark, just below a bend in the river, and at the head of a strait stretch of about two miles.  It therefore commands the river for that distance down stream, and very little higher than the fort, a portion of it is covered with heavy timber.  On the opposite side of the river are three hills commanding the fort completely.  The armament of the fort consists of eight 32-pounders, four 12-pounders, and two 6-pounders.  The 32 and 12-pounders are heavy guns, and the 6-pounders are light pieces.  My informant left Fort Henry on Thursday, the 12^th inst., at which time a large lot of entrenching tools had just been brought tither [sic] to be used in fortifying the hills on the opposite side of the river.

On these new fortifications it was intended to mount three very large guns, 124-pounders, and some rifle cannon.  An Irish regiment at the fort were relied upon to perform much of the work in prospect, but in addition to this force some four hundred slaves were daily expected from North Alabama.  The Garrison of the fort under Gen. Lloyd Tilghman, consist of Col. Adolphus [Heiman’s] Irish regiment and a regiment of Mississippians, besides the artillerists.

– Published in The Dubuque Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, Friday Morning, February 7, 1862, p. 2

Latest By Telegraph

REPORTED FOR THE DUBUQUE DAILY HERALD.

THIRTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS.

An Immense Corcoran Meeting in Boston.

SENATOR BRIGHT EXPELLED.

GEN. MEAGHER ASSUMES HIS COMMAND.

A SECRET DISPATCH SENT TO ENGLAND AND FRANCE BY JEFF. DAVIS.

Probable Passage of the Legal Tender Clause.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM HONOLULU

SECESH PENSIONISTS STRUCK FROM THE ROLLS.

Firing and Mysterious Movements at Sewell’s Point.

GEN. BUTLER’S EXPEDITION.

EMBARKATION OF TROOPS.

THE ENTIRE DIVISION TO CONSIST OF 10,000 MEN.

Fire at Mendalia [sic], Illinois.

– Published in The Dubuque Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, Friday Morning, February 7, 1862, p. 1

Special Dispatches

THE EXPEDITION FROM CAIRO WITHIN FOUR MILES OF FORT HENRY.

SHOTS EXCHANGED.

The Enemy Numbers 15,000.

A FIGHT EXPECTED TODAY.

REPORTED CAPTURE OF GEN. RAINS AND HIS REBEL FORCE.

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

THE TREASURY NOTE BILL!

GENERAL SCOTT GOING TO VERA CRUZ!

Plans to Supercede Gen. McClellan!

– Published in The Dubuque Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, Friday Morning, February 7, 1862, p. 1

Congress - Second Session

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6.

SENATE. – Mr. Carlisle presented a petition numerously signed by citizens of Boston asking Congress to leave the negro question alone and to attend to the business of the country.

The bill to define the pay and emolument of the officers of the army was taken up.

Mr. Sherman said the bill did not meet the difficulty.  A year ago we were physically weak with no public debt, now we are physically strong, but financially weak.  The total amount of the expenses for next year will probably not be less than $500,000,000.  This is a greater expense than ever was borne by any nation.  The highest expenditure of Great Britain was never $500,000,000 a year, not even in the war with Napoleon.

Mr. Sherman here quoted from the London Post, the Government organ, which said that we (the U. S. Government,) were approaching national bankruptcy.  In his judgment these propositions were needed: first, the prompt levy of a tax of not less than $150,000,000.  Second, a careful revision of the laws regulating salaries and compensations.  Third, rigid scrutiny into the disbursement of all public funds, and prompt punishment of every officer taking money or allowing others to take it for property in the service of which the Government does not receive benefit.

Mr. King presented several petitions asking 300,000 copies of the Agricultural Report be printed in the German language.

HOUSE. – Mr. Conway, of Kansas, asked leave to offer the following, to which Mr. Maynard objected, and a unanimous consent was required to introduce it:

            Resolved, That the President be requested to furnish the House, if not incompatible with public interests, with the names of all persons arrested under order of any executive officer without legal process and confined in any of the forts or other prisons of this country as prisoners of war, the names of forts or other prisons in which said persons have been and are confined respectively, the date of the several arrests, together with a full statement of the charges and evidence upon which they were arrested, also the names of all such persons who have since been discharged, the date of their several discharges and the reasons for the same.

The House then took up the Treasury Note Bill.

Mr. Thomas, of Mass., gave the reasons which would induce him to vote against the bill as it now stands.

– Published in The Dubuque Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, Friday Morning, February 7, 1862, p. 1

HURRAH FOR THE 2ND IOWA CAVALRY.

WANTED – 180 MEN.

To fill up this Splendid Regiment of Iowa cavalry now in the Service in Mo.  This Regiment is fully armed and equipped, and is acknowledged to be the

BEST VOLUNTEER REGIMENT,

Now in the Service East or West. Pay from $15 to $21 per month – according to Rank, to commence from date of enlistment.  Term of service, 3 years, or during the war.

Apply at once to the undersigned at No. 79, between 4^th and 5^th on Main Street, over J. & L. [Robinson’s] Store, Dubuque, Iowa.

JOHN W. WRIGHT,

1^ST Lieut. 2d Iowa Cavalry:

Recruiting Officer.

– Published in The Dubuque Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, Friday Morning, February 7, 1862, p. 1

Afternoon Report

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5. – Herald Correspondence. – The only event yesterday was the assumption of his command by General Thos. F. Meagher, who accompanied by Gen. Shields took command of the Irish Brigade amidst great enthusiasm.  Gen. Shields addressed the troops in most effective terms.

Capt. Griffin’s battery did some splendid shooting to-day at Masons Hill.  They fired a dozen rounds with Schrepnell shell from two 12-pounder Parrott guns at a tree 1,600 yards distant.  All the shells but one exploded, and every shot struck within a few feet of the tree.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6. – Those who voted against Bright’s expulsion, were, Nays, Bayard, Cowan, Carlisle, Harris, Kennedy, Upham, Nesmith, Pearce, Powell, Rice, Salsbury, Ten Eyek, Thompson and Willey. – 14.  Yeas. 32.

The Vice President said that as two-thirds had voted in favor of the resolution, it was adopted.

(Tribune Correspondence.) – It is believed that Secretary Stanton will speedily take in fact as he has commenced in form, the conduct of the war, which usage and departmental law gives him the right to do.

The scene at the close of the expulsion of Senator Bright was dramatic.  There was a desperate decisiveness in the “no” with which Mr. Bayard answered to his name.  When Mr. Carlisle of Virginia voted “no” the flutter was significant and loud.  He had been counted only among the doubtful.

The Californians, McDougal and Simmons, were at first absent, but not a moment too soon they came in, and 32 votes declared the law that in the American Senate hereafter no traitor shall occupy a seat.  When the result was announced the galleries burst into applause, but was checked instantly

Mr. Bright bundled up the portable property on his desk, turned his back upon the Court which had tried him, went to Secretary Forney’s room and drew his pay to the last cent, and with a defiant stride passed into the Public Land Committee room, where his wife awaited him.  In her presence the actor’s costume fell.  The ruined politician sat down and haggard and crushed, contemplated the wreck he had made of his fortunes.

Mr. Arnold was authorized to-day to report fully the views of the Lake and River defence Committee on the fortifications of the frontier and the army and equipping of vessels for the Lakes.  Their recommendations will be thorough.

It is said Gov. Morgan’s nomination as Maj. General, will be rejected by the Senate.  If it is confirmed it is apprehended every Governor of every free State will claim this rank and emolument.

The New York Times Paris correspondent states that a secret dispatch from Jeff Davis had been furnished the Governments of France and England which gives full details of the military and commercial resources of the confederacy, and which points out in detail the advantages which France would derive by aiding in the establishment of the new Government.  In its details of military resources, France is expected to see that the Confederacy is able to resist the North forever, which entitles them to recognition, while in its commercial details are seen the enticing phantom of free trade and commercial riches.

Times Washington Correspondence – Vallandigham, Pendleton and Corning, with Morrill, Conkling, Horton and a few others, held a caucus this P. M. and agreed to compromise all their proposed amendments of the demand Treasury Note scheme in one bill, with the view to making a stronger combination against the bill of the committee of Ways and Means, which the Administration has endorsed as indispensable to maintaining the Government and carrying on the war.  The vote may be close, but the chances are decidedly in favor of the legal tender clause.

Hon. Jno. Parker, U. S. Consul at Honolulu, has arrived here with important information from that Government.  He says agents have been sent to England to hypothecate the entire group of the Sandwich Island to Great Britain.

The President has approved the bill authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to strike from the pension rolls the names of all such persons as have or may hereafter take up arms against the Government of the United States, or who have in any manner encouraged the rebels or manifested a sympathy with their cause.  It is known that some persons in the West, after drawing their pensions, have openly joined the enemy, while others who have not taken this extreme step have openly sympathized with the rebels and drawn their pensions.  The law just passed affords a partial remedy against disloyal pensioners receiving money from the Government.

– Published in The Dubuque Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, Friday Morning, February 7, 1862, p. 1

MENDOTA, Ill., Feb. 6 [1862].

A fire here to-day destroyed Brown’s Hotel, Lambs Hotel and a large store house adjourned [sic].  Loss $6,000 or $7,000.  No Insurance.

– Published in The Dubuque Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, Friday Morning, February 7, 1862, p. 1